Need Advise

[westcoastkid]

Hello everyone-

I have been reading most of the comments and posting in this website for the past couple months and I think it is time to do something about my hairloss.

I have been trying to delay taking propecia because of the potential side effects that I have read about. I was thinking of initially taking Rogaine for a few months and then move to propecia if need be.

Has anyone tried this and how effective was it.

Would appreciate any feedback!
Thx

 

[Kramer3]

This method is used by lots of people but be ready for potentially massive shedding the first few months. If your seriously going to give minoxdil a go then your going to have to stick it out longer then 5 weeks, or whenever else people quit because of too much shedding. Allot of people start with propecia first because it just seems to be more reliable. But with finasteride comes the possibility of side-effects, although for most they fade away after the first few months.

 

[westcoastkid]

Thx for the advise- I also heard about the shedding and probably would be using rogaine for the long run. ( at least 4 to 5 yrs if results were not too drastic)

I have been going back and forth on whether to start with propecia or rogaine. Since the objective of propecia is to stop hair loss and rogaine is more geared towards re-growing hair I was thinking propecia. However, I just dont feel comfortable with the unknown world of side effects.......but then again I can always quit taking propecia if side effects occur.....as you can tell I am not certain on where to go from here.

thx again

 

[Kramer3]

I was hesitant like you, when i first went on propecia. The first time i tried it i stopped it after only three weeks, because it appeared like i was experiencing sexual side-effects. I decided to go on it again after hearing sometime these side-effects are only temporary. After a month of being on it the second time the side effects seized for me. You can always give it a try for 2 months and if the side-effects are too overwhelming then you can stop it, and things should return to normal. I kind of wished that i started only propecia first instead of both min/Propecia. Now i'll have to be on both for life, because i will never be able to tell which one worked for me. Its allot easier taking propecia then it is minoxdil.

 

[Hairless Potter]

For what its worth, 3+ months into propecia and absolutely no sides! Yahoooooo!

 

[shineydome]

You must have been one of the guys that bought the fake stuff :hairy:

Just kidding. Good for you...I got hit with sides pretty hard (no pun intended) but have recovered thanks to L-Arginine

 

[NilesTilden]

First of all, why the HELL would I wanna help a 'west coast kid'? I'm still PISSED about Biggie!

But seriously, I think minoxidil is the best to start with. Most Docs would start you with it as well. Results can occur between 2-6 months with minoxidil, with propecia you may have to wait lots longer to judge.

I am biased by my personal experience. I was on finasteride alone for 3+ years and never knew if it was helping. Started minoxidil a year ago and was seeing definite improvement fter just 2 months. So that's where I be comin' from.

Give minoxidil 6 months first. If it doesn't do the trick, add finasteride. You will have to continue minoxidil indefinitely to maintain results, but, in my case it's totally worth it.

 

[HairlossTalk]

Westcoast kid -

My advice is don't avoid Propecia because of things you've read on discussion forums. That's sometimes the best way to get info and sometimes the worst way to get info.

Propecia can be taken and if you see unbearable side effects that don't go away after 4 weeks, then you can just stop the treatment. Nothing lost.

Chances are, you will have no problems whatsoever, and you will absolutely want Propecia over Rogaine for many many reasons. 83% effectiveness is way higher than Rogaines % effectiveness. Popping a pill once a day is significantly easier than applying a topical 2 times per day, etc...

You dont want to start Rogaine and then switch to Propecia. Rogaine will have its own shedding period, and you're going to start kicking your follicles outta whack with it. If you start it, you have to stay on it.

My advice? Go on Propecia, use Nizoral shampoo once every 3 days, and don't look in the mirror for at least 8 months. You should be extremely satisfied with what you see at that time. Save the Rogaine for 7 years from now if or when Propecia stops working for you. You'll have your hair longer if you use these things End - To - End rather than all up front. Also, now is the perfect time to take baseline photos of where you are today, so you can keep your perspective in the coming months. The pictures you take now will be invaluable to you (like gold!) in the coming years.

I encourage you to post your story in the "Tell Your Story" part of the forums as well!

HairLossTalk.com

 

[HairlossTalk]

I am biased by my personal experience. I was on finasteride alone for 3+ years and never knew if it was helping. Started minoxidil a year ago and was seeing definite improvement fter just 2 months. So that's where I be comin' from.

Keep in mind, you added rogaine to propecia. The two of them together are horrendously potent and almost everyone sees results with the combination. For a guy just starting, and wanting to maintain, the clinical data says 83% will maintain or regrow on Propecia alone. I try to never give advice based upon my own experience, but moreso on the experience of the 1,500 or so guys in the clinical trial. They are a better subset of what will most likely happen, than just me.

HairLossTalk.com

 

[westcoastkid]

Appreciate the quick response from everyone.

I will continue to talk and ask around. I guess I would just like to get a better idea of the range of side effects people have encountered with taking Propecia. And the ease of losing the side effect by simply stopping propecia.

 

[blue]

if your afraid of side effects like me look into other dht blockers like spironolactone although ive noticed that people on this forum including HairLossTalk.com recommend you use propecia first.Then if you see side fx then get fid of then try something else.