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Snippet from the article:

When it comes to taking medicine, you may get what you expect.

A new study has found that your expectations can affect how well pain medications work. Being optimistic may boost their effectiveness in blocking pain, while being pessimistic may lower their effectiveness.

Unlike earlier research, the new study used brain imaging techniques to examine brain regions that are known to be associated with pain. Scientists say that until now, little research has been done to clarify the brain mechanisms that control how different expectations affect drugs.

Read the full story — Positive Thinking May Make Drugs Work Better

This is a very interesting article. Pessimism may lower effectiveness, wishful thinking may make the drug work. We’ve talked about this before on the blog, and this is something many of my colleagues have expressed. When physicians prescribe a medication to patients who are obsessed or too worried about side effects, they usually seem to get the side effects. It’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I had used propecia about three years ago but I stop using it because it caused gynomastia. At that time I expierence thick and full regrowth in three months with no shedding or scalp discomfort.
I decided to try it again recently and the gynomastia did not reoccur. now I have been expirencing some shedding and a slight scalp discomfort on my first week of use. Is shedding a good sign or would this be an indication that I am a poor candidate for propecia. I have also been expirencing an increase in body tempreture 24 hour a day. my face is flush or red since starting on propecia.

You should go back to the doctor who prescribed you Propecia and address these concerns. The shedding you are talking about is something that I have heard before and the thought is that you may be experiencing accelerated hair cycling, a precursor to increased growth which may be following in a few months. Hang in with the hair loss, because it should be temporary (see: cycling).

I have not heard of facial flushing or hyperthermia (increase in body temperature) with Propecia use. You may have an underlying medical condition that may be coincidental to Propecia use.

Hi there doctor rassman
here is a study on minoxidil injected to the scalp vs topical treatment – Egyptian Dermatology Online Journal

The injected minoxidil was done 2 times and then one time a week and yielded greater results than topical treatment.

This is clearly not an approved study; however, I would not doubt the results reported by the Egyptian doctor. Minoxidil was originally an oral medication for the treatment of high blood pressure, and it worked, though not well.

At an ISHRS meeting a couple of years ago, it was reported that minoxidil by mouth or intramuscularly could reverse hair loss and was a common practice in India. We know from the old studies on the oral minoxidl that systemic administration produced excess hair production in different parts of the body.

I will not be offering it in my practice until the FDA comes out in favor of it, but it is interesting research.