Seasonal use of finasteride

Hair.worth.it

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Hey everyone. I've been lurking around hairloss forums but I'm a regular poster only at IH. So this is the first time I comment here.

I've been fighting Androgenetic Alopecia for over 2 years (I'm 20 now) and been using Nizoral shampoo. I also put minoxidil to my regimen for a while (maybe 8 months) but quit it due to oiliness and itching.

Regarding finasteride, I did take it for 18 months straight, 1mg/day. During this time, I experienced side effects, namely annoying ED problems and I guess a halt on beard/body hair development. I abruptly stopped my intake and would return to use it only after 5 months when sheding was massive and freaked me out.

At that point, I lowered my dosage to 0.15 mg/day for 1 month, then 0.25 for 5 months, switched to 0.5 during 5 weeks until going back all the way to 1mg/day. It needed like 3 and a half weeks to get all the sides back. I dumped finasteride again and now it's been 2 months I don't take the drug. However, I'm really concerned with my ongoing hairloss, but also don't want to sacrifice my health and well being.

So, this led me thinking if it's reasonable to use finasteride seasonaly. Let's say I take the pills for 6 months straight at 0.25mg/day dose and then stop it for another 6 months, and so on. Like a cycle where I keep my hairloss at a steady pace until side effects appear, combining with a regular hormonal check-up.

Has anyone tried or currently does this? If so, how has been your male pattern baldness controled? And how's your health situation/hormonal balance? Do you think it's a good/effective or a bad/ineffective idea?

Thanks. Looking forward to your replies.
 

Hair.worth.it

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Chris87

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Never heard of anyone doing this..my thoughts would be it wouldn't work too well. It takes at least 6 months for a lot of people to start seeing results from finasteride..so you'd be stopping right when its supposed to be kicking in..and i'd venture to guess that over the 6 months you weren't taking it you would shed a ton. Also..at .25mg only for 6 months I don't know how effective it'll be.

You could try what I did. I got sides the first time I tried taking finasteride. I started with .5mg and quit after a month because of sides. A year later I started at .25mg every other day. I got sides the first couple weeks, but they went away. Stayed on that for a month then bumped to .25mg every day...no sides on that..so after a month on that i bumped to .5mg every day. I've been on .5mg every day for over a month now with no sides. Maybe going to go to .75mg and then 1mg eventually
 

Hair.worth.it

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May be a good option. Gradually turning my dosage higher. And if sides do appear stop it and then start the process again...

I'll also add Rogaine Foam to my regimen asap.
 

WillNotLetItHappen

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I don't think it is an option. finasteride takes some time to work and your hormones take quite some time to adjust and readjust.

I've heard of people being on and off the drug, as in 3 weeks on and 1 week off. They have the theory of "upregulation" which they want to avoid. All of this is anecdotal.

I would suggest to try the lowest dose you tolerate and see how well you fare...
 
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