Eyes and cheek swelling from Oral minoxidil

[Einstein]

This sucks big time. I was eager to see wonderful results that awaited me but I have terrible swelling around my eyes and upper cheeks. When I blink I really feel it, reminds me of the times we’d get black and blue eyes when we were kids and every time we blinked you were reminded that you got fukced up.

I felt it a little in the past 2-3 days upon waking up but brushed it aside. But this morning my eyes were teary and swollen and have stayed that way since.

I’ve been taking 5mg Loniten splitting twice daily (2.5mg a.m and 2.5mg p.m.) for 11 days now.

The question is should I ride it out, drop the dose, or stop.

Strange as I usually have a pretty high tolerance for side effects

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

This sucks big time. I was eager to see wonderful results that awaited me but I have terrible swelling around my eyes and upper cheeks. When I blink I really feel it, reminds me of the times we’d get black and blue eyes when we were kids and every time we blinked you were reminded that you got fukced up.

I felt it a little in the past 2-3 days upon waking up but brushed it aside. But this morning my eyes were teary and swollen and have stayed that way since.

I’ve been taking 5mg Loniten splitting twice daily (2.5mg a.m and 2.5mg p.m.) for 11 days now.

The question is should I ride it out, drop the dose, or stop.

Strange as I usually have a pretty high tolerance for side effects

I am assuming you were on topical min before? Just an aside, I had my blood pressure checked many times last week and everything was perfect with that, on my 12.5mg twice daily oral topical min protocol which is pretty much the highest dose anyone should contemplate but I recommend for "mere mortals" from 1mg daily of Loniten up to 10mg split into two 5mg doses, morning and at night before bed. That will help with any unforeseen wooziness from the blood pressure effects starting out. This is also why I recommend that everyone begin on 2 percent topical min. That's all that we had in the olden days and I don't recall shedding being a big deal back then. Tapering upwards slowly is always safest.

I would halve the dosage or even quarter the dosage and maintain once a day of topical to see how that goes. Anytime we add a powerful med, it can be jarring to the body so titration is your friend there, as well as the tolerance that all of us generally have to medications. My main issue has been weight gain and swollen ankles but I have finally turned the corner on the weight gain and not being able to swallow has helped with my weight as well, lol.

Best wishes,

Janey

 

[Einstein]

That’s a pretty high dose you’re on. Did you taper up or just started on a high dose

I haven’t used topical minoxidil in a very long. Right now I started with finasteride, dutasteride, and Loniten. I didn’t want to add topical yet due to not being able to pinpoint where sides would be coming from should they arise. And they did. Swollen eyes and upper face. So I know or certain it’s from oral minoxidil.

Would this be considered a side effect of an allergic reaction

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

That’s a pretty high dose you’re on. Did you taper up or just started on a high dose

I haven’t used topical minoxidil in a very long. Right now I started with finasteride, dutasteride, and Loniten. I didn’t want to add topical yet due to not being able to pinpoint where sides would be coming from should they arise. And they did. Swollen eyes and upper face. So I know or certain it’s from oral minoxidil.

Would this be considered a side effect of an allergic reaction

This is a case where you might benefit from a doctor who knows his stuff about oral min, if that exists. In a certain sense, DHT might be said to provoke allergic reactions in the follicle itself. I started at approximately 10mg to 12.5mg once daily. I have pretty much desisted from topical min topically except for my once a week derma-rolling session with retin-A, Adaptagel and either topical E2 or P4.

I do my entire face, neck, scalp and sometimes, soles of my feet and the back of my hands, which often carry age markers that seem to improve considerably. Especially scars. Since male pattern baldness might result in follicle tissue that is similar to scarring in terms of lack of blood flow connection, micro-needling seems all but miraculous to me along with HRT in terms of overall age reduction and tissue improvement. I looked in the visor today and I saw a very young androgynous person looking back. That effect seems to overwhelm the pure facially feminized effects in terms of noticeability. It's all wondrous and I encourage people within reason to keep looking for what works for at least some and doing cost/benefit analysis. Cycling has at least some evidence going for it and our friend Marky, is someone who knows far more about that than perhaps anyone.

The thrill of all of this, to me, is mind-bending. Yes, all the fantasies about having my teen hair back, well, it doesn't wear off. This isn't one of those things you achieve and then are sort of "eh" about. It is transformative to one's very core. So, like the early Christians in Palestine, "I have to tell someone (everyone) that if it turns out for you, it will all be worth the effort and hope and reasonable expense.

Janey

 

[NW9000]

Lower to 2.5 mg or ride it out

 

[Einstein]

That’s what I’m deciding on. But it depends if it’s an allergic reaction or side effect. If it’s an allergic reaction then it may not matter how low I drop the dose. Since about 2 hrs now my feet and hands have become swollen as well. I had to loosen my watch. My wedding ring is choking my poor finger. This sh*t needs to go away soon, my eyes are very bothersome

 

[rapper dude]

I am assuming you were on topical min before? Just an aside, I had my blood pressure checked many times last week and everything was perfect with that, on my 12.5mg twice daily oral topical min protocol which is pretty much the highest dose anyone should contemplate but I recommend for "mere mortals" from 1mg daily of Loniten up to 10mg split into two 5mg doses, morning and at night before bed. That will help with any unforeseen wooziness from the blood pressure effects starting out. This is also why I recommend that everyone begin on 2 percent topical min. That's all that we had in the olden days and I don't recall shedding being a big deal back then. Tapering upwards slowly is always safest.

I would halve the dosage or even quarter the dosage and maintain once a day of topical to see how that goes. Anytime we add a powerful med, it can be jarring to the body so titration is your friend there, as well as the tolerance that all of us generally have to medications. My main issue has been weight gain and swollen ankles but I have finally turned the corner on the weight gain and not being able to swallow has helped with my weight as well, lol.

Best wishes,

Janey

Ok Janey, been taking oral minoxidil and went through a few days where I felt dizzy & weak. I too have eyes swelling and gained water weight, I have been doing major daily stair climbing and gained weight on reduced diet

 

[rapper dude]

This sucks big time. I was eager to see wonderful results that awaited me but I have terrible swelling around my eyes and upper cheeks. When I blink I really feel it, reminds me of the times we’d get black and blue eyes when we were kids and every time we blinked you were reminded that you got fukced up.

I felt it a little in the past 2-3 days upon waking up but brushed it aside. But this morning my eyes were teary and swollen and have stayed that way since.

I’ve been taking 5mg Loniten splitting twice daily (2.5mg a.m and 2.5mg p.m.) for 11 days now.

The question is should I ride it out, drop the dose, or stop.

Strange as I usually have a pretty high tolerance for side effects

Same problem, eyes look like I was in boxing match when I wake up in the morning. I have been drinking liquid rogaine 5%

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Same problem, eyes look like I was in boxing match when I wake up in the morning. I have been drinking liquid rogaine 5%

I would desist by slowly tapering downward in halves or quarters. I have mainly had issues with my feet swelling and weight gain but so much of this seems to either work or not without explication. I recommend at home BP reading for all not seeing a doctor or having this checked regularly. Our/your goals are to improve health and predominantly psychological health but I don't think that is possible when people have observable, i.e. visual issues that persist. I am sorry that all of this is so hard for so many. My hope was to find transferable/translatable protocols but at this point, I am at a loss, and as I frequently note, I might be bright but I am a lawyer not a doctor. Unfortunately, we just don't have an issue that is a primary focus of medicine yet. MtF's with the identification and use of the term dysphoria, are finally getting better and better treatment but since we are "gals" we probably get more sympathy from the "system", at least in Canada and the U.S. than XY's with hair dysphoria get where the approach is usually, "just man up" which helps no one.

Remember, Hair is not life and even though Bridge was joking, I made that somewhat unsubtle change to my thread name. Health comes first and then hair.

Janey

 

[rapper dude]

I would desist by slowly tapering downward in halves or quarters. I have mainly had issues with my feet swelling and weight gain but so much of this seems to either work or not without explication. I recommend at home BP reading for all not seeing a doctor or having this checked regularly. Our/your goals are to improve health and predominantly psychological health but I don't think that is possible when people have observable, i.e. visual issues that persist. I am sorry that all of this is so hard for so many. My hope was to find transferable/translatable protocols but at this point, I am at a loss, and as I frequently note, I might be bright but I am a lawyer not a doctor. Unfortunately, we just don't have an issue that is a primary focus of medicine yet. MtF's with the identification and use of the term dysphoria, are finally getting better and better treatment but since we are "gals" we probably get more sympathy from the "system", at least in Canada and the U.S. than XY's with hair dysphoria get where the approach is usually, "just man up" which helps no one.

Remember, Hair is not life and even though Bridge was joking, I made that somewhat unsubtle change to my thread name. Health comes first and then hair.

Janey

Yes I have taken less and it seems to be a bit better

 

[Einstein]

I'm wondering if anyone tried to ride it out and if the swelling went away.
With most treatments initial side effects go away later on.

When you read the literature on Loniten it states that everytime Loniten is prescribed the doctor also prescribes a diuretic. So my gut feeling is that if anyone is going to be taking Loniten or oral Minoxidil for their hair they should also be also taking a loop diuretic.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

And as I think about it, there could be an allergic reaction to the PG used as a preservative in oral min but if you guys are on Loniten, then I don't guess that that applies.

 

[Einstein]

I got a prescription to take 20mg Furosemide for 7 days.

The doctor said water retention does occur with oral Minoxidil* and that it usually it goes away on its own. To play it safe I won’t go back on the oral minoxidil until all this oedema crap goes away. Once all is well I’ll go back on but will stay at a low dose anywhere from 1.25mg-2.5mg daily. If I get minor retention I can probably live with it. If it gets as bad or close to what it was the last 2 days I’ll be shelfing my Loniten.

My doctor refuses to add a loop diuretic/water pill as part of my medication regimen. Which makes sense- those who take oral Minoxidil to treat high blood pressure by lowering it are almost always prescribed a loop diuretic as well. With them it’s okay since water pills can also reduce blood pressure, a bonus for them. But with us, taking oral Minoxidil for hair loss with regular blood pressure, may be able to get away with having our blood pressure lowered a tiny bit but still within normal range (on the lower end if normal range)... but then if you’re taking a water pill on top of that it will almost certainly lower blood pressure into the danger zone. I took my blood pressure today and was told it did go down slightly but still normal (on the lower end of normal range) which is why I only got 20mg of Furosemide and for only 7 days.

 

[Einstein]

I should also mention that my diet contributed to my water retention being exasperated. I don’t doubt I would have gotten the swelling and oedema anyway, but my poor diet consisting of salty foods, hot dogs, burgers, fries, and most importantly BARELY drank water all made oedema much worser. So keep your health in check, omit salty foods & junk foods, and drinks shitloads of water a day

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I got a prescription to take 20mg Furosemide for 7 days.

The doctor said water retention does occur with loop diuretics/water pills and that it usually it goes away on its own. To play it safe I won’t go back on the oral minoxidil until all this oedema crap goes away. Once all is well I’ll go back on but will stay at a low dose anywhere from 1.25mg-2.5mg daily. If I get minor retention I can probably live with it. If it gets as bad or close to what it was the last 2 days I’ll be shelfing my Loniten.

My doctor refuses to add a loop diuretic/water pill as part of my medication regimen. Which makes sense- those who take oral Minoxidil to treat high blood pressure by lowering it are almost always prescribed a loop diuretic as well. With them it’s okay since water pills can also reduce blood pressure, a bonus for them. But with us, taking oral Minoxidil for hair loss with regular blood pressure, may be able to get away with having our blood pressure lowered a tiny bit but still within normal range (on the lower end if normal range)... but then if you’re taking a water pill on top of that it will almost certainly lower blood pressure into the danger zone. I took my blood pressure today and was told it did go down slightly but still normal (on the lower end of normal range) which is why I only got 20mg of Furosemide and for only 7 days.

You can send them to me and I can see how they compare to drinking fizzy min with a lemon twist and tonic water....

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

You can send them to me and I can see how they compare to drinking fizzy min with a lemon twist and tonic water....

That's quick turnaround with your doctor. Impressive.

 

[Einstein]

You can send them to me and I can see how they compare to drinking fizzy min with a lemon twist and tonic water....

Yeh that’s the exact description I’ll put on the label when sending over the border

I think if it were domestic I could send it but not from Canada it would never pass

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Yeh that’s the exact description I’ll put on the label when sending over the border

I think if it were domestic I could send it but not from Canada it would never pass

I will just stand next to the line and you can wave and toss them over. I miss Canada. I used to be in sales and went all over Ontario and then other French speaking provinces--Yes, they speak French in Hull; surprised the heck out of me.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I should also mention that my diet contributed to my water retention being exasperated. I don’t doubt I would have gotten the swelling and oedema anyway, but my poor diet consisting of salty foods, hot dogs, burgers, fries, and most importantly BARELY drank water all made oedema much worser. So keep your health in check, omit salty foods & junk foods, and drinks shitloads of water a day

People using spironolactone orally invariably end up carrying around a shaker of salt. I had it on my night table every night because I would awake in the middle of the night desperately wanting salt. That's one of the many sides of that med. I think people might exhaust their adrenals on a bad diet but hopefully that doesn't cause inflammation but inflammation and hair loss is another aspect to the male pattern baldness/Telogen Effluvium/FPHL conundrum.

 

[Ascension]

It didnt go away for me on the same dose for 2 months so i stopped, messed my skin too and eyes were swollen. Also gave me hypertrichosis everywhere even on the sides of ears. If it had no side effects id still be on it.