Don't Expect Any Miracles With Treatment (sorry)

[JHCL1990]

I started these meds about 2 years ago when I was a NW2 because I started to get a thinning/bald patch at my left temple. My hairline was a NW2, but I was naive and content until I noticed the dreaded "patch" forming.

Fast forward to today and I've been on finasteride ~2 years, dutasteride ~6-8 months (slowly increasing the dosage each month), and minoxidil ~1.5 years. In my opinion, my hair is below what it was before I started noticing the "patch" forming, but subjectively a bit better than baseline--but not by much.

My left temple, and part of the hairline, has hairs that I didn't have at baseline, but they're low quality and super thin. Yes, that's "progress", but it still looks like crap.

My right temple has always been slightly worse than my left temple, but has stayed pretty much completely the same through treatment.

Hair quality is honestly the same as before treatment.

Never had crown issues.

My shedding has been so consistent and constant that I can't even tell if I'm going through a shed (telogen effluvium) that will eventually stop and regrow, or if I'm just experiencing legitimate loss anymore.

 

[JHCL1990]

And before someone comes in and says: "Just staying at baseline for 2 years is a miracle!"

No. No it isn't. We're putting hard pharmaceutical drugs in our bodies that completely alter our hormones for as long as we take the drugs. These hormonal changes cause many changes in mood, behavior, our bodies, etc. I no longer consider "no gains, but no loss" a victory. If I'm acting as a guinea pig and f*cking with my hormones I want visible progress.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

As far as I know, there is no convincing data on why some people respond better or worse to finasteride, or why some get sides and some don't. It's a lottery at this time.

Minoxidil pparently depends on your sulfotransferase production.

Each of these new treatments will likely perform better in some than others.

 

[cocojambo]

Everyone reacts differently, I've been using finasteride and MIN for 3 months and I'm already amazed with the results...

 

[michel sapin]

still no sides on duta JHCL?

 

[Roberto_72]

I hope this doesn't sound a bit condescending, but who ever expected miracles from these primitive drugs?

If you are very lucky they will stop your hair loss. In order to regrow hair in the long run, you need a hair transplant.

I guess this is why everyone is hellbent on Tsuji Follica RU Brotzu et al.

 

[rclark]

@JHLC1990

Was just wondering if Minoxidil was used on your hairline/temple area.

It's far less a great product as Finasteride and dutasteride are for hair, of course.

But some people don't use it on their temples, because they falsely believe
it won't regrow hair there.

Didn't know if you only used it on your vertex.

 

[resu]

Isn't DHT produced at the dermal papilla? With finasteride you're only reducing up to around 70% scalp DHT, if with dutasteride you're still losing then we can come up with wild theories.

See here, "The effects of finasteride on scalp skin and serum androgen levels in men with androgenetic alopecia":
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10495374

 

[zetta98]

Isn't DHT produced at the dermal papilla? With finasteride you're only reducing up to around 70% scalp DHT, if with dutasteride you're still losing then we can come up with wild theories.

See here, "The effects of finasteride on scalp skin and serum androgen levels in men with androgenetic alopecia":
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10495374

I've been on dutasteride for 14 months and hairline is still receding. Yeah my hair thicken up but that could be from minoxidil which I started before dutasteride with excellent results. Dutasteride isn't a cure all. Some people just don't respond as well as others. But the OP makes a valid point. Personally I just wanted to maintain what I had on dutasteride but it hasn't even done that for me.

 

[JHCL1990]

No sides that are blatantly obvious to me.

I feel like a complete zombie every day I don't sleep in though (night person and don't sleep well), and I use v**** pretty much whenever I'm EXPECTING to have sex (like 1/4-1/6 of a tablet--primarily for performance anxiety).

Actually, dutas may have had a negative effect on my joints. I lift weights frequently and shortly after starting dutas my joints (knees, elbows, shoulder) starting hurting (tendinitis-like pain). I've had minor joint problems in the past, but they always disappeared after a while. This time it's sticking with me (months now).

I use minoxidil all over my head. Should've only used it on my front area and hairline, because I feel like I'm wasting it by using it on my crown, but at the same time I'm afraid that if I stop I might lose some crown ground.

Honestly, it's possible that I'm suffering from a bunch of sides from the medication, but it's also possible I'm not suffering from any. I don't know what's the medication and what's just me at this point.

 

[davesmith420]

No sides that are blatantly obvious to me.

I feel like a complete zombie every day I don't sleep in though (night person and don't sleep well), and I use v**** pretty much whenever I'm EXPECTING to have sex (like 1/4-1/6 of a tablet--primarily for performance anxiety).

Actually, dutas may have had a negative effect on my joints. I lift weights frequently and shortly after starting dutas my joints (knees, elbows, shoulder) starting hurting (tendinitis-like pain). I've had minor joint problems in the past, but they always disappeared after a while. This time it's sticking with me (months now).

I use minoxidil all over my head. Should've only used it on my front area and hairline, because I feel like I'm wasting it by using it on my crown, but at the same time I'm afraid that if I stop I might lose some crown ground.

Honestly, it's possible that I'm suffering from a bunch of sides from the medication, but it's also possible I'm not suffering from any. I don't know what's the medication and what's just me at this point.

Did you have this prior to Finasteride/Dutasteride?

 

[g.i joey]

Did you have this prior to Finasteride/Dutasteride?

Curious as well, if you have to use v**** EVERYTIME you're gonna have sex I'd say you are suffering sides.

 

[JHCL1990]

It absolutely is a miracle, and you're lucky; hundreds of generations of men had no options, so they went bald. You had many options, and you kept hair that you would have otherwise lost.

And you're not a "guinea pig;" millions upon millions upon millions used finasteride before you did, first in trials as Proscar, then in trials as Propecia, and then as regular users for both.

I've been on the Big Three for 17 years and have kept a lot of my hair; if I didn't have the Big Three, I'd probably be a NW7, considering how early my loss began. That is an absolute miracle, and I'm grateful for it.

If you're getting sides, then why are you still taking it? Just because it doesn't work for you (and it sounds like it IS - maintaining IS "working") doesn't mean these aren't incredibly helpful drugs for a lot of people.

Some of you guys are absolute drama queens.

Then get out of my topic you cuck

 

[JHCL1990]

Curious as well, if you have to use v**** EVERYTIME you're gonna have sex I'd say you are suffering sides.

I didn't say I had to, as in make or break, I do as a preventative measure and because it makes everything better and easier.

There have been times where I didn't use v**** and was fine. As long as I don't watch ANY p**rn and I'm legitimately attracted to the girl, I'm good. If I start watching p**rn whenever I jack off though, then see a girl, I might have an issue.

 

[chappaquiddick]

And before someone comes in and says: "Just staying at baseline for 2 years is a miracle!"

No. No it isn't. We're putting hard pharmaceutical drugs in our bodies that completely alter our hormones for as long as we take the drugs. These hormonal changes cause many changes in mood, behavior, our bodies, etc. I no longer consider "no gains, but no loss" a victory. If I'm acting as a guinea pig and f*cking with my hormones I want visible progress.

You right now: "Waaaah I just maintained on the drug waaah. Because of the drug my hair hasn't gotten worse in two years waaah" Grow up. Be happy that you responded to the medication, AND without sides. Jesus, your entitlement is irritating.