What Should I Move Onto If finasteride Doesn't Work?

[josh7000]

I've been using finasteride for 4 months and a week or so. I'm still shedding. I've heard Dustasteride is the next thing to try although I know nothing about it and doses etc. Can anyone help me so I can plan out the next step if finasteride isn't going to work for me

 

[Bobster231]

Dutasteride is the next step, not sure about doses but that sh*t is POTENT.

Or you can try RU 58841 topical solution.

Try minoxidil max 15 percent.

 

[Grasshüpfer]

Typical rumours here. After four months finasteride does not necessarily reduce the shedding. You might have positive shedding like on minoxidil or the shed is reduced very gradually. Or both factors overlay each other.

I would check out if the itch is reduced slowly from now on, that gives a hint wether the shedding is positive or not.

If you want to support the finasteride right now you can add ru topical or dutasteride once/ twice a week.

You will catch it.

 

[Grasshüpfer]

You can shed because:

+ It's a positive shed: the body replaces weak hair. - nice.

+ Your estrogen is too high, which can cause upregulation. (Wild theory) - add progesterone

+ Your dht is too high. - Add ru and dutasteride.

 

[josh7000]

Dutasteride is the next step, not sure about doses but that sh*t is POTENT.

Or you can try RU 58841 topical solution.

Try minoxidil max 15 percent.

I was using ru but it was expensive, I've got seti but don;t even know how to make it. Is it cheap to get stronger minoxidils? I currently use a foam in the day and solution at night

 

[hanginginthewire]

You can shed because:

+ It's a positive shed: the body replaces weak hair. - nice.

+ Your estrogen is too high, which can cause upregulation. (Wild theory) - add progesterone

+ Your dht is too high. - Add ru and dutasteride.

What would be some symptoms of too high estrogen? I always chuckle when people warn of gyno from finasteride because I already have pretty substantial b**ch tits, just from being a skinny fat ectomorph I guess... Here lately I've wondered if it's actually a sign of out of whack estrogen. So yeah, what would some symptoms be? Low libido?

 

[josh7000]

Josh, 4 months is not really enough. More importantly, have you tested your DHT levels?

How long would you say is enough for things to stabillise?

 

[josh7000]

Absolute minimum of 6 months and even then you might experience seasonal sheds. If it has reduced your DHT then you should improve over the span of a year compared to your baseline.

Alright thanks. That gives me some closure. I just heard the shed should only be 3 to 4 months. It just seems a long long time to be shedding a lot

 

[DHTpolice]

Take a look at my profile picture if you want to see what high estrogen levels can do.

May I ask how bad was your hair before estrogen therapy?

 

[Ruby]

Take a look at my profile picture if you want to see what high estrogen levels can do.

What an awesome answer!

 

[Maddy17]

You can shed because:

+ It's a positive shed: the body replaces weak hair. - nice.

+ Your estrogen is too high, which can cause upregulation. (Wild theory) - add progesterone

+ Your dht is too high. - Add ru and dutasteride.

Estrogen causes upregulation of what? 5AR? I had heard that estrogen inhibits 5AR, actual estrodial but not ethinyl estrodial in BCP's.

If you use progesterone, I think I read that you have to use ENOUGH. So low levels of progesterone can induce LH release, which will increase androgens, but high levels of progesterone (like in a woman's luteal phase after egg release) will shut off the GNRHpulse and LH.

 

[Maddy17]

Absolute minimum of 6 months and even then you might experience seasonal sheds. If it has reduced your DHT then you should improve over the span of a year compared to your baseline.

So I can tell you are a man in the know by reading your posts. You asked above about DHT tests. Have you ever had 3-adiol tested. There is a longer technical name...which includes glucoranide or something at the end. In any case I have seen it abbreviated 3-adiol, and it is supposed to be the broken down metabolites of DHT, and a better indication of what is being "used up" in tissue or going on in "tissue". That serum DHT sometimes may not tell us enough. My Doctor ordered it, and blood drawn, and the freaking lab lost the test. Are we having fun yet?

 

[Maddy17]

Yes I have long time ago. There is also its isonomer and is affected by other things too like DHEA so not completely accurate. You then need to factor in your AR-genotype to see whether Finasteride would even work on you because some people have forms that Finasteride will not work much on and so Dutasteride would be your only option. There is also the fact that Dutasteride inhibits all 3 forms of the 5a-reductase isoenzymes whereas Finasteride covers type 2 and 3 only and to lesser efficacy.

Oh, what isonomer are you talking about? I am a voracious reader and I want to know every biochemical and genetic thing I can. Anything you can point me too would be much appreciated. DHEA is exactly the issue on our androgen profile. How do I find out AR-genotype? Have done 23andme and uploaded to LiveWello and other sites but I don't know what to look for...

I have read that type 2 AR exists in the follicle, but that Type 1 5-AR is in the sebaceous glands and they think NOW, that most of the DHT which affects the follicles is actually from type 1 diffusing through to the follicle from the sebaceous gland. do you concur?

Darn, couldn't they get a CRH inhibitor done already....