Sublingual oral minoxidil: bioavailability and haemodynamic side effects

[cetm-419]

So you guys doing sublingual are doing so to 1.) avoid the liver breaking down the drug so you can use less for similar results and 2.) to avoid the side effects like fluid retention, fatigue, etc..?

ive been off oral min for about 7 months and I’m JUST NOW starting to regain composure. That drug DESTROYED my face. Under eye bags, fluid in forehead/upper eye lids, crippling fatigue.. sh*t was intense. Hair growth was unreal though. Grew thicker than ever in my life. My hair regrew better than it did in high school and went from an undercut to full blown surf like chin length hair in 6 months lol.

theoretically it should do both things:
1.- have a more significant impact on hair growth compared to same oral doses, and
2.- minimize hemodynamic effects. (bloating, dizziness, tachycardia and low bp, etc)

I've used up to 12.5mg sublingual min and haven't experienced any adverse effects other than hypertrichosis. I'm yet to see if it has a more significant effect on scalp hair (or any haha) than oral min.

 

[cetm-419]

Never had any sides on 10mg oral minoxidil other than water retention which spironolactone takes care of, what was your dosage?

hey! what about hypertrichosis and hair response?

 

[Derelict]

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hey! what about hypertrichosis and hair response?

No real hypertrichosis, as for hair regrowth, leaves alot to be desired, i have been on it a few years now and im not really that thrilled with the results, i don't seem to respond as well as others.

 

[Paqua]

theoretically

theoretically it should do both things:
1.- have a more significant impact on hair growth compared to same oral doses, and
2.- minimize hemodynamic effects. (bloating, dizziness, tachycardia and low bp, etc)

I've used up to 12.5mg sublingual min and haven't experienced any adverse effects other than hypertrichosis. I'm yet to see if it has a more significant effect on scalp hair (or any haha) than oral min.

I really wanted oral minoxidil or sublingual minoxidil to work but unfortunately I think I cannot use them because of side effects.

I diluted 1ml of Foligain 5% topical solution with 19ml of ethanol, so I now presumably had 2.5mg of minoxidil in 1ml of my diluted solution.

First I tried swallowing 0.5ml of the solution, so 1.25mg minoxidil. 2 days ago I took this in the morning and then started to watch a movie, so I was really not focussing on side effects or maybe noceboing me. After 15 mins or so I started to feel chest pain, shortness of breath and general malaise. It was actually quite scary.

Yeasterday then I tried 1/4ml of my solution, so about 0.6mg minoxidil sublingually, so I kept it under my tongue for 1.5 minutes and then spit it out. Same side effects to a weaker extent. Not as scary as the day before but still not something I want to feel every day.

I had these side effects after years on topical minoxidil without any problems by the way. Sometimes even 10 % and 5 % together on beard and scalp.

As a last resort I ordered oral minoxidil tablets from alldaychemist now to see if I might tolerate them better...

 

[Paqua]

Keep in mind that Minoxidil stays for a while in your system. For example:

"Minoxidil and its metabolites are excreted almost entirely in the urine, with a very minor degree of elimination via the faeces. Following cessation of dosing, approximately 95 % of topically applied minoxidil will be eliminated within four days." (Rogaine cutaneous foam)

you mean that I could wait a few days without use of any minoxidil to get it out of my system and then try the sublingual method again?

 

[cetm-419]

5mg oral for almost 5 months, 12.5mg sublingually for almost 6 weeks. I started noticing improvement in my diffuse thinning, but I never expected any growth in my temples, as my hairline hasn't receded, although I have thinning in the frontal area.

what do you think? is this a good response?

 

[cetm-419]

left is from January, before minoxidil. right is current.

both pictures taken at the end of the day, when it starts looking bad, also same bathroom. (really harsh lightning)

 

[cetm-419]

similar dates, both taken in the morning before shower.

I hope that at the 8-10 months I can get significant results. I still feel my hair thin.

 

[cetm-419]

talking about hypertrichosis, I didn't have any beard/facial hair before.

 

[cetm-419]

also, i talked with a girl treated with sublingual min at Sinclair dermatology in Melbourne, she was told to keep the sublingual min for 5 minutes under the tongue after dissolving, so I'm now leaving it for 6-7 minutes.

 

[Moz5x]

also, i talked with a girl treated with sublingual min at Sinclair dermatology in Melbourne, she was told to keep the sublingual min for 5 minutes under the tongue after dissolving, so I'm now leaving it for 6-7 minutes.

Very interesting. What was her dosage and duration of treatment? Did she experience side effects?

 

[Moz5x]

similar dates, both taken in the morning before shower.

I hope that at the 8-10 months I can get significant results. I still feel my hair thin.

Nice improvement, your part is more defined and hair looks darker. Difficult to judge the temples without a before picture. Regardless its good you acted early with treatment. How old are you? Are you on finasteride/dutasteride as well?

 

[LouisSarkozy]

talking about hypertrichosis, I didn't have any beard/facial hair before.

have you noticed any cardiac sides at that dose and any increase in bloatness of the face or facial aging? thanks

 

[cetm-419]

Very interesting. What was her dosage and duration of treatment? Did she experience side effects?

I believe her current dose is .40mg, but she started with .25mg orally in February. No side effects, and she’s also starting to see improvement.

 

[cetm-419]

Nice improvement, your part is more defined and hair looks darker. Difficult to judge the temples without a before picture. Regardless its good you acted early with treatment. How old are you? Are you on finasteride/dutasteride as well?

Thanks! Sometimes it’s hard to judge your own progress objectively... and yeah, as I didn’t mind the temples, I don’t have before pictures... but you can distinguish my hairline from all the new hairs, I mean, I have them in my forehead even hahaha. I’m 20, and yes, 1.25mg finasteride daily and .5mg dutasteride twice a week.

 

[cetm-419]

have you noticed any cardiac sides at that dose and any increase in bloatness of the face or facial aging? thanks

None so far. Nothing.
Only the hypertrichosis...

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

You can probably just dissolve the tablet under your tongue if you want to mimic this like you said. Maybe liquid minoxidil too.

I’m not exactly interested in the side effect talk, but rather the effectiveness of it vs oral minoxidil. It seems like he’s saying that rather than relying on the liver to convert minoxidil into its bioavailable form, sublingual minoxidil would depend on the hair follicles’ enzyme to do the conversion.

However, unlike the limitations of topical minoxidil for low enzyme people, you can increase your dosage and get a better hair growth effect perhaps because it’s more bioavailable in the hair follicle.

Might be interesting to do 2.5mg minoxidil orally and then another 2.5mg minoxidil under the tongue

Yeah but you need a liver pass, no?

 

[cetm-419]

Yeah but you need a liver pass, no?

No, there are 2 enzymes: the SULT2A1 in the liver, and the SULT1A1 in the outer root sheath cells of the hair follicle.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

exactly, I put .25ml under my tongue with a small syringe, and after 1.5 min. I spit it out, anyway if I swallowed it, and if it works, then more than half should've been absorbed sublingually. Then I just wait to drink water for like 10 minutes.

Yeah but why do that instead of just drizzling it down the throat. SL is not precise and I think it might work better than topical or well with topical but not better than oral min after a liver pass. That's the whole point--avoid the bloodstream and have it processed via the liver. The stuff tastes nastier the longer, it's in your mouth, that's what she said.

Best,
Janey

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

No, there are 2 enzymes: the SULT2A1 in the liver, and the SULT1A1 in the outer root sheath cells of the hair follicle.

Okay, more research then but explain the process. Which enzyme does what and which works better. If you have found a way to exceed oral min that that's exciting but I don't know. Oral min by drizzling/drinking topical works and it is dirt cheap, say 10$ annually.