- Reaction score
- 6,427
Hi guys,
SHORT VERSION: Could I please get some comments from people who have experienced Reflex Hyperandrogenicity as a result of using internal DHT inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride)? My main question is, how long will this last? Is it temporary or permanent? I've been off Propecia for 3 weeks now, and most people say your hormone levels should return to normal within 1-2 weeks, but my scalp itch/burning shows no signs off stopping.
LONG VERSION: So I tried Propecia for 3 months in total. About 1 month in I started to get mad tingly/burning scalp. I tried to ride this out but after a month it was unbearable, it was literally 24 hours a day and was affecting my work and personal life. After 2 months on 0.5mg ED I cut down to 0.25mg for about a month to see if the scalp itch would subside - it didn't. After a month on .25mg I stopped completely. I should mention that along with this scalp itch my sex drive went through the roof and I had dandruff/oily hair, things I've never experienced before. I'd never experienced any itching whatsoever in the 3 or so years I was losing hair before Propecia either.
At first I thought it was just my body not being able to handle the increase in Testosterone, and it would return to normal once I dropped finasteride. Well I've been off finasteride completely for 3 weeks now and the itch is still here, and if anything the oiliness has gotten worse. Having scoured the web for answers I've come to the conclusion I have had a very rare reaction to finasteride - Reflex Hyperandrogenicity. All of the people discussing this condition in threads have exactly the same symptoms and experiences as me. I've included a summary of this condition at the bottom of the post. You can google it and find loads of information about it. Basically my body, my androgen receptors are super-sensitive to any sudden and significant hormone changes and goes into overdrive trying to balance the unnatural inhibition caused by finasteride.
I'll be honest I'm in full-blown panic mode right now. The burning sensation is constant and unbearable and my hair continues to thin along my hairline and my temples. Needless to say I regret ever touching finasteride and the possibility that I could have permanently over-sensitised my androgen receptors, accelerating my male pattern baldness, after trying finasteride for just 3 months scares the **** out of me. I took finasteride with the belief that if I ever got unbearable sides, I could just quit and they would disappear. I've read posts where people say it's taken months, even years for the itching to stop. The fact this isn't listed as a side effect is unbelievable - respected people in the hairloss community (Dr's Lee, Proctor, Bernstein) all accept this is a possible reaction. The scientific theory is basic and sound.
Q: What is Reflex Hyperandrogenicity?
When the effects of androgens in the body are lessened, e.g. through lowering DHT or by systemic hormone receptor blockade, the body seeks equilibrium through a process called upregulation. This can take the form of increased hormone production and/or increased tissue sensitivity to the remaining hormones.
The reason side effects usually gradually disappear with finasteride is probably due to such upregulation. In a small percentage of individuals, it may be that this process overshoots the mark, resulting in significant hyperandrogenicity.
This is marked by such signs as greatly increased facial oil, increased pimples, and greatly elevated libido. It's possible that in certain cases such hyperandrogenicity overcomes the hair-protective effect of, say, finasteride, though this does not appear to be the case for the vast majority of people..
SHORT VERSION: Could I please get some comments from people who have experienced Reflex Hyperandrogenicity as a result of using internal DHT inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride)? My main question is, how long will this last? Is it temporary or permanent? I've been off Propecia for 3 weeks now, and most people say your hormone levels should return to normal within 1-2 weeks, but my scalp itch/burning shows no signs off stopping.
LONG VERSION: So I tried Propecia for 3 months in total. About 1 month in I started to get mad tingly/burning scalp. I tried to ride this out but after a month it was unbearable, it was literally 24 hours a day and was affecting my work and personal life. After 2 months on 0.5mg ED I cut down to 0.25mg for about a month to see if the scalp itch would subside - it didn't. After a month on .25mg I stopped completely. I should mention that along with this scalp itch my sex drive went through the roof and I had dandruff/oily hair, things I've never experienced before. I'd never experienced any itching whatsoever in the 3 or so years I was losing hair before Propecia either.
At first I thought it was just my body not being able to handle the increase in Testosterone, and it would return to normal once I dropped finasteride. Well I've been off finasteride completely for 3 weeks now and the itch is still here, and if anything the oiliness has gotten worse. Having scoured the web for answers I've come to the conclusion I have had a very rare reaction to finasteride - Reflex Hyperandrogenicity. All of the people discussing this condition in threads have exactly the same symptoms and experiences as me. I've included a summary of this condition at the bottom of the post. You can google it and find loads of information about it. Basically my body, my androgen receptors are super-sensitive to any sudden and significant hormone changes and goes into overdrive trying to balance the unnatural inhibition caused by finasteride.
I'll be honest I'm in full-blown panic mode right now. The burning sensation is constant and unbearable and my hair continues to thin along my hairline and my temples. Needless to say I regret ever touching finasteride and the possibility that I could have permanently over-sensitised my androgen receptors, accelerating my male pattern baldness, after trying finasteride for just 3 months scares the **** out of me. I took finasteride with the belief that if I ever got unbearable sides, I could just quit and they would disappear. I've read posts where people say it's taken months, even years for the itching to stop. The fact this isn't listed as a side effect is unbelievable - respected people in the hairloss community (Dr's Lee, Proctor, Bernstein) all accept this is a possible reaction. The scientific theory is basic and sound.
When the effects of androgens in the body are lessened, e.g. through lowering DHT or by systemic hormone receptor blockade, the body seeks equilibrium through a process called upregulation. This can take the form of increased hormone production and/or increased tissue sensitivity to the remaining hormones.
The reason side effects usually gradually disappear with finasteride is probably due to such upregulation. In a small percentage of individuals, it may be that this process overshoots the mark, resulting in significant hyperandrogenicity.
This is marked by such signs as greatly increased facial oil, increased pimples, and greatly elevated libido. It's possible that in certain cases such hyperandrogenicity overcomes the hair-protective effect of, say, finasteride, though this does not appear to be the case for the vast majority of people..
