My Hairloss Rollercoaster & Medication

[Midwest00]

Through this forum I have talked with some people about different causes of hairloss. Everyone has a different journey and I have been encouraged to share mine by a few people. Hopefully I can share my experience that may help out some others as well who may be in a similar situation, or share some similar components in their own lives.

 

I am 31 and my hairloss started back in 2002 when I began to notice a little receding, nothing major, but a little bit non the less. Each year it slowly got worse until I finally took the plunge with Dr. Konior back in the summer of 2009 where I had about 2220 grafts placed on the frontal third of my scalp. I was also lucky to find this forum as I had traveled to St. Louis for a consultation and booked a date with someone from MHT.

 

Dr. Konior and his staff are outstanding which is well known on this board. My results were awesome. Though I have no photos to date, I was a happy customer with a great head of hair.

 

In the spring of 2011 everything changed not only for my hair, but most importantly my health. I had started to randomly have severe acute panic attacks. I have no family history of them and was completely consumed by them. Sometimes having 20+ per day that were very painful. The worst part was the insomnia where I went 7 days with 1 hour of sleep per day. It was a very rough time and there were no underlying causes of them. I have a great job, wife, kids, family ect. It was purely physical. Also I am a full-time high school teacher who had to work through the riggors of an anxiety disorder.

 

As Doctors prescribed medication after medication to try to get me to sleep and stop the panic attacks. With SSRI everything slowly got better after 2 months and I was able to get back on my feet again, but it was pure hell to walk through. Those who have been through them know exactly what I am talking about. Especially the start up on SSRI medication can be rough for many.

 

As things normalized I started to see side effects from SSRI treatment such as low energy, libido, ect.. I was prescrided Androgel and ED meds to help with the problems. Some of you know what is coming next from the "Androgel" statement. I shed hair like no other after a couple months of treatment and insisted that I be taken off Androgel. I had always used rogaine but also started finasteride for the past year and a half to combat the onset of my sudden hairloss and (hopefully) grow back some hair. I was aware that increasing testosterone could potentially accelerate hairloss, but being a transdermal it underwent an enormous amount of 5-htp interaction which skyrocketed DHT levels. Though I was able to stop the massive shed with discontinuation and medication, the damage had been done. In the frontal third of my head it is obvious that the hairs Dr. Konior placed are all that is left to be seen (I am thankful for that). I also use Toppik to help add density.

 

I shared my story becaue anxiety, hairloss from medication, and other factors played a role in my sudden hair loss after my first surgery. The hairloss was also very sudden and dramatic in a very short period of time. I am happy to say that I am much more educated now on the effects different medications, most paticularly the hairline. My journey for a 2nd hair restoration has began as I have sought out consultations from 3 of the outstanding surgeons recommended on this board very recently. I look forward to updating everyone in the near future.

[Blake Bloxham]

Midwest,

 

Thank you for sharing! I'm sure your story will help guide future hair loss sufferers researching on the forums.

[SamSpade]

Thanks for sharing such a personal and engaging story. Props to you for getting through it and I have no doubt that Konior could fulfill your needs a second time through. It sounds like you have a great family and support system.

[Midwest00]

Just updating the progress with my journey towards reclaiming my once adequate hair density and have found myself at a stalemate with a few Dr. All 3 are fantastic and recommended on this wonderful site that we are grateful to have.Dr. Keller has reached out to me once and so has Panine. Each with different aspects of results and fees to consider. But great surgeons no doubt.

 

I am a teacher in the Midwest which is not a great place to be as our schools are cutting like crazy with the state not paying hat is owed. This leaves the future uncertain for teachers like me who will stay employed but nonetheless it may get dicey at contract renegotiation time. Which leads me to say that $ is an issue. I know I know you should never go for cheaper, and this is a lifelong decisuion. But with these 3 known surgeons there are differences that have to be discussed. I have a wonderful conservative hairline from Dr. Konior. He did a great job. His work held up great until a run of meds, explained above, took my hair in chunks an it got bad real quick. Imagine the joy of seeing it IL come back and for it to only regress in a matter of one month. I went to the Dr and told them to take me off and here I sit today with a year+ of propecia and none to show from it, except the grafts that were transplanted.

 

Without giving names I took online referrals and found myself at a stantill in the beginning of the post. I have 3 surgeons I have contacted. For Density only or part of my frontal 1/3 and maybe a small area in the crown. Also one of the lower costing surgeons. has great scar closure which is a plus. I just feel that at he rate of hairloss I am going to be at soon there will be no other time then this summer to get it done to avid having students and Co workers seeing he obvious hair transplant. I manage it somewhat well with Nanogen but he areas are requiring more and I do not know how much longer it will be effective as a Concealer. If anyone has any recommendations on how to approach the situation I am all ears feel free to pm me as well. I am on a budget, but not too small that it is not feasible to get an Ht. I have gotten 2 from Illinois surgeons. Konior and a small procedure from Dr Samuel in St Louis

[Midwest00]

Up are. Made contact with Tom at Dr Koniors office. Working on a late May/early June date. As a teacher this gives me the whole summer to recover and hide. As in my story I had a huge loss from Ssri Med and even some Androgel in only a month I lost half my hair..no exageration. All that remains in the front is Koniors transplanted hairs.

Edited April 27, 2013 by Midwest00

[KO]

I know it's a difficult situation, but if money is going to be tight and you are supporting a family, are you sure that going the HT route is a good idea? I don't know how bad your loss is though, but that's something to keep in mind. Not trying to criticize you though.

[Midwest00]

No KO I completely understand. I would never put my Fam in that situation. Finances have been saved up for a few years now and lets just say I have recently been abruptly blessed in the $ dept:-) Knowing that another HT would be on the horizon.

 

Just to update I will be embarking on my 2nd HT with Dr. Konior on May 30th. Excited is an understatement. Hopefully I can get some pics from this surgery. I know Dr. K has my pics before my 1st procedure. Will definitely update post surgery.

[greatjob]

Good luck to you man!! Sounds like you deserve it!! Its complete horseshit what's is being done to our teachers so I'm glad you are able to make this work!!

[Midwest00]

I appreciate the kind words. Yes I agree what is happening to teachers is horrible. Lots if good teachers losing jobs. Horrible.

[Midwest00]

Just wanted to say that I am 8 days away from HT #2 with DrKonior on 5/30. Pretty excited. Got the hotel for day before and day of surgery. First procedure was 2300 grafts 5 years ago. This one is looking at 2000+ I put some recent PC's in my web blog. Will post more post op. Hopefully I will be able to get pics from start to finish to include my progression before and after 2 surgeries with Dr. Konior.

 

Note:

As always communication with Tom and Dr. Konior has been A+.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Midwest00

[1978matt]

Good luck mate. I'm 3 months away myself.

[BrianR]

Good luck to you man!! Sounds like you deserve it!! Its complete horseshit what's is being done to our teachers so I'm glad you are able to make this work!!

So sad? Im pretty sure you can blame the Unions....Pay is amazing benefits better...The guy gets the whole summer off, no matter how bad a teacher is ,you cant fire them...I don't feel sorry for teachers at all.....As for Midwest, good luck to you....

Edited May 22, 2013 by BrianR

[Denny]

Good luck buddy! I am 1 1/2 month away from my procedure!

[JohnnyDrama]

Good luck mate. I'm 3 months away myself.

 

Here's hoping that time flies for us! If the last few months are anything to go by, then they will!

[greatjob]

So sad? Im pretty sure you can blame the Unions....Pay is amazing benefits better...The guy gets the whole summer off, no matter how bad a teacher is ,you cant fire them...I don't feel sorry for teachers at all.....As for Midwest, good luck to you....

 

Yeah screw the teachers with their cushy jobs making loads of money, doing little work just taking hard working tax payers money like yourself and giving nothing back to society...

 

You want to bash cops and firemen next?

[BrianR]

Yeah screw the teachers with their cushy jobs making loads of money, doing little work just taking hard working tax payers money like yourself and giving nothing back to society...

 

You want to bash cops and firemen next?

 

Ya ill go after cops and firemen next....both equally on welfare (tax payers money) I have the most important dangerous job in the world jobs! Cops don't do anything but protect each other and take tax money (from tax payers) and make tax money(from tickets) Cop are there after your dead!!! Or Robbed!!! And cops are the biggest criminals out of all the criminals! Want some examples?... As for Firemen, its a good job, but im pretty sure anyone with a real job will argue why they are just as important? Cops School Teachers Firemen and Nurses never shut up about how important they are....have you ever meet a guy who painted cars all day or a guy that worked at a convince store? The guy at the convince store has a more dangerous job then a cop..

You really want to go after this subject with facts?

Edited May 23, 2013 by BrianR

[BrianR]

Oya I forgot the Single Mothers

[TakingThePlunge]

Well, at the risk of continuing to drive this thread off-topic, I can speak from personal experience. I am a teacher. I spent 10 years in the classroom before opting to take a large cut in pay and moving to full-time online teaching. Some go into the field for the right reasons. Others don't. But no one goes into teaching for the "amazing pay".

 

Any thanks you get from teaching better come from your intrinsic love for the profession. If you want thanks from anyone else they are few and far between. It got the better of me and I'm much better suited to the virtual environment. The fact is that around 50% of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years.

 

No one can judge a teacher until they've spent time in their shoes.

 

Good luck Midwest00!

Edited May 24, 2013 by TakingThePlunge

[BrianR]

Well, at the risk of continuing to drive this thread off-topic, I can speak from personal experience. I am a teacher. I spent 10 years in the classroom before opting to take a large cut in pay and moving to full-time online teaching. Some go into the field for the right reasons. Others don't. But no one goes into teaching for the "amazing pay".

 

Any thanks you get from teaching better come from your intrinsic love for the progression. If you want thanks from anyone else they are few and far between. It got the better of me and I'm much better suited to the virtual environment. The fact is that around 50% of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years.

 

No one can judge a teacher until they've spent time in their shoes.

 

Good luck Midwest00!

ii know a teacher down the street from me that continued her education with money from the teachers union and other scholarship's that are free, she decided to be a librarian at the school because it was easier ? I don't hate teachers BUT unions are killing our education....Look at money spent and compare results with poorer countries that spend way less..

[BrianR]

If you don't get what you want in this country you act like a victim

[TakingThePlunge]

I'm personally not a fan of unions and have never belonged to a teacher's union. I went to school on student loans because I was too young and naive to fully understand what I was getting myself into. No one to blame there but myself. Years later I'm still paying those babies at almost 8% interest. My mortgage is only 3.4% but the government won't allow me to refi my student loans. Lesson learned.

 

Many of the poorer countries you speak of that report higher test scores are playing a different game. Here in the US we believe that everyone should have the same shot at a quality education and the chance to go to college if they wish regardless of physical or cognitive disabilities (and rightfully so). Lots of other countries start weeding out those students that are not deemed college material early on. Those students are driven into tracks that prepare them for menial jobs, technical schools, apprenticeships, etc. Only the elite get to continue their academic education and pursue university.

 

Additionally, many of those countries have more homogenous societies which means that they are not having to deal with the issue of educating students who may not be fluent in the primary language of the country. Mexico is dealing with this for the first time right now as many immigrant families move their US born, non-Spanish-speaking children back home. It's a shock to them and Mexican teachers are having to start learning techniques that we've been mastering here ins the US for decades.

 

What all this means is that we measure our entire student population in the US against elite groups from many other countries so of course they look good in comparison.

 

Teachers are not perfect. The US education system is far from perfect but all you need to do is look at the end product. For all its faults, the US is still a great place to live, start a business and raise a family. If it weren't, we would not be attracting so many foreigners to our shores. There are lots of professions we can thank for that.

[agenteye]

Good Luck on your upcoming procedure Midwest!! Dr. Konior does amazing work....2000 grafts on top of what you already have going is going to look KILLER. Can't wait to follow your progress!

[greatjob]

Ya ill go after cops and firemen next....both equally on welfare (tax payers money) I have the most important dangerous job in the world jobs! Cops don't do anything but protect each other and take tax money (from tax payers) and make tax money(from tickets) Cop are there after your dead!!! Or Robbed!!! And cops are the biggest criminals out of all the criminals! Want some examples?... As for Firemen, its a good job, but im pretty sure anyone with a real job will argue why they are just as important? Cops School Teachers Firemen and Nurses never shut up about how important they are....have you ever meet a guy who painted cars all day or a guy that worked at a convince store? The guy at the convince store has a more dangerous job then a cop..

You really want to go after this subject with facts?

 

lol! Please remove your tin foil hat before responding...

[Midwest00]

Well, at the risk of continuing to drive this thread off-topic, I can speak from personal experience. I am a teacher. I spent 10 years in the classroom before opting to take a large cut in pay and moving to full-time online teaching. Some go into the field for the right reasons. Others don't. But no one goes into teaching for the "amazing pay".

 

Any thanks you get from teaching better come from your intrinsic love for the progression. If you want thanks from anyone else they are few and far between. It got the better of me and I'm much better suited to the virtual environment. The fact is that around 50% of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years.

 

No one can judge a teacher until they've spent time in their shoes.

 

Good luck Midwest00!

 

Much appreciated. Also I agree on everything you said pertaining to teachers.

[Nick153452]

I just had my HT 2 days ago at Shapiro. Dr Konior has amazing results and he was on the top of my list for potential doctors. I good luck on your surgery -- may the results be with you!