I'm only balding at the temples/hairline. Should I take Fin?? If not, what?

[25 going on 65]

To me it looks like you have some thinning in the vertex but no bald spot, which is a good sign that meds will probably work well for you there.
You could try cutting the 5 mg quarters into halves. You probably won't get them equal, but honestly if your daily dose is varying between .5 mg and .7, it shouldn't make much difference. When I cut my fin into 4ths I never get it exactly even.

I don't know anything about buying drugs online. I'm a little paranoid I guess, so I just get an rx and go to a pharmacy, but apparently there are good online sources that some people here use.

[JohnnyBBald]

To me it looks like you have some thinning in the vertex but no bald spot, which is a good sign that meds will probably work well for you there.
You could try cutting the 5 mg quarters into halves. You probably won't get them equal, but honestly if your daily dose is varying between .5 mg and .7, it shouldn't make much difference. When I cut my fin into 4ths I never get it exactly even.

I don't know anything about buying drugs online. I'm a little paranoid I guess, so I just get an rx and go to a pharmacy, but apparently there are good online sources that some people here use.

Sorry to be intrusive but how much do you pay getting a rx and going to a pharmacy??

[25 going on 65]

I think last time I paid like $35 for 30 pills, which when cut into quarters last 4 months. But I think you can get even cheaper prices elsewhere. I've heard of people paying like $9 at Wal-Mart.
Even if it was $50 though, you'd have 120 days of medicine for less than 50 cents per day, so in my opinion generic finasteride is definitely the way to go when money is tight.

Edit: As for the minoxidil... I believe the studies proving its effectiveness focused on the crown area only, so the "may not work in other areas" disclaimer is for legal reasons. That doesn't mean it can't help you elsewhere on the scalp.

[25 going on 65]

Oh, the cost of a prescription... basically it was the cost of a doctor's appt. She wrote the rx and I was off. I don't remember what I paid for the appt.

[JohnnyBBald]

I think last time I paid like $35 for 30 pills, which when cut into quarters last 4 months. But I think you can get even cheaper prices elsewhere. I've heard of people paying like $9 at Wal-Mart.
Even if it was $50 though, you'd have 120 days of medicine for less than 50 cents per day, so in my opinion generic finasteride is definitely the way to go when money is tight.

Edit: As for the minoxidil... I believe the studies proving its effectiveness focused on the crown area only, so the "may not work in other areas" disclaimer is for legal reasons. That doesn't mean it can't help you elsewhere on the scalp.

Ah, okay! That's not too bad. It's $22 for 30 pills 1mg Online. That's 5MG pills? Won't they only give you 1mg pills though since the 5mg is for prostate problems, or do they just write a rx and you ask for the 5mg??

[25 going on 65]

Well at first the doc wrote me an rx for Propecia 1 mg pills, but those were at least $60 for a month's supply, so I asked if she would be willing to prescribe the 5 mg pills and told her I would cut them into fourths. She did it.

Some doctors might not be willing to do this but many will. If one doc says no, find one who will say yes.

It's true that 5 mg was created for prostate health, but it's the same drug, so your body won't care how it is marketed.
FYI, think the 1 mg pills will be available within 1-2 years in generic form, because Merck's patent is expiring soon.

Edit: $22 for 30 1 mg pills is a lot better than Propecia, but still not as cheap per mg as the generic 5 mg finasteride tablets.

[JohnnyBBald]

For sure, they get cheaper the more you buy I just hope they're safe lol.

I'm going to start off with the 1 mg, do you think it's smart to cut them in half and see if .5 is good with no side effects before upping? Or just jump to 1mg? Half the price too

Also I'm going to wait till the pills come before I start using the Minox foam so it all starts together. I'll post pics of results though I doubt any will show till 6+months! Guess being positive is the best way to be though.

OH and a final question though I'm not sure anyone here will be able to answer it--
I work out a lot and I take protein powder very often. Will Any of this effect working out (strength, healing) or my protein intake or anything like that?? I rather be bald than out of shape :P

[25 going on 65]

Some guys "taper up" to minimize chances of side effects by starting at .5 mg or less and working their way up to 1 or 1.25 mg. For most men this isn't necessary (personally I started at 1.25 mg per day) but if you want to try it to be on the safe side, I don't see anything wrong with that.

I don't think you'll notice a difference in your workouts from taking finasteride. Some guys seem very sensitive to hormonal changes caused by fin, and get some unusual sides, but you won't really know until you've been on it. If you get side effects and find them unacceptable, at that point you can quit the drug.

Just for the record, I'm not a medical pro of any kind. I'm just going by published studies, personal experience and what I've read other men experiencing. So while I don't mind answering your questions at all, you might consider bringing some of them to a doctor as well for his/her professional advice

[JohnnyBBald]

Some guys "taper up" to minimize chances of side effects by starting at .5 mg or less and working their way up to 1 or 1.25 mg. For most men this isn't necessary (personally I started at 1.25 mg per day) but if you want to try it to be on the safe side, I don't see anything wrong with that.

I don't think you'll notice a difference in your workouts from taking finasteride. Some guys seem very sensitive to hormonal changes caused by fin, and get some unusual sides, but you won't really know until you've been on it. If you get side effects and find them unacceptable, at that point you can quit the drug.

Just for the record, I'm not a medical pro of any kind. I'm just going by published studies, personal experience and what I've read other men experiencing. So while I don't mind answering your questions at all, you might consider bringing some of them to a doctor as well for his/her professional advice

Will do, thanks! Experience is worth plenty

[Tracy C]

Gah, temples/hairline are my biggest issues.

I realize you think your temples/hairline are more of a problem but the truth is your mid-anterior is the bigger problem.