Is there much difference bettwen 3.5 and 5 mg oral minoxidil?

[Adri23]

I've tried 2.5mg with good results, then I switched to 5 mg to see if I could see even more regrowth, but all I had is an insane shedding and tachycardia. I visited my tricho and he told me hair was regrowing. My question is: Is there much difference between 5 and 3.5mg? The effectiveness should be between 2.5 and 5 mg but I dont know if its work like that.

 

[Moz5x]

I've tried 2.5mg with good results, then I switched to 5 mg to see if I could see even more regrowth, but all I had is an insane shedding and tachycardia. I visited my tricho and he told me hair was regrowing. My question is: Is there much difference between 5 and 3.5mg? The effectiveness should be between 2.5 and 5 mg but I dont know if its work like that.

Any increase/change in dosage of oral min (or any medication that affects hair growth cycle) can potentially trigger a telogen effluvium. How long were you on 2.5mg? How long on 5mg before you returned to 2.5? Perhaps you need to give it more time to ride out the shed. Or try 2.5mg every 12hrs instead of 5mg once daily to see if the tachycardia occurs again.

The initial blood concentration of minoxidil increases significantly as dosage increases from 2.5mg, hence the increased severity of side effects. The recent studies suggest increased hair counts and visual improvements as dosage increases from 2.5mg to 5mg+. However, there’s a lot of variability in people’s tolerance for the accompanying intensified side effects. Each person needs to find their own sweet spot.

Top 10 Things You Need to Know about Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss — Donovan Hair Clinic

Oral Minoxidil: Top 10 Points for Prescribers and Patients. Here are the top 10 points that prescribers and users of minoxidil need to know. 1. Oral minoxidil is not FDA approved for hair loss. The use of oral minoxidil is FDA approved for high blood pressure. Its use in hair loss is entir

donovanmedical.com

 

[Adri23]

I've already decided to take 3.5 mg cause the dose is between 2.5 and 5. I'd say switching now will be a mess because I haven't recovered from the 5 mg minoxidil shed and I've been on it for 5 months. I might shed even more but I don't really care since 5mg is giving me tachycardia, shortness of breath(sometimes), tiredness all day (can't even focus in what I'm doing) and it is giving me puffiness under eyes and some wrinkles on that area that I didn't use to have with 2.5 mg. I'd say 3.5 could be the sweet spot. I don't think these side effects are worth for a 5, 10 or 15% of improvements. Anyways, I can change it if it gives me those side effect to a lower dose, like 3 mg or come back to 2.5

 

[Moz5x]

I've already decided to take 3.5 mg cause the dose is between 2.5 and 5. I'd say switching now will be a mess because I haven't recovered from the 5 mg minoxidil shed and I've been on it for 5 months. I might shed even more but I don't really care since 5mg is giving me tachycardia, shortness of breath(sometimes), tiredness all day (can't even focus in what I'm doing) and it is giving me puffiness under eyes and some wrinkles on that area that I didn't use to have with 2.5 mg. I'd say 3.5 could be the sweet spot. I don't think these side effects are worth for a 5, 10 or 15% of improvements. Anyways, I can change it if it gives me those side effect to a lower dose, like 3 mg or come back to 2.5

Fair enough, 3.5 might just be perfect for you in the long run. Totally understand your reasoning. Oral min is definitely an exercise in risk/reward. As far as your 5mg shed experience, it’s possible it will take some time to notice a recovery due the nature of hair cycles. I hope this works out for you.

Note, one of the doctors from Rodney Sinclair’s practice has a video discussing their small study on sublingual minoxidil as means to bypass the hemodynamic effects. It’s definitely something to consider but since there’s no other studies that have replicated their results it remains anybody’s guess.

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/sublingual-oral-minoxidil-bioavailability-and-haemodynamic-side-effects.132877/

 

[NW9000]

nobody knows

 

[Adri23]

Fair enough, 3.5 might just be perfect for you in the long run. Totally understand your reasoning. Oral min is definitely an exercise in risk/reward. As far as your 5mg shed experience, it’s possible it will take some time to notice a recovery due the nature of hair cycles. I hope this works out for you.

Note, one of the doctors from Rodney Sinclair’s practice has a video discussing their small study on sublingual minoxidil as means to bypass the hemodynamic effects. It’s definitely something to consider but since there’s no other studies that have replicated their results it remains anybody’s guess.

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/sublingual-oral-minoxidil-bioavailability-and-haemodynamic-side-effects.132877/

Yeah, sublingual minoxidil is something that I have read, but I've talked that with my trichologist and he says it would have similar side effects. I'll wait to see what happens eventually with the sublingual minoxidil and if it finally conclude with better tolerability at higher doses than oral minoxidil, I will definitely take it. But for now, I'll just stick with 3.5 mg and see how my body react in the next 3 months.

 

[Adri23]

nobody knows

Yeah, I know. That's the downside of hair loss treatments, you will never know how your body gonna react to it.