Dr Feller & Spex Consultation in London

[chrisis]

Just a note for Spex and Dr Feller to say thanks for their advice today at the consultations in London.

I loved Dr Feller's first remark, "you're just a kid!", but beneath the "illusion" created by the way I style my hair, I was recommended 2000 grafts in the front.

I was impressed by the fact I didn't feel pressured or like they were pushing me into making any kind of decision. These are two very ethical guys that do need to make a "sale", because their work sells itself.

I took my Dad down as well and he had the same impression. He was also impressed by Spex's hair to the extent he had doubts it was actually a transplant at all. I assured him the proof was all online!

Now I have much thinking to do before I decide on any course of action.

Thank you again.

[Folly]

Hey Chrisis,

I had a consultation today with Dr.Feller/Spex as well at 6pm. I actually saw you leaving the room with your dad. I was the dude outside trying to fill out the questionnaire. Glad to hear you had a good consultation.

The doc recommended 1,000 grafts to my hairline. Maybe a bit more if i wanted to take care of future balding areas too. Interestingly, he immediately looked at my donor hair and said i wasn't a candidate for FUE, due to my fine hair texture. He said the follicles would be too sensitive to trauma from FUE. Something my last HT surgeon didn't seem to pick up on. Then i told Dr. Feller about my failed FUE surgery last year and he wasn't surprised i had a bad outcome. So strip it is. He said i was a good candidate for strip as i have a lax scalp and don't have advanced hair loss in my family. Think i'll be going to NYC at the end of this year to get the work done. Unfortunately i've had to come off the propecia due to persistent libido problems, so i'm a little worried about future loss. Hope i get back to a normal libido soon. Have your sides worn off yet ?

Anyway, Dr. Feller was very informative and funny. Made me feel very comfortable, made a lot of jokes and answered all my questions. Spex was awesome too, as usual. So i second your praise for Dr. Feller/Spex.

[chrisis]

Hey Folly,

Yeah spex mentioned you were the next client! I would've said hi but I wasn't 100% sure - your hair looks really good but I figure you're in the same position as me.

If I do surgery I'll be going later on this year too. My plan is to get it done over autumn/winter, so it's starting to look good by summer 2013.

Would be good to keep in touch with you

[chrisis]

Oh I didn't respond to the side effects question...

No the side effects still haven't worn off. When did you quit? It was suggested to give Clarityn/loratadine a try, and that seemed to help but maybe it was just a good spell. I have good and bad days, but mostly bad.

A guy in the chat on Sunday night said to give it 9 months....

Are you gonna get any tests run? This is happening way too often, especially to us younger guys, for us to be in some apparently insignificant minority. I get so angry at people who pretend there's not a big problem here. There really is and the sooner it's exposed, the better. Matter of time imo.

[Folly]

Yeah spex mentioned you were the next client! I would've said hi but I wasn't 100% sure

Nah, you should have mate. Your dad gave me a smile and a fatherly nod, almost like saying, "You'll be alright kid". Maybe he sensed i was nervous or something.

Would be good to keep in touch with you

Yeah mate, defo. Let me know your plans and i'll do likewise.

No the side effects still haven't worn off. When did you quit?

Let me give you a quick roundup on my propecia experiece. I started in mid december 2011. I was taking 1mg/daily for about 3 months. Was i worried about side effect ? Yes, a little bit but ony at the beggining. When i got passed the 2nd month without any sides, i was really confident and stopped thinking about sides. Around the end of the third month, i noticed a COMPLETE lack of nightime erections and then slowly over the course of 2 weeks or so, noticed a complete drop in libido and really poor orgasms. And i mean no libido whatsoever. I used to go apeshit at the sight of a girl in heels and nowadays, i'm just not interested (sorry if that's too much info.).

Anyway, the sides for me kicked in at a point when i wasn't even thinking or worried about side effects, which leads me to believe this wasn't a phsycosomatic problem and was definitely due to propecia. After 3 months, i dropped down to 0.25mg in an attempt to elimiate the sides. I used that for another 2 months but without any improvement. I've stopped all propecia for about 4 weeks now. My orgasms are back to normal, starting to get nightime erections again (although not rock hard, but close enough), but still have a VERY low libido.

Are you gonna get any tests run? This is happening way too often, especially to us younger guys, for us to be in some apparently insignificant minority.

I had my blood tested when i started having the libido problem and i found something interesting. Not sure how much you know about 'Prolactin', but it's the number 1 libido killer in men. I had two of these measurement in the past. The normal range is between 70 - 390 miU/L. Pre-propecia i had two measurements of prolactin, about 6 months apart. One came back at 109 and the other at 184 miU/L. So both within the normal range. After 4 months on propecia, my prolactin level is now 396 miU/L, so just out of the range. I've actually read somewhere that propecia can increase prolactin levels, but i can't find the article right now. I'm pretty sure that's what is causing my libido issue, so i'll give it some time and see if it comes back down. I'm going to see a uroligst soon to see if i'm correct in my assumption. Might be worth you checking your prolactin levels too. My other hormones were all normal.

Anyway, i only kept taking the propecia because i had read that the body usually goes back to normal after a while, but it had been around 6 months and my body didn't adjust. Dr. Feller actually told me yesterday that i was right to stop it. I REALLY wanted to take the medicine and save my hair, but it's not worth it. If you still have a high libido but are having ED, at least you can take viagra and still maintian a normal sexual life. Whereas not having a libido or any kind of sex drive is just f#cking scary. It's like your brain chemistry has been changed or something. But i'm confident it will get back to normal eventually. For me and you. I emphathize with you though mate. It's only when it happens to you, that you can truly understand what you are sacrificing. Sexual gratification is the greatest experience a person can have in life......replacing that with some extra hair on your head is madness.

I'm seeing a derm on Harley street who was telling me about a topical version of propecia that is mixed into minoxidil. I'll probably talk to him about that soon as i'm guessing the sexual side effects are non-existant. The only problem is, he said it's very expensise. And if a doc on Harley street is saying somethings expensive......you better believe it !!! I'll find out and let you know.

[clandestine]

chrisis; considering your situation regarding propecia side effects, and provided you do eventually get a hair transplant, do you plan on taking any alternative medication in an effort to slow the progression of your hair loss post transplant?

Regards,
clandestine

[chrisis]

Yeah mate, defo. Let me know your plans and i'll do likewise.

Will do!

Let me give you a quick roundup on my propecia experiece.

Your experience sounds almost identical to mine, right down to the details and timing. I find that very interesting, bearing in mind we're a similar age and have similar balding. Are we both just incredibly unlucky? I very much doubt it.

I had my blood tested when i started having the libido problem and i found something interesting. Not sure how much you know about 'Prolactin', but it's the number 1 libido killer in men.

Interesting! If it is down to prolactin, then is there anything we can do to get back into normal range? Or maybe it just takes time?

Dr. Feller actually told me yesterday that i was right to stop it. I REALLY wanted to take the medicine and save my hair, but it's not worth it

.

Yes, Dr Feller told me he was dubious about Propecia. I was surprised, but it was extremely validating and reassuring to hear that from one of the world's foremost experts on hair loss, after some of the abuse I've suffered on these forums. He told me I was right to quit it too.

It's only when it happens to you, that you can truly understand what you are sacrificing. Sexual gratification is the greatest experience a person can have in life......replacing that with some extra hair on your head is madness.

100% agree.

I'll find out and let you know

Yes, please do. It sounds very interesting.

If you want to chat away from the forum then my email address is: 19chris83@gmail.com. You can either email or add me on Facebook, if you have it

[rugger31]

Hi mate are you looking at strip or FUE glad your consult went well.

[chrisis]

chrisis; considering your situation regarding propecia side effects, and provided you do eventually get a hair transplant, do you plan on taking any alternative medication in an effort to slow the progression of your hair loss post transplant?

Hi clandestine,

I'd continue with minoxidil, and consider something along the lines of what folly is suggesting, depending upon cost and ease of application. I'm not sure what exists otherwise, apart from saw palmetto which I'd be wary of taking after my finasteride issues.

[chrisis]

Hi mate are you looking at strip or FUE glad your consult went well.

Strip FUT. Thanks

FUE sounds awesome, but for jobs above 1000 grafts it seems impractical and too expensive.