18 year old needing some advice pls.

[sepnova]

Hello to everyone facing the same balding problem as me. I'm currently 18 who noticed receding hairline a year back. And basically, the head as a whole is gradually thinning and i can feel it. My parents are calling me paranoid and i get really agitated. I'm currently on minoxidil for the 3.5 month but the results seem to be very poor.. I'm considering on starting on propecia but my doctor advises me not to due to the risk of getting higher grade prostate cancer. I'm pretty sick and tired of worrying everyday about this gradual hair loss problem.

Could anyone give me some professional advice or at least tell me what should i do? Your advice would be greatly appreciated..

[LFC]

I'd start on propecia yano most effective drug, anyway finasteride reduces the risk of prostate cancer rather than increase it which is what the original purpose of the drug was for.

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

There was a study done that showed patients taking Propecia had a lower incidence of getting prostate cancer. However, in those patients who did end up developing prostate cancer it was a higher grade cancer by the time it was diagnosed. I would hope that closer monitoring and early screening of patients taking Propecia would help to lower incidence of higher grade prostate cancers. If you have a strong family of genetic hairloss then prevention is your best option.

[Limmer HTC]

response

Sepnova:

If it is affecting you to this degree, you should strongly reconsider Propecia. It has a very safe track record (finasteride being around now for >25 years) and the information surrounding possible high grade prostate cancer formations appears to be a sampling error in the study. Another prostate cancer prevention trial is underway and the final answer on prostate cancer should be known long before it might be an issue for you. Of note, the over all reduction in the total incidence of prostate cancer was 25% less in the group who took finasteride versus the group that did not. So it would appear that those taking finasteride would be 25% less likely to develop prostate cancer. It’s a complicated study to explain by Email, but I’d be happy to talk about it by phone.

Brad Limmer, MD/jac

[sepnova]

My parents are being dramatic. They say propecia might cause unknown damages to my body despite me alreadly explaining all the possible side effects(told them that the percentage is very low too). They say i might die from it. They are scaring me with their words. I'm 18 only and i wonder if it safe for a 18 year old to start on propecia? Do you guys have any cases or any friends/relatives/stories of other people starting at the age of 18???

[Winston]

My parents are being dramatic. They say propecia might cause unknown damages to my body despite me alreadly explaining all the possible side effects(told them that the percentage is very low too). They say i might die from it. They are scaring me with their words. I'm 18 only and i wonder if it safe for a 18 year old to start on propecia? Do you guys have any cases or any friends/relatives/stories of other people starting at the age of 18???

I guess your parents think that they are giving you the best advice and trying to protect you, but they don’t seem to know much about the safety profile of Propecia. You’re doctor seems to be a little slow on the uptake also, so I wouldn’t take his advice. Why don’t you go to one of the IAHRS doctors like Dr. Limmer or Dr, Charles with your parents for a consultation? Maybe if they learn about it from a doctor it will help them understand.
Ask you Mom if she used birth control Pills when she was young. I think the hormonal changes caused by the pill outweigh that of Propecia and girls are prescribed the pill who are younger then 18. Maybe if you put it in those terms she’ll be more willing to listen and learn more about Propecia?