Say finasteride works for me...I have to worry about it suddenly not working anymore?

[Ryukil]

I've been on finasteride for about 2 months. I'm young (20) so my loss isn't that bad and I already see little hairs popping up on my hairline. I have diffuse thinning on the top as well, but am hoping that the finasteride, as well as my recent addition of Nizoral, handles that well. So since I'm young, my loss isn't that bad, and so far I seem to be a good responder (only side effect I have noticed is a loss in libido, but I can still ejaculate and all), let's just be optimistic and say I have most of my hair back within a year of beginning usage (December 11, 2013).
Fast forward ahead six years. I'm 26. I'm getting married in a year. Suddenly finasteride stops working, I lose all of my hair within six months, and now I'm going to look bad at my wedding. Is this the reality we have to deal with? We have to be constantly worried that the drug will no longer work? I see people posting that it stops working. I'm pretty sure the official position of Merck is that the drug NEVER stops working as long as you take it, and when I asked my dermatologist if it ever stops working she said no (although she seemed to just be echoing Merck, as she told me that it can't regrow any hair on the hairline...I know Merck just says that because they didn't test it there). Her position was that it only stops working if you stop taking it, and it seemed like she had had that experience with some patients (they mysteriously disappeared).
That ten year FDA study interests me though. 86 % of patients benefited from finasteride for the entire period of ten years and the efficacy of the drug didn't lessen for them over time. Maybe the 14 % who have issues are just the most vocal on the Internet? Apparently a patient's response to the drug in the first year of treatment is a good indicator of how well it will work for them in the long term.
Here's that study for those of you who haven't seen it (I imagine most of you have): http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/res...-to-investigate-long-term-effects-and-safety/

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It also works better for guys over 30, I guess because their hair loss is less aggressive than mine (since it started young).

 

[Valiant]

Are there reports of men suddenly go bald while using Propecia?

 

[abcdefg]

It never stop working, but its possible over many years things change to a point where propecia is not strong enough to stop male pattern baldness completely in some people. It could work for 10 years for you no one knows

 

[Ryukil]

I've just seen stories on the Internet if it not working anymore for people, that's all.

 

[Valiant]

"Fast forward ahead six years. I'm 26. I'm getting married in a year. Suddenly finasteride stops working, I lose all of my hair within six months, and now I'm going to look bad at my wedding."

Your original post made me believe that you had read stories from users who suddenly lost their hair.

 

[Luther007]

I was diagnosed with male pattern baldness when I was 20. I'm 30 now and have been taking daily finasteride for about 9 years. I've also used 5% minoxidil (solution then foam) twice a day, and Nizoral 2% shampoo about three times a week. Folligen and Tricomin have also been regular parts of my regimen, but I didn't expect much from them other than to help when I had those occasional days of itchy scalp. A few years ago I noticed my hairline at the temples slowly was receding, though I think that was my mature hairline still coming in (Norwood 2). I added topical spironolactone and I've maintained a Norwood 2 for the past few years. I'm not sure if it's still receding, but possibly, though very slowly.

There may be no way to entirely stop male pattern baldness for me. The men in my family tree who went bald were like a Norwood 6 by the time they were 30 and I most likely inherited that aggressive androgen sensitivity. But I'm still a Norwood 2 and I'll re-evaluate where I'm at in another 10 years.

The point is Finasteride won't suddenly stop working, from everything I've read and my own experience. However, your hairloss could progress as you get older and more sensitive to DHT.

I should add that I saw my family doctor a couple of years ago (he's the one who diagnosed me) and he told me the finasteride must be working because I didn't have noticeable hair loss after seven years. He also said it's "highly unlikely" that I would somehow stop responding to the drug.