My Pros & Cons of Drinking Minoxidil vs Tablets

[Underdog]

I think the Australia Doctor came up with some sort of dissolvable strip. I just googled that IG address and found a video that was circulating around here regarding sublingual minoxidil. It's Dr. Bevin Bhoyrul from Sinclair Dermatology in Aus, and is probably the same clinic that had the dissolvable strips.

 

[Moz5x]

I've been taking 5mg loniten sublingual for a few months - 2.5mg am & pm. Some hairs here and there but nothing substantial. Three weeks ago decided to swallow 2.5 pm dose. A week after that I was not feeling well and took 1 Aleve (200 mg naproxen - NSAID) and Alka Seltzer (250 mg acetaminophen) daily for about 4-5 days. On the 5th day my ankles became cankles - unreal swelling and bags under my eyes. Massive fluid retention (I gained like 6-8 pounds of water). Scary stuff so I stopped the Aleve/Alka Seltzer and 2.5mg pm dose immediately. Within 3 days everything became normal and restarted the 2.5mg pm dose sublingually. So far so good. This means that swallowing 2.5mg pm dose or the Aleve/Alka Seltzer was the culprit (or both). I thought I read somewhere that OTC pain relievers + Oral minoxidil can exacerbate edema. In a week or so I will probably retry swallowing the 2.5mg pm dose to see what happens.

Did you experience any hypertrichosis during the time you took 5mg sublingually?

 

[Underdog]

Did you experience any hypertrichosis during the time you took 5mg sublingually?

I almost immediately grew a few hairs above each eyebrow, but that's been it.

 

[Moz5x]

I think the Australia Doctor came up with some sort of dissolvable strip. I just googled that IG address and found a video that was circulating around here regarding sublingual minoxidil. It's Dr. Bevin Bhoyrul from Sinclair Dermatology in Aus, and is probably the same clinic that had the dissolvable strips.

I too noticed this presentation a while back as I found the edema side effect from oral to be quite annoying. It has subsided somewhat for me over time as I think my body has adjusted but I still have to be very careful with my sodium intake.

The results of this sublingual study are really interesting but until those results can be reproduced I’m remaining skeptical. Without first pass effect I’d imagine the efficacy of sublingual would be dependent on the presence of sult1a1 enzyme present elsewhere in your body/scalp/follicles which just brings us back to the same place we’d be if we just used topical.

 

[Underdog]

I too noticed this presentation a while back as I found the edema side effect from oral to be quite annoying. It has subsided somewhat for me over time as I think my body has adjusted but I still have to be very careful with my sodium intake.

The results of this sublingual study are really interesting but until those results can be reproduced I’m remaining skeptical. Without first pass effect I’d imagine the efficacy of sublingual would be dependent on the presence of sult1a1 enzyme present elsewhere in your body/scalp/follicles which just brings us back to the same place we’d be if we just used topical.

I'm skeptical in regards to taking straight liquid or loniten sublingually, but I also don't think that Dr. Bhoyrul is just blowing smoke either. I take it you're still taking oral minoxidil. Are you having any results or hypertrichosis/other sides other than edema? Dosage?

 

[Moz5x]

I'm skeptical in regards to taking straight liquid or loniten sublingually, but I also don't think that Dr. Bhoyrul is just blowing smoke either. I take it you're still taking oral minoxidil. Are you having any results or hypertrichosis/other sides other than edema? Dosage?

I started at 2.5mg/day, then increased to 5mg after the 4th month up till now (9th month). Hair caliber and density improved slightly and I’d say it has been cosmetically a subtle improvement. In general, my hair doesn’t feel as limp and lifeless as it did before which is nice. OM has significantly reduced my daily shedding.

I experienced hypertrichosis but didn’t have much body hair above the waist to begin with so it’s not been an issue for me. Eyelashes and eyebrows grew longer and thicker.

In the first three months on OM I did notice when running/doing cardio I would feel my heart racing very early and have to stop and then slowly work back up to normal running pace again and be able to complete the run as normal. To avoid this I decided to take the dose sublingually on those running days and it stopped happening. The only bothersome side effect that remains now is the lower leg edema that only occurs if I am not careful with my sodium intake. Some other forum members mentioned taking dandelion rootas a way to manage the water retention from OM so I may try that.

 

[LouisSarkozy]

I started at 2.5mg/day, then increased to 5mg after the 4th month up till now (9th month). Hair caliber and density improved slightly and I’d say it has been cosmetically a subtle improvement. In general, my hair doesn’t feel as limp and lifeless as it did before which is nice. OM has significantly reduced my daily shedding.

I experienced hypertrichosis but didn’t have much body hair above the waist to begin with so it’s not been an issue for me. Eyelashes and eyebrows grew longer and thicker.

In the first three months on OM I did notice when running/doing cardio I would feel my heart racing very early and have to stop and then slowly work back up to normal running pace again and be able to complete the run as normal. To avoid this I decided to take the dose sublingually on those running days and it stopped happening. The only bothersome side effect that remains now is the lower leg edema that only occurs if I am not careful with my sodium intake. Some other forum members mentioned taking dandelion rootas a way to manage the water retention from OM so I may try that.

sorry to ask but how does someone take loniten sublingualy. od i have to just put the tablet under the tongue then wait a few mintues for it to dissolve? then do i have to spit the remaining? sorry i'm clueless and clearly i don't know why but when i took the tablet the regular way i et insane heart race thanks

 

[LouisSarkozy]

that’s quite impressive in and of itself tbh, not sure how u got ahold of it..

thanks for the insight btw @Baldingtooyoung let us know if hypertrichosis is any of an issue along the way (last thing I fear abt oralmin at this point)

from my endocrinologst an also got another presription online from a spanish doctor ( the one who condute the oral min studies with dr vanosergio)

 

[Moz5x]

sorry to ask but how does someone take loniten sublingualy. od i have to just put the tablet under the tongue then wait a few mintues for it to dissolve? then do i have to spit the remaining? sorry i'm clueless and clearly i don't know why but when i took the tablet the regular way i et insane heart race thanks

I just put a pill under my tongue and let it dissolve completely. Usually takes about 2min. Granted, I have no idea how much gets properly converted to the active form when I take it that way.

 

[LouisSarkozy]

I just put a pill under my tongue and let it dissolve completely. Usually takes about 2min. Granted, I have no idea how much gets properly converted to the active form when I take it that way.

thanks and are you noticing more bloatness of the face or some kin aging related side that way or nothing? gonna try that tomorow

 

[Moz5x]

thanks and are you noticing more bloatness of the face or some kin aging related side that way or nothing? gonna try that tomorow

No I have not. I actually hesitated to start oral min because of the skin aging effects from topical min mentioned in the forums. Note, I’ve also been supplementing MSM for the last year so perhaps that’s been helping? Who knows.

I think if you’re already a good responder to topical min then perhaps sublingual will work well for you. I never took topical min before starting OM.

 

[LouisSarkozy]

No I have not. I actually hesitated to start oral min because of the skin aging effects from topical min mentioned in the forums. Note, I’ve also been supplementing MSM for the last year so perhaps that’s been helping? Who knows.

I think if you’re already a good responder to topical min then perhaps sublingual will work well for you. I never took topical min before starting OM.

thanks for the help i'm an insane responder to topical min but i get crazy skin aging sies ( but absolutely no heart sides related) but when i tried oral i got heart sides righ away so maybe sublingual is the way . are you notiving your eyelashes getting longer ? i need some badly . btw i'm sorry for all the questions

 

[Moz5x]

thanks for the help i'm an insane responder to topical min but i get crazy skin aging sies ( but absolutely no heart sides related) but when i tried oral i got heart sides righ away so maybe sublingual is the way . are you notiving your eyelashes getting longer ? i need some badly . btw i'm sorry for all the questions

Yes eyelashes got longer and darker. Since you are a good responder to topical your experiment with sublingual should be interesting. Keep us posted on what happens.

 

[Lurker otto]

I've been taking 5mg loniten sublingual for a few months - 2.5mg am & pm. Some hairs here and there but nothing substantial. Three weeks ago decided to swallow 2.5 pm dose. A week after that I was not feeling well and took 1 Aleve (200 mg naproxen - NSAID) and Alka Seltzer (250 mg acetaminophen) daily for about 4-5 days. On the 5th day my ankles became cankles - unreal swelling and bags under my eyes. Massive fluid retention (I gained like 6-8 pounds of water). Scary stuff so I stopped the Aleve/Alka Seltzer and 2.5mg pm dose immediately. Within 3 days everything became normal and restarted the 2.5mg pm dose sublingually. So far so good. This means that swallowing 2.5mg pm dose or the Aleve/Alka Seltzer was the culprit (or both). I thought I read somewhere that OTC pain relievers + Oral minoxidil can exacerbate edema. In a week or so I will probably retry swallowing the 2.5mg pm dose to see what happens.

Hi! Could you be a little more specific about your experience?
Do you remember how many months?
And what about your hair? Do you have any regrowth? May be thicker hair?

Thank you!

 

[Underdog]

Hi! Could you be a little more specific about your experience?
Do you remember how many months?
And what about your hair? Do you have any regrowth? May be thicker hair?

Thank you!

I started OM mid August with liquid min - 2 drops AM (sublingual & swallow) & 3 drops PM (sublingual & spit) and that came out to be about 1.5mg per drop. Within a few weeks I started growing a few hairs around the eyebrows. Mid September switched to loniten (something is just wrong with drinking liquid min IMO) 2.5mg am & pm (sublingual until dissolve). Since then I have noticed maybe a few extra hairs around the eyebrows and a few hairs popping up around the hairline - but nothing significant and the only person that will notice is me. The biggest benefit to date has been thicker hair. I have very fine hair to begin with, and started noticing a stray hair or two - much thicker than I'm used to seeing - in the sink and I'd say 'that can't be mine' but it was. However, I became impatient with lack of growth and started swallowing the 2nd 2.5mg dosage a few weeks back, got sick, started a few days of OTC meds and ballooned up (edema) as described here so I stopped the 2nd dosage altogether. Currently back to straight sublingual 2.5mg 2x daily and will give it a few more months before switching it up. By taking it sublingually the theory is to reduce sides, but the effective dosage drops. The question is how much OM are we actually getting by taking it sublingually. Half? Quarter? Less than that? In my experience, even though I'm not getting crazy growth like a few others on this site have reported, the thicker hair is worth it alone. I would recommend a bp monitor. My bp has dropped bit since I started so that's something to keep an eye on.

 

[Lurker otto]

I started OM mid August with liquid min - 2 drops AM (sublingual & swallow) & 3 drops PM (sublingual & spit) and that came out to be about 1.5mg per drop. Within a few weeks I started growing a few hairs around the eyebrows. Mid September switched to loniten (something is just wrong with drinking liquid min IMO) 2.5mg am & pm (sublingual until dissolve). Since then I have noticed maybe a few extra hairs around the eyebrows and a few hairs popping up around the hairline - but nothing significant and the only person that will notice is me. The biggest benefit to date has been thicker hair. I have very fine hair to begin with, and started noticing a stray hair or two - much thicker than I'm used to seeing - in the sink and I'd say 'that can't be mine' but it was. However, I became impatient with lack of growth and started swallowing the 2nd 2.5mg dosage a few weeks back, got sick, started a few days of OTC meds and ballooned up (edema) as described here so I stopped the 2nd dosage altogether. Currently back to straight sublingual 2.5mg 2x daily and will give it a few more months before switching it up. By taking it sublingually the theory is to reduce sides, but the effective dosage drops. The question is how much OM are we actually getting by taking it sublingually. Half? Quarter? Less than that? In my experience, even though I'm not getting crazy growth like a few others on this site have reported, the thicker hair is worth it alone. I would recommend a bp monitor. My bp has dropped bit since I started so that's something to keep an eye on.

Thanks for the response! Very helpful. May be When you reach the 6 month mark the results are going to be better.
I want to try sublingual minoxidil but im a little scared. But you are right, in theory the sides are less than with the oral.
Please keep us updated with your results!

 

[Ljpviper]

I started taking 2.5mg orally like 2 months ago. I tried 5mg but broke out in hives. I will keep everyone posted on my progress. So much easier to use than the foam or spray.

 

[Baldingtooyoung]

I started OM mid August with liquid min - 2 drops AM (sublingual & swallow) & 3 drops PM (sublingual & spit) and that came out to be about 1.5mg per drop. Within a few weeks I started growing a few hairs around the eyebrows. Mid September switched to loniten (something is just wrong with drinking liquid min IMO) 2.5mg am & pm (sublingual until dissolve). Since then I have noticed maybe a few extra hairs around the eyebrows and a few hairs popping up around the hairline - but nothing significant and the only person that will notice is me. The biggest benefit to date has been thicker hair. I have very fine hair to begin with, and started noticing a stray hair or two - much thicker than I'm used to seeing - in the sink and I'd say 'that can't be mine' but it was. However, I became impatient with lack of growth and started swallowing the 2nd 2.5mg dosage a few weeks back, got sick, started a few days of OTC meds and ballooned up (edema) as described here so I stopped the 2nd dosage altogether. Currently back to straight sublingual 2.5mg 2x daily and will give it a few more months before switching it up. By taking it sublingually the theory is to reduce sides, but the effective dosage drops. The question is how much OM are we actually getting by taking it sublingually. Half? Quarter? Less than that? In my experience, even though I'm not getting crazy growth like a few others on this site have reported, the thicker hair is worth it alone. I would recommend a bp monitor. My bp has dropped bit since I started so that's something to keep an eye on.

Your BP dropped om sublingual without swallowing??
I can take Sublingual how much i want without sides. Im taking topical now as well and took one 5mg to compare.

Blow up like a balloon. I think the topical is giving me eye bags as well but not sure. Will wait two weeks if they go away and then add sublingual again

 

[Underdog]

Your BP dropped om sublingual without swallowing??
I can take Sublingual how much i want without sides. Im taking topical now as well and took one 5mg to compare.

Blow up like a balloon. I think the topical is giving me eye bags as well but not sure. Will wait two weeks if they go away and then add sublingual again

Yes, my BP dropped a few points on sublingual without swallowing. My baseline systolic BP was consistently in the low 130's prior to OM and now it is consistently in the mid 120's (I measure at home a few times a week). Can't be sure 100% it is due to OM, but I haven't changed anything diet-wise so my assumption is that it's OM related.

Although not as bad as before, I still have some bags under the eyes and based on @Moz5x post in this thread I added Dandelion Root just yesterday in hopes that it will help with water retention.

 

[Baldingtooyoung]

Yes, my BP dropped a few points on sublingual without swallowing. My baseline systolic BP was consistently in the low 130's prior to OM and now it is consistently in the mid 120's (I measure at home a few times a week). Can't be sure 100% it is due to OM, but I haven't changed anything diet-wise so my assumption is that it's OM related.

Although not as bad as before, I still have some bags under the eyes and based on @Moz5x post in this thread I added Dandelion Root just yesterday in hopes that it will help with water retention.

That should indicate it's working.
I've been on topical now and it's been giving me racoon eyes. Topical does not has this effect on me...
I'm waiting if it subsides. It seems it's not as bad anymore as in the beginning (but i also took 5mg oral once), then i will sublingual again.

Minoxidil makes my hair looks a lot thicker actually because of the alcohol. So i don't mind doing it topical as well. I'm shedding already after taking it 2-3 weeks sublingual and now 1 week topical