Stopped and restarting Propecia

[slee]

Been on Propecia for 18 months without side effects. Only problem is that my testosterone is too high and I have a feeling 1mg is too much for me to take daily. I have been off the drug for 3 weeks due to getting blood work and and want to know if this is going to effect all the hair I saved over the last year. As soon as I get my test results I plan on starting on a lower dose to see if my blood levels even out. Does any one know if 3 weeks is going to do me damage by being off the drug? I don't want to loose what I have saved and I am really getting nervous about it. I took a half dose the other day and now my doctor said to stay off another 2 weeks. Is 1/2 Propecia really going to raise my hormone levels so that I have to wait another 2 weeks to get retested? I don't think I can go that long withouy the pills or my hair will fall out. Anyone know how long i can wait and if I restart within 4 weeks if I will loose much hair. Thanks for any information!

[slee]

i hope someone out there can give me advice on this

[hsrp10]

I think you should be ok if you restart within a month or so, the effects take a while to gradually kick in and similarly they won't wear off just overnight.

Besides typically, hair cycles run in three-month intervals so I doubt you'll see any cosmetic difference in a period shorten than three months.

 

I've been on and off Fin the past 6 years and it takes many months of stopping before I start to see any major difference.

[KO]

Yes, I think it is quite possible for you to lose hair with a month off propecia. Depends on the aggressiveness of your MPB though.

[slee]

How does Propecia work on the hair when you start and restart? I am really getting stressed that all the hair i saved is going to fall out over stopping for 3 weeks. My dad's side of the family has aggressive hair loss.

[slee]

Well today I now noticed my hair falling out after 16 days without propecia. I hope i can get back within a few days. Do you guys think my hair will recover and stop falling or am I going to see tons of hair loss.

[hsrp10]

Do you have very aggressive male pattern baldness as KO eluded to?

If not, I doubt it's related to stopping, because as mentioned hair growth and sheds etc typically run in 3 month cycles.

 

Btw how is high testosterone causing issues for you?

Except for sebum over-production/oily skin and in some cases high testosterone causing hair loss in some (females for example) I don't see how it's a bad thing.

[slee]

I wasn't having any side effects but my doctor was worried about a tumor or she thought i was taking steroids. My level was 1141 this is 100 points over the normal high. My fathers side does have aggressive hair loss so do you think I am going loose all of it now?? My doctors are clueless when it comes to hair loss so she sent me to an endocrinologist and now I am so stressed about stopping when it was going so good for me. I notice about 15-20 hairs and when i run my hands through my hair I get some hairs. I was hoping to start back this week if my test comes back.

[slee]

When on Propecia i barely had any loss and never saw it in the shower!

[hsrp10]

Certain tumors can show accelerated growth with increased testosterone levels so I would get that part settled first before worrying about your hair.

[slee]

Thanks for your advice! You are right about the tumor which I hope it isn't. I was off of it for 2 weeks and took a 1/2 dose of propecia and then the day before the blood test I took another 1/2 dose. Do you think that can change my test results. That is why she wants me to wait another 2 weeks before taking any blood tests.

[hsrp10]

In the process of reducing DHT propecia (actually its active ingredient Finasteride) increases the amount of free testosterone, so yes it could have an effect depending on your metabolism and individual physiology. I think your overall baseline should be lower as you said you had stopped for two weeks but can't be certain.

 

Since your health is more important than your hair I would definitely wait it out another 2 weeks as your doctor recommended, going two weeks without will even have less of an effect than one month so you should be good.

Hope everything works out!

[slee]

Well it will have been a month by the time I get the test and the results and as of now I see hair falling out. I only took 2 1/2 doses of propecia within the last two weeks so thats why i now have to wait another 2 weeks to retest. I thinks she is making me wait too long but what can i do about it. My baseline before Propecia was in the 500 range which is normal for a 27 year old then 6 months into it my testosterone went to 866 and now a year later 1041. So yes I have a feeling I am sensitive to the drug. There;s a doctor that writes prescriptions for Rogain and Propecia from a compounding pharmacy so maybe I should give that a try in the mean time. Thanks again! I really appreciate your input. It helps!