Oral minoxidil - Insomnia curious what the mechanism might be?

[Atomic_Tomato]

I've dabbled with minoxidil pretty extensively

Topical I tolerate fine. Oral at 2.5mg seemed ok.

This year I decided to take 5mg which is what my derm prescribed me.

It didn't happen straight away but my sleep quality took a big nose dive. Would take ages to get to sleep. Would frequently wake up between 3-5am, sleep was very light and not deep at all. I didn't experience any 'skin aging' or anything but I could see the effects on my eyes from such poor sleep. I've experienced similar side effects with Dutasteride in the past but never suspected oral minoxidil could do the same.

I switched back to topical and after 7 days my sleep quality improved massively. After months of sh*t sleep I am so grateful to sleep normal again.

I may try 2.5mg oral again but honestly this experience has made me hesitant. Any idea what the mechanism might be? I've read minoxidil could potentially have anti 5AR/ androgen effects?

 

[losingbattle88]

I've dabbled with minoxidil pretty extensively

Topical I tolerate fine. Oral at 2.5mg seemed ok.

This year I decided to take 5mg which is what my derm prescribed me.

It didn't happen straight away but my sleep quality took a big nose dive. Would take ages to get to sleep. Would frequently wake up between 3-5am, sleep was very light and not deep at all. I didn't experience any 'skin aging' or anything but I could see the effects on my eyes from such poor sleep. I've experienced similar side effects with Dutasteride in the past but never suspected oral minoxidil could do the same.

I switched back to topical and after 7 days my sleep quality improved massively. After months of sh*t sleep I am so grateful to sleep normal again.

I may try 2.5mg oral again but honestly this experience has made me hesitant. Any idea what the mechanism might be? I've read minoxidil could potentially have anti 5AR/ androgen effects?

I sleep worse on finasteride than dutasteride atm. But it should resolve in time.

 

[coco_304]

I've dabbled with minoxidil pretty extensively

Topical I tolerate fine. Oral at 2.5mg seemed ok.

This year I decided to take 5mg which is what my derm prescribed me.

It didn't happen straight away but my sleep quality took a big nose dive. Would take ages to get to sleep. Would frequently wake up between 3-5am, sleep was very light and not deep at all. I didn't experience any 'skin aging' or anything but I could see the effects on my eyes from such poor sleep. I've experienced similar side effects with Dutasteride in the past but never suspected oral minoxidil could do the same.

I switched back to topical and after 7 days my sleep quality improved massively. After months of sh*t sleep I am so grateful to sleep normal again.

I may try 2.5mg oral again but honestly this experience has made me hesitant. Any idea what the mechanism might be? I've read minoxidil could potentially have anti 5AR/ androgen effects?

Me too,
Do you take it eod?

 

[losingbattle88]

I've dabbled with minoxidil pretty extensively

Topical I tolerate fine. Oral at 2.5mg seemed ok.

This year I decided to take 5mg which is what my derm prescribed me.

It didn't happen straight away but my sleep quality took a big nose dive. Would take ages to get to sleep. Would frequently wake up between 3-5am, sleep was very light and not deep at all. I didn't experience any 'skin aging' or anything but I could see the effects on my eyes from such poor sleep. I've experienced similar side effects with Dutasteride in the past but never suspected oral minoxidil could do the same.

I switched back to topical and after 7 days my sleep quality improved massively. After months of sh*t sleep I am so grateful to sleep normal again.

I may try 2.5mg oral again but honestly this experience has made me hesitant. Any idea what the mechanism might be? I've read minoxidil could potentially have anti 5AR/ androgen effects?

I have noticed I fall asleep just fine but I wake up early in the morning and cant fall back to sleep. Hate this. this is what you get when you mess with your body.

 

[Atomic_Tomato]

Me too,
Do you take it eod?

No 5mg ED. Did you manage to resolve yours by changing dose or modality?

This significant difference in serum concentration (x5!) certainly elevates chances for adverse reactions.

 

[coco_304]

I take 2.5 end of day, and i have difficult to fall a sleep

 

[Atomic_Tomato]

I have noticed I fall asleep just fine but I wake up early in the morning and cant fall back to sleep. Hate this. this is what you get when you mess with your body.

The experience really did give me sympathy for chronic insomniacs.

I was doing everything sunlight in the eyes in the morning, no caffeine after 11am, gym then work, no screentime at night....would get into bed and feel oddly 'wired' like i could sense the blood rushing through my head. The experience was almost identical to my time on Dutasteride, just much more incremental and insidious. Makes me suspect something is happening with 5AR inhibition

 

[Atomic_Tomato]

I take 2.5 end of day, and i have difficult to fall a sleep

Perhaps come off for a wk and see how you go!

 

[Regan]

Interesting... never heard of anyone having such a reaction to oral minoxidil. I doubt anyone will be able to give a good guess about the plausible mechanism. "Something something potassium channels", basically.

I think it's probably a different mechanism from fina/duta. Minoxidil is just too different. Could also be some sort of nocebo of course, with all due respect.

 

[Lumalux]

I can see how systemic vasodilation could increase alertness. I don't have any basis for that but it makes sense to me.

 

[drock18]

I have the exact same issue with oral minoxidil. I would wake up at 3am brain felt wired, awake and I couldn’t go back to sleep. I can kind of tolerate 1.15mg but when I go up to 2.5 or 5mg I’m up at 230 3am every morning. I would take om in the morning hoping it would wear off at night. I would fall asleep just fine, but would always wake up. I did it for a month until I was utterly exhausted and had to back down to 1.15mg. Even now i often time wake up before my alarm at 5am but not as bad as before. I wonder what the mechanism is. I can’t describe it any other way other than brain feels wired and awake when I wake up in the morning

 

[coco_304]

I have the exact same issue with oral minoxidil. I would wake up at 3am brain felt wired, awake and I couldn’t go back to sleep. I can kind of tolerate 1.15mg but when I go up to 2.5 or 5mg I’m up at 230 3am every morning. I would take om in the morning hoping it would wear off at night. I would fall asleep just fine, but would always wake up. I did it for a month until I was utterly exhausted and had to back down to 1.15mg. Even now i often time wake up before my alarm at 5am but not as bad as before. I wonder what the mechanism is. I can’t describe it any other way other than brain feels wired and awake when I wake up in the morning

Me too..

 

[coco_304]

No 5mg ED. Did you manage to resolve yours by changing dose or modality?

This significant difference in serum concentration (x5!) certainly elevates chances for adverse reactions.

View attachment 181581

What is ED mean?

 

[losingbattle88]

I sleep baaaad its oral min or finasteride.

 

[Lumalux]

What is ED mean?

ED means either "every day" or "erectile dysfunction".

 

[Atomic_Tomato]

I have the exact same issue with oral minoxidil. I would wake up at 3am brain felt wired, awake and I couldn’t go back to sleep. I can kind of tolerate 1.15mg but when I go up to 2.5 or 5mg I’m up at 230 3am every morning. I would take om in the morning hoping it would wear off at night. I would fall asleep just fine, but would always wake up. I did it for a month until I was utterly exhausted and had to back down to 1.15mg. Even now i often time wake up before my alarm at 5am but not as bad as before. I wonder what the mechanism is. I can’t describe it any other way other than brain feels wired and awake when I wake up in the morning

Thanks for your input. I've been on topical minoxidil for a few weeks now and am sleeping like a baby. My face, particularly my eyes look a million bucks too. I may revisit oral at 2.5mg 3 times a week or something but for now I'm going to let my body recover from all that poor sleep.

 

[Mr. Slap Head]

I can’t sleep usually because I’m too damn horny

 

[drock18]

Thanks for your input. I've been on topical minoxidil for a few weeks now and am sleeping like a baby. My face, particularly my eyes look a million bucks too. I may revisit oral at 2.5mg 3 times a week or something but for now I'm going to let my body recover from all that poor sleep.

Even at 1.125mg I’m starting to wake up early randomly again. I may just stop. It’s Annoying. This is my second time trying oral minoxidil. Insomnia is going to get me to stop again. Is oral minoxidil 3x per week afffective?

 

[Lumalux]

Minoxidil before bedtime definitely interrupts my sleep. I wake up throughout the night and wake up before the alarm clock goes off.

 

[Lumalux]

I can’t sleep usually because I’m too damn horny

Oh dude, I do hope that new avatar is you. Sexy AF.