starting propecia need advice

[SADbutTRUE]

hello all tommorow is the 1st day of my journey in the epic battle to get my hair back, well not really epic but anyway , i get my propecia pils and rogaine foam, then a yr from now my HT, but the question i have for you guys is that im shedding hair pretty bad now, and im worried that if i take the pill, i would lose double the amount im losing already, should i wait untill the shedding phase slows down and then start taking the pill, or start right away, im a little nervous about this , any advice ? im leaning to take the pill and ride it out, but to guys who have been on propecia , has it made thinning hair stronger, and give better coverage over time, i dont expect growth but just want to keep what i have and stregthen existing hair and thinning hair.

[zenmunk]

If you're committed to starting the meds, then start right away. Don't waste anymore time. You may notice an increase in your shedding over the first 3 - 4 months from the meds, but those hairs will very likely come back stronger than before. I've been on the meds for many years, and it definitely made my thinning hair stronger at the crown and mid-scalp. It also slowed down my hairline recession.

[jsnw]

As far as I could tell I never experienced further loss when I started. It seemed like maybe a month or two in I started getting these random compliments on my hair looking good, which I had never gotten before. Everyone told me it looked thicker, so I guess it did its job and seemed to start working pretty quickly for me. All you can do is give it a shot and see what happens. Hopefully you will have some quick results as well.

[SADbutTRUE]

thanks for the comments guys, im kicking myself for not going on meds a long time ago , but i was in denial ,my hairloss was stable for many years but this summer it accelerated, and it has made me take a more active role in dealing with it.or at least trying .

[SADbutTRUE]

guys deed is done poped my 1st propecia pill the other day and started rogaine foam ,the battle for HAIR is under way

[Brad3451]

thanks for the comments guys, im kicking myself for not going on meds a long time ago , but i was in denial ,my hairloss was stable for many years but this summer it accelerated, and it has made me take a more active role in dealing with it.or at least trying .

Wish I would have started years ago myself. In short these treatments work to save existing hair for sure. Don't sweat a little shed and just weather the storm for better days ahead. Is worth it.......

[TakingThePlunge]

Good luck SADbutTRUE!

[SADbutTRUE]

thanks guys , one step at a time,

[splitting hairs]

I would advise you to start the propecia right away. There is a lot of talk online about shedding initially when starting propecia, but in actual fact a significant shed is quite rare. It is more common with Avodart.

 

However, it should be remembered that if you do shed the hairs will grow back in stronger.

 

Best of luck on your journey

[londonboycharlie]

Good luck SADbutTRUE....I myself am too wary of the side effects to take the plunge and try Propecia. Guess it's pot luck !

[gasto]

Good luck here, means: good luck not risking mammary glands enlargement, erectile dysfunction, headaches, permanent libido loss, etc...

[SADbutTRUE]

gasto did you have a bad exeperience with propecia? if so how long have you been on the meds?

[gasto]

I went through it for 3 years. I did have some lower dosages at the end of the treatment and finally quited. Right now I am fine, apart from some occasional red knuckles I get every now and then.

 

I haven't had the serious side effects(like permanent libido loss), but when in treatment, my head seemed to have some electrical spikes in the back, where the cervical is. I read that this drug also interferes with the binding of Dihydrotestosterone to Allopregnanolone(the latter being responsible for the formation of myelin, the substance surrounding and insulating neurons). So as you can guess, 5 Alpha Reductase type I inhibition disrupts the normal functioning of the brain. I only experienced some electrical spikes, other people have reported foggy consciousness, and memory loss.

 

Dutasteride effects are even worse, because it also inhibits 5 Alpha Reductase type II

 

If you still decide to take this very dangerous drug, talk to a neurologist about what I have mentioned here beforehand.

 

Also consider the potential permanent side-effects:

 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02255.x/abstract;jsessionid=B7EF59676463B53F0874310E54CE6815.d03t01

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21176115

Edited September 27, 2012 by gasto

[SADbutTRUE]

ive just recently started both propecia and rogaine foam, nothing really to report as of yet its to early, i know the drug has been out over 10 years i think, and only a few have side effects, from my research,i never heard of severe side effects with this drug, why would almost all ht docs say to get on meds to help keep what hair you have. if the side effects would make you seriously ill ?

[gasto]

They look at the data out there. Unfortunately, only statistical data that supports its usage is out there, mainly because of marketing reasons. I am sure that when publicly funded studies arise, the data will be less prone to bias.

 

I would like you to read this from nothing less than your beloved FDA:

 

Q4. What data are available on this safety issue?

A. The data that formed the basis for these labeling changes were based on two large, randomized controlled studies assessing the ability of 5-ARIs to reduce the rate of diagnosis of prostate cancer over a period of 7 years (Proscar) and 4 years (Avodart), respectively, in men at least 50 years of age. The Proscar trial evaluated the use of 5 mg doses of finasteride (Proscar) versus a placebo (sugar pill), and the Avodart trial evaluated the use of 0.5 mg doses of dutasteride (Avodart) versus a placebo, for the reduction of prostate cancer risk.

The trials demonstrated an overall reduction in prostate cancer diagnoses with finasteride and dutasteride treatment (see the Drug Safety Communication Data Summary for more information). This overall reduction was due to a decreased incidence of lower risk forms of prostate cancer. However, both the finasteride trial and the dutasteride trial showed an increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer.

It is important to note that neither trial evaluated 1 mg doses of finasteride (Propecia), used to treat male pattern hair loss.

 

Reference:

 

 

 

Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) - National Cancer Institute

 

 

 

As the following prominent institution proclaims, there must be more studies made to understand the causes of severe problems:

 

"

At the present time, the mechanism of interaction between the brain, 5 alpha-reductase metabolism, and hormones on sexual dysfunction is speculative and poorly understood. Clearly, this is a complicated issue, which overlaps with other disciplines in medicine such as Endocrinology, Urology, and Psychiatry. More research is needed to assess the actual incidence of side effects, to determine if there is a true causal relationship for persistent side effects, and, if so, to identify who may be at risk. We hope to participate in a multidisciplinary forum to further evaluate this topic.

"

 

 

Reference:

 

ISHRS Task Force on Finasteride Adverse Event Controversies

 

 

In other words, I would wait for more independent scientific studies.

[SADbutTRUE]

thnks for the info.......

[gasto]

Bare in mind I am here for objective reasoning. If you are going to take the pill, you have done so at your own risk and in full knowledge of the potential risks. There is nothing worse than taking blind decisions.

 

Also take into consideration, that it is a life-long commitment. As soon as the ingestion of finasteride is stopped, the hair starts falling and all the previously gained hair is lost.

[almostdone99]

Fin is a half-measure imo. More permanent solutions should be sought.

[gasto]

I haven't found side effects of hair transplants as of yet. The only down turn is that the excellent hair restoration surgeons are expensive, but from my understanding, definitely worth.