BrixM16s Story - (10+ Propecia User looking for alternative)

[BrixMI6]

Hi all,

I've recently been off Propecia for a week due to the side effects finally catching up to me after 10+ years of use. When I was in my mid 20s I noticed my hair thinning (I'm 35 now) my Derm at the time prescribed Propecia for me and I have been taking it pretty consistently for the last 10 years. I am not sure what my hair would look like if I never took Propecia to begin with but my dad I guess would be considered a N3V or N4V so I am sure I would at least look like him if not worse. He had a pretty mean comb over during the 80s and still has some hair on his head now but his crown has little hair at 67 (FYI maternal side has no male pattern baldness)

Now cutting to the chase without giving a big historical on the side effects I have experienced with Propecia.

I have ONLY tried Propecia for hair loss and nothing else. Attached are some pictures of my current situation which isn’t that bad for the most part. What I am kindly asking is what regimen I might be able to get on to keep the hair I have and/or decelerate the shedding after getting off Propecia? I am looking for safe, non oral methods. Money, time, and messiness are not an issue if it means I can keep my hair.

I’ve searched all over this board recently and see all kinds of products such as “2) Rogaine (3) Tricomin (4) Topical spironolactone 5% (5) Revivogen (6) Crinagen (7) Folligenâ€￾ however I am not sure what, or combo, is best for retaining the hair I have.

Can anyone give me a recommendation please? I don't expect miracles wbut I want to start on something soon.

Best Regards,
Brix

 

[BrixMI6]

Thanks for the reply.

This seems like a reoccuring comment with RU -

"Keep in mind that the drug has never been tested for safety in humans so use it a your own risk"

It makes me hesitant to get it.

Does anyone else have any advice?

Thanks in advance.

Brix

 

[Cassin]

This seems like a reoccuring comment with RU -

"Keep in mind that the drug has never been tested for safety in humans so use it a your own risk"

It makes me hesitant to get it.

yeah...it should...

people take too many risks with unknown drugs for hair.

 

[blink]

dont listen to irishpride on RU... that dude spams RU all over the place and his 'results' arent from RU either.

read about RU elsewhere, then make a decision.

 

[BrixMI6]

Is there anyone on this forum who took Propecia for several years like me and got off of it?

If so, can you let me know what products or regimen you started using after you quit Propecia in an attempt to keep the hair or save the hair you had while on propecia?

Any successes?

Best Regards,
Brix

 

[pacinom]

BrixM16,

Thats some bloody good maintainence for 10 years!

How bad was it when you started propecia ? did you have recession or was it diffuse thinning ?

At what age did you dad start loosing his hair ?

You should try minoxidil, tricomin or proxiphen n/ proxiphen.

For anti-androgen, try spironolactone 5% cream.

I am 30 and 5 years into hairloss, 4+ years into propecia. i am a diffuse thinner with the entire top diffusing. Propecia has helped but there are days when the thinning is too apparent but then a few weeks later it seems to thicken up. Sometimes its just the longer hair..... it plays tricks.

wonder if you go through the same ?
Your top looks pretty thick.

 

[BrixMI6]

Thanks for the replies:

Finfigher:

Doh! Please don’t tell me that! Also I wouldn’t consider my dad at 67 very bald right now except in his crown area so I am hoping at least I won’t be worse than him at 35 but then again my great grandfather on my dad's side was more bald than my dad so who knows.

Can’t I use a topical inhibitor such as 5% Spironolactone to keep the hair I have? Hell, I’ll buy all the topical products I need (that are safe), even if they are expensive, to keep my hair at least another 10 years. Any recommendations?

Propecia I believe has been the cause of my intermittent prostatitis I’ve had to deal with over the last several years but I was naive to think it was not the cause until doing some serious research in the last few months. I have all the classic symptoms of it, prostatitis that is.

I think the sides are very under played by Merc - i.e. prostatitis

Pacinom:

Thanks! I’ve been happy with my hair the last 10 years so you can imagine it will be devastating to lose it.

My hair was not bad at all before I started Propecia – it looked about the same as it does now but probably a little ticker and dense. I noticed around 25 that when I styled my hair with a lot of gel it just looked thinner and people noticed it too. I then went to the derm who diagnosed male pattern baldness and so began my 10 years of Propecia.

I would say it is diffuse thinning. I mean I don’t have a receding hairline. It just seemed thinner all over.

What if I used just spironolactone alone? Would that be enough? If I used minoxidil too, would that cause a lot of initial shedding?

Since taking Propecia I haven’t probably shedded more than 100 hairs a day if I had to guess. Maybe had more shedding initially when I first started Propecia but it stopped after 2-3 months. After 10 years I don’t shed much at all these days but it appears that is about to change!

I am sure Propecia will work well for you (in regards to hair retention and growth) unfortunately for me the sides have caught up to me and I am scared to take it longer than 10 years.

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[BrixMI6]

"No you cannot, because spironolactone and other topical products will not accomplish the systematic hinderance of A5R2 and DHT. You can't replace Finasteride with another drug because these drugs have different Methods of Action."

So spironolactone and other topicals wont slow regression at all?
I understand the products won't be as successful as finasteride but you make it sound like its not going to do ANYTHING. Seems like a lot of people on here and other boards have had some success with slowing down hairloss with just topicals.

Am I wrong?

In regards to the sides:

I've been to 3 urologist, had multiple appointments, and have had multiple tests done off and on over the last several years. It was finally recommended by one of the uro's I get off Propecia to see if my symptoms subside.

Prostatitis is not the only side I have.

I have other bothersome sides too but dont want to go into discussion on this board about all the sides I have since I am here only looking for alternatives for finasteride and nothing else. If someone wants to private message me about the sides I will be happy to discuss.

Point is I am getting off of it after 10 years of use and I need some advice on alternatives.

I appreciate your opinion but it would be nice to get others as well. I am hoping to hear back from Pacinom too, since he recommended spironolactone.

BRIX

 

[pacinom]

Thanks for the replies:


What if I used just spironolactone alone? Would that be enough? If I used minoxidil too, would that cause a lot of initial shedding?


Thanks again for the replies.

Mostly likely it will not offer the same amount of protection that propecia has. But from what you've described your hairloss doesnt seem to be particular aggressive. So go ahead and and try it out or you will never know.

minoxidil is not an anti androgen so it will only help with some regrowth to offset your potential loss. spironolactone wont cause much shedding but minoxidil most likely will.

Proxiphen is a good option too but its cost prohibitive. Search on here to learn more about it.
Goodluck to you!

 

[BrixMI6]

Thanks for all the replies thus far.

I am just going to try one more time and see if I get responses to this question:

"Are there any individuals on this board who were able to maintain their hair for months/years after quiting finasteride by using non oral alternative regimens?"

"If the answer is Yes, how?"