Drugs – Page 18 – Balding Blog

August 21, 2013

Hair Loss InformationIf I Take Propecia After a Transplant, How Will I Know If My Hair Growth is From the Drug or the Surgery? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I just had my hair transplant. Going on Propecia in case of any shock loss. My question is how am I gonna know how much of my hair transplant is coming in thicker vs any hair I gain from taking Propecia both a year from now?? Thank you in advance

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Propecia is great to take to prevent shock loss, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee regrowth of the hair you had previously. I would expect it to hold the remaining hair and protect from shock loss, though. The transplant growth will start coming in at 4-5 months and maximize after 8-12 months. That is the way you should see the difference from the impact of the transplant. Going on the drug before the transplant is what I recommend in most young men as a prevention for shock hair loss, and the additive effect of the drug with the transplant can only help if it brings back any hair.

If you do have regrowth from Propecia and your hair transplant grew in at the same time, I’m not sure how you would really know which hairs was which unless you had a visual examination of the hairs to see if they grew from a transplant site or not.

August 16, 2013

Hair Loss InformationIn the News – Finasteride Makes Prostate Cancer Screening More Reliable – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the article:

Men being screened for prostate cancer can dramatically reduce their risk of unnecessary treatment by taking an already-approved drug, a new study shows.

Although doctors still hotly debate the value of prostate screening, most agree that the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test leads some men to be “overdiagnosed” and even “overtreated,” because it detects many tumors that won’t ever turn deadly.

Many men are unaware that some prostate tumors — while technically malignant — are essentially harmless, growing too slowly to ever cause trouble in their lifetimes. Men are actually better off if these tumors are never found, says Otis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society.

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Read the rest — Drug makes PSA screening test more reliable

This is a seven year study of 19,000 men that showed taking finasteride makes the PSA test much more accurate.

The article goes on to say that the study found that “men on finasteride were 43% less likely to be diagnosed with a ‘low-grade’ prostate cancer — the kind most likely to lead to unnecessary treatment“, though there was no difference in survival rates between those that took finasteride and those that took the placebo.

August 15, 2013

Hair Loss InformationAfter 5 Years on Propecia, I Noticed One Corner of My Hairline Was Slightly Thinner – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I been on Propecia for 5 years. I’m almost 27 years old. I have early front hair loss especially thin corners. Up until a few days ago my hair looked just the same like 5 years but now I noticed my left corner got slightly thinner it’s easy to tell there. I know Propecia can’t hold hair forever and since I noticed this slight loss will it continue again and fast or may it be a slow process? I read a lot of guys used Propecia for years and once the effects weaned off they would lose hair super fast. I don’t want that to happen so I’m strongly considering to switching to Avodart and try to save what I have because I still have a full head of hair.

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I realize many men take Propecia to treat the front hairline thinning, but it generally rarely works for that area. Propecia works mainly for the thinning on the top/crown area.

Please speak with your doctor regarding stopping or starting any medication. Stopping Propecia abruptly can potentially cause “catch up” hair loss. Almost every week, I see a patient who told me that they tried stopping the drug or ran out of supplies of it for a few months. In every case the patient lost hair, and most of the time it did not come back upon restarting the medication.

Finally, Avodart (dutasteride) does not work any better than Propecia at the hairline since the mechanism of action is similar. At some point you may have to face that hair loss is genetic and there is no simple answer.

August 15, 2013

Hair Loss InformationCould Using Baking Soda Instead of Shampoo Interact with Minoxidil Foam? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,

What are your thoughts on the “No Poo” method of washing your hair, that is using baking soda, rather than commercial shampoos?

I recently tried this and liked the heavier texture it gave my otherwise fine, thinning hair. After about a month, however, I feel my hair looks thinner. Do you think the extra build up of oils could actually cause an issue with the hair follicle? I use minoxodil foam as well- could there be some reaction?

It could be my imagination, but I think I’ll just take the blue pill on this one and go back to regular shampoo. Still interested in your opinion though!

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I honestly don’t have a clue. I don’t recall ever reading anything about minoxidil and baking soda having any interaction issues, nor have I had any patients tell me that was their regimen. If it works for you, then it works for you. If the baking soda isn’t giving you the desired texture, I guess you can go back to shampoo. I don’t have an opinion on this one!

August 15, 2013

Is Rogaine Hair Growth Just Temporary? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I read that hair only grows for 48 weeks w/ the use of Rogaine Foam 5% (according to an article published by FDA on site called ASKWEBDR) . If this is true why would anyone go thru this routine for temporary hair for just 48 weeks? Doesn’t make any sense????

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No, that doesn’t make sense. Rogaine (minoxidil) can work for years. There was apparently a clinical study that lasted 48 weeks, but that doesn’t mean the hair loss restarts at the start of week 49. We addressed this years ago here.

August 14, 2013

I’m Not Sure if Finasteride or Oxycodone is Causing My Erectile Dysfunction – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 23 year old male currently taking 1mg finasteride daily. I am about 16 days into taking the drug and have recently noticed some of the sexual side effects that this drug “may” cause.

I am also on oxycodone for a current procedure I had done which might be the cause of my erectile dysfunction I am having. I don’t know which is to blame right now. I know you have stated before that one could take .5mg to cut down on the side effects which I just started to do today to see if it cuts down on the side effects. My question is by doing so is there a large decrease in the effectiveness of the drug?

Another question is if I do not regain the ability to have a lasting erection for sexual intercourse should I immediately stop the use of Propecia? Since I was on oxycodone I want to give the .5mg of finasteride a shot for at least week and if things don’t get better I guess I will go from there.

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You need to speak to a doctor in person (face to face) about these issues. There may be many things going on that I cannot assess via the web. A physical exam and a detailed medical history is an important part of assessing a medical issue.

Finasteride can cause erectile dysfunction in about 1 to 2% of the patients. A narcotic such as oxycodone will also cause erection problems. I even think pain in general (because of your surgery and the need to be on a strong pain medication) can cause erection problems.

To answer the first question though, the efficacy of the finasteride should be about 80% if the dosage is down to 0.5mg. Talk to your prescribing doctor about any dosage changes to your prescription medication.

August 14, 2013

My Doctor Prescribed a 5mg Proscar Tablet Each Week for My Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

My doctor prescribed me 5mg Proscar tablets for my hair loss, but told me to take one each week. I’m a bit worried since I see most people cut it into 1mg daily doses. Would this influence the effectiveness of the finasteride or its side effects?
Thanks

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There have been tendencies more recently to change the dosage schedules for finasteride. One of them is to take only one 5mg pill each week, while other suggest alternative day dosages of 2.5mg. Some people suggest that even a lower dose might work. All of this varies from the known, tried and true 1mg/day dose, which is what I recommend.

I can not tell you if the alternative approaches work as well or work at all. If you’re concerned, I’d ask your doctor about why he decided to prescribe this dosage instead of the recommended daily approach.

August 14, 2013

My Hair Looked Great 3 Months After Starting Finasteride and Minoxidil – Then It Stopped – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello. I am 50. I had thinning hair and a year ago undertook a program with finasteride and minoxidil. In three months my hair was healthier and thicker. I had no side effects. In the past three weeks I have noticed a thinning again. I wonder what is going on here. I have been assiduous in taking the treatment.

Many thanks

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You must always remember that genetic hair loss in men is a progressive process. I see changes in people who are on finasteride that indicate that over time the drug is less effective. That could be you, even on this short time fame. Stay the course.

August 13, 2013

If I Have an Increased Libido After Starting Finasteride, Will It Decrease Later? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Doctor,

I’ve been on finasteride 1mg oral daily for the last one month. I’m experiencing slight but noticeable increase in my libido. Do studies or experience show any correlation between increase in libido at early stage of treatment to a later decrease below the normal? I’ll be grateful for an answer, knowing this finasteride paranoia must be annoying you.

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The published material on the subject of increased libido is much more limited than the published material on decreased libido, which was calculated to be present in about 2% of men.

I do not know what will happen with your increased libido over time. It may return more to your normal levels, similar to some patients who experience decreased libido over a few months.

August 13, 2013

Did Accutane Cause My Premature Graying? – Balding Blog

Hi. I’m a male, 18 years old. When I was 16-17 I was on a Accutane for 7-8 months to help with my acne.

My skin cleared out, but recently I discovered some white hairs around on my head, still, you have to go up close to see them. But I am afraid it will continue to progress. Do you think accutane in some way could have done this? Or am I just a victim of premature graying? My mother started turning gray in her late 20s.

The white hairs are completely white. I found one hair that the oldest half was my normal brown color, and the newest half was completely white, 4 cm white, and about 4cm brown.

It could be genetics, but there is a known connection between the drug Accutane (isotretinoin) and hair loss, and even graying of the hair. Knowing that, the simple solution may be just to dye your hair.

Speak to your doctor before you abandon the drug.