Category: Drugs

I have been taking proscar for hair loss for about 12 years and recently read a disturbing article in Mens Health regarding side effects. Has new long term evidence emerged that shows greater risks? Can stopping the use of Proscar actually bring on side effects?

We are being overwhelmed with negative information that is out of proportion to the reality of the actual numbers of side effect and the statistics that go with that information. Are you willing to take the chance on reversing the hair benefits that stopping the medication will bring about? Any benefits, even reduced prostate problems, will reverse if you stop the medication.

My 21 year old son has been experiencing heavy body hair loss since summer 2011. He took propecia for 13 months stopping in February 2011 due to sexual side effects. He still has significant sexual dysfunction,anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Loss of body hair has been reported to the FDA as a side effect of the drug. This is absolutely devastating for him.

Some people experience side effects from the drug that range from sexual to mood changes. Based on my clinical experience, I am of the belief that side effects disappear upon stopping the drug. There may be other things happening to him that your son’s doctor should assess. I hope he’s seen his prescribing doctor for a follow-up after stopping the medication.

Hello,
I’ve been trying to find people who have been using Nanosal for a while to know the results but the only references all I can find are from 2005! Are there really minoxidil products out there that use nanosomes for delivery, is it any good? Thank you.

Most of what I can find online about NanoSal is from 2005-2006. If it was anything special, I am sure the medical community or the drug companies would have picked up on it by now.

So I’ll open it up to the readers — if you’ve used NanoSal, please feel free to post about it in the comments section.

Hello Dear Doc

For hair loss i am using minoxidil 5% solution on my scalp and my eyes burn. Eye burning and irritation is known side effect of minoxidil and i wonder if it might change eye color?

There is a medicine named larissa which may change iris color used for eye lashes.

Thanks for your support.

I am not familiar with Larissa, but perhaps you mean Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution), which has rare reports of permanent eye color changes in people with blue/green eyes. Latisse is used to grow eyelashes and it is presently being tested to grow hair.

There are no reports with minoxidil changing eye color, but if you’re experiencing burning eyes after using it on your scalp (a common side effect), you should consider discontinuing use if it becomes too bothersome.

Hi doctor Rassman. you have an amazing blog and are so informative when it comes to hairloss.

I have been taking propecia (the brand version from merck frost) for 6 months and 3 days to be exact. (I started taking it on June 1 2011, and today is december 3 2011). I have seen no change in my hairloss at all. My hairloss has not gotten better, or it hasn’t gotten worse. It is at the same rate prior to taking propecia. So basically its like I have taken the propecia for nothing. They say you are suppose to see less hairloss by month 3. this is now month six and still nothing.

I went to see my dermatologist and he told me that since I haven’t seen any results within these 6 months that I should stop taking it if I want and further treatment with it will make no sense since it has done nothing in the first six months.. he basically left the decision up to me. These were his exact words, “If I were you, I would stop taking it because since it has done nothing, i don’t think it will be of any benefit, but its up to you. you can keep taking it for another 6 months and see where that goes”.

Now this is my question to you doctor rassman. I know you can’t give medical advice and such, and I completely understand. I just want your opinion on the matter. Since you are a hair restoration specialist, I feel that your opinion is far greater than any dermatologist.

do you think 6 months is to soon to give up? should I continue in your opinion? Have you had any patients who started seeing the benefits after 6 months and such. what do you think? I just want your opinion. I really appreciate it. thank you

Without an examination or documentation of how your hair loss has progressed in the last 6 months, I really would not know what to advise. I can’t tell you whether you should or shouldn’t take a medication I didn’t prescribe to you, but it could be worth sticking with it for a little while longer before making a decision either way. Your doctor gave you the same advice.

We advocate miniaturization studies, bulk measurement studies, and even take photographs under consistent lighting. These tests, while not perfect, are an attempt to quantify and scientifically track hair loss. Hopefully one day we can accurately measure and document hair. As a matter of fact, we have just been granted a U.S. Patent on such method a method (see here).

If you want an evaluation of hair loss and options, I would seek a hair transplant surgeon in your area. I generally tell my patients that they need to take Propecia for 6 to 12 months before the effectiveness can be assessed. I also make it a point to tell those patients that while they may not notice any difference (or even notice more hair loss), that could mean the genetic predisposition to hair loss is winning out over what the drug can offer. It’s possible that the medication has slowed the rate of your loss, and had you not taken it for these past 6 months you’d have even more loss. Really though, I don’t have any way to know.

Dr. Rassman,

I have been taking Propecia for 2 years with some positive results. One of my friends, who is also losing his hair, commented on my progress and asked what my secret was. I told him about Propecia, a drug which he has surprisingly never heard about, and he did some research online. A few days later when I spoke with him again, he came across countless articles and webpages stating how dangerous the drug is, cursing my name for even suggesting he take it. He showed me one article in particular that indicated that Finasteride inhibits crucial neurosteroids such as allopregnanolone, and many people online concluded that finasteride can likely cause serious neurological problems down the road. Have you seen this article, and are you able to comment on the validity of these types of conclusions?

I have not experienced any side effects thus far, but I want to ensure I am not setting myself up for disaster down the road. After all, I trust the word of a doctor over a thousand know-it-all’s who post in message boards!

Thank you kindly for your time

Your personal story is like the thousands of men I treat with Propecia (finasteride), including my own son. The internet does tend to blow information out of proportion at times, and Propecia seems to have polarized many balding young men.

I’ve written much about this medication on this blog, so the search box at the top might have what you’re looking for. As for your friend, if you’re not experiencing any negative effects and have seen positive results, I don’t know what more he might be looking for. It’s a prescription drug and completely elective. If he has hair loss and wants to take it (or just wants more info), he should talk to his doctor.

Does Propecia make hair grow faster on other parts of my body?

I have seen reports that Propecia may increase body hair, but so does aging. On the other hand, there are reports that Propecia can decrease body hair in some men. As for the speed of body hair growth while on the medication, I do not know the answer.