September 2007 – Page 9

September 12, 2007

Is Propecia Messing with My Dreams? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have a strange question for you… I have been on Propecia for nearly a year now and everytime I take the drug before (or near) bedtime, I have very vivid and lucid dreams. I try to take the medication in the morning (as was recommended earlier on this website), but sometimes I forget to take it before I leave for work and am forced to take propecia the following night. Is there any explanation for Propecia affecting my sleep cycle or dreams?? At first I thought the drug affecting me this way was a coincidence, but it’s happened way too many times now for me to think that. Thanks for your help!

Sorry, I have never heard of Propecia impacting dreams or sleep cycle.

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September 11, 2007

Hair Loss InformationFinasteride and Weight Gain? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Does finasteride make me gain weight? been taking it from 2003 until 2005, stopped until apr 2007, now im on again with 1mg a day, i am a male.

i searched the previous answers on the topic, only found one that states that NO, theres no link. just touching base again to check for any new info. my personal experience: with some brands i gain weight, with others no. perhaps its only my delusional mind. thanks, gooooood blog congratlations

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Nope. Aging (with slowing of the metabolism, diet, and a sedentary lifestyle) is the primary cause of weight gain. Don’t look to blame the drug finasteride for it.

September 11, 2007

Scratching After Hair Transplant – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My question is regarding the itchy sensations and the followup scatching done after receiving transplants.

Will the possible infection to the scratched area cause the grafts to not grow

These types of questions should be addressed before and after surgery with the doctor you obviously trust and respect enough to perform a hair transplant procedure on you. Yes, you can scratch your head gently and the grafts will not get infected unless you do it constantly. The new grafts are sensitive to injury and if you irritate them with scratching, you can develop a folliculitis.

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September 11, 2007

Propecia and Enlarged Breasts – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been on Propecia for 6 months and had a hair transplant 5 months ago. I have experienced some breast enlargement.Is there any other solution that would work for me other than Propecia? Will my breast enlargement increase if I continue to take Propecia? Will my breast enlargement decrease if I stop taking Propecia? Is there a timeline that one can expect to stop the increase of the breast if one stays on Propecia? In other words are my breasts as large as they will get? At this point after spending all this money and time I don’t want to lose my new hair.Please help me make an informed decision about this. Will I ultimately have to decide between keeping my hair and having enlarged breasts,or having no hair and normal breasts?

Breast enlargement can be a rare side effect (about 1 in 300) of Propecia (finasteride 1mg). It goes away after you stop taking Propecia, and it may also go away on its own even if you continue taking Propecia. You may also consider taking half the dose (half pill) of Propecia to see if the side effect goes away. Your breast enlargement may also be totally unrelated to Propecia use and you may have other undiagnosed medical condition. In any case, you need to speak with your prescribing doctor to discuss these issues.

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September 11, 2007

Hair Loss Information » Doctor Prescribed Spironolactone and Rogaine for My 19 Year Old Daughter – Balding Blog

I have a 19 year old daughter with thinning hair. She has been tested for thyroid issues which came back negative.

Her dermotologist has prescribed spironolactone 25 mg/2x day and rogaine treatments. I’m concerned about possible side effects especially at her age. Please advise. Thank you.

I personally do not go that route for reasons like you suggested. The evidence is not strong that it will have an impact unless there are clear hormonal elements that she is being treated for. Ask your/her doctor for more information. For previous posts about spironolactones, see here.

September 11, 2007

Could Hair Loss Be Due to External Causes, Rather Than Internal Causes Like DHT? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I read an article a while back that said resaerchers had found that acne was actually caused by a bacteria or fungal infection within the pores not an internal cause as previously thought.

Could it be, with Hair loss that resaerchers are only focusing on internal causes such as the DHT and actually overlooking other external causes like some kind of Fungal Folliculitis of the scalp that eats away at the folicles? Where does the DHT come from and why can’s we stop it?

Anything is possible, but the explanation you offered has not come to the forefront. I would not be surprised if there were other mediators for hair loss that make hair loss show up in one person and not another. We are not well informed enough to go there just yet.

This is what we know (taken from an article by Dr. David Whiting, a widely acknowledged leading researcher/dermatologist): “Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone can circulate systemically to follicles, or be manufactured locally in the follicle from circulating weak androgens (dehydroepiandro-sterone and androstenediol) via complex enzyme-mediated processes involving specific dehydrogenase and reductase enzyme pathways. All of these enzyme reactions are dependent upon specific pyridine cofactors. It is clear that reductase, dehydrogenase, and probably aromatase enzymes are of major importance in hair growth as they mediate the complex interchange of sex hormones implicated in anagen activity.”

That is the biochemistry of DHT (dihydrotestosterone).

September 10, 2007

Revivogen vs Propecia? – Balding Blog

is there anything you can tell me about using revivogen versus propecia. they claim to inhibit dht more effectively then that of propecia without the sexual side effects (which is terrifying to think of happening to a 22 year old). also, besides transplants, what can i do to improve my hairline. thanks

There are no drugs proven to restore a hairline. Drugs such as Propecia may slow down the hair loss or maintain your current hairline, but it has limitations.

Revivogen is a shampoo — it is not a drug. There is no medical proof that it stops hair loss. Propecia is a drug (a pill you take daily) that requires a prescription from a medical doctor. There is medical proof that Propecia (finasteride 1mg) stops androgenic alopecia (AGA) or male pattern balding (MPB).

At the age of 22, hair loss can be devastating, but do not make desperate decisions. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Empower yourself by doing your research and become educated about hair loss and your options. Get a Master Plan with a good doctor who can perform miniaturization studies to map out your hair loss before you see more and more thinning. Why are you experimenting, when you can approach this problem scientifically, get a firm medical diagnosis and treat it properly?

September 10, 2007

My Transplant Doctor Suggested Rogaine to Prevent Shock Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Dr Rassman

Consulting a transplant doctor in my area , he suggested that shock loss can be prevented by using rogaine a few weeks before and after the transplant . In previous replies of yours i see that you recomend the use of propecia for shock loss prevention . So i am a bit confused . Propecia , Rogaine or both ?

Propecia is absolutely better for preventing shock loss. Adding minoxidil will not hurt.

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September 10, 2007

L-Arginine and Hair Growth? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, I saw a product online the other day. It’s called “Natural Grow”. It’s a gel made from something called L-Arginine. It claims to regrow hair and I know damn straight it doesn’t. But I was going to give it a go anyway and use it for my thinning hair. The reason being because at the very least it might strengthen my hair and maybe even thicken it which would be satisfactory to me.

However, every website I went to that is selling this product I tried to look up what other ingredients there might be in the product and couldn’t find any information-it merely says that it’s a gel made of L-Arginine.

Let’s say it really is just L-Arginine in a gel solution, though. Is topical L-Arginine harmful to one’s hair, Doctor?

Thank you.

L-arginine is an amino acid. It is a nutrition supplement. My question to you is that if you know “damn straight it doesn’t” grow hair, why are you trusting the product? To answer your question though, it is not harmful to your hair (only your wallet).

For more on arginine (L-arginine), see MayoClinic.com – L-Arginine and HairLossTalk.com – Topical Arginine.

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September 10, 2007

I’m a Medical Student and I Started Losing Hair a Day After Taking Finasteride – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi, i’m a 22 yr old male who used proscar almost 6months ago. The day following ingestion, i had an incredible amount of hair falling out. I attempted to combat this by taking an entire tablet 5mg. The hairloss continued at an extreme rate, i was very variable in the dosage i took (some days 1 tablet, others half some a quater of a tablet). I ceased taking proscar after almost a month of extreme hairloss. Every specialist commented “it is normal to shed etc” however i can not emphasise the extremity of the hairloss. 6/7 months since ceasing medication, i am still losing a considerable amount of hair. Are you aware of this adverse reaction to medication? I have read a few forums where others describe a similar situation. Is there a potential treatment/reversal of my condition? More than intertested in what you have to say.

I am a 5th year medical student and was wondering what the best investigations would be. Could you please detail the important blood test and any further investigation because my doctor is clearly lacking in knowledge. Thanks again

Stethoscope Being a 5th year medical student, you should know that hair loss after taking one pill of finasteride is not likely related to finasteride itself. It takes weeks if not months for the effects of finasteride to show.

Furthermore, being a 5th year medical student, you should know that changing prescription dosing is NOT recommended and you should follow the correct prescribing dosing. It may sometimes do more harm than good. Taking 5mg of finasteride will have no added benefit to hair growth, but it will just give you more side effects.

Finasteride does not cause accelerated hair loss. There are no blood tests for androgenic alopecia. You need a miniaturization study, a good history, and a physical exam.

I sympathize that you are losing hair, but you may have a small case of “medical student disease” — otherwise known as hypochondriasis of medical students.

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