Hives

[hairwish]

Hi I just registered although I've been reading this forum for the last 4+ years. I didn't need to ask anything until now.

I've been using propecia + minoxidil (5%/2years) for 5 years now and for the past year I've been getting hives on contact, meaning that I look perfectly fine but when my skin is rubbed or pressure has been added to it that spot would flare up in hives BIG TIME and would last for about 2 hours or so, cold showers help it go away (hives are worst in the summer days but do happen all year round). Have you heard of such reactions from anyone else using either of the two meds? I'm thinking if it was minoxidil I would have rashes on my scalp which I don't and if it was propecia I should have visible hives without the need to rub the skin. it's pretty weird but just thought I'd ask anyway. It could possilbly be a food/herb/vitamin reaction but I'm eliminating stuff little by little but would hate to stop the hair loss Meds.

thx

 

[Stingray]

You're probably allergic to one of the ingredients. Go see a doctor and get checked to see which one it is. I'd think you'd figure this out after 2 years of using it!

 

[hairwish]

let me add that the hives are never present on my scalp since it doesn't get rubbed or get pressure added to like say my arm or leg.
I'll get hives on my face,neck,chest,back,butt,legs and feet you get the idea. it would seem to be that it's highly not possible to be the minoxidil since it's only applied topically and there shouldn't be that much absorbed systemically that would give such reactions. the same goes for the nizoral(1%)/T-Sal + Nano shampoos that I use as well. BUT you never know. I was kind of leaning towards the propecia since there is more of it in the blood stream. It's pretty odd that after 4 years of using propecia my body suddenly gets a bad reaction to it, is it possible? I'm wondering if anyone has had allergic reactions suddenly to propecia after years of taking it.


thx again

 

[Stingray]

YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO IT.

It's a REAL simple way to tell. Do you get the hives after application? When you rub it in, you increase absorption... AND minoxidil has a way of travelling through the whole body, being it's a vasodialator and works in the blood stream.

But call me wrong if you wish.

 

[hairwish]

no I'm not saying you're wrong, I come here for help. I just thought I should explain it better than I did in the first post. I thought I made it sound like the hives was just on my head.

I was unaware minoxidil absorbs that much into the blood. the same must go for the 3 shampoos I use.

so let me see I've been using 2%minoxidil for the first 3 years with no problems + 5%minoxidil for the last 2 years (problem on last year).
propecia for all 5 years with no problems. (assuming it's not the propecia)

so you're saying since increasing the dose 2 years ago with the 5% minoxidil it took 1 year for an allergic reaction to occur.

so would the solution be to try to decrease dose back to 2% or to use no minoxidil at all and see what happens.

one more thing would using Nano shampoo 2x/day just about be overkill and possibly be the problem?

please don't bash my brains in, there's enough confusion already for me since I also take a much needed drug for another health issue already and am also looking into it as well and I don't get much help from doctors.

help don't hurt the needy

thx in advance

 

[Stingray]

I'm just being forceful in my statements. I've learned over the course of many years that when someone questions the answer you give them with essentially the same exact question they asked before, you need to yell at them to get the point across... almost indefinitely.

The funny thing about allergies is that they may come and go at will. I was deathly allergic to cows milk when I was a baby; was strictly on soy. Now I drink on average a gallon or two a week... haven't been allergic since I was still crawling in diapers. I never had pollen allergies untill the mid 90's and then this year they almost all but disappeared.

Sometimes the body can develop an intolerance to certain benign chemicals and cause an allergic reaction to them. My advice to you would be to stop minoxidil for a week, but stay on everything else...see if the hives go away. If that doesn't help, stay off the propecia for a week... and so on. ALL topicals absorb into the body systemically, but to a minor degree...and some body parts may be more susceptible to such chemicals than other places..

I didn't mean to sound like a jackass....just my way of dealing with having to repeat myself. Still buddies I hope?

 

[hairwish]

now that's what I call great info and just what I was looking for.

now I clearly understand the how and why. I was under the impression that if you're not allergic to a drug at first, especially after a few years, then you're not allergic to it at all + didn't realize topical solutions can be absorbed that much.

As of now I'm stopping the minoxidil for at least 2-3 weeks and see what happens and if needed the propecia later. I'll update this post on the outcome. I've had wonderful results with minoxidil and propecia but if I have to drop either one I will. I need to start looking for other good treatments.

don't worry no harm done buddy!

 

[hairwish]

bringing this one back from the dead with an update!


so 4 years later....

final result is after years of use I became allergic to propylene glycol aka PG!

at first I went to an allergist who couldn't find the cause. then I began to eliminate hair loss treatments and food one by one two weeks or more at a time for almost a year until I finally found what was causing all of this havoc. at first I overlooked the PG in minoxidil because I only stopped using it for two weeks and just had a hard time accepting the possibility that it could be the minoxidil after using it for so long. But after I was done eliminating everything one at a time and still had the hives I went back to square one and started all over. this time I elimintated any soaps/shampoos/after shave or any other thing that I could possibly use that contained PG as well as stopping minoxidil again but this time for 2 months. low and behold the damn hives finally went away! rejoice! rejoice! for a new day is born!

I switched to Dr Lee's minoxidil formula without PG and only use all natural soaps/shampoos or anything else and had no problems since! that Dr Lee's non-PG minoxidil is a god send for folks allergic to PG and it's worth every penny. of course now there's the new foam minoxidil which I have not tried yet but I'm pretty sure it does not have PG either. hope this helps someone else out.

I still cringe just hearing the name propylene glycol. :shock:

after all was said and done Stingray was correct, so here's to you! unk:

 

[slowburn]

Just put some jerk off in your hand and smear it on. :jackit:

 

[hairwish]

is that what your mamma taught ya? :doctor:

 

[docj077]

Just put some jerk off in your hand and smear it on. :jackit:

Are you done, yet? Stop dickin' around and actually post something meaningful to the forum.

 

[slowburn]

is that what your mamma taught ya? :doctor:

Yes. It gets rid of boils to. :jackit:

 

[slowburn]

Just put some jerk off in your hand and smear it on. :jackit:

Are you done, yet? Stop dickin' around and actually post something meaningful to the forum.

wooza wuzzle? :jackit: :ididit: