Stopping finasteride, starting rogaine foam - your thoughts?

[wednoct]

So a couple of years back I started rogaine (liquid) and got lazy about applying it about a month in. started taking finasteride, and have been on that for about a couple of years - with no success to speak of. No halting, no regrowth, and I'm definitely still losing all over. Sure, theoretically it may have "slowed it down" but I really don't think so - and I'm not delusional, I have lost the majority of my hair in those two years, so I can tell it's NOT really doing anything. So I started rogaine foam a couple of days ago. My question is, is there any point in continuing finasteride?

Please consider it carefully - TWO years without any response! Gimme some insight.

:crazy:

 

[lazarus]

Really, I don't think there's any point in starting the foam if you are going to quit finasteride. If you are going to drop it, I would suggest you consider switching to dutasteride. finasteride may very well be slowing down your loss, so I wouldn't be so sure about dropping it for minoxidil alone.

 

[ShedMaster]

the finasteride may have merely slowed, instead of halted your loss. Its too difficult to tell, but rogaine functions completely different then finasteride, and the combination with the two along with a 'nizoral' type shampoo results in synergistic results. So don't drop the finasteride, but you might consider dutasteride as a last resort as previously mentioned. Cool?

 

[wednoct]

thanks for the responses guys. I tried using nizoral 1% (over the counter) for a little while but I couldn't see it doing anything so I kinda pulled away. I guess I can try to get back on that but man that stuff is as expensive as rogaine, if not more so! How much does a nizoral 2% prescription cost?

the only reason I haven't jumped to dutasteride is because looking around on these boards, so many of the dutasteride stories are unimpressive. unlike finasteride, dutasteride stories are all "nothing happened or bad things happened." I suppose I can stay on finasteride, it's not the cost (proscar) it's just the thought that it may be contributing to my continued loss?

rogaine foam twice a day I think I can handle, it'll probably average to 1.5x a day over time. quick question about the foam - when it dries my black hair looks grayish (not silver, just grayish) - is there any way to avoid this?

 

[Hans Gruber]

if finasteride is doing nothing for you then i suggest the jump to avodart/dutasteride

use-

dutasteride
nizoral 2%
rogaine foam

im sure youd see an improvement on your current regimen

 

[kento]

finasteride and Rogaine are two different things

 

[wednoct]

thanks for your input libertine - do you use dutasteride or know any of good positive success stories? My impression from reading material (boards, online, etc.) seems to be that there is a smaller chance of success versus finasteride and a greater chance of side effects vs. finasteride. both of which make me question it's use (as I have no side effects and no results with finasteride...)

 

[stampede]

Lots of people have had positive results on finasteride + Rogaine + Nizoral

 

[RSG]

I say go for it mate. I had to stop finasteride a while back because of sides. Been on rogaine Foam since Jan, and starting to see some real results now. Very happy with the way i'm progressing with rogaine alone.

 

[bathtbgin]

I had what i would describe as a moderate response to propecia. I could see some hair coming back but i was still loosing it as well. However Combining rogaine and propecia has yielded amazing results. if the finasteride is not causing any side effects, try a combo for a few months. that is what my dermatologist told me to do...although i liked the combos results so i decided to stay on it. Give the minoxidil time to start working (and any shedding caused by it to stop) and then stop the finasteride. If the finasteride was doing nothing you will not have any problems, however if you start loosing hair simply start taking the finasteride again.