Going back on 1mg finasteride, total panic!!

[Bob Dylan]

If I knew you well and were your personal friend, I'd slap you. Joking of course, but come on, man. I'm guessing you're around 40 years old now, right? Man, you have the best head of hair of any 40-year-old I know. If anyone has the best chance of keeping his hair well into his later years, you do. Keep doing the 1mg finasteride. Personally, I wouldn't even worry about minoxidil. And keep living life.

Asher

 

[rlf]

As I said before, I don't compare myself with 40 year old guys! I'm used to going out and being mistaken for someone 10 - 15 years younger. I often date girls half my age. That's why I'm so anxious about keeping my hair! If I was settled with a family I don't think it would stress me that much, but that's not the life I lead!

If I would be able to keep the hair I have now let's say another 15 years I would be happy. But the thing is that my status has worsened quite a bit. When I look at pics from 2 years ago, man I had way better hair back then. And that was after 13 years on finasteride. Now it's 15 years and I lose ground! That's what scares me! Why now? I thought that the lower dosage could have something to do with it, but I'm not sure that's it.

finasteride kept my hair above baseline for 13-14 years. And now it doesn't work anymore? I just want to get a handle on my hair again!

At first I thought I will take 1mg again and start Ket and see where I'll be in 6 months. But my nerves don't seem to be able to handle this, haha. so I'm definitely considering minoxidil at this point! If that doesn't work thenaybe dutasteride, though I kind of dread taking such a potent drug, especially without being monitored by a doctor as it's damn hard to find one prescribing it for hair.

 

[abcdefg]

I think as we get older hair continues to get more and more sensitive to androgens whether its from oxidative stress or ARs up-regulate who really knows. So the same dose of finasteride keeps working like normal, but the sensitivity increases outpace it and male pattern baldness resumes. The lack of treatments and slow pace of new ones makes it hard to really fight that. Definitely stay on finasteride, but maybe add RU or another angle of stopping androgens.
That is really what male pattern baldness lacks right now a safe strong AR antagonist to help fight androgens from a second angle. RU is probably the best one there is but safety is not good

 

[rlf]

So minoxidil is not a good idea? I could handle applying the foam 2x I think. With RU I don't know, is this actually working for a lot of guys?

I still hope that the normal finasteride dose will do something. Wish I never tampered with it. Because then I'd defiantly would know that finasteride has lost it's potency.

Also, if the follicles became more sensitive it would at least not be a very rapid progression, if finasteride is still taken, right?

 

[ReasonableMan]

Wish I had some ket.

Lol! Me too.

Anyway, to the OP. At this stage your hair looks fantastic. I know you're worried, I'm kinda in a similar position. Been on finasteride for 8 years or so and I'm 30. Kinda feel like my hair may be going downhill but have no proof. It looks like new treatments are on the horizon, but it's all so frustratingly slow going. Not sure if to jump on dutasteride as like you I'm also scared, or hang on and hope for the best with finasteride.

Maybe there should be a thread for long time finasteride users. This must happen to loads of people and I haven't found an answer for what to do once the **** starts hitting the fan.

edit: I'd get myself on minoxidil now if I could - I initially used it with great success a year or so into my journey with propecia. Definitely worked wonders for thickening my hair but unfortunately I developed contact dermatitis. Even a tiny amount of the stuff breaks me out now in painful and itchy sores. Worth a try though.

 

[rlf]

Oh, I have proof. At the front it definitely took a hit. Rest is above baseline I guess, but I am not sure it also wasn't fuller 2 years ago.

On first glance my hair looks good. But unfortunatly I know where to look.

I don't know, I kinda wanted to stick it out for a few month and see what the upped finasteride dose and Ket does. The I would visit my Derm again and compare photos.

I constantly go between stick it out at and wait and don't waist time, get out the big guns. Sucks!

My panic is that maybe I suddenly don't resond to finasteride anymore? Which would be crazy since I responded great for 14 years.

Maybe the halfed dose was just not enough and 1mg is my sweetspot? I don't know.

 

[stachu]

But man.. at 40 you're hitting NW0 base with 15 years on finasteride. Well... Just Congratulations.

 

[Wowjpk]

You're overthinking. Just get back on to 1mg a day, if it worsens in 6 months consider Dutasteride. Your hair looks great for having starting to thin in 2001. You seem to be a great responder

 

[rlf]

I startend seeing thinning in 1997 already. I only started finasteride in 2001. So maybe the hairloss wasn't aggressive? But I was definitely diffuse thinning.

I just hope finasteride starts working again. Hope I'm doing the right thing.

 

[Roberto_72]

As I said before, I don't compare myself with 40 year old guys! I'm used to going out and being mistaken for someone 10 - 15 years younger. I often date girls half my age.

Unfortunately the body doesn't follow along with your lifestyle and goes its own way whatever you try.

As in: you stop dating girls half your age because you lose hair, you don't stop losing hair because you date girls half your age :-(...

 

[Roberto_72]

I think as we get older hair continues to get more and more sensitive to androgens whether its from oxidative stress or ARs up-regulate who really knows

I agree, and from experience I can say it's not even a gradual process. I have a feeling Androgenetic Alopecia comes in "waves": some years are good, some years take away 20% of your hair and nothing had changed in your regimen,

 

[rlf]

With that attitude I would have been bald at 30.

I mean hair loss comes in waves of 16 years just after lowering the finasteride dose?

I started worrying about going bald when I was 18! I saw that I had developed some minor widows peaks.

At 22 my girlfriend said to me: "He, you have a little baldspot in the back of you head".

It wasn't really a bald spot, but it got me worried.

At 23 I saw that my hair has thinned all over. It wasn't really noticeable to anyone, but I saw it. And it got worse, not rapidly, but ever so slightly.

I started finasteride at 25 and was fine until this year. And now I should just let myself go bald? f*** no!

The only thing that really gets me is the doubt of what is the right thing to do. That it takes so long until you can assess the success.

I mean I re-upped the dose, but should I wait a half year now to assess it? Or should I up the finasteride dose to 2,5mg? Or should I throw in everything, minoxidil, dutasteride?

I'm glad that I started out with just finasteride, because it was enough. Now I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or waisting precious time.

 

[rlf]

I'm throughoutly fucked up these days. Today I had to go on medication, because the worsening of my hair got me so anxious and depressed.

I dread every mirror. And in those situations where my hair looks OK on first glance I compulsively look closely to see how thin my front has become. 2months ago I liked checking myself out in the mirror. Even though the hair had already worsened, but I didn't see it or thought that it was like it has been for years.

I can't trust myself with the assessment of my hair anymore. Sometimes I think, did I just get sugarpills instead of finasteride at my pharmacy? This is worse than when I ever was off finasteride. I'd gladly return to my derm and ask him if it got worse, but he said to wait 6 months.

I wish I hadn't tampered with the dosage, because then I'd know it doesn't work anymore and jump on dutasteride. But I still hope that the regular dosage will do anything.

If I would go on dutasteride the only thing affordable here would be Veltride. Or I can get genuine Avodart and pay 90€ for 30 pills!!!

I don't know what to do, should I wait some more to asses if finasteride still works? I'm on the regular dose for 1 month now. But I can't bear the thought that I'm waisting my time and hair! This drives me crazy!

Today a hot girl invited me to a party and I can't bring myself to go. I feel like I can't show myself, even though no one will see that my hair got worse. But it suddenly crushed my self esteem. I just need to do something and get some peace of mind, like when I first started finasteride.

 

[kj6723]

Your frantic attitude is really f***ing annoying, especially as you've still got way better hair than many of us on here who are much younger than you. Can't you ask for advice without sounding like a complete diva?

 

[Dench57]

Your frantic attitude is really f***ing annoying, especially as you've still got way better hair than many of us on here who are much younger than you. Can't you ask for advice without sounding like a complete diva?

 

[rlf]

Guys, I know I'm psycho. I'm sorry, but this thing just hit me at the wrong time.

Of course I'm not bald or anything (though my hair looks worse than in that picture. But I feel like its worsening quit rapidly and I don't known what to do about it, thats what drives me crazy.

Stay on 1mg finasteride and wait it out, but risk loosing more hair?

Up the dose to 2,5mg and risk sides?

Go on dutasteride and risk who knows what?

I'm sorry, this is the only place where I can talk about this. I'm sorry, if I offended someone.

 

[Dench57]

dutasteride

 

[Roberto_72]

I'm dead. Not even David Bowie had this hair!

dutasteride

dutasteride, @rlf, You're looking for dutasteride...

 

[rlf]

Guys, this photo looks better than IRL, I can garantee that I don't have Bowie hair at all, are you kidding?

So I should jump on dutasteride, huh? Kinda scary though, but so is hair loss.

Taking 2,5mg finasteride would be useless?

 

[kj6723]

Guys, this photo looks better than IRL, I can garantee that I don't have Bowie hair at all, are you kidding?

So I should jump on dutasteride, huh? Kinda scary though, but so is hair loss.

Taking 2,5mg finasteride would be useless?

Some finasteride users report improved results when using dutasteride a couple times a week in addition to the finasteride. So there's that, or just switching to dutasteride altogether. Either way, dutasteride is the next step up anti-androgen wise, unless you want to start using experimental topicals.

There's also always minoxidil.

Now please use this information and make a decision. We don't need to keep hearing about how horrible your life is going to be now you might need to stop banging out sorority girls