Dutasteride Switch - Something Went Seriously Wrong

[bombscience]

I'm looking for people to reply with their knowledge or links to people who have made the switch from Finasteride to Dutasteride. More importantly I'm looking for people who have had positive results. The clinical trials in phase 2 showed that dutasteride may be up to 3 times more effective as Finasteride in fighting hair loss, but I'm not sure that is the case.

Here is my situation:

My original shed caused by the removal of minoxidil shouldn't have lasted more than 3 months (i quit about 4 months ago). Around the same time I also added dutasteride. I didn't discontinue Finasteride immediately. I phased it out over those three months. I know dutasteride did something because about 3 weeks after starting, I noticed my body's chemistry was changing a bit.

After quitting minoxidil I noticed an initial and unfortunate shed (read other threads why i quit minoxidil). Now, 4 months later, that shed hasn't stopped.. it has INCREASED. I'm loosing hair faster than ever. Not only that, where I was losing hairs that were mostly "healthy" before, now I'm losing hair that completely thins out from tip to root. Oh yeah and I easily lose over 300 hairs a day... I'm not exaggerating. The worst part is that over the last 4 months my hair has thinned out more than it did in the entire 12 months proceeding.

Here is my plan:
I'm going to stick with dutasteride and hope something changes. Last week i started minoxidil 15% treatment, and yes I know I will probably shed a ton more in the weeks to come, but I'm more worried that I'm seeing hair shafts thin so fast while on such a strong "treatment."

So back to the topic... can people please point me to any positive "switch" stories so that I can ask my fellow dutasteride users what they experienced? Or please reply with your story.

 

[youngguy_uk]

sorry havent got a switch story, but from reading your post it sounds like maybe your excessive shedding was caused by a combination of dropping the minoxidil earlier (which your hair is probably still recovering from - remember hair can be lost quickly but can take about 4 months+ to regrow cosmetically), and adding dutasteride.

a lot of things have changed with your hair recently, and your growth and shedding cycles are bound to be pretty fucked up, and overlapping etc. i think you should hold in there with dutasteride, and keep going on the minoxidil (15% not too strong?). just make sure you hold it out keeping a constant regimen, dont add or take away things, for at least 6 months. see how things are going then. its tough i know but hang in there man.

 

[JWM]

You are experiencing a "double whammy" so to speak. You are experiencing a minoxidil shed AND the addition of dutasteride shed.

My advice is to stick it out as a shed is to be expected this early into treatment. dutasteride is a powerful drug.

Getting back on minoxidil was a good move, but I'm not sure the 15% is necessary. The 5% should suffice. If I were you I would use dutasteride once a day, 5% minoxidil once or twice a day, and 2% Nizoral 2-3 times a week. I would also avoid mirrors for the next 6 months until your shedding is under control.

 

[bombscience]

right that's my plan. a solid 9 months on this regimen.

minoxidil + dutasteride + (spironolactone/foligen every other).

the strange thing for me is that my hair falling out is really thinning out!! I mean if I wasn't blocking the DHT would i really be a NW7???

 

[bombscience]

Getting back on minoxidil was a good move, but I'm not sure the 15% is necessary. The 5% should suffice. If I were you I would use dutasteride once a day, 5% minoxidil once or twice a day, and 2% Nizoral 2-3 times a week. I would also avoid mirrors for the next 6 months until your shedding is under control.

The 15% minoxidil is a reccomendation from a Dr. Lee as he claims that it is much more difficult for minoxidil to work after you have used it, and then quit.

 

[youngguy_uk]

no probably not, but i reckon finasteride and drugs like this make you get worse than you wouldve been before you get better - due to synchronisation of shedding cycles...i believe this to be the case for most users anyway. and of course your double shed probably adds even more to this.

so go for it, stick to your 9 month regimen, make sure your scalp is in good condition. dont forget your nizoral 2-3x week and a mild shampoo on other days, maybe water only one day. stick to it strictly and dont look back, im sure your hair will be better. keep us posted and good luck, you can beat this.

 

[Bryan]

The clinical trials in phase 2 showed that dutasteride may be up to 3 times more effective as Finasteride in fighting hair loss...

Where and how did you get THAT impression? I'm referring specifically to that "3 times" figure...

Bryan

 

[bombscience]

it's funny because Nizoral is the one thing i have eliminated from regimen because it does not help keep my scalp in good codition. i have isolated it as a primary cause for my scalp irriation. I am going to try going back to TGEL once i've let this regimen settle in and see how that goes as.

 

[bombscience]

The clinical trials in phase 2 showed that dutasteride may be up to 3 times more effective as Finasteride in fighting hair loss...

Where and how did you get THAT impression? I'm referring specifically to that "3 times" figure...

Bryan

Crap I knew that was going to burn me if I wrote it. I read that on another popular hairloss site in an article there. I said "may" because I presonally laughed when I read the 3x figure.

I will correct that fact now and say that the study shows 0.5 mg dutasteride treatment results in 20% less serum DHT than a hairloss finasteride dosage.

Nowhere do i know of besides that article do they say "3 times as effective." My bad.

 

[Bryan]

I think the only logical way to look at it is to directly compare haircounts: the standard Avodart dosage of 0.5 mg/day grew 125.1 more hairs than placebo, and finasteride (at the Proscar dosage) grew 102.8 more hairs than placebo. Therefore, Avodart should be considered in a simple intuitive sense to be about 125.1 / 102.8 = 22% more effective than Proscar.

Bryan

 

[Petchsky]

Hey Bomb,

Just a thought, but maybe adding emu oil and/or MSM to your minoxidil solution could help... this helps absorption and has SOD properties as well as increasing circulation.

If you look in the 'Tell Your Story' section, if i remember correctly, Slartiblast made the swith with good results and has documented his progress comprehensivly, along with Mr T who posted in Slarti's story.

 

[JWM]

I believe Dr. Lee is trying to sell you his product. I see no reason why if you respond to a drug and discontinue it, that you will not continue to respond upon resuming treatment.[/i]

 

[bombscience]

Hey Bomb,

Just a thought, but maybe adding emu oil and/or MSM to your minoxidil solution could help... this helps absorption and has SOD properties as well as increasing circulation.

If you look in the 'Tell Your Story' section, if i remember correctly, Slartiblast made the swith with good results and has documented his progress comprehensivly, along with Mr T who posted in Slarti's story.

I've tried the EMU, and unfortunately it just doesn't fit my lifestyle. I take a small (1000mg) dose of MSM daily, but don't include it topically. Can you link me to some research that shows MSM and/or Emu aid in absorption?

I've read a bit about the benefits of emu but nothing i've read shows increased absorption.

thanks

 

[bombscience]

I believe Dr. Lee is trying to sell you his product. I see no reason why if you respond to a drug and discontinue it, that you will not continue to respond upon resuming treatment.[/i]

this may be true, but before I quit minoxidil i wasn't regrowing any hair using 5% for 11 months.... so 15% may not be a bad idea whether or not my body responds less to the treatment.

 

[oni]

Why not take both if you can afford it that is. It can be quite cheap with the generic stuff.

I have been on both for 5mths. I am on a bad shed it's been about 5 weeks now but my hair is still better than before. I have been very lucky with no side effects

 

[Petchsky]

Bombscience,

http://www.medical-library.net This is for MSM.

http://www.funkster.com/follicles This is not scientific proof but if you read this guys diary entries its a damn good read...someone posted it here recently.

Just looked through for more info on emu but at a dead end really. On this guys website he mentions he uses aloe vera gel shampoo or conditioner. I walked passed a health shop, Holland and Barrett, and bought some. used it last night and my scalp felt really cleansed. Also bought some MSM powder that i am going to use in my minoxidil to shake things up a bit, do not want to get complacent. Ru is something worth looking into. On certain websites i have heard great things about it.

Just trying to throw ideas your way...personally i am always looking for the best products.

 

[Cassin]

Bombscience.....After a year I have my irritation 100% under control and I can finally use Nizoral again. I owe it all to American Crew Copper-peptides and a heavy moisturizing conditioner. I dropped Folligen. I think it helps people quite a bit but if you have a real sensitive scalp I think it is too strong for some of us.

American Crew is clear so I can use it twice a day and no one can tell you have it on. It dries in about 20 minutes. I think a twice daily app was what my scalp needed. I just had to F-ING pound my scalp with CP's to get it back into shape. Once my bottle is done I am going to try Tricomin at once a day.

Moisturizing conditioners keep my scalp and hair hydrated so I can handle the drying effect of all the damn topicals we use and the nizoral. The best I have found is TIGI Moisture Maniac.

You can get both at any salon. Good luck. I think if you give those two products a shot you will see a significant change. 1 year and countless products later and I finally have it nailed down. You can't have success until you get that irritation down and I don't think Folligen does the trick for some of us. It's just to much.

 

[LiveHair]

Bombscience.....After a year I have my irritation 100% under control and I can finally use Nizoral again.

Do you use Nizoral to combat scalp problems, or only as a way to enhance growth? Or maybe both? To rephrase my question: Is there a point of using Nizoral if one does not have scalp problems?

Thanks!

 

[Cassin]

I guess both. There is a very good artical on this site about Nizoral and scalp problems. After reading it I decided I needed to do everything possible to get my scalp under control.

I guess I used Nizoral as a gauge to judge if my scalp was finally in shape again or not.

IMO Nizoral is very helpful but not make or break. It's so cheap and lasts so long, why not use it?

 

[Dave001]

I believe Dr. Lee is trying to sell you his product. I see no reason why if you respond to a drug and discontinue it, that you will not continue to respond upon resuming treatment.[/i]

I agree. If anything, it would make sense that one would be more responsive to minoxidil after having taken a break from it.