Category: Drugs

By now you know that minoxidil causes forehead lines wrinkles and dry skin. You failed to warn your subscribers and even lied abot never hearing that it cause wrinkles when several people informed you possibly thousands. You should be ashamed. Initially you may not have heard because most of the people using minoxidil already had wrinkles but now younger people are using it and getting wrinkles. please inform your subscribers that wrinkles are indeed a s/e and give them the option of choosing to use minoxidil with those facts. If you are true to yourself you can even post my comment.

ps god is watching.

My wife used minoxidil and developed dry skin, a known side effect. There are many side effects in the minoxidil insert in it when you buy it. Did you read it? I’m still not clear about wrinkles forming due to minoxidil, and I’m not going to call it a “fact” until I have clinical evidence that I can review.

I read your email to me as a personal attack. God always watches all of us.

Hi Doc,

Simple question for you: Assume you respond well to Propecia, take it for 5 years, then stop. In year 6, is your hair better off, worse off, or the same as if you had never taken the drug?

Thanks!

You’ll probably end up with the same hair loss that you would’ve seen had you never taken the medication. It could take months before the hair loss catches up after you stop taking Propecia, but we do call it “catch-up hair loss” for a reason.

Snippet from the article:

Daily treatments of dutasteride 0.5 mg were more effective than finasteride 1 mg daily or placebo in increasing hair count and width in men with androgenetic alopecia, according to recent study results.

Researchers randomly assigned 917 men, aged 25 to 50 years with androgenetic alopecia, to dutasteride at 0.02 mg/day (n=185), 0.1 mg/day (n=188), or 0.5 mg/day (n=184), finasteride at 1 mg/day (n=179) or placebo (n=181) for 24 weeks. Hair count in a 2.54-cm diameter was the primary endpoint, while hair count (1.13-cm diameter) and width, photographic assessments by investigators and panel, change in stage and health outcomes also were assessed.

Researchers observed that in patients assigned dutasteride, hair count and width increased dose-dependently. At week 24, dutasteride 0.5 mg increased hair count (P=.003) and width (P=.004) in a 2.54-cm diameter and improved hair growth (frontal view, panel photographic assessment; P=.002) compared with finasteride and placebo (P<.001, all).

Read the rest — Dutasteride superior to finasteride in restoring hair in male alopecia patients

You can read the study abstract here.

There are still the looming questions about sterility, which have not been addressed in this study. Dutasteride may have more such side effects, as have been reported with the higher dosage for treating prostate issues. Either way, if a doctor prescribes this off-label for treating hair loss, that is a decision between physician and patient.

Hello doc. I’ve heard BPH was common for middle-aged men and elderly men. However, I just turned 20, and for some reason I’m having to urinate quite often (5-6 times a day) and when I do urinate I urinate for 2-3 seconds and I don’t overdrink. Do you think Proscar will help solve this issue? Coincidentally I am also thinning on the top, and I’ve heard people use Proscar to not only save money but treat their hair loss.

My question is, will Proscar help treat both my issues? And should I mention to my doctor that I have more than just thinning hair in order to get the cheaper DHT inhibitor?

First of all, you cannot self diagnose benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). At only 20 years old, it would be highly unlikely that your prostate is enlarged, but you need to see a doctor and have a physical examination. You can have another serious medical illness that causes frequent urination, such as diabetes, or even a bladder infection.

The thinning hair is another issue, and you should have another exam by a doctor to learn if you have genetic hair loss. If so, then finasteride may be a good medication for your doctor to prescribe. But until you have a diagnosis and a prescription, it’s all just guesswork.

So please, go see a doctor and have your issues properly diagnosed.

I’m a 23 year old male. I am just starting to notice thinning in the temple region and a slight recession of my hairline. At the advice of my dermatologist, I am taking .5 mg of propecia daily. I’ve been taking it for 3 months. I will eventually move to 1 mg if side effects are a non issue.

So far, I am not experiencing any of the horror stories I’ve read about concerning loss of libido, gynecomastia, ED, etc. In fact, it is quite the opposite. What I am experiencing is premature ejaculation!

I’ve never experienced this before. Actually, I was the extreme opposite prior to propecia. This is a little embarrassing, doc! Any suggestions?

I don’t think I’ve met anyone who complained about experiencing premature ejaculation from Propecia (finasteride). I don’t see anything in the medical literature about it either, based on a few quick searches. It’s easy for people to pin random side effects onto finasteride, such as too much sensitivity, too little sensitivity, premature ejaculation, no ejaculation, etc, etc.

If you believe all the “horror stories”, and you are psychologically affected by it, sometimes you may end up experiencing everything you read about. The power of suggestion can be very strong. My suggestion is to follow up with your doctor.

I am a 55 year old man considering a hair transplant. Is there a benefit in taking Propecia a few weeks before and after the procedure? Will it result in a greater success rate of transplanted grafts? Also since I have lost the hair I am going to lose already, would there be a benefit in continuing the Propecia long term? Thank you so much Dr R.

You really should pose this question to your doctor (who has examined you and has a treatment plan for you). I don’t know enough about your hair loss history to be able to give you an idea about your possible successes, but in general, Propecia can be good for the crown and top areas with or without a hair transplant.

Propecia can diminish the risk of shock hair loss from a hair transplant surgery, but less so in a 55 year old. Everyone is different and every doctor has a different opinion, as there is no rule.

I am a 20-year-old male and I have asked a few questions before but this one is really bothering me. I began Propecia about two weeks ago. I think I am seeing some breast growth. I may be imagining things but I don’t know. I have read so many web forums that I know the side effects so I may just be freaking myself out. I have looked up gynecomastia online and see that it is actually breast tissue growth. Is the Propecia side effect increased breast tissue or just in increase in fat in the breast that could be fixed with exercise?

I would really appreciate a response. Thank you

You need an examination of your breast tissue if you think you have gynecomastia. While it is a very rare potential side effect of Propecia, gynecomastia can even occur in young men who are NOT on Propecia. Having only taken the medication for a couple of weeks, it would seem even more unlikely.

That said… what you’re seeing might be real, but I would think it’s more possible that you’re just freaking yourself out after reading web forum horror stories, as you suggested. I’ve written before about the power of suggestion.

Still, if you’re concerned you should have a doctor examine you, or at least talk to your prescribing doctor about stopping the medication or lowering your dosage.