Category: Drugs

hi, i ordered 1 can of mens rogaine foam about 2 weeks ago, and still haven’t recieved it. well i have been using rogaine for about 5 months with great results, but havent been able to take any for about 2 weeks, will this effect the process? thank you for your time and help

The longer you wait, the worse the withdrawal impact will be. You want to keep those great results you’ve seen, right? Buy some locally to bridge the time gap until your online order arrives. Even if it’s not the foam, just get some minoxidil from your local pharmacy. Then, I’d contact the place you ordered from and find out why it’s taking them weeks to send your order.

Hi Doctor,

I was wondering why finasteride is considered to be ineffective when applied topically? There are many warnings advising that women who may be pregnant are not to come into contact with crushed or broken finasteride-containing medication. If the risk of absorption is that probably, then why has the topical approach been largely dismissed as being an effective delivery method?

Thanks

I personally doubt there are issues with Propecia if women simply touch it. It is not about the absorption issues, but rather it is medical-legal issues. As you can imagine in our litigious society the field day lawyers would have if a woman who touched Propecia claims her baby was affected.

Finasteride has not been proven to work topically. Just as Viagra has not been proven to work topically — that is, unless someone else is applying it for you!

Follow up to “Stomach Pain and Bloating from Propecia” —

Hello Dr. Rassman,

Thanks very much for posting my previous message “Stomach Pain and Bloating from Propecia”. As per your suggestion, I tried to take the half dose of Propecia everyday. This reduced the bloated feeling somewhat but after a few weeks I felt discomfort in the groin region. I had taken the full dose previously with no pain/ dysfunction but some noticeably watery ejaculation.

At this point, I think I am finished with Propecia. I am one of a few people who feels that they were better off not taking the drug in the first place. I lost a great deal of hair in the middle of my head and this area of the scalp is particularly visible (and never was before prior to starting the drug). Although my hair was thin and has been thin for several years, it has remained the same for about 7 years with little or no change in density. Propecia initially created some increase in thickness but the middle area of the scalp that was lost through shedding never returned.

Doctor, do you think that after ceasing the drug, the hair that I once had in the middle of my head (and didn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon) will return? Over the course of a year I used Propecia off and on for about 7-8 months.

I have booked an appointment to visit my dermatologist at the end of the month. This is a very frustrating result for a drug that is supposed to help grow hair (not shed it away). Thanks so much for your feedback. I do appreciate all your help and support.

It sounds like you medication schedule has been erratic. As such, I can not tell you what will happen with stopping the drug. I doubt that the hair you lost will return. Minoxidil might have value for you.

I’m going to start taking Propecia for hair loss. I’d like to be vigilant about identifying any side effects early on. It’s pretty easy to find a list of side effects, but I’m not sure how I’d go about detecting some of them.

Is there a comprehensive list of checks I can perform every week (or even every day) to make sure everything’s going ok? I suppose there’s a potential psychological effect of constantly
looking for side effects, but hopefully I can be objective about it.

The listing of rare, uncommon side effects of finasteride use is as follows:

• Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue)
• Breast enlargement, lumps, pain, or tenderness
• Nipple discharge
• Testicular pain

If you take the drug, the side effects will be evident within 2 weeks on average. Once you stop the medication, the side effects (except for breast issues) will be gone within that same 2 week period. I have seen the breast tenderness last a few months and often recommend that you see your doctor if it does not go away in a few weeks. You’ll be able to easily identify any of those side effects because they’ll be out of the norm. Most are uncommon though.

I have been on Propecia for around 15 months will no problems and good results – however I am very concerned that I may be experiencing side effects (maintenance of erection) !!!

Are side effects likely after such a prolonged period of use with no notable problems??? Or are side effects likely to show themselves within the first few months of being on the medication???

Side effects from Propecia like erectile dysfunction (ED) can appear over time, particularly if you are over 40 years old when ED is more common. I also have been told that libido or ED problems do show up late and I can not tell for sure if there is a cause and effect from the drug. The use of drugs like Viagra can help most people with these side effects and allows them to keep their hair. Check with your doctor and see if there are other causes of ED in your situation, as this may be caused by something other than Propecia.

I have a question about medication.

I am a 23 year old male who has been on Propecia for 1.5 years. I am in the very early stages of hair loss with just general thinning at the temples leading back. When I initially began the medication I felt a decreased sex-drive, so I decided to take 1mg every other day. Since then I have just had the same thinning with the miniaturized areas about the same or slightly thinner than two years ago. There was no reversal of miniaturized hairs.

I went to the doctor and he recommended I begin using Rogaine in addition. My question is: do you think changing the dose of Propecia might make a difference? When do you recommend using Minoxidil? Is there any reason not to use Minoxidil other than the fact that it is more difficult to use every day?

Thanks for your time.

The only time I’d say to not use minoxidil with Propecia would be when just starting treatment. If you use both at the start of your hair loss treatment, you won’t know which one is providing benefits and you’ll be stuck using both for life (unless you want to risk losing hair by stopping one). In your case, having taken Propecia for over a year, adding minoxidil shouldn’t be a problem. Some people do experience irritation from minoxidil, and I’ve heard from my patients that Rogaine Foam is easier to apply than the liquid.

Just because you didn’t see the miniaturization reverse with Propecia doesn’t mean it didn’t do anything for you — it could’ve very well just prevented further hair loss from occurring, stopping your loss where it was at. You could try taking just 0.5mg daily (instead of the recommended 1mg) if you experience a decreased sex drive, but check with your prescribing doctor before making any changes like that.