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Hey guys, don't really know what good this rant will do but ever since trying finasteride back in November my life has turned into a living nightmare. That's right, I'm the dictionary definition of the well known "Propecia horror story". The ones I heard about but thought "nah, that won't happen to me". It’s a ridiculously long read but at least it might make you feel better about your experiences with treating hairloss…I can’t see how they could be much worse than mine!
A little background: I'm 25, and noticed very slightly receding temples when I was about 22. Jump forward 3 years and they'd moved back a tiny bit more, I was probably a NW0.5-1 at this stage. Completely thick, black wavy hair all over my head though, so you could only see my receding hairline if I pulled my fringe right up (I have semi-long hair). Like a lot of you it was really my favourite aspect of my appearance; I'm not a particularly good looking guy but my thick, black hair often got me compliments and interest from girls. I looked at my Dad who is NW3ish at age 55 and realised I had male pattern baldness; it was genetic. It was only gonna get worse if I didn’t do anything – so after much researching and perusing these forums it became clear. Finasteride was the only realistic hope I had of maintaining my hair. I had very non-aggressive and gradual male pattern baldness, so I figured if I took finasteride I could maintain/slow it for the next 5-10 years, by that time something better would be out. I was pretty confident and relaxed – I started on .5mg , thinking I was being sensible by catching it early and starting on a low dose, saying to myself “this is fine, popping a pill each morning, less than 5% chance of side effects, and if I do get sides, I can come off because there’s no evidence of permanent sides”….
The moment I put that pill in my mouth was the biggest mistake of my life and one I will regret forever.
About 3 weeks into .5mg ED I noticed a slight tingly, burning sensation above my right temple. I rode this constant itchy/tingling burn out for 2 months before deciding to taper off finasteride, dropping down to 0.25mg and dropping it after 1 month. So 3 months on finasteride in total. After the itch started I also noticed my hair became greasy much quicker, I had increased libido and I had oily skin and my acne broke out as if I was a teenager again. I dropped finasteride altogether back in February.
Imagine my horror when I discover this scalp pain is known as “male pattern baldness itch” and is basically androgens (DHT/Test) attacking your hair follicles. I never had any itching before finasteride. There was no dandruff, no redness, no signs of inflammation – it had to be internal hormones causing this. I’ve tried anti-inflammatory topicals and shampoos. I started using keto shampoo in January but it doesn’t really help. The scalp pain is all day – every minute of every day. It ranges from a tingly itch all along my frontal hairline, to an excruciating pain that even my Dad’s prescription painkillers barely help with. It is unbearable and it never ceases. Sometimes I can’t sleep because the pain is so bad. Every day is like a nightmare I can’t wake up from. Every morning I wake up with this greasy hair and extreme itch all along my hairline. It has receded much faster in the last 6 months than in the 3 years previous to finasteride. I’m around a NW2 now. The place where the burning started, above my right temple, is thinned out now and I can see my scalp, when 6 months ago it was completely, jet-black thick.
From reading online it’s clear to me I have an extreme case of reflex-hyperandrogenicity. Basically the reduction in DHT caused by finasteride made my body panic and produce shedloads more androgen receptors, and made them way more sensitive to androgens. This all ties in with the increased sebum production (caused by DHT), the increased libido and rapidly accelerated hairloss. There are numerous studies confirming that finasteride has the potential to do this before you dismiss it as broscience. The worst part? It’s probably permanent. Most people who get this reflex reaction recover after stopping finasteride. Well I’ve been over 4 months off finasteride and if anything it’s gotten worse. I’ve obviously been reading a **** ton into this and the extremity of my reaction is very rare – but there are handful of guys on the forums who’ve had the same thing from finasteride, and are still dealing with the consequences 2, 3, 5 years after stopping.
Losing hair is one thing – but when it’s coupled with this 24/7, unbearable itchy, painful oiliness, knowing that I’ll have to deal with it for years, knowing that by taking that pill I’ve permanently accelerated my male pattern baldness, knowing that worst of all this never would have happened if I hadn’t touched finasteride….it’s breaking me mentally. It’s like I’ve unleashed a super-aggressive male pattern baldness that will never stop. I think about the NW1 that I would’ve had if I’d never taken finasteride. I’ll be at my Dad’s NW3 in the space of 2 years I reckon, and then god knows what.
Now my day consists of desperately washing my hair with Regenepure to try and reduce the sebum. Applying Fluridil and topical spironolactone twice a day that makes my hair look even worse and isn’t even working, just in the desperate attempt to slow the havoc being wreaked by androgens on my hair. Spending all day on hairloss forums looking for any vitamins or supplements, or topicals that might help me, deep down knowing they won’t. I know that finasteride is the best treatment. And it backfired for me so badly that using an anti-androgen like RU is just going to make my androgen receptors even more sensitive so that if/when I come off it, it will do more damage than good. I’ve been on the waiting list to see a dermatologist for over 2 months (UK NHS), I’m now at the point where I’ve arranged to see both a private derm and a private endocrinologist, which will probably cost me over £1000 and for what? I’ve done enough research to know this condition can’t really be treated.
I can’t use stuff like RU and minoxidil anyway because I’m supposed to be travelling Asia and Australia for a year with my best friend in November, something we’ve been dreaming and planning for years. I now dread the thought of it – being in the jungle, a humid climate with my ridiculously oily, itchy, painful scalp that I need to wash with keto shampoo everyday just to clear the greasiness. I can’t exactly take any topicals with me backpacking around Asia.
I wish I could just shave my hair off but I can’t. I’ve got a large forehead anyway, slightly egg-shaped head and cannot grow facial hair at all. I would look like a chemo patient. I'm 25 years old, I would've been carefree, worrying about savings and work and relationships, all the normal stuff. Not dealing with chronic pain, scalp itch and applying various bull**** creams and ointments from the internet every day. I am so jealous of people on this board who didn't start balding until their 30s, or the countless people who are having success with whatever regimen they're on. Its not even the hairloss that bothers me the most. It's the scalp pain and the knowledge I'll probably never be free of it - and it's all my fault. I dream that I can just wake up tomorrow with my scalp feeling like it did before finasteride, for my male pattern baldness to return to pre-finasteride, natural levels...I can't remember what it's like to have normal hair/scalp anymore.
I’ll be amazed if anyone is still reading at this point, but thanks for sticking with it if you are. I needed to get this off my chest because frankly I’m losing hope and the thought I’ll have to live with this forever terrifies me. The regret is killing me. Only you guys can relate to how ****ing awful male pattern baldness can be when it’s like this. Rant over.
A little background: I'm 25, and noticed very slightly receding temples when I was about 22. Jump forward 3 years and they'd moved back a tiny bit more, I was probably a NW0.5-1 at this stage. Completely thick, black wavy hair all over my head though, so you could only see my receding hairline if I pulled my fringe right up (I have semi-long hair). Like a lot of you it was really my favourite aspect of my appearance; I'm not a particularly good looking guy but my thick, black hair often got me compliments and interest from girls. I looked at my Dad who is NW3ish at age 55 and realised I had male pattern baldness; it was genetic. It was only gonna get worse if I didn’t do anything – so after much researching and perusing these forums it became clear. Finasteride was the only realistic hope I had of maintaining my hair. I had very non-aggressive and gradual male pattern baldness, so I figured if I took finasteride I could maintain/slow it for the next 5-10 years, by that time something better would be out. I was pretty confident and relaxed – I started on .5mg , thinking I was being sensible by catching it early and starting on a low dose, saying to myself “this is fine, popping a pill each morning, less than 5% chance of side effects, and if I do get sides, I can come off because there’s no evidence of permanent sides”….
The moment I put that pill in my mouth was the biggest mistake of my life and one I will regret forever.
About 3 weeks into .5mg ED I noticed a slight tingly, burning sensation above my right temple. I rode this constant itchy/tingling burn out for 2 months before deciding to taper off finasteride, dropping down to 0.25mg and dropping it after 1 month. So 3 months on finasteride in total. After the itch started I also noticed my hair became greasy much quicker, I had increased libido and I had oily skin and my acne broke out as if I was a teenager again. I dropped finasteride altogether back in February.
Imagine my horror when I discover this scalp pain is known as “male pattern baldness itch” and is basically androgens (DHT/Test) attacking your hair follicles. I never had any itching before finasteride. There was no dandruff, no redness, no signs of inflammation – it had to be internal hormones causing this. I’ve tried anti-inflammatory topicals and shampoos. I started using keto shampoo in January but it doesn’t really help. The scalp pain is all day – every minute of every day. It ranges from a tingly itch all along my frontal hairline, to an excruciating pain that even my Dad’s prescription painkillers barely help with. It is unbearable and it never ceases. Sometimes I can’t sleep because the pain is so bad. Every day is like a nightmare I can’t wake up from. Every morning I wake up with this greasy hair and extreme itch all along my hairline. It has receded much faster in the last 6 months than in the 3 years previous to finasteride. I’m around a NW2 now. The place where the burning started, above my right temple, is thinned out now and I can see my scalp, when 6 months ago it was completely, jet-black thick.
From reading online it’s clear to me I have an extreme case of reflex-hyperandrogenicity. Basically the reduction in DHT caused by finasteride made my body panic and produce shedloads more androgen receptors, and made them way more sensitive to androgens. This all ties in with the increased sebum production (caused by DHT), the increased libido and rapidly accelerated hairloss. There are numerous studies confirming that finasteride has the potential to do this before you dismiss it as broscience. The worst part? It’s probably permanent. Most people who get this reflex reaction recover after stopping finasteride. Well I’ve been over 4 months off finasteride and if anything it’s gotten worse. I’ve obviously been reading a **** ton into this and the extremity of my reaction is very rare – but there are handful of guys on the forums who’ve had the same thing from finasteride, and are still dealing with the consequences 2, 3, 5 years after stopping.
Losing hair is one thing – but when it’s coupled with this 24/7, unbearable itchy, painful oiliness, knowing that I’ll have to deal with it for years, knowing that by taking that pill I’ve permanently accelerated my male pattern baldness, knowing that worst of all this never would have happened if I hadn’t touched finasteride….it’s breaking me mentally. It’s like I’ve unleashed a super-aggressive male pattern baldness that will never stop. I think about the NW1 that I would’ve had if I’d never taken finasteride. I’ll be at my Dad’s NW3 in the space of 2 years I reckon, and then god knows what.
Now my day consists of desperately washing my hair with Regenepure to try and reduce the sebum. Applying Fluridil and topical spironolactone twice a day that makes my hair look even worse and isn’t even working, just in the desperate attempt to slow the havoc being wreaked by androgens on my hair. Spending all day on hairloss forums looking for any vitamins or supplements, or topicals that might help me, deep down knowing they won’t. I know that finasteride is the best treatment. And it backfired for me so badly that using an anti-androgen like RU is just going to make my androgen receptors even more sensitive so that if/when I come off it, it will do more damage than good. I’ve been on the waiting list to see a dermatologist for over 2 months (UK NHS), I’m now at the point where I’ve arranged to see both a private derm and a private endocrinologist, which will probably cost me over £1000 and for what? I’ve done enough research to know this condition can’t really be treated.
I can’t use stuff like RU and minoxidil anyway because I’m supposed to be travelling Asia and Australia for a year with my best friend in November, something we’ve been dreaming and planning for years. I now dread the thought of it – being in the jungle, a humid climate with my ridiculously oily, itchy, painful scalp that I need to wash with keto shampoo everyday just to clear the greasiness. I can’t exactly take any topicals with me backpacking around Asia.
I wish I could just shave my hair off but I can’t. I’ve got a large forehead anyway, slightly egg-shaped head and cannot grow facial hair at all. I would look like a chemo patient. I'm 25 years old, I would've been carefree, worrying about savings and work and relationships, all the normal stuff. Not dealing with chronic pain, scalp itch and applying various bull**** creams and ointments from the internet every day. I am so jealous of people on this board who didn't start balding until their 30s, or the countless people who are having success with whatever regimen they're on. Its not even the hairloss that bothers me the most. It's the scalp pain and the knowledge I'll probably never be free of it - and it's all my fault. I dream that I can just wake up tomorrow with my scalp feeling like it did before finasteride, for my male pattern baldness to return to pre-finasteride, natural levels...I can't remember what it's like to have normal hair/scalp anymore.
I’ll be amazed if anyone is still reading at this point, but thanks for sticking with it if you are. I needed to get this off my chest because frankly I’m losing hope and the thought I’ll have to live with this forever terrifies me. The regret is killing me. Only you guys can relate to how ****ing awful male pattern baldness can be when it’s like this. Rant over.
