13 Years In On Finasteride, Nizoral And Minoxidil; Regimen Change Update 2020.

[1982man]

So in 2007 I discovered this forum at age 25 with a Norwood 2. I started the "Big 3" regimen of Nizoral shampoo, 1mg Finasteride and %5 minoxidil topical foam. After the initial expected traumatic and dramatic "shed" lasting several weeks, my hairline almost fully recovered to juvenille equivalent, much better than before I began treatments.

Somewhere in 2013 I updated the forum that I was still looking great 6 years in at that level with no change in my regimen. (Image 3242)

Now it's 2020 and I'm going to have to make the first major change in my regimen and I'm going to be updating for anyone who's still on the forums anymore.
Basically, since 2019 to now, approaching my late 30s I'm seeing my hairloss returning slowly. The temples are going back more, and the crown has started to thin for the first time. In the last two years I tried upping the finasteride to 1.25mg and now 2.5mg, but it hasn't helped - I'm now somewhere in the Norwood 3 category.(IMG 4229)

My change is simply this: Drop finasteride, add dutasteride. No change to Minoxidil or Nizoral regimen.

My 1st question: Is there any reason/benefit to combine finasteride with dutasteride? Consensus says no and that it's dangerous. Other thoughts?
My 2nd question: Assuming I drop finasteride tomorrow, I have about 3 months before it's all out of my system because of the epic half-life, but I'll be starting dutasteride in just one week. Is there an inherent risk in still having that much finasteride onboard when simultaneously starting dutasteride .5mg/day?

 

[jazz1]

You switch brands on Finesteride throughout the years? This stuff can work for a life time.

There are ways to make this stuff work, I could possibly help you as my method has been working for over 10 years now.

 

[Derelict]

Just make the switch to dutasteride and drop the finasteride, mega dose early on for a while to reach peak serum levels. It doesn't take dutasteride that long to reach 70% dht inhibition.

 

[jazz1]

Dutasteride is a second option 100% and then you have RU58841, I know a member on the other Hairloss forums who maintained his Hair for over 20 years.

1. Finesteride
2. Dutasteride
3. RU58841

 

[NSix]

35.5 years old here.

I was on finasteride for 4 years (as of Oct. 2019).

I switched to dutasteride in November 2019. Start every m-w-f then eod then every day. Was on dutasteride for 5 months, every day.

I only kept losing.

In the last 1.5 months, I've switched back to finasteride....

Still losing...

I think I was always a non-responder though.

 

[DoctorHouse]

So in 2007 I discovered this forum at age 25 with a Norwood 2. I started the "Big 3" regimen of Nizoral shampoo, 1mg Finasteride and %5 minoxidil topical foam. After the initial expected traumatic and dramatic "shed" lasting several weeks, my hairline almost fully recovered to juvenille equivalent, much better than before I began treatments.

Somewhere in 2013 I updated the forum that I was still looking great 6 years in at that level with no change in my regimen. (Image 3242)

Now it's 2020 and I'm going to have to make the first major change in my regimen and I'm going to be updating for anyone who's still on the forums anymore.
Basically, since 2019 to now, approaching my late 30s I'm seeing my hairloss returning slowly. The temples are going back more, and the crown has started to thin for the first time. In the last two years I tried upping the finasteride to 1.25mg and now 2.5mg, but it hasn't helped - I'm now somewhere in the Norwood 3 category.(IMG 4229)

My change is simply this: Drop finasteride, add dutasteride. No change to Minoxidil or Nizoral regimen.

My 1st question: Is there any reason/benefit to combine finasteride with dutasteride? Consensus says no and that it's dangerous. Other thoughts?
My 2nd question: Assuming I drop finasteride tomorrow, I have about 3 months before it's all out of my system because of the epic half-life, but I'll be starting dutasteride in just one week. Is there an inherent risk in still having that much finasteride onboard when simultaneously starting dutasteride .5mg/day?

I don't think you are going to see any significant difference if you switch from dutasteride to finasteride but I certainly would give it a try. The reason I say that is I have looked for photos supporting a significant difference and I can't find any. The most common complaint when someone switched to dutasteride was it caused more loss at the hairline and they had more side effects than when they were using finasteride. But if I were in your shoes, I still would try it. ( I did and it made no significant difference and I got more sides). You can always go back to finasteride. Controlling hair loss in your 40's and 50's becomes much more challenging. The only reason someone might ween into dutasteride while still on finasteride is if they want to use a small dose of dutasteride at first to see how they do and if they get more side effects. Other than that, you can just drop finasteride and switch to dutasteride like you said. Do you have any photos from 13 years ago with your hair styled like your current photo? It's hard to tell since the second photo has your hair pushed foreward.

 

[Mr. Prince]

I don't really know much about dutasteride, so sorry can't say much about that. But it looks like to me like you'd make an extremely good candidate for a hair transplant. Your donor area looks thick and healthy.

 

[DoctorHouse]

I don't really know much about dutasteride, so sorry can't say much about that. But it looks like to me like you'd make an extremely good candidate for a hair transplant. Your donor area looks thick and healthy.

I was thinking exactly the same thing. He has excellent hair characteristics for a hair transplant that would give him more hair at the hairline than dutasteride, minoxidil, and RU.

 

[1982man]

Another long post, sorry!

Started the Dutasteride .5mg today. Fingers crossed.

I might should add that I've used nicotine gum fairly regularly since summer 2017, but since finasteride doesn't seem to continue to respond as well in most people after the 10 year mark, I cannot be certain if my recent hairloss can be attributed to the natural progression of the disease(my father, brother and most men in my family were Norwood 7s by the time they were my age), Finasteride pooping out, or just the nicotine use (of which who's contriubution to Male Patter Baldnes currently seems nuanced).
I know for a fact that if I hadn't started my drug regimen when I did, I'd be a norwood 5 or higher by now. I've basically got a genetic gun to my head and I know where I'm going unless I really chase it down.

As far as I can remember, I've always gone with whatever pharma manufacturer the pharmacy had in stock when I buy Finasteride. Currently it's "Auro." I stay away from Teva or whatever that crap company is that makes all the bad drugs.

Unfortunately I never took any good pictures of my hairline when I first started finasteride/Min/Nizoral in 2007.

I've not heard much about RU58841 so I'm going to look into that - sounds tempting but also more expensive, difficult to obtain and more problematic to apply.

Hopefully I can afford a hair transplant surgery when the day comes!

 

[whatintheworld]

OP you can start taking dutasteride but I personally would not. It is much stronger than finasteride and inhibits both types of DHT. Do you really want to be stuck on this drug forever? Do your research thoroughly before jumping on it. If you can't explain what the drug does exactly, and what you think the long term effects may be, think twice before going down this road.

If I were you I would just stick the course with your current regimen and look into a good transplant if your hair bothers you that much. I think your hair is completely age appropriate and looks pretty good actually. But we are all particular on how we see ourselves so I can understand if you want more hair.

You have very good donor characteristics for a transplant from what I can tell so there is every indication to think the surgery would be successful. The main point I want to make though is to be cautious going down the hair greed route.

 

[1982man]

OP you can start taking dutasteride but I personally would not. It is much stronger than finasteride and inhibits both types of DHT. Do you really want to be stuck on this drug forever? Do your research thoroughly before jumping on it. If you can't explain what the drug does exactly, and what you think the long term effects may be, think twice before going down this road.

If I were you I would just stick the course with your current regimen and look into a good transplant if your hair bothers you that much. I think your hair is completely age appropriate and looks pretty good actually. But we are all particular on how we see ourselves so I can understand if you want more hair.

You have very good donor characteristics for a transplant from what I can tell so there is every indication to think the surgery would be successful. The main point I want to make though is to be cautious going down the hair greed route.

I will definitely keep this in mind. I usually have some anxiety about trying a new drug (I've used lots) and this is no exception. I'd love to have the surgery at some point if I can afford it - it's encouraging to hear others' positive feedback about that. I'll probably lay low in the background for a while and do some research, trial-run the "dutasteride" .5mg and pop back in with an update later.

 

[1982man]

UPDATE: Late October 2020

Late Oct. 2020: Almost 5 months now - and I've not yet seen any change in my hairline after switching from Finasteride 2.5mg (hereto referred to as "finasteride") to Dutasteride .5mg (hereto referred to as "dutasteride") in early June 2020, which is neither a good thing or a bad thing for me. Will be entering into the time frame in a few more moths when trials indicated people start seeing an impact of dutasteride on the hairline.

I have a lingering anxiety that maybe it was less effective drop the "finasteride" and switch to "dutasteride" literally overnight - without running finasteride and dutasteride together in the beginning for the first 6 months- 1 year. Because there's theoretically a period of time in my case when the finasteride will be out of my system before the dutasteride has a chance to start working, leaving me open to hair loss again due to DHT. Is this thought accurate and founded?

Brad
PS trying very hard to stay awake while typing this, please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.

 

[Justheretohelp3]

I don't understand that logic? Both meds have an impact on DHT levels immediately. There is no reason to take both.

 

[1982man]

Yes that’s what I think too actually. But I read in numerous posts last night in this forum that seem to disagree(I hadn’t logged on in a few months). I was pretty surprised actually. Here’s to hoping I’m right!

 

[john1245]

You switch brands on Finesteride throughout the years? This stuff can work for a life time.

There are ways to make this stuff work, I could possibly help you as my method has been working for over 10 years now.

Can you share your method please ?

 

[Justheretohelp3]

Yes that’s what I think too actually. But I read in numerous posts last night in this forum that seem to disagree(I hadn’t logged on in a few months). I was pretty surprised actually. Here’s to hoping I’m right!

You need to be careful with what you read online. There's lots of people playing doctor on these forums and it's baffling to me to see some of the posts on this forum. If in doubt, speak to your doctor. In regards to your question, it makes 0 sense to take both drugs together and there is no need to overlap. I'm sure your doctor would tell you the same thing. Again, they both have an immediate impact on DHT and short half lives.

 

[jazz1]

Can you share your method please ?

This is my main method Topical Finasteride, but I also use 5% minoxidil and other ketaco shampoo and cleansers. I use derma rollers and LLHT, plus Divine herbal hair oils.

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/topical-minoxidil-finasteride-mixture-check-here.126633/

 

[hairDespair]

Was in the same boat where finasteride started losing effectiveness after 14 or so years. Started dutasteride doing a couple a week. Started getting some tenderness in my lower chest and felt lumpy. That was only after a month. Dropped that sh*t with the quickness

 

[1982man]

Update: 11 months after beginning use of Dutasteride.
I've noticed improvement in the temples and crown. Enough that I feel the switch from FINasteride to DUTasteride was worth it. No side effects other than some seperation anxiety as I wondered if I should have left my trusty finasteride after 14 years.
I should have made the switch a few years ago. Dutasteride is widely used in other countries as a first line of defense against male pattern hair loss. Now I see why. (As we grow older, we become wiser.)
If you're on the fence about Dutasteride, just do it.

 

[abovedagame]

Update: 11 months after beginning use of Dutasteride.
I've noticed improvement in the temples and crown. Enough that I feel the switch from FINasteride to DUTasteride was worth it. No side effects other than some seperation anxiety as I wondered if I should have left my trusty finasteride after 14 years.
I should have made the switch a few years ago. Dutasteride is widely used in other countries as a first line of defense against male pattern hair loss. Now I see why. (As we grow older, we become wiser.)
If you're on the fence about Dutasteride, just do it.

It’s hard to see from the pics as the lighting is different. Do you have other comparison shots showing the temples?