Terrible shed caused by finasterid? And a recovery from it!

[RP]

I'll be back to answer the q. in three months when I'll either be:
a)BALD
b)SOMEWHERE NEAR BASELINE

mine has gone on for nearly 3 months now with no let up.

The rate my hair loss hadbeen progressing it would've taken me a couple of years to get anywhere near the state my hair is currently in.

So you are now on month 3?

Here are my experiences month by month:

May: stabile
June: some shedding
July: major shedding
august: some shedding
september: stabile
october: some regrowth
november: major regrowth
december some regrowth

Now I`m pretty much back to were I started in May. And since my goals have been from the beginning not too ambitious (just want to maintain what I have), I´m so far quite pleased.

But do notice, that the worst months were months 4-5. So let`s hope it works the same way with you JDW. :thumbs_up:

 

[Nick4441]

RP.

So from your photo's you look like May photo?

Power to you for riding it out as those photo's a lot went in your hairline and good to hear that hair can come back in places which have virtually no hair left. Looks like 6 months needed and a rough ride to get everything going to improve.

 

[RP]

RP.

So from your photo's you look like May photo?

Power to you for riding it out as those photo's a lot went in your hairline and good to hear that hair can come back in places which have virtually no hair left. Looks like 6 months needed and a rough ride to get everything going to improve.

I think that it was downhill from June till September. Here are the pics again for easier comparison. The first one is the baseline (May-June), second one is when the shed had stopped but no regrowth yet (September-early October) and the third one is the situation right now (December).

So I think I`m at least near my May baseline. And if it stays that way I´m perfectly happy with the results. Maybe I still could use a bit more density in the hairline so I´ll give Folligen a few months and see what`ll happen.

BASELINE:

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3,5-4,5 MONTHS:

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7,5 MONTHS

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[JDW]

I'll be back to answer the q. in three months when I'll either be:
a)BALD
b)SOMEWHERE NEAR BASELINE

mine has gone on for nearly 3 months now with no let up.

The rate my hair loss hadbeen progressing it would've taken me a couple of years to get anywhere near the state my hair is currently in.

So you are now on month 3?

Here are my experiences month by month:

May: stabile
June: some shedding
July: major shedding
august: some shedding
september: stabile
october: some regrowth
november: major regrowth
december some regrowth

Now I`m pretty much back to were I started in May. And since my goals have been from the beginning not too ambitious (just want to maintain what I have), I´m so far quite pleased.

But do notice, that the worst months were months 4-5. So let`s hope it works the same way with you JDW. :thumbs_up:

Thanks for that RP
I'm on month 7

june: stable
july: stable
August: stable (hair loss stopped/hair feeling thicker)
Sept: stable, able to grow my hair longer for 1st time in two years
OCT: stable then 2 week crippling shed half way through
Nov: still shedding, lost ~%20 density on baseline/ receeded at front and temples drastically
Dec: continued shedding up to present date (~%30 thinner than baseline and receeded considerably) had to shave head due to thiness of hair.


No regrowth as of yet but diffused all over top in clear male pattern baldness pattern. Receeded a front by 2 cms and diffuse hairline where there is now a gap in the middle. Still no signs of regrowth at month 7



Current mood:
despondent, angry and devstated. How can three months do so much damage to someones hair and where would I be now if I hadn't started the drug? By now I should be seeing some regrowth, ANYTHING please!
I can't believe I've spent this much money on something and seven months down the line I would see getting anywhere near baseline as a success.
Have been asked by a couple of people who I hadn't seen since the summer what the f*** had happened to my hair. The difference is staggering. THANKS PROSCAR, you've made my x mas!!!

:cry: :x :x :x :x :x

 

[Nick4441]

RP
Yes looks like you are back to baseline and if it holds steady and hopefully some more growth you will be doing well and hopefully many years of no hairloss, everything is working. Looks good and solid, you have patience and commitment and I think most of us find that difficult as we all want quick results and start getting despondent too early, so thanks for this as it does help someone like myself who's been on finasteride and minoxidil for only a month and may have some difficult times to ride out before results.
JDW
Sounds like its taking longer,man this hair problem is tough. I recon some regrowth really soon now, gotta be from your timelines...its so easy to blame the drugs or something searching for an answer but finasteride is well tested and proven so got to keep the faith. I waisted 4 months on herbal type stuff and now realise that was a real waste as none of that was proven and wish I had been on finasteride from the start. The annoying thing is its seems so different for each person but majority in the forum get success from the Big 3 eventually so that's reassurance.

 

[JDW]

Thanks for the positivity post man!

The mind is a powerful thing, believe and you will see it come true!

RP, one more question; was the middle, crown etc affected as well?

 

[JDW]

Just got the following from Dr.Lee

"If the only cause of your shedding is from finasteride, then yes the
hair
should grow back without any other treatment after you have
discontinued
treatment. It will require 4 months to a year for regrowth to occur. If
you
also have male pattern baldness, it would be wise to continue to treat your male pattern baldness with
alternative, proven topical medicines.
"

What the hell am I supposed to do now?!

 

[JDW]

DECISION HAS BEEN MADE FOR ME:

"Discontinue finasteride, but do not discontinue minoxidil and
use a topical medicine such as azelaic acid or spironolactone in
place of finasteride. Do not start taking finasteride again, it
could caused another heavy shed down stream."

 

[RP]

was the middle, crown etc affected as well?

Crown was a bit. But today there is absolutely no visible hairloss.

Discontinue finasteride

Well... naturally the decision is yours. Maybe your hairgrowth cycle is just longer than mine? I`m no doctor, but you could be in the same point in month 7 that I was in month 4. But really, who knows?

If you really are sure about stopping finasteride, then I would recommend you start at least Revivogen (+Nizoral) asap to keep the dht-levels down. There are several good examples of people using the stuff in this forum. It was my second best option if I had gotten sides from finasteride. And start using minoxidil (and maybe copper peptides) to kickstart the regrowth.

 

[JDW]

The thing is RP it's an impossible decision to make...
Do I continue and possibly run the risk of my hair getting worse? Will it get better on finasteride like yours did?!

I'm just so confused and there's so much at stake.
I think that the amount I've lost (looks a lot more than yours) might indicate that it really is having a hugely adversely detrimental effect on my hair.

Dr. Lee seems to suggest that my hair will grow back if I discontinue usage so I'm going to do that then.

 

[JDW]

Have you also considered that it was possibly coming off the minoxidil that made your hair spiral and that coming back on it made it regrow?!

Jeeeeez... why can't there be a simple cure?! take a pill and you're sorted?!
In the future people will look back and think about issues as this with disbelief

 

[RP]

Have you also considered that it was possibly coming off the minoxidil that made your hair spiral and that coming back on it made it regrow?!

Yep, that is also possible. Damn that minoxidil, but too late to cry. Been using for three years already. I`m just hoping they`ll soon start selling the foam in here.

I actually emailed Pfizer and asked when it`s hitting the pharmacist. They said that our local FDA has to give it a permission first, so it could take a year or two :-x

In the future people will look back and think about issues as this with disbelief

Yeah, and they`ll think what a miserable bunch of bastards we were

 

[JDW]

how's it going RP? I'm back on the finasteride at a reduced dosage hoping beyond hiope to get some of my hair back...

 

[RP]

Well, not much to report. I think that i might have shed a bit, but can`t be 100% sure about it. Still no success in growing more thickness to the right side of my hairline, but the vellus hairs on my temples have grown significantly during the 1,5 months that I have been using also Folligen.


9 MONTHS

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Have you by any chance considered Revivogen instead of finasteride? I haven`t read many shedding related posts from people using it.

 

[JDW]

Ok man, folligen seems to be doing you some favours then?
which type do you use, cream, spray or lotion???

Never considered revivogen, is it a topical?

 

[RP]

First I used the spray Folligen but now I have switched to the cream wich is supposed to be better for hairline areas. It (at least I think that it`s it) has grown the vellus hairs on my temples to maybe 1,5 cm in length plus it might have added some thickness to the area immediately behind the hairline. I only use it on the front areas.

Revivogen is a topical. And there are some good examples on this forum of people who have had success using it. Personally I haven`t got any experience of it, but like I wrote earlier, I kept it as my second best option if I had had sides from finasteride.

 

[JDW]

Cheers for the updates RP. Can Folligen be used in combination with minoxidil, i.e both used on the hairline?

 

[RP]

Can Folligen be used in combination with minoxidil, i.e both used on the hairline?

The way I do it is that in the evening I apply the Folligen cream maybe 15-20 minutes before I put in Rogaine. No idea if this is the right order to do it, but since the Folligen cream absorbs quite fast in my opinion this is the only way to do it.

 

[oscer]

Sorry for jumping the thread but I've only read the first 2 pages that was enough to scare me...
I've started using fincar, just to preserve what hair i've got. I've been on it for around 3 weeks starting at 1.25mg now cutting to .5mg. My shedding is getting worse, 10 or so hairs from shampooing, 30 hair on towel same on pillow etc. Do you think fincar can have an adverse reaction to some people and cause exellerated hairloss??? Is this normal, when does it normaly stop?? or Should I stop now?? I'm loosing hair anyway but I don't want to loose it quick. Should I just stick to saw palmetto and hope it helps. Any advise welcome.
My scalp is definately more itchy.

 

[RP]

Do you think fincar can have an adverse reaction to some people and cause exellerated hairloss???

In the beginning (months 2-3) you most likely will see more hair falling out. Just like I did if you check this thread from he beginning.

Should I just stick to saw palmetto and hope it helps

Hope has never grown any hair on anyones head

My scalp is definately more itchy

If you aren`t yet, get on Nizoral and T/Gel. They have helped my scalp immensly.

Last week I shed a ton of hair, even though not nearly as badly as I did in the beginning of my finasterid -treatment. I´m hoping that this is just part of the synchronized hair cycle that beeing on finasterid creates. The shedding seems to be slowing down now though.