Category: Drugs

Hi,
firstly, I’d like to thank you very much for your awesome blog.

I am a 17 year old male. I recently started taking Finasteride and after taking 0.5 mg for 3 days in a row, I stopped because of the decreased libido and sexual side effects but after a month of further hairloss, I decided to go back on the drug. This time I started taking 1 mgs per day. On day 3 of taking finasteride, I experienced some pretty bad chest pain and burning and itching in my breasts so I immediately stopped taking the drug as I was concerned about gynecomastia but two days after stopping, my erectile problems got worse and the burning/pain in my chest didn’t go away.

I am almost entirely unable to maintain an erection now and my erections are almost always soft. I also feel like there is fat gathering up in my breasts. I am very concerned and was wondering if these side effects will go away any time soon? And if there is any medication (such as Tamoxifen) that I can take to stop gynecomastia (if I have it). I also always feel very tired and depressed. it has been three days since my last dose of Finasteride.

I thank you in advance for your reply and wish you a very good day.

While it is possible, it is highly unlikely that all of what you are experiencing is due to the actual side effects of the drug itself. I mean, you’re talking about developing gynecomastia in 3 days after taking Propecia, which is hard to accept from a medical point of view. It would likely take weeks to months before this could occur on a full dose, not just a few days (and you’re taking half the dose to begin with). Please see the doctor that prescribed the medication to you and discuss these issues with him/her.

Your symptoms (real or imagined) sound serious, so you need to see a doctor in person. I really cannot help you on via the internet without an examination and knowing more about your medical history. This can be the result of the power of suggestion and if you look for these symptoms, you might find them. Most of what you are experiencing may be psychosomatic.

Hi, i started taking finasteride around august 2012, and half a year later i got chronic sore throat. The pain starts when i talk, and my question is could finasteride cause this? Or do i have a low immunity like my gp suggested.

I got antibiotics which helped greatly but after a week it was all pain again. What is your opinion about this? Finasteride or weak immunity.

A sore throat and finasteride are unrelated, unless perhaps you have some sort of allergy to the pill. If you didn’t experience anything for the first 6 months of taking it though, I think it would be highly unlikely that it was even an allergy. I’d follow your GP’s suggestion about low immunity (which is also not caused by finasteride).

If you really think it is finasteride, then consult with your doctor about stopping the medication.

I read that black cohosh as a supplement is used for women in menopause as well as MPB in men. Any truth to the effectiveness of this? I know you’re probably going to say something about how Propecia is proven and what not, but I’ve already tried Propecia, and the mental side effect (tripping over words) was not worth it, so I’m only interested in natural remedies.

I appreciate that you wouldn’t be surprised if I pointed you to a proven hair loss treatment (like Propecia), but for kicks I looked up what black cohosh is and found some useful information from the National Institute of Health (NIH). You should note the “Can black cohosh be harmful?” section. The important point here is that even natural supplements have side effects and can be dangerous, especially since they are not regulated by a government or independent source.

That said, there are no proven natural remedies that will regrow your hair.

Dr I took finasteride for 3 years and 4 months, and during this period my hair continued to fall at the same rate when not used, many had itching and dandruff on the head (surely caused by MPB) I have to diffuse homogeneous nw6. So I decided to start with minoxidil and to my surprise, my head stopped itching, dandruff disappeared and stopped losing those hills wire miniaturized, felt the texture of hair greatly improved and increased volume. I’ve always heard that finasteride was the flagship of the treatment, but this seems not to apply in my case

Have you ever had a patient with a case similar to mine: Bad response to finasteride, but good response to minoxidil?

Everyone responds to medication differently. I have seen many men with great results from topical minoxidil (Rogaine) alone, but in more cases I’ve seen even better results from finasteride (Propecia).

I read that you don’t advise starting both minoxidil and propecia at the same time at the risk of not knowing which is helping, as well as addicting the hair to both types of treatment.

Here’s my question: As a 22-year-old male with about a 3-inch receding hairline (straight back, not up toward the crown), which should I try first? And how long should I stay on that first treatment before stopping and trying the second, or simply adding the second to the mix?

If you’re trying to treat a receding hairline, either medication isn’t likely to regrow the frontal region, though it’s not impossible. Propecia is a prescription medication, so you should see a doctor to learn more about it. Minoxidil is available over the counter, but does most of it’s regrowth in the crown (which you said isn’t a problem).

I’m not your doctor and haven’t examined you though, so I really can’t say which medication you should try first… but I will say that Propecia can halt the hair loss from progressing further back, so that might be your best bet if your doctor agrees and prescribes it to you.

As for how long you should wait before starting a 2nd medication, that’s really a judgment call. If you stop either medication, you will lose any benefits they gave you.

I am on 5mg of finasteride for my prostate. Being on this dosage, will I get the same benefits as 1 mg of propecia or do I need to divide my 5mg into 4ths?

If you’re already taking Proscar (finasteride 5mg) to treat your prostate issues, you’re covered. That dose works for hair about as well as the 1mg dose for the treatment of hair loss.

I am 21. I have been using propecia, minoxidil and solution B since I was 17, as well as nisim shampoo as of recently. I feel like it’s only getting worse. I exercise a fair amount and eat healthy. Why am I not getting better?

Men’s genetic hair loss is what it implies: GENETIC. Drugs may help, but eventually the genetic predisposition will win out. Not everyone will see the same benefits from medication, unfortunately.

How bald are you becoming? What class of hair loss are you heading to? A Master Plan is important for if you are heading to a Norwood class 7 balding pattern (your option are very limited) or if you are losing just the frontal area and your balding pattern is not that far advanced (there are more options). Sit down with your doctor and lay out a plan with the various options you have before you.

I posted an email from a reader a couple days ago regarding topical minoxidil and facial wrinkles, and received some feedback worth posting.

Dr. Damkerng Pathomvanich from Thailand reached out to me to speak of his experience in treating hair loss patients with oral minoxidil. He states:

“There were no complaints in my 22 years of practice regarding wrinkles after taking oral minoxidil low dose. Most common side effects are puffy eyelids and leg swelling. Minoxidil might inhibit collagen synthesis but there is no proof of facial wrinkles.”

The use of oral minoxidil for treating hair loss is more common in Asia, as it is less expensive than the topical. Oral minoxidil was originally used to treat high blood pressure and the growth of hair was a noted side effect of the drug. Topical minoxidil is FDA approved for treating hair loss, but the oral pill is not. I do not recommend oral minoxidil as a hair loss treatment, but just wanted to share another doctor’s experience.