Is There A Doctor On The Boards? Feeling Very Ill!

[youngandscared]

Hey everyone,
I haven't been around here for quite a while. For those who don't know me Im a 17 year old male from the UK with a family history of male pattern baldness, (dad lost most of his hair by 24) Ive noticed since 16 that my hair was getting thinner and starting to receed. I started finasteride, min.ox foam 5% and rev.ita shampoo just over a month ago. All seemed to be going well, Ive had a lot of extra hairgrowth and Im very pleased with the results.
But - three days ago after taking the generic finasteride pill (1 mg) I started to feel really bad - it was sort of a non-painful pounding in my head. When I started to fall asleep, everytime I got relaxed it felt like i was having a seizure, I had to literally sit up because it felt like if I fell unconscious I would die! The feeling has got worse and now today it was happening in the day time at school - sudden heat hitting me every 7ish seconds and feeling like Im going to faint - trying to stay calm but getting this really panicky feeling. I dont really know how to describe it but it was sort of like the adrenaline you get the second you start a race, when the gun goes off, but every 7ish seconds. Feeling very tired and very unwell. I think maybe my lack of food/water intake the last few days might have added to the effect, I feel better after drinking 2 litres of water today. Im feeling really concerned and pretty much decided that Im gonna stop the pills tonight, but I want your opinions first. I explained to my friend my symptoms who used to be an annorexic and she was like "are you on some sort of hormone replacement medication" without her knowing im even on anything so Im 100% convinced that how I have been feeling is directly related.
What do you think I should do?

Steven

 

[haunted-ballroom]

Hey everyone,
I haven't been around here for quite a while. For those who don't know me Im a 17 year old male from the UK with a family history of male pattern baldness, (dad lost most of his hair by 24) Ive noticed since 16 that my hair was getting thinner and starting to receed. I started finasteride, min.ox foam 5% and rev.ita shampoo just over a month ago. All seemed to be going well, Ive had a lot of extra hairgrowth and Im very pleased with the results.
But - three days ago after taking the generic finasteride pill (1 mg) I started to feel really bad - it was sort of a non-painful pounding in my head. When I started to fall asleep, everytime I got relaxed it felt like i was having a seizure, I had to literally sit up because it felt like if I fell unconscious I would die! The feeling has got worse and now today it was happening in the day time at school - sudden heat hitting me every 7ish seconds and feeling like Im going to faint - trying to stay calm but getting this really panicky feeling. I dont really know how to describe it but it was sort of like the adrenaline you get the second you start a race, when the gun goes off, but every 7ish seconds. Feeling very tired and very unwell. I think maybe my lack of food/water intake the last few days might have added to the effect, I feel better after drinking 2 litres of water today. Im feeling really concerned and pretty much decided that Im gonna stop the pills tonight, but I want your opinions first. I explained to my friend my symptoms who used to be an annorexic and she was like "are you on some sort of hormone replacement medication" without her knowing im even on anything so Im 100% convinced that how I have been feeling is directly related.
What do you think I should do?

Steven

Go to see your doctor

 

[powersam]

haunted ballroom could not be more right. every drug has the potential to have undocumented side effects. add to that the fact that you are taking a generic, and you have a bit of a pickle.

though i doubt your life is in any way threatened, the absolute best thing you can do is see a doctor. and stop taking the meds. see if it goes away. when you get to the doctor ask for a script for merck brand finasteride and see if the same thing happens. after of course letting him examine and do bloodwork etc to see if there is anything worrying going on liver wise/hormonally/anything else he thinks shoud be checked.

please go see a doctor. but do this, take a moment and write down on a piece of paper all the symptoms you experience. so many people turn up and forget half the things they have experienced and the doctor then gets half the picture. you and the doctor play an equal role in the diagnosis of whatever is wrong with you so don't take it lightly.

 

[youngandscared]

Hey,
seeing the doctor is kind of an issue in itself. I have been to him in regards to hairloss before, he confirmed that yes I was loosing my hair and would continue to do so. Then said "Im not going to prescribe you anything because there has been no solid evidence to support that the drugs work and the risks greatly outweigh the possible benefits" - he wouldnt prescribe me anything. I was desperate to stop / at least slow down hair loss so ordered the finasteride with a friends credit card from the internet. So the difficulty would be explaining that to a Doctor... I don't think I would be able to go in there and say to him that I have ordered internet drugs and taken them against his advice. But all he offered me was "I think you should just learn to cope with and accept your hair loss" ... that wasn't enough for me - I mean im 17! V. confused about what I should do

 

[haunted-ballroom]

Hey,
seeing the doctor is kind of an issue in itself. I have been to him in regards to hairloss before, he confirmed that yes I was loosing my hair and would continue to do so. Then said "Im not going to prescribe you anything because there has been no solid evidence to support that the drugs work and the risks greatly outweigh the possible benefits" - he wouldnt prescribe me anything. I was desperate to stop / at least slow down hair loss so ordered the finasteride with a friends credit card from the internet. So the difficulty would be explaining that to a Doctor... I don't think I would be able to go in there and say to him that I have ordered internet drugs and taken them against his advice. But all he offered me was "I think you should just learn to cope with and accept your hair loss" ... that wasn't enough for me - I mean im 17! V. confused about what I should do

Just tell him that you took the drugs or go to a different doctor. Either way, you need to go see a Doctor, you wont find the answers you are looking for here.

 

[JayB]

sounds to me like your getting mini panic attacks

 

[haunted-ballroom]

sounds to me like your getting mini panic attacks

I was thinking that too... But even so, its better to go to a Doctor anyway

 

[youngandscared]

It feels like I am panicing but I seem to be most effected by this when I am actually calm, like sitting down or trying to get to sleep. I woke up at 4am yesterday morning with the same 7 second pulsations of building heat and feeling like I would pass out. Im thinking prehaps I overdosed on the pills, I pretty much have had 2 meals over the last 3 days so this probably effected my hormone levels?

 

[Guest]

you would ask to talk to a doctor over the internet instead of going to see a doctor in person? jeez just go see a doctor man.

 

[docj077]

Thyroid hormone levels, Metanephrines, reflexes, blood pressure, blood glucose.


Probably thyroid. Probably from something you're taking or eating.

Of course, blood tests will give your doctor the answer. Go see YOUR doctor.

 

[RaginDemon]

go see a Doctor

 

[biff]

I don't think it being generic finasteride will make any difference, it is all the same drug. The best thing to do is tell your doctor that you were desperate and felt there was nothing else to do but order finasteride over the Internet. You never know, he might give you a prescription if he knows you are going to get it anyway.

17 is quite a young age to be taking it. You are still growing and your hormone levels will be different to someone in their twenties or thirties. This could be why you are having problems. Like I say, it will be best to see your doctor, then you could maybe try topical products like Rogaine Foam and maybe a topical product to reduce DHT in the scalp. Then you can get back on the finasteride in a few years.

 

[jimmyjames]

No offense, but this is ridiculous. The internet is a great research tool, but DO NOT turn to the internet for serious medical advice. See a doctor ASAP.