Coming from topical minoxidil rather than dutasteride, but the dose escalation pattern sounds similar to what my derm described. I stayed on the lowest topical dose far longer than needed because early shedding spooked me, and in hindsight that year of caution cost me regrowth time. The consensus I kept hearing, which turned out right for me: give any form of minoxidil a full six months before judging it, ignore the 3-month panic posts, and don't chase dose increases before the 4-month mark. Bloodwork at baseline and again at six months is cheap peace of mind while you experiment. Keep us posted how you get on - threads like this are why I keep reading here.