Balding Blog

I’m been prescribed Rogaine foam by a hair loss expert, however I’ve read that it is highly toxic to cats, and as a cat owner this troubles me somewhat. Obviously I won’t be deliberately applying it to her and I’ll be keeping it in the bathroom, however as she is fond of rubbing her head against mine I worry this may cause some of the Minoxidil to transfer over to her.

Naturally I dont want her to be ‘off limits’ for the entire time I use the substance, so what are the best practices and habits I should develop to ensure that she is never exposed to the toxin? How long after applying is it safe to go near her? How cautious should I be?

Your advice is appreciated.

If you wash your hair about 1 hour after applying the Rogaine, I would expect that all of the medication will be washed off (it’ll be absorbed within that first hour), making it safe to be near your cats. Also, Rogaine is not a prescription item and is available over the counter.

Yes, the Animal Poison Control Center has stated that exposing a cat to minoxidil can cause death. It seems quite rare, however, as only 6 cases were reported over 4 years, with those cases involving the owner actually applying the medication to the cat’s fur, the cat stepping in the medication, or the cat licking the medication (source: NBC).

An abstract of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s article can be found here — Suspected toxicosis after topical administration of minoxidil in 2 cats.

Couple questions:

1. I read in one of the questions/answers here that DHT is not as strong as testosterone, but the first paragraph for DHT Wikipedia (take it with a grain of salt) says that DHT is 3x more powerful than testosterone. How is this contradiction explained?
2. I’m having a hard time distinguishing between propecia and anabolic steroids. Both increase testosterone levels in men. Propedia does this by inhibiting DHT while anabolic steroids do this simply by adding more testosterone. Also for both, this increase in testosterone might mean an increase in estrogen levels/aromatizing and everything that comes with that i.e. fat in a female pattern, breasts, stunted growth, etc. With professional sporting organizations banning finasteride b/c it masks steroids, this further confuses the issue. I even saw propecia being touted on a bodybuilding website as something that seemed to mimic using an anabolic steroid. Is taking Propecia basically the same as taking an anabolic steroid?

I am not a pharmacologist and what I know about these drugs are practical things that I read about. DHT is more powerful that testosterone at some things like the development of male sex characteristics at puberty and the development of other male sex characteristics as boys grow into men. From a sex drive point of view, I do not believe it is as powerful as testosterone. The fundamental building blocks of the various adrenal and sex hormones have great chemical similarity, but small changes in the molecules make very different responses in the various organ systems of the body.

Taking Propecia is very different than taking anabolic steroids… like night and day. The observation that testosterone levels go up with Propecia is not to suggest that if you take it you will be having the same impact as taking anabolic steroids. If this answer is too cursory, then take the initiative and read about it, looking at the things that seem to interest you. I’d guess that these things are covered in extensive writings in text books and research papers. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the answers (though I wish I did sometimes), and I am not the source for this type of detailed information.

I’m 25, and have been experiencing mpb for about 3 years. I have been taking Propecia for the last 18 months, and am moderately happy with the results, as I believe it has moderated my hair loss, although no new growth has occured. I am considering trying Scalp Med, regardless of the legitimacy of its claims.

I have no allergies or previous medical issues, and my only question is whether I have to be concerned that using Scalp Med while taking Propecia may be dangerous to my hair, or even my health?

Scalp Med’s active hair loss treatment ingredient is minoxidil, along with added ingredients that aren’t going to regrow hair and a much higher price tag than generic minoxidil. You can build dependence on minoxidil just as you can on Propecia, meaning if you stop either medication, all benefits are gone and any hair retained will be gone. Potential side effects for minoxidil can be found at Wikipedia and Drugs.com.

I can see no harm in using both Propecia and Scalp Med at the same time. Many men take Propecia and use Rogaine (minoxidil) concurrently, and so using Scalp Med (being a “boutique” minoxidil) with Propecia would be fine.

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