Finasteride seems to be ineffective on me. What would you do in my seat?

[Rappy]

I've taken Finasteride for one year now and i keep loosing hair at about the same rate as i did before i took Fin, so it seems to be ineffective on me.

 

Should i stop taking it?

What would you've done?

[MayiraP0chu]

This is rather rare! A top doctor says its useless to be on Fin if it dint work for a long period. I believe one year is a decent enough sample to judge. I don't remember where I read this. I don't remember who the doctor was too. It was one of the Coalition members. It could very well be Dr. Bernstein, as I read a lot of his stuff.

 

If I was not having any side effects, I would have been on it for a few more months and stopped it if I felt it still wasn't helping. There is no point continuing after, as it is not wise to subject your body to pills unnecessarily.

[MayiraP0chu]

How many mgs/day are you taking? You might respond well to a higher dosage. In fact, Fin's dosage is generally increased to retain its potency (in a cycle of 4-5 years) as the body gets used to the previous dosage and doesn't respond well after a while.

Edited September 24, 2017 by MayiraP0chu

[Rappy]

I use 1 mg per day, as it is intended for hair loss.

[MayiraP0chu]

You should then discuss with your doctor about upping your dose to 1.25mg or so. I think that should be your first course of action. If the doctor gives the green signal, you should give it a try. At least, thats what I would do.

 

PS: A friend of mine is on 1.25mg now. Like most, he started with 1mg. He s been on Fin for about 5 years now. He has had fantastic results on it so far with no side effects.

Edited September 23, 2017 by MayiraP0chu

[MayiraP0chu]

Here!

 

Dr. Bernstein on Propecia dosage.

 

https://www.bernsteinmedical.com/answers/cycling-the-dose-of-propecia/

Edited September 23, 2017 by MayiraP0chu

[mikeyhwk]

There is a subset of patients who may be not be inhibited by fin, if you are part of that subset dutasteride may be the better option.

[Speegs]

I'd consult a dermatologist.

 

You could unfortunately be among that sliver of men who just don't respond to it, but that would make a regrettable outlier, most men see results.

 

What brand of the drug are you using? If you're not using a reputable brand you could effectively be taking a placebo.

[Rappy]

I take a brand that is reputable but not the world famous propecia.

I'm not really up for taking a larger dose. It took me about 8 years to decide to start using FIN.

 

I doubt i have any problems with my skin to cause this hair loss but i can tell you that my hair loss type is unique and extremely rare. I've never seen one with same hair loss pattern except my brother. I share this pattern with my brother. My brother is younger than me and has lost way more than me.

[Speegs]

I take a brand that is reputable but not the world famous propecia.

I'm not really up for taking a larger dose. It took me about 8 years to decide to start using FIN.

 

I doubt i have any problems with my skin to cause this hair loss but i can tell you that my hair loss type is unique and extremely rare. I've never seen one with same hair loss pattern except my brother. I share this pattern with my brother. My brother is younger than me and has lost way more than me.

I'd schedule a consult with a dermatologist to get that diagnosed.

[Rappy]

After two years, I stopped taking fin. It just wasn't effective on me, I kept thinning at the same rate as before finasterde. 

[LaserCap]

There is a subset of patients that seem to share the same experience.  There are a few things to consider.

Propecia/Rogaine/Laser/PRP are the only modalities approved/released by the FDA for retention and enhancement of the native hair.  The mechanism of action of each of these is totally different and thus, are synergistic when used together.  My first suggestion is to try all of them as indicated.

Every year, it seems, more and more negative information regarding some of these modalities is published only to learn months later that some, if not all, was incorrect because of this or that. I find it laughable when patients say, "I read it on the internet."  Who wrote it?  Who knows.

For some patients these may help slow down the loss.  If you are still losing despite the meds, perhaps you are in that subset of patients that the meds just do not work.  If that's the case - shave.  I would NOT proceed with a transplant procedure.  I would wait.  

Increasing the dosage of Propecia......not sure about that. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there are known side effects with the medication.  By increasing the dosage, you are also increasing the percentage of side effects.  I would consult with you PCP or a Doctor in a Hair Restoration practice before going that route.

 

[Rappy]

Thanks mate. 

 

I've been doing minoxidil and LLT for many years now. I keep loosing hair but I've been expecting that. I then started fin two years ago but it hasnt helped at all. 

 

I have been holding out on transplant because of many reasons and one of them is because of the same feeling you get. 

 

I'm a diffuser (only on the MBP area though) and toppik is doing wonders for me. When I start to get more bald areas, I will try a minor transplant to see how it goes. I will do my transplants in small but controlled sessions. It's going to be expensive but I think that's the wisest route. 

 

This is roughly how my hair looks today minus a little bit. 

 

Edited October 17, 2018 by Rappy

[LaserCap]

SPEX, did you experience any side effects with Dutesteride?