On Fincar for 3 months

[Paulie]

I've been on Fincar for 3 months (just had a 2 or 3 week break from it because I was broke + had to wait for it to be delievered).

Anyway, my hairloss has gotten alot worse since I began taking it.
First my hairline started becoming a little bit diffused and just over the last week or two I've noticed that I've even begun to diffuse thin all over really badly which is scaring the sh*t out of me.

Please for the love of God someone tell me that this is just a shed and that it should grow back stronger because I honestly don't think my hairloss would have progressed so much if I stayed off the fincar.

 

[re-seeding]

This makes me scared, I've decided to start fincar and its in the post should be here soon... I'm not sure if i should start on it or keep what I have, all I can say is if you've started and its gone down hill there is no point in stopping. Good luck I wish you all the best!

 

[Trebor]

The consensus around here states that a shed lets you know that finasteride is working and you should stay on it and ride out the sheds atleast until a years time.

 

[re-seeding]

Has anyone never recovered any hair after being on finasteride for over a year?

 

[englishknight28]

Paulie, I’m in exactly the same situation.

It’s been just over three months for me on Proscar.

I have never before had a problem with diffuse thinning…until now. It is scaring the hell out of me and, like you, I am praying that this is some kind of shed..my left temple was almost perfect three months ago..now my entire frontal region is incredibly thin with the left upper temple a disaster. I’m very very worried. Will be posting pics soon.

 

[Paulie]

Hey englishknight28, sorry to hear about your situation (but also semi relieved at the same time).

You even have Nizoral in your regime...I just use Fincar.

I can honestly say that this hairloss increase I've experienced is not in my head though.

 

[Paulie]

..Still thining a little bit all over and my hairline is looking a little worse everyday ...seriously scared that Fincar is doing more damage than good.

 

[MPBWarrior]

that's quite strange what u guys r going through... sheds often last weeks, not months, and they're not meant to be that bad. is there a good derm u guys can see about this?

 

[Paulie]

Well I'm currently taking roaccutane for my skin. I should be finished the treatment in another month or so. I never told my dermatologist I was taking Fincar though which was probably a very stupid move.

Do you guys think the combination of both drugs is what is causing this amount of hair loss?

 

[hair_tomorrow]

Well I'm currently taking roaccutane for my skin. I should be finished the treatment in another month or so. I never told my dermatologist I was taking Fincar though which was probably a very stupid move.

Do you guys think the combination of both drugs is what is causing this amount of hair loss?

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100002288.html lists hairloss as a possible side effect - but it's not a guaranteed side effect. Generally, the topical retidoids (sp?) like this are supposedley good for hair regrowth when used topically - but I don't have any experience w/ the oral use of this stuff.

I think you should finish up your roaccutane prescription (keep taking your finasteride) and then concentrate on your hair (but I'm not a doctor).

 

[GWyatt]

I took accutane a few years back. It worked wonders on my skin but I can also definately say it accelerated my hairloss. My derm even specifically warned me about that side effect when he perscribed it.
I wasn't on any finasteride products at the time though.

 

[hair_tomorrow]

I took accutane a few years back. It worked wonders on my skin but I can also definately say it accelerated my hairloss. My derm even specifically warned me about that side effect when he perscribed it.
I wasn't on any finasteride products at the time though.

I'm pretty sure (again, not a doctor) that accutane and roaccutane are completley different products. There's a lot of anaecdotal forum reports about accutane accelerating hairloss.

 

[GWyatt]

Really I was under the impression that roaccutane was just a topical version of accutane. Same active ingrediant etc. Could be wrong though I'm not a doctor either.

 

[hair_tomorrow]

Really I was under the impression that roaccutane was just a topical version of accutane. Same active ingrediant etc. Could be wrong though I'm not a doctor either.

I'm gonna bail out of this thread before I steer someone really wrong

 

[Paulie]

Ok...well I'm STILL shedding. Not once since I have been on this drug have I seen an improvement in my hair. Infact, I've seen a dramatic increase of hairloss.

Seriously...what should I do at this point? I'm been on it 5 months and I'm finding it really hard to believe that some day soon this constant shed will stop and I will start to regrow hair!

 

[hair_tomorrow]

Paulie - in a perfect world, sheds shouldn't last for more than a few weeks. Every now and then we see a post like yours - where sheds last for up to 1 year. By that point, people tend to stop using whatever product they believe is causing the shed.

If you've been shedding for months - then something's wrong. I don't know what your alternative treatment might be - but I'd stop the fincar at this point, and when you recover from your shed come up with a new plan of treatment.

Good luck.

 

[Paulie]

Thanks hair_tomorrow. Ok. I'm gonna stop taking proscar.

Would you suggest that I try some new treatment like minoxidil and dutas straight away or should I give it some time?

 

[hair_tomorrow]

There are probably as many different opinions as forum members out there - but if it were me, here's what I'd do . . .

I'd wean myself off the fincar. If you're taking 1mg daily now, I'd go w/ 1 mg every other day for 1 week, then the next week every third day, and then 2x weekly for week 3, then stop completely.

Simultaneously, beginning w/ week 1 of weaning myself off the fincar, I'd go w/ some safe and proven topicals: 2x daily applications of tricomin and a before bed application of emu oil. They're both considered to be anti-inflammatories and follicle generators, and tricomin has an anecdotal track record of helping w/ sheds.

After my shed stopped, I'd then consider starting dutas 2x weekly for 1 month, and then cranking it up to 3x weekly for 1 month, and then every other day beginning month 3.

As far as finasteride versus dutasteride goes, some forum members have experienced dramatic frontal shedding on dutasteride while experiencing increased growth in the crown.

Others have experienced terrible sides on finasteride - but none whatsoever on dutasteride.

I'm just now beginning month 2 on 1 dutas every Mon and Thur, and 1mg finasteride 4x - 5x per week, and haven't had any of the sheds reported by others when starting dutasteride. Either I'm lucky for a change, or starting dutasteride slowly and cutting back on finasteride slowly have paid off.

If you're going to start dutasteride, I'd also look into spironolactone 5% after you've been on the dutasteride for a few months.

If you're prone to sheds - you don't want to start adding too many products at once. I'd hold off on the minoxidil also until things stabilize. minoxidil will almost cetainly induce a shed for a few weeks at least - so you'd want to stay away from it until you feel it's safe to give it a try. But like I said earlier, the tric and emu oil are still safe and beneficial.

Good luck!

 

[Paulie]

Thanks hair_tomorrow. really appreciate it.

They seems like logical enough steps.

But I hope that people are reading this....Fincar has FUCKED UP my hair. It has done more damage than good.

I don't know how or why but it has.

 

[hair_tomorrow]

Paulie - I'm sure it's not much of a consolation - but finasteride has screwed with a lot of guys. If not a crazy shed - then the other negative side effects.

Consider yourself fortunate that you didn't grow boobs.

:badmood: