So hey, probably my third post on this forums so I do hope this is the right thread. I've been balding 18 ish I guess to some extent, I'm 23 now and probably a Norwood 2.5. I took finasteride with min keto shampoo and dermarolling for about 2 years. I had minor success with it regrowth wise, but what I loved is that the shed basically stoped. For about almost 2 years I was on the ride (fina lol) and had no sides I could notice. But like six months ago I started having sides. I lost my morning wood, and it was getting harder to get a good strong erection. This freaked me out so I decided to stop for about 4 months. This brings us to the past month or so where my shedding returned with a vengeance. Now my question is if I hop back on fina but lower the dose( forgot to mention I was taking 1 m.l per day) to let's say 0.25, a. Will it be as effective, and b. Will I get less to no sides?
Finasteride Sides, Decided To Drop It, Wondering About Dosage.
- Thread starter Amonrah
- Start date
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It will be as effective but you will get the same side effects. You should go below 0.05mg to maybe see a reduction in side effects.
How could I calculate a 0.05 dosage? As far as I'm aware they only sell 1 ml in my country
- Reaction score
- 199
You could dissolve it in alcohol and drink it. But I don't think that 0.05mg oral finasteride is strong enough to stop hairloss. So maybe look into topical finasteride.
Usually Finasteride is a flat dose response. Dr William Rassman in the past has stated that 0.5 will be about 80% as effective as the full 1 MG, and 0.25 mg as effective As 50% as effective as the full 1MG.
That being said, I would be careful with the side effects. If you try finasteride again and the side effects are still present then it may possibly be better to stop the use of finasteride.
HLV
Realistically Finasteride is the only current option to maintain hair. Aside from that minoxidil could buy you a few years or a sensible hair transplant later on.
Have you considered minoxidil? There are other experimental treatments like RU, topical finasteride etc but I do not personally recommend these as I am unsure about their effectiveness, safety concerns, and they are not FDA approved for hairloss.
I fully understand the situation you find yourself in right now as I was in it myself when I stopped finasteride 1MG. However when I started using minoxidil I personally responded incredibly well, regrew all my hair and bought myself a few years.
I would consider minoxidil 5% which possibly could buy you a few years
HLV
I have been using minoxidil on and off for the past 2 years, never saw huge regrowth with it but it did help abit. Do you think it's possible the shed is due to the minoxidil, I did shed alot when I started it but it eventually stopped after a few months. I mean I dont know how much does it take for finasterides effect to be reversed but I stopped maybe 6 months ago, had no shed then in the past month it came back.
The hairloss from stopping finasteride usually begins after four months or so.
You could throw in the topical kitchen sink approach, revivogen, topical spironolactone, minoxidil with dermarolling, fluridil, tricomin, nizoral shampoo, etc. Any combination of those.
However this will cost significant money, be a hassle to apply and no result is guaranteed but it will not cause any systematic side effects.
HLV
However this will cost significant money, be a hassle to apply and no result is guaranteed but it will not cause any systematic side effects.
HLV
Have a look at the shop section of this website where the admin created a brief description. Revivogen is a topical anti DHT blocker.
Topical Spironolactone is an androgen blocker.
The Science says they should work, but people’s experiences on the forums seem to be in general that they don’t, although that isn’t a guarantee. I only mentioned those as possible options where it couldn’t hurt to try and you have nothing to lose.
HLV
- Reaction score
- 220
0,005% finasteride on topical solution to avoid flat response, proved to be safe and - proportionally- with some effectivness.
if you use minoxidil, i suggest not to mix it but to use it in another moment of the day.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09546639709160517
if you use minoxidil, i suggest not to mix it but to use it in another moment of the day.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09546639709160517
- Reaction score
- 286
A few months ago I read one guy's story (Desmond84 on BTT) saying that he got really good results w/ .25 Finasteride taking it 3x a week. If I remember well he did a few sides in the beginning but they all subsided and has been going strong for a fee years now.
I've also read of people starting Fina, quitting due to sides, getting back on it after a break and being fine.. maybe needing a break here and there. And of course you have the stories of people that quit and then got back but when they got back they were hit w serious and lasting sides. It's such a gamble and it can vary from improving your quality of life to utterly trashing your life. When you decide what to do, decide with an older you in mind and whether the risks will be worth it 10-15 years from now on.
I've also read of people starting Fina, quitting due to sides, getting back on it after a break and being fine.. maybe needing a break here and there. And of course you have the stories of people that quit and then got back but when they got back they were hit w serious and lasting sides. It's such a gamble and it can vary from improving your quality of life to utterly trashing your life. When you decide what to do, decide with an older you in mind and whether the risks will be worth it 10-15 years from now on.
This is correct. I personally feel only a doctor should prescribe finasteride 1MG. I recommend blood tests prior to finasteride 1MG. I do not support ordering medications online on the advice of random people on forums.
HLV
br1
Senior Member
- Reaction score
- 2,161
I have been on finasteride for 20yrs now. Never really felt any sides, until I decided to stop taking it (after using straight for 15 years). Couple weeks after stopping (cold turkey), I felt GREAT. I have "always" been somewhat depressed and/or anxious, but it all went away and I felt incredibly positive, stronger and leaner (I workout and I'm always around 15% body fat max - but off fina it seemed much easier to lean down). Also, my beard started to grow super fast and thick. I had to shave every week instead of every month. Sex got MUCH more pleasant as well.
But, 3 months later my hair was terrible and I lost 1 Norwood, easy. I decided to hop back on finasteride, and a few months later hair started to come back. I recovered the lost Norwood .
But, I also lost everything good I listed above.
Now, i am back to my "normal", which I had lived for the past 15 yrs. Difference is that now I realize what I am missing. And, I am feeling really depressed. Not really caused by the drug, but because I know what I am missing. And it is fucked up to have to choose between hair and all the rest.
With all that said, my plan is to gradually lower my finasteride dose. I was taking 1.25mg, now I am 2 years in at 1mg. I will lower to .75mg for at least 6mo, then .5mg for another year, then .25mg.
My hope is to not loose much of its benefits, but maybe offset some of the sides.
Maybe you should also think on lowering the dose. My tip to you is: do not abruptly stop it. But rather, slowly reduce dosage.
I'm 42 now, so I am reaching a point where my hair is not that important anymore. At least, fina allowed me to live my 20s and 30s like a normal person, with a full head of hair.
Good luck to you.
But, 3 months later my hair was terrible and I lost 1 Norwood, easy. I decided to hop back on finasteride, and a few months later hair started to come back. I recovered the lost Norwood .
But, I also lost everything good I listed above.
Now, i am back to my "normal", which I had lived for the past 15 yrs. Difference is that now I realize what I am missing. And, I am feeling really depressed. Not really caused by the drug, but because I know what I am missing. And it is fucked up to have to choose between hair and all the rest.
With all that said, my plan is to gradually lower my finasteride dose. I was taking 1.25mg, now I am 2 years in at 1mg. I will lower to .75mg for at least 6mo, then .5mg for another year, then .25mg.
My hope is to not loose much of its benefits, but maybe offset some of the sides.
Maybe you should also think on lowering the dose. My tip to you is: do not abruptly stop it. But rather, slowly reduce dosage.
I'm 42 now, so I am reaching a point where my hair is not that important anymore. At least, fina allowed me to live my 20s and 30s like a normal person, with a full head of hair.
Good luck to you.
br1
Senior Member
- Reaction score
- 2,161
Oh yeah.. my hair stayed pretty much the same, if not better, than when I started..
During these 2 decades, i saw most of my friends going bald. The other day I posted a pic and got some comment like "lucky bastard, the only one of the gang with hair".
Lol
Also, I am pretty much sure fina affected the way my face developed. I look much younger. Like, MUCH younger than my age. I pass as a mid 20, easily. And I am 42.
