BballTC

I agree on the Curis trials...hmmm...maybe I should volunteer for the study. Kind of kidding, but how bad could the side effects be from a topical (maybe I don't want to know the answer). Still, I am holding out hope for these future treatments. I hate taking a daily pill that is systemic. I would actually prefer an effective topical.

Not sure if anyone has posted a link to this story yet (if so, my apologies for the repetition). However I really wanted to share it with all of you. Something about it gave me a little hope this morning, when I was feeling a little bummed about my personal hair loss. The info on Curis, a company developing a new topical drug, was particurly interesting. Again, sorry if this is old news. http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-hair17apr1...?coll=la-home-health

Not sure if anyone has posted a link to this story yet (if so, my apologies for the repetition). However I really wanted to share it with all of you. Something about it gave me a little hope this morning, when I was feeling a little bummed about my personal hair loss. The info on Curis, a company developing a new topical drug, was particurly interesting. Again, sorry if this is old news. http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-hair17apr1...?coll=la-home-health

Not sure if anyone has posted a link to this yet (if so, apologies for the repetition). In the very least, this is an interesting article that gives some hope to those suffering from severe cases of loss. The discussion of the drug in development by Curis was particularly interesting to me. http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-hair17apr1...?coll=la-home-health

Robert-- Thank you for the thoughtful response! It is greatly appreciated. If I had more courage, or was more willing to put up with the shedding cycles, I do believe that Avodart could prove beneficial in the long-term. That said, given the extent of my hair loss to date, I think I will wait a bit longer. Also, I don't believe I mentioned this in my last email, but I am scheduled for a HT at Shapiro in October, so I will probably stay off meds altogether until that is completed. In response to your finasteride--yes, I actually did try it. I actually have a rather sensitive condition called colitis, which is more or less an ulcerative condition. I have found that Lactose and many starches, even in small amounts, greatly aggrevates my symptoms. Propecia (and its generic counterparts) all use both lactose and starch as binding agents. Although I can't directly implicate these agents in my negative reaction to Propecia, I can only say that Propecia upset my stomach greatly, leading to worse digestion than I previously had. Therefore, I was forced to discontinue use after 3 months (I will say that I didn't experience any other side effects, and had no noticeable shedding). The stomach cramps and decreased digestion were problematic given my colitis. It is worth noting that Avodart (which utilizes a soft gel as opposed to the binders) never really upset my stomach after the first few days. If someone came out with a soft gell version of Propecia without lactose/sugar/starch, I would probably buy a lifetime supply! Thanks again for your comments, Robert. My best, BballTC

Kevin, I thought Robert's comments were quite helpful, and I would certainly place a great deal of trust in what he told you. As it turns out, I am one of those users he mentioned that had a rather negative experience on Avodart. I am a 25 year old guy who wasn't experiencing incredibly dramatic hair loss, but was definately receeding at the temples/hairline and wanted to do something about it. I wish, to be honest, that I had avoided Avodart altogether. Robert referred to the scary shedding period you will go through. I went through it myself, and it was just too much for me to deal with. In the matter of a month, the treatment had a dramatic effect on my hairline, especially the front/center part. This was especially difficult to deal with, largely due to the fact that prior to Avodart I had experienced very little loss in that area. Granted, this may be the medicine merely speeding up the loss of hair that was destined to fall out (and maybe this clears the way for future growth). But for me, at 25 years old, I didn't want to be taking something that was speeding up my rate of shedding. There is no doubt that Avodart is strong medicine. Make sure you read plenty about it before making your decision. As Robert said, user reaction appears to vary widely. I am only one data point in our own "clinical trial" of dut. By myself I am certainly not statistically significant. Still, I felt compelled to share my experience with you. Every user report matters in compiling a complete picture of what this drug can do--both positive and negative. Best of luck as you deal with this difficult time. Hopefully, you will find something that works for you. As many seem to say on this board--- educate yourself, and make informed decisions. Take care.

Perhaps "Useful Advice" isn't the proper introduction, when I think about it. Really, I don't want to tell anyone that my experience on Avodart will be your experience on the drug. Nor do I want to dampen anyone's excitement about starting this particular treatment. What I do want to do is share with you my experience on Avodart. My only motivation, I assure you, is my desire to help others who have been in my place and who feel the same sense of urgency I felt. The sense of urgency that led me to try Avodart...the same sense of urgency that subsequently led me to quit the drug. A quick introduction-- I am a 25 year old young man from Minneapolis. In my early 20's I noticed the gradual process of recession at my temples. The process was rather slow, and considerable time might lapse before I noticed that my hairline had seemed to slide a little further back while I hadn't been paying attention. Only two months ago (roughly) I decided that I needed to try Avodart. Although my problem wasn't dramatic, I wanted to nip it in the bud, so to speak. So I began taking the .5 mg dosage once daily. I was very excited about the prospect of finding something that worked. My girlfriend and family can certainly attest to how the thinning process had bothered me (even though they always say I am crazy for caring so much!), and they were happy to see that I seemed very optimistic. For the sake of all of our members who are interested in this drug, I feel compelled to let you know that my experience was very negative. Whereas others have complained of decreased libido anddifficulty achieving/maintaining erections, my issues are not sexual in nature (although I did experience softer erections in the first 1.5 weeks of treatment and annoying headaches). My primary concern, which serves as the reason for this post, is the significantly negative effect this drug can have on younger users who still have quite a bit of their hair. I used Avodart for about a month, before quitting it altogether. The only word I can use to describe the shedding that occured is "dramatic." I am not someone who likes to exaggerate for effect. And I value honest assessments of treatments. To date (approximately 2 months since starting Avodart), I have experienced a dramatic deterioration of my frontal hairline. The front/center portion of my hairline had certainly thinned over the years, but was never a real cause of concern. In just these two months, this area has thinned incredibly, giving the appearance of more univeral hair loss (because I wore my hair longer on top and parted to cover the temples). This thinning has occured along the whole frontal hairline. Additionally, my hair which is usually light brown has become significantly blonder--to the point that my parents recently asked me at dinner if I was coloring my hair. Even my girlfriend has been shocked by the color change. An unfortunate bi-product of the coloration has been that the lighter color of my hair seems to make the thinning appear more pronounced. Due to the deterioration of my hairline, I discontinued use of the drug after the first month. I continue to experience shedding, and I am told this is due to Avodart's half life being rather long (months, in fact). Therefore, should you experience negative results like mine, you may have to wait quite a while for them to cease. In the end, I just want this to serve as a word of caution. I have no doubt that many have experienced great results on Avodart, and I continue to believe that people respond to medication in profoundly different ways. Additionally, I am hopeful that something will come along that will demonstrate a higher level of efficacy. That being said, I am highly skeptical of Avodart's benefit to younger men who still retain a majority of their hair count. I know that if I could go back in time I would never have taken this particular drug. Hopefully, I can persuade a few of you younger posters to reconsider. Please feel free to contact me with questions. Also, I would highly recommend the posts of Justin_Sievers, whose advice seems well thought out and from the heart. I wish you all the best, FR