is the dizziness from Finasteride or Oral Minoxidil?

[AB0274]

Hi there team, hoping for some guidance and advice! 

I recently took the plunge, starting Finasteride (1mg/daily) on Jan-4 and oral minoxidil (2.5mg/daily) on Jan-13. Both taken at night before bed.
 

So far the journey has been great. Minimal side effects, other than heavy shedding and some minor thinning around my crown and mid-scalp - which I believe to be a good sign? It's quite remarkable I can run my hand through my hair and little hairs falling onto my fingers. 
 

But last week, about a month in, I experienced 3 days in a row of bad headaches. Since then, the headaches have subsided, and I feel this minor dizziness / brain fog feeling - particularly in the morning. It's the sort of feeling you get when you're dehydrated or feeling groggy after a big night out!
 

what I'm unsure about is whether this is Finasteride-induced or OM-induced and how I should proceed? I'm mindful I have been making great progress over the last 6 weeks and would hate to lose ground. 

- should I push through, mindful that sometimes the body takes time to adjust? 
- should I cut back on OM to firstly see whether this reduces the dizziness?
- cut back on the Finasteride? 
- or cut back on both? 
 

 The Finasteride I take comes in 1mg pills, and I use a pill cutter to Quarter the OM. 

[AB0274]

I would add the dizziness is tolerable, as in I can complete normal duties and exercise - but sorta feels like I'm operating at 80%. 

[AB0274]

Thanks @Hairagainnwould suggest perhaps Finasteride 0.5mg/daily for a few weeks and then re-assess? 
 

hard to know, as most of reading I've done suggest dizziness/light headed side effects come from minoxidil - but it's such a small amount at 2.5mg. 

[Dr. Guncel Ozturk]

Hello, I'm glad to hear that you've been making great progress with your hair loss treatment so far!

In general, it's not uncommon for the body to take time to adjust to new medications, and it's possible that these symptoms will subside on their own.

The shedding and thinning you're experiencing is a common side effect of taking Finasteride and minoxidil, and it's actually a good sign as it means the medication is working. Concerning the headaches and dizziness you've been experiencing, it's probable that these symptoms are also caused by Finasteride or minoxidil. If you're concerned about the symptoms, I'd suggest reducing both prescriptions to see if it helps with the dizzy and headaches. You can begin by cutting the minoxidil first, and if it does not help, you can cut the Finasteride. I would recommend quartering the minoxidil using a pill cutter, and if you're cutting back on Finasteride, make sure to simply take a reduced dose for a limited time period and not quit abruptly. It's important to monitor your symptoms and if they persist or worsen, don't hesitate to reach out to us or your doctor for further evaluation.

Please keep us updated on your progress and let us know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Good luck on your healing!

[Xanadu]

Very unlikely to have anything to do with finasteride. It could be minoxidil though.

[Mike10]

It is probably the finansteride.It can cause brain fog

[ScottishGuy21]

On 2/13/2023 at 7:25 PM, Mike10 said:

It is probably the finansteride.It can cause brain fog

More chance of Minox and blood pressure related I’d say surely?

[arthurSam]

I got brain fog and fatigue for 1 week when I started topical fina 0.025% 3x / week

[Tommy Vercetti]

Brain fog is a very common side from finasteride 

[Viney]

Might not be the popular opinion here but I think you should push through provided it's tolerable and you can still perform when you need to.

I think the body takes some time to adjust. Re evaluate in a couple of weeks.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Viney