Switching from finasteride to spironolactone

[justasking]

I know there are several people here who dropped finasteride because of side effects and went to spironolactone. I used spironolactone a couple of years ago when it was the only dht inhibitor I was using, and within a week it was shedding out my front hairline, so I stopped. However, I'm thinking of trying it again, as Propecial has done the same and more to the whole top of my head. I shave my head now, which I love, but if there's any "shadow" after a day or so, it's pretty obvious that the whole top is drastically thinned out and some spots are pretty much hairless. The left side is actually gone since I started with Propecia. I've dropped to .5 in the past couple of weeks, which really helps with the mood swings, but probably won't help with the hair. So...
1. Did you go through a big shed when switching? If so, did you recover?
2. If you have only used spironolactone, did it cause an initial shed? For how long?
3. Did you have any sides with it? (I am putting fat on the chest again and getting gyno, which I hate. I just stopped working as an athlete/performer and quit smoking, and I'm gaining weight really fast, part of which I know is Propecia, as saw palmetto did it to me, too. I really watch my diet and am working out every day, but...)
4. How well did it restore your hair?

Thanks for any information. This site has been a tremendous help over the years.

 

[justasking]

I'd like to keep this question alive, as I think there are several other people who really need information on this.

 

[Matgallis]

i agree

 

[George Costanza]

Well I've never used finasteride but I've been using spironolactone for over 9 months. The first 7.5 months I used 5% twice a day and I've been using 2% for the last few weeks. Yes there was an initial shed. What's funny is it seems that I had another shed when I switched to 2%.

Unfortunately, I don't think I've had regrowth. I seemed to have had some thickening on top which could be contributed to the lasercomb but my hairline has steadily went to sh*t.

 

[justasking]

Bumping this question one more time. Sounds like no one who lost a lot with finasteride ever grew it back...How about success with just spironolactone and other topicals? I'm ready to chuck the propecia after almost ten months. I've backed off to .5 dosage the past few weeks because of gyno. All I'm doing is losing the whole top. I don't even have the on and off regrowth I had with saw palmetto. Taking an anti-aromatization drug, too, to try to shrink the tits. I'm dieting all the time and working out but still putting on fat. Going back on laser comb, still faithfully using minoxidil, nizoral and tricomin...

Please -- Need some feedback here! Thanks, everybody.

 

[The Fluke]

over the last 18ths i've gone from finasteride to minoxidil to spironolactone, never experienced any significant "shed" from any transition. finasteride scares me and i hated minoxidil but spironolactone lotion is awesome.

 

[snake]

are people experiencing shed from finasteride that they would not otherwise experience? Is finasteride

 

[Matgallis]

Used finasteride for 5 months without any shedding. I think people overreact with shedding

 

[Whoome?]

hey justasking did you ever shed with finasteride? or was it a slow thinning?

 

[jimmystanley]

sometimes i don't believe in 'sheds'. i think they are just a way to keep us believing that our hair will grow back in and keep these guys on this discussion form in business.

 

[Guest]

well

I have been on Proscar for 4 months and i am shedding like a dog dont know if it is god or bad just know it is happening.