Low DHT

[Etownone]

Been struggling with the hair for many years...   I've had multiple hair transplants.  I'm on TRT now and I'm trying to keep the transplanted and native hairs I have left.  

My regimen consists.. 

Oral minoxidil 5mg daily. 

Finasteride 1mg 5 days a week. 

Dutasteride  .5 mg on the 2 days I don't take Fin

I took a blood test for Dihydrotestosterone,  and it came back pretty low.    12.    It's not within nornal range.   

Anyone have any input that can help me out..   Should I change my preventive regimen to try to raise it? 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Etownone

[Harry Bosch]

I am strongly considering TRT myself.

My feeling is that Fin or DUT will be sufficient to offset the increase in T if your protocol keeps you in the normal range.

I think the aggressive combo of Fin and Dut together is what is crushing your DHT score.  Maybe scaling back to Dut once per week is advisable.  Are you experiencing symptoms like lethargy ?

A good middle ground might be reducing the 5-AR intake while introducing a topical AA Like Pyralitamide 

[Curious25]

Second thread of a similar nature this week. 
 

I’m not sure what you expect, you’re literally taking medications that inhibit the enzymes that converts testosterone to DHT, one of which reduces serum DHT up to 95%. 
 

By the way, 2.5mg of dutasteride is 5 times the usual dose. 

[Etownone]

6 minutes ago, Curious25 said:

Second thread of a similar nature this week. 
 

I’m not sure what you expect, you’re literally taking medications that inhibit the enzymes that converts testosterone to DHT, one of which reduces serum DHT up to 95%. 
 

By the way, 2.5mg of dutasteride is 5 times the usual dose. 

Damn... You're right.   I had to double check.    My mistake. I take 0.5 mg....  2 x a week.    Thanks for pointing that out. 

 

[Etownone]

8 minutes ago, Harry Bosch said:

I am strongly considering TRT myself.

My feeling is that Fin or DUT will be sufficient to offset the increase in T if your protocol keeps you in the normal range.

I think the aggressive combo of Fin and Dut together is what is crushing your DHT score.  Maybe scaling back to Dut once per week is advisable.  Are you experiencing symptoms like lethargy ?

A good middle ground might be reducing the 5-AR intake while introducing a topical AA Like Pyralitamide 

Pyralitamide?  ... I never heard of it, but I will look into it, thx..   I was looking into CB-03-01.   

Trying to find the right regimen is hard and nerve wrecking cause after 6 HTs,   I'm out of donor hairs. 

[asterix0]

31 minutes ago, Etownone said:

Pyralitamide?  ... I never heard of it, but I will look into it, thx..   I was looking into CB-03-01.   

Trying to find the right regimen is hard and nerve wrecking cause after 6 HTs,   I'm out of donor hairs. 

Are you losing transplanted hair?

[Etownone]

5 minutes ago, asterix0 said:

Are you losing transplanted hair?

I did a couple years ago,  I had a huge setback when I stopped the only thing I was on finesteride, so I can have a baby.

Had to have a 6th HT repair job by Dr Mwamba.   

[RTC]

OP not sure what the issue is here? Finasteride and Dutasteride both kill DHT, surely you knew that before starting on them

[WhereIsMyMind]

Why do you want to raise DHT while on TRT and balding? im confused

Only oral dut reduces serum DHT by 90%, you are also adding fin on top which is around 70%, so it is not a surprise that you have very low DHT.

What is your worries and goals exactly? Im still confused

[Etownone]

Just seems to me like my DHT level of 12 is too low.   Report says, "critical."

That's why I'm trying to get some input.  Maybe I should change my regimen to raise my DHT it a little to have it at a safe/normal range.   

Like cut the DUT and add a topical antiandrogen like Cbo301, RU58841, or Pyralitamide.   

 

[WhereIsMyMind]

It is very low for someone who doesn't take a 5ARI. For someone who takes DHT inhibitors it would even more worrying if it didn't show below normal levels. This is what it is intended to exactly do on your system.

Maybe you should inform yourself better of what fin/dut does before jumping into any health conclusions. Youtuber Kevin Mann "Hair Cafe" is a good source to understand the basics, risks and information of these two drugs if you want to start from 0.

[WhereIsMyMind]

Oh and pls be wary that after **6 hair transplants** going on HRT is a huge risk on itself, and increasing your systemtic DHT will be adding even more risk on top. Please make your research and be sure of what you are doing.

[Tiger2050]

OP it does not seem like you understand why finasteride and dutasteride stop hair loss. Both drugs are used to prevent the creation of DHT which is the main cause of hair loss. Seems like you’ve been on both drugs for some time and aren’t experiencing side affects so stopping the drugs would be a very bad idea unless you don’t care about your hair anymore. Raising DHT means you will lose most of your hair.

Edited December 28, 2022 by Tiger2050

[Etownone]

12 minutes ago, WhereIsMyMind said:

Oh and pls be wary that after **6 hair transplants** going on HRT is a huge risk on itself, and increasing your systemtic DHT will be adding even more risk on top. Please make your research and be sure of what you are doing.

Thx man..   Been on trt for a long time now.  Over 5 years.   

I've been on fin and minox all these years...   But after my last transplant with Dr Mwamba,  I asked about DUT, and if adding it once or twice a week instead of Fin would be a good idea because I was more worried then anything.   So he prescribed it.    

So now that I got my lab work showing I have critically low dht of 12...   (of course it's due to the fin/DUT) I'm trying to get input or suggestions where I should go from here.   

[WhereIsMyMind]

Again, your lab days its "critically low" for someone who does not take a DHT inhibitor.

Your results are perfectly fine, your systemic DHT is actually higher than my last result.

What to do from here depends on your goals and situation. If you have no bad side effects I would not stop medication imo. TRT + no fin is a deadly combo. 

[Etownone]

8 hours ago, WhereIsMyMind said:

Again, your lab days its "critically low" for someone who does not take a DHT inhibitor.

Your results are perfectly fine, your systemic DHT is actually higher than my last result.

What to do from here depends on your goals and situation. If you have no bad side effects I would not stop medication imo. TRT + no fin is a deadly combo. 

Interesting.    Thx man for your input. 

And I stopped Fin once years ago,  never again.   Huge setback.   I was only thinking about lowering dosage since I thought I was too low.   

[WhereIsMyMind]

3 hours ago, Etownone said:

Interesting.    Thx man for your input. 

And I stopped Fin once years ago,  never again.   Huge setback.   I was only thinking about lowering dosage since I thought I was too low.   

Well if you lost hair *without TRT* after stopping Fin imagine if you do it now... 😅 10% of all extra Testosterone gets converted into DHT

[NARMAK]

OP, unless you have a serious side affect occurring, if your DHT is that low and you're functioning properly, then there's no real reason imo at least to be massively worried and trying to raise DHT levels. 

Right now, if you are losing hair, then Finasteride, Dutasteride and the Oral Minoxodil are the strongest things you could be on to counter DHT even when on TRT whilst trying to keep your hair. 

I have made reference to in the past trying to wish i started my medication regimen even earlier and i wouldn't have thought twice about that DHT level tbh unless it affected me with a load of sides. 

[Etownone]

45 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

OP, unless you have a serious side affect occurring, if your DHT is that low and you're functioning properly, then there's no real reason imo at least to be massively worried and trying to raise DHT levels. 

Right now, if you are losing hair, then Finasteride, Dutasteride and the Oral Minoxodil are the strongest things you could be on to counter DHT even when on TRT whilst trying to keep your hair. 

I have made reference to in the past trying to wish i started my medication regimen even earlier and i wouldn't have thought twice about that DHT level tbh unless it affected me with a load of sides. 

Thank for the input... 

I guess that is where in at,   just worried if my DHT level is too low.  I'll probably drop the DUT to once a week instead of twice and test my levels again in 4 months. 

I wish I started my regimen earlier too and didn't stop...  I was always led to beleive that transplanted hair doesn't fall out,   and that it Def not true.   

[NikosHair]

• I'm not reading it as 'critical' levels of DHT.
• It just says you're out of range.
• Even if you were classed at 'critical' levels you know the reason (DHT blockers).
• Nothing to worry about unless you start to get adverse symptom.
• You should always discuss any concerns with a your physician.

[Etownone]

23 minutes ago, NikosHair said:

• I'm not reading it as 'critical' levels of DHT.
• It just says you're out of range.
• Even if you were classed at 'critical' levels you know the reason (DHT blockers).
• Nothing to worry about unless you start to get adverse symptom.
• You should always discuss any concerns with a your physician.

Ooohhh... I read it so fast and saw critical.. 

First time I ever got my DHT levels checked.   I still have to discuss with my dr. 

Thanks so much for pointing that out.    👍👍👍

 

[sunsurfhair]

On 12/29/2022 at 11:59 AM, Etownone said:

Ooohhh... I read it so fast and saw critical.. 

First time I ever got my DHT levels checked.   I still have to discuss with my dr. 

Thanks so much for pointing that out.    👍👍👍

 

Are you having any actual side effects from having such low DHT? If not I wouldn’t be concerned, maybe lighten the 5AR dosing to get your DHT into a normal range but at the low end. What’s the rest of your hormonal profile look like? There’s many other reasons for hair loss other than DHT especially since yours is crushed low right now. Do you have labs for Total T, Free T, E2, Cortisol, Thyroid Panel and Iron Panel?