Truth Seeker

Painful orgasm, burning urination after orgasm. Painful erection. I also haven't seen any significant changes in my hair loss situation, and we're at the one year mark. I'm not saying regrowth, but I don't think there's been any stabilization regarding hair loss.

Where is everyone getting the prescriptions for Proscar/Propecia? Mine just ran out after a year, the pharmacist would only fill 8 tablets. The transplant surgeon who wrote the original script won't do refills. Are you going through your family practitioner, or are you going through a transplant surgeon? Personally, I haven't seen a lick of difference in using Proscar, and am not sure if it's worth continuing. I guess I'm in the other percentage of men that gets no benefit from it, except the side effects of the drug.

I don't understand the shaving of existing hair. How do you explain that to people if you're using concealants, and people have no idea that you're using concealants. All of a sudden you show up at work with a shaved head and incisions all over the scalp. Doesn't the doctor work with you on that? I'm not singling out Dr. Rahal, it's something that seems to be happening with a lot of doctor's these days.

I'm seeing a lot of surgeons are shaving the recipient area in preparation for surgery. That's something I'd have a tough time dealing with. I use a concealant (Pro-Thik). Nobody knows I have significant hair loss. Shaving the recipient area would create quite a problem for me in that regard. I'd have no hair to attach to for several months, and it would reveal my "secret". Anyone have any thoughts on this?

I'm almost 11 months into proscar with nothing to report. I don't see any difference in my hair loss, or maintenance. It seems as though the sides of the scalp are continuing to drop, especially around the crown, which is widening. I'm also experiencing what I believe are side effects as it relates to it's intended purpose -- prostate. I've read that these include burning sensations after urination, which I've had for quite some time.

A good source for inexpensive, pharmaceutical grade creatine monohydrate is jomarlabs.com.

Hey John, You're accusing me of insurance fraud? Last we've all been told, Propecia was approved as a drug to treat hair loss, like minoxidil, or am I missing something? Also, Dr. Bernstein at no time, and I reiterate this, said "do not run this through your insurance because it will not be approved." I processed the script with my pharmacist in a business as usual manner. I wasn't trying to "get away with anything". It was covered in the past, now it appears it is not. So, what am I trying to get away with? Every transplant surgeon that has worked on me or counseled me has recommended that I be on this drug. To quote the law enforcement officer in the Chris Benoit case (regarding steroid prescriptions), hair transplant surgeons are writing scripts for Finestaride "Like they are candy". If that's the case, then who is breaking the law? If they are writing scripts for a prostate drug in order to treat hair loss, and it is NOT approved for hair loss, then they are breaking the law. Tell me you wouldn't be in the same "huff" if you discovered that what cost $20 now cost $80, and the doctor who wrote the script wouldn't answer your questions. People like you make me want to pull out what's left of my hair.

I have already had two refills! I paid $20 co-pays each time, and in no conversations with Dr. Bernstein did he say that it would not be covered under my insurance, nor did he advise against going through my insurance. I notified him of a list of drugs that my insurer was targeting with regards to it's coverage, and all he said in an e-mail several weeks ago was to use the generic. So you tell me, how is this MY fault? For the record, I am not seeing any results from Proscar. Granted it is only 6 months. He recommended a year. The thing that bothers me to no end, and I know Dr. Bernstein reads these messages on the forum is why he refuses to respond to my questions!

This is very weird. In January, I had a consultation with Dr. Bernstein in his N.J. office. He recommended that I wait a year to get surgery. He suggested a regimen of Proscar for 1 year to see how I do on it. 1/4 tab daily. However, he wrote a script for 6 months. I called in to my pharmacy for a refill because the bottle read, "1 more refill before 1/09/08." The pharmacy called to tell me that they cannot fill this script, and that I have to call the insurance company to get them to sign off on it. They called Dr. Bernstein and he said he would not do it. I find this odd. How in the world would a doctor, whose diagnosis was very conservative, tell me to take a year before surgery, prescribe meds as a treatment, then reneg on it in the middle of the treatment? I know the reason is probably more to do with the insurance company than anything, but the thing that rubs me the wrong way here is that Dr. Bernstein has not answered any e-mails to explain what is going on. He had been good about that, even answering a couple of questions that I had via e-mail. Now, nothing. I'm disappointed, and will seek my hair transplant surgery elsewhere.

New study on hair Regrowth. http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/2007051...ing__positively.html

New study on hair Regrowth. http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/2007051...ing__positively.html

My point is not about dosages, but about the fact that the pills in my refill are oblong, not round. It is even more difficult to cut these into 1/4's.

OK, I just got my refill of Propecia. The tablets are oblong, not round. How do you cut an oblong pill into 1/4's? I tried this morning, and it's harder to do than the round pill!

"To me, the worst thing about wearing a wig would have to be the constant worry about someone finding out about it." I feel the same way about using ProThik.

Best rug I've ever seen belongs to ESPN's Karl Ravech. I've stood next to him, you don't know where the real hair ends and the fake stuff begins.

Bill, none of that was explained to me. Thanks.

Bill, The results that I am looking for is a slowing down of hair loss more so than regrowth. The hair in the sink and shower drain seem to indicate that this is not happenening, nor or are the images in my mirror.

Thanks guys. I DO have a pill cutter. The point here is that cutting a pill to it's 1/4 size is pretty difficult to maneuver the pill in the cutter to get it to cut again. Cutting it in 1/2 is easy, it's getting it to 1/4 size that's a pain. For the record, I am into my third month of my prescription and have not seen any results.

I'm currently on a regimen of 1/4 tablet of Propecia. Cutting down a full tab into quarters is a pain in the butt. Is there anything to be concerned about if I take 1/2 tablet every other day?

2000 posts?! Wouldn't you rather have 2,000 more grafts?

I had been told by all surgeons that performed my transplants that I could use concealants within a week after surgery. Considering the thinness of my hair, concealants are daily necessity for me. I usually use it for work or socializing. Other than that, I don't use it.

A home improvement loan would be nice, but I'm a renter. I have a $5k personal line of credit with my credit union, and have used that in the past, but the interest rate is a bit high, and it takes forever to pay it back. I know that if I wait until a year from now, I won't see results until the end of 2008/early 2009. But if I can squeeze another $2-3K into my savings, then I might be able to get a procedure done with a reputable surgeon with an excellent track record. As someone who has yet to see ANY positive results from three previous transplants, the wait may be worth it. Of course, whether I have the cash or not is not the issue. It's the remaining donor hair and laxity that really matters.

Hi NoBuzz4me, I wanted to get another surgery 2 years ago, but money is usually the issue ! I'm not quite there yet, and am still waiting on replies from a couple of other surgeons. As you understand, with three transplants behind me, and fewer donor hairs left, I have to be really diligent in who I choose to do this last one (or two) surgeries. I don't use credit cards (the one that I DO have has a limit of $1,000, and that's deliberate on my part), so it comes out of my savings and pay in one shot.

Thanks guys. Waiting a year won't give me any more donor hair. Waiting a year is the idea of Dr. Bernstein, to see how I do on Propecia. In addition, it helps me put some cash away for the surgeries. I have the money now, for the most part, but I'd like to have more $$$ in case I can do more! 3,000 grafts would be awesome, but the general concessions have been 2500. Like Bill said, I may have to give up the crown, but a little Prothik back there is better than a lot of Prothik all over! At 42, things like that still matter. When I'm 50-60 years old, I don't think it'll matter much. By that time, if I'm gray, the thinness may not be so noticeable. By that time, other procedures may be readily available. I joked with Shapiro and Bernstein about FUEs coming from my legs...being a bodybuilder, I'd be more than happy to give up the hair on my legs for more hair on my head. I know that stuff is still in the experimental stage, but in the right hands, I'd be willing to be a guinea pig, and I think a lot of people here would, too.

Yes, I am on Propecia, 1/4 tablet per day, prescribed by Dr. Bernstein. Dr. Rahal recently looked at my photos and recommends 2500 FUs, but won't know until he sees me in person. That seems to be where everyone is in their recommendations except for Dr. Bernstein, who maintains 600 FUs is all he can get out of the donor area. He says to wait 1 year to see what Propecia does before we move on. IMO, 600 isn't worth it. I also believe that many of the micros and minis did not survive the transplants. Within two months post-op with Dr. Loria, I had a bout of Hepatitis-A. I believe that killed many of the grafts, as my body was busy fighting a nasty infection like that. Loria stated back then that Hep-A would not interfere with my recovery and growth. But, as I said, none of the surgeries showed results in the manner that I am seeing in most of the before/after photos I am seeing here. I'm willing to wait a year, as per Dr. Bernstein. That'll certainly give me more time to save up to get the procedure done.