Thread: LOTS of Shedding after 2.5 weeks of Propecia Use -- also possible sides?

I'm new to posting on these forums but have been on here reading a lot of the past few weeks.

I am a 26 year old M who was experiencing very mild thinning/balding/whatever you want to call it. It really is/was very minor, I was more of using propecia as a preventative measure to maintain my hair through my 30's. I've been using propecia 1mg for about 2.5 weeks now, and about 1.5 weeks into that I started experiencing a mass shedding. I'm talking about 20+ hairs anytime I run a come through my hair, or even pat my head. Before starting propecia, I had to run my comb through my hair about 3-4 times just to get 1 hair to fall out. I would guess that roughly 1500 or so hairs have fallen out in just 1 week time?? IDK. I don't think I'm over exaggerating either.

I've researched a lot about this and I've heard of this hypoandrogenic effect of propecia? Wondering if I could possibly have/ be experiencing that.

Also want to note --- Sexual side effects. I got this hot latina chick, I had her roll over a week ago on Saturday 6/2... It was about 2 days after my shed had started. We hooked up no problem at all as is usual business. Then she came over on Friday night 6/8, she actually came as I was reading this forum (lol).. And then I logged out when she knocked on my door. IDK if it was in my head-- but we were like a few minutes into sex and then all of a sudden I go limp. I actually started laughing about it after I did go limp and then explained to her my whole situation I've been dealing with -- shedding hair, reading all about it, and that propecia can cause sexual side effects. She told me I don't even need to be taking balding medicine, then gave me some head and then yeah erection returned I went back in and finished it off. Sorry about the graphicness. But yeah definitely some sexual sides going on. I was one and done that night. Normally can go 3-4 times. Oh well.

Back to main subject. Can anybody please tell me if shedding on propecia is normal when you first start. I keep reading that it happens after a couple of months, not in the first 1.5 weeks? The shedding doesn't seem to be stopping either. It really sucks seeing all this hair fall off my head because it wasn't before I started using the meds, and I was more of worried about 5-7 years from now, now I feel like at this rate I'm worried about 5-7 weeks from now. I'm wondering if I should just stop taking the propecia as its only been 2.5 weeks, and if I do stop will the hair that I shed grow back after 3-4 months? Any advice would be helpful.

Here are a few pics: Not sure what order these will be in, the one with the watch showing is from about 3.5 weeks ago. Then the one that is up close (not wearing shirt) is from about 1 week into propecia before shedding started. The other pics are all from yesterday. (also want to note, I have a small scar in the front of my hair line right in the middle that is a small bald patch, got into a fight when I was like 13 and it never grew back in.)

Also wanted to ask what Norwood level I am? I think I'm a NW2 but that is my natural hair line..That or I just have a big ass head. Here is a pic from when I was 21 years old. I am about to turn 27 in a few weeks, doesn't seem to have moved much, IDK. It has moved back, but not at a quick rate.

I think you are a diffuse thinner

Diffuse thinners usually dnt follow these patterns

what does that mean exactly? Does that mean my whole head is going to be bald or I'll end up with the Larry David?

What I'm trying to gather is whether I should stop propecia or not? I don't know what to do. I don't know if it is normal to be shedding this much this early into treatment, when I was shedding very minimal amounts prior to starting.

Any feedback would be appreciated from those who experienced shedding early in treatment with propecia. Did you hair come back after it shed? Did you stop taking? Did the shedding just keep on keeping on?

Diffuse thinners hairs kept on thinning from all over the head ( not sides and back) untill it goes all

do you see any thinning on mid scalp or on the crown ?

Im not a propecia user but i know that excessive shedding is normal

I would say there is some thinning there. How much I'm not certain. I have a cowlick in the back of my head so Idk if that is thinning or if it looks like that because its a cowlick. I've never really had a thick patch of lettuce I've always had thinnish hair and a buzz cut since I was like 14. I am white and black so I have this kind of weird cross between white and black peoples hair so I can't really do much with it but get a fade / buzzcut.

Originally Posted by ThisGuy

I'm new to posting on these forums but have been on here reading a lot of the past few weeks.

I am a 26 year old M who was experiencing very mild thinning/balding/whatever you want to call it. It really is/was very minor, I was more of using propecia as a preventative measure to maintain my hair through my 30's. I've been using propecia 1mg for about 2.5 weeks now, and about 1.5 weeks into that I started experiencing a mass shedding. I'm talking about 20+ hairs anytime I run a come through my hair, or even pat my head. Before starting propecia, I had to run my comb through my hair about 3-4 times just to get 1 hair to fall out. I would guess that roughly 1500 or so hairs have fallen out in just 1 week time?? IDK. I don't think I'm over exaggerating either.

1.5 weeks does sound a bit weird imo, but I can't say for sure. Let's hear from one of the doctors! They do come on here and comment every now and then

About the sex drive, it could be so many other things than propecia and to be honest, I doubt that propecia has anything to do with it after only 1.5 weeks.

Originally Posted by the_dude78

1.5 weeks does sound a bit weird imo, but I can't say for sure. Let's hear from one of the doctors! They do come on here and comment every now and then

About the sex drive, it could be so many other things than propecia and to be honest, I doubt that propecia has anything to do with it after only 1.5 weeks.

Thanks for the reply. This instance was actually 2.5 weeks into usage. IDK. Maybe I psyched myself out. Who knows. But it definitely did not feel the same as the week before with the same girl. Granted I spent the whole week reading about all the problems this stuff can cause.

The hair shedding is definitely taking place though. I AM DEFINITELY SHEDDING TONS out of nowhere which I wasn't before the meds.