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  1. #1
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    Nov 2010
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    Unhappy Restarting finasteride

    Hello everyone,
    I have been reading topics in various forums for about 2 years now and I've decided to add my own experiences with various hair treatments to enlighten people or get a bit of feedback on my own problems.

    I initially started noticing a slightly receding hairline about 3 years ago (25 years old) and began researching into possible treatments. The recession wasn't bad at all and my hair elsewhere on my head was still incredibly thick at the time.

    Well, I started taking Propecia in February 2009 and was on it until September (about 7 months). To begin with I didn't notice anything from it. I didn't experience any side effects and I wasn't losing any hair until about the 6-7th month when I started noticing excessive shedding and lots of hairs in the shower. I also started getting a really itchy scalp which had small areas of inflammation all over. However my hair on top at this time was still thick and my recession appeared to have stopped, but after 6 or 7 weeks of continuous excessive shedding I thought something must be wrong and decided to stop taking the drug.

    After stopping the drug I must admit that the shedding has continued ever since . I would estimate losing 200+ hairs everyday and my hair on top is now incredibly thin and I can see scalp all over. It has been about 1 year since I stopped taking Propecia and I have definitely lost a lot of hair which is why I have recently started back on it.

    What I am hoping is that the shedding I experienced from being on Propecia was an initial shed which would have stopped after 2-3 months. However because I was so worried about the excessive hairloss at the time and decided to quit Propecia I'm not sure I will ever know.

    Basically I am hoping that Propecia will stop this current ongoing shedding which I have experienced ever since using and quitting the drug. I really can't afford to lose anymore hair as it is now so difficult to cover up my balding head at the moment. I'm just hoping using Propecia in the first place didn't kick-start MPB for me.

    I have been back on Propecia for about 4 weeks now and have noticed no change as yet, although I am aware that it is still too early to see any results from using Fin. However, I feel that since there is not much else I can do anyway I might as well give it another go.
    I really hope this works as losing my hair is really starting to depress me. Sometimes I wish I had never touched Propecia in the first place.

    Has anyone else had a similar experience or able to give me some words of encouragement. Am getting quite desperate.

    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
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    Aug 2010
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    Default

    Everybody is different. I say good luck and YOU report back to us about your Success. I wish you luck. Remember it can't hurt.

  3. #3
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    Right, thought I would update my story as it makes me feel better about myself if I write about my experience even if it doesn't really interest anyone else.

    I've probably been back on Finasteride for about 5 weeks now, which I know is still way too early to gain any real results from it. What I am hoping though is that my DHT levels have been considerably lowered by now (is that right?) and that it is starting to have an effect on my hair follicles. Hopefully they are all fighting back against this evil DHT and will return to their original healthy selves at some point in the near future

    What I have noticed though is that I have been shedding considerably more than usual in the last couple of weeks since starting Finasteride, which I am telling myself is a good thing (please be a good thing). I have also been analyzing the hairs that are falling out and have noticed that the majority of them are quite fine and not as dark as some of the other hair. Therefore I am hoping that finasteride is causing this shed and that I am actually only losing the weaker finer hairs and not any of my healthy hairs. I am also hoping that these finer hairs which are falling out will gradually be replaced by thicker, darker hairs over the next couple of months.

    If you read my last post you will know that I stopped using Propecia after about 7 months, at which time my hair was still thick, but I was shedding quite a lot which really scared the %$£" out of me.
    My guess is that I probably stopped using Finasteride just as it was starting to have a real effect, and because the levels of DHT were allowed to rise again at the same time as I was going through a shedding phase I probably did more harm than good by stopping using it. Since stopping Propecia over a year ago I have not used any other product on my hair, which is probably the main reason I have continued to lose hair until now and am in the situation I am currently in.
    But hopefully I have caught my hair loss just in time as I still have hair all over my head, even if it is much less thick than it used to be. I have decided that I will continue using Fin this time for a full 12 months before making any further decisions on what to do next and will keep this post updated for any people who are interested in the outcome.

    If any body reading this has recently started using Fin, or been on it for a while, could you please tell me at what stage you started noticing an effect from using it, and if you experienced any shedding at all, and at what stage this shedding subsided if it did occur. I would be really grateful for any feedback as I am still rather unsure about what is happening.
    I saw a picture of myself from 18 months ago and I just wish I could have that hair back again.

    Thanks for reading

  4. #4
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    Nov 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by Popeye View Post
    Right, thought I would update my story as it makes me feel better about myself if I write about my experience even if it doesn't really interest anyone else.

    I've probably been back on Finasteride for about 5 weeks now, which I know is still way too early to gain any real results from it. What I am hoping though is that my DHT levels have been considerably lowered by now (is that right?) and that it is starting to have an effect on my hair follicles. Hopefully they are all fighting back against this evil DHT and will return to their original healthy selves at some point in the near future

    What I have noticed though is that I have been shedding considerably more than usual in the last couple of weeks since starting Finasteride, which I am telling myself is a good thing (please be a good thing). I have also been analyzing the hairs that are falling out and have noticed that the majority of them are quite fine and not as dark as some of the other hair. Therefore I am hoping that finasteride is causing this shed and that I am actually only losing the weaker finer hairs and not any of my healthy hairs. I am also hoping that these finer hairs which are falling out will gradually be replaced by thicker, darker hairs over the next couple of months.

    If you read my last post you will know that I stopped using Propecia after about 7 months, at which time my hair was still thick, but I was shedding quite a lot which really scared the %$£" out of me.
    My guess is that I probably stopped using Finasteride just as it was starting to have a real effect, and because the levels of DHT were allowed to rise again at the same time as I was going through a shedding phase I probably did more harm than good by stopping using it. Since stopping Propecia over a year ago I have not used any other product on my hair, which is probably the main reason I have continued to lose hair until now and am in the situation I am currently in.
    But hopefully I have caught my hair loss just in time as I still have hair all over my head, even if it is much less thick than it used to be. I have decided that I will continue using Fin this time for a full 12 months before making any further decisions on what to do next and will keep this post updated for any people who are interested in the outcome.

    If any body reading this has recently started using Fin, or been on it for a while, could you please tell me at what stage you started noticing an effect from using it, and if you experienced any shedding at all, and at what stage this shedding subsided if it did occur. I would be really grateful for any feedback as I am still rather unsure about what is happening.
    I saw a picture of myself from 18 months ago and I just wish I could have that hair back again.

    Thanks for reading
    yea, shedding is normal...although I was under the impression that it only lasts for a couple weeks/months, but I may be wrong. What did your dermatologist say?
    Personally, I don't think I experienced a "shedding" phase. I mean, my hair continued to fall out after I started the drug, but not any faster than before. A couple months in, though, I noticed that my hair had stopped falling out completely.
    You should also use Rogaine (minoxidil) because, according to my doc (a hairloss "Expert"), the two together work synergystically

  5. #5
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    Hey Zero,
    Thanks for the reply. It's appreciated.
    I never bothered seeing a dermatologist. I just researched various treatments on the internet and on forums like this one before making a decision to start Propecia. Maybe I should have seen a doctor or got mapped for miniaturization or something first. I think I might go for a hairloss consultation with a doctor when I return from work.

    So you didn't really notice an appreciable shedding phase after starting Fin? I'm still shedding a lot of hair at the moment but I was anyway before getting back on Fin so I'm not sure if this shedding phase is caused by the drug or not. But as I said the hairs I am losing appear to be lighter and finer than the other hairs I still have remaining on my head so I am hoping this is a good thing. And I am hoping that the shedding really slows down fairly soon.
    How long were you on it before you stopped losing hair?
    Also, since you have stopped losing hair have you noticed any regrowth or is that quite minimal? I am interested in what I can realistically expect so any feed back by anyone would be greatly appreciated.

    I have thought about Minoxidil but the hassle of using it twice a day wouldn't be realistic with my current lifestyle/work schedule. I wouldn't have time and I know I wouldn't use it properly. Thanks for the advice though, and I will definitely consider it if things don't change anytime soon.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Popeye View Post
    Hey Zero,
    Thanks for the reply. It's appreciated.
    I never bothered seeing a dermatologist. I just researched various treatments on the internet and on forums like this one before making a decision to start Propecia. Maybe I should have seen a doctor or got mapped for miniaturization or something first. I think I might go for a hairloss consultation with a doctor when I return from work.

    So you didn't really notice an appreciable shedding phase after starting Fin? I'm still shedding a lot of hair at the moment but I was anyway before getting back on Fin so I'm not sure if this shedding phase is caused by the drug or not. But as I said the hairs I am losing appear to be lighter and finer than the other hairs I still have remaining on my head so I am hoping this is a good thing. And I am hoping that the shedding really slows down fairly soon.
    How long were you on it before you stopped losing hair?
    Also, since you have stopped losing hair have you noticed any regrowth or is that quite minimal? I am interested in what I can realistically expect so any feed back by anyone would be greatly appreciated.

    I have thought about Minoxidil but the hassle of using it twice a day wouldn't be realistic with my current lifestyle/work schedule. I wouldn't have time and I know I wouldn't use it properly. Thanks for the advice though, and I will definitely consider it if things don't change anytime soon.
    I'd say my hair stopped falling out 1-2months into treatment, but since then I haven't seen any regrowth, or at least none that I've noticed. I also have a really busy schedule (I'm a med student) but I try to slap some Rogaine on my head when I get out of the shower once a day. 2x a day, I agree, is asking for too much. My dermatologist said to at least do it once though. other unfortunate drawbacks from Rogaine are:
    a) It STINKS
    b) I think it makes me look thinner than I already am since it sticks hairs together, minimizing volume

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