finasteride non responder

[Ziggyz123]

So Ive been using finasteride for a year and a half and at one year lost the left side of my hairline. Tons of minaturized hairs growing, had pain and what felt/feels like inflammation under my skin. I took this to help my hairline which has now turned out worse than I could have ever imagined. I lost an inch within like two months, hd handfuls of hair coming out in the shower, etc.. I can't run my hands through my hair without getting at least like ten hairs.

The fact that my hairline receded and I have minaturization mean that I did not respond? I was going to switch to dutasteride, but I don't want to risk another accelerated male pattern baldness shed and all this. It's been the worst year of my life. Failed all but one of my classes because the burning and pain made it impossible to think.

I think some of this shed is due to the fact that I had to quit minoxidil because it's was stinging the sh** out of my hairline and giving me INSANE dandruff during this.

I have pictures if it is nessasary for anyone. You can see all the minaturization very easily.

 

[bilboswaggins]

If you have non stop shed, inflammation and itch its most likely you have had a hyperandrogenic reaction. This means that you did respond to finasteride but in a negative way. I think you should just quit finasteride and hope things go back to normal.

 

[Vlatch]

When did you quit minoxidil and for how long were you on it ?
Maybe you only lost the hair minoxidil was maintaining.
About dutasteride, I was on finasteride for two months before switching to dutasteride and I had noticed my seborrheic dermatitis was worse than ever on finasteride, it got a lot better after switching.
Try ketoconazole shampoo for the inflammation.

 

[Ziggyz123]

Hey guys.

So yeah, I thought about the hyper androgen theory and really thought I had it. At the start of this shed my scalp was oily, my libido was super high, and I started getting pimples along my hairline. I quit minoxidil around Christmas time btw.

I've never had any type is scalp issue in my life. I noticed my hairline receding in the right corner so I went on finasteride. I would/want to quit, but I'm so scared to lose anymore hair. I used to be a good candidate for a transplant and planned on doing so around 24-25, but now my hair is just so unstable. Even when I talk on the phone and then look at the screen there is always a hair on it. I'm shedding so much probably without even knowing it. I feel like finasteride somehow gave me seborrheic dermatitis.. My scalp wasn't red though. It just hurt BAD like I had bruises underneath.

Wish I never took this pill.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and used minoxidil on hairline only for 2 years. Started on foam and switched to liquid for the last year. I'm shedding from everywhere on my head so I don't knownif minoxidil caused this. While I was still using minoxidil, this shed started.. I didn't quit until I noticed it might have been making the stinging on my hairline worse.

 

[Derpicus]

Two years on minoxidil is quite a long time to be honest, I'm not sure where you were applying the minoxidil but those hairs could be falling out because they were relying on the minoxidil. Minoxidil is something you gotta keep doing routinely to keep what it's given you. Once you discontinue all that regrowth, and hair strengthening it gave you is going to disappear. But like others have said you probably were reacting negatively to finasteride, some people have that happen but for some reason a lot of people that don't respond to finasteride at all or negatively generally respond to dutasteride. I can't guarantee you'll respond to it, but its something worth looking into.

 

[Ziggyz123]

Yeah two years is long as hell unfortunately. I know that finasteride raises testosterone and dutasteride raises it more.. I feel like these reactions could be from I creased testosterone. Hormones are touchy and I have read reported stories of people having there hairlines/frontal zone destroyed on dutasteride.

Ughhh I don't know what to do!

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah two years is long as hell unfortunately. I know that finasteride raises testosterone and dutasteride raises it more.. I feel like these reactions could be from I creased testosterone. Hormones are touchy and I have read reported stories of people having there hairlines/frontal zone destroyed on dutasteride.

Ughhh I don't know what to do!

 

[eenrak]

This is 100% because you quit minoxidil. Hair wise, not stinging wise. It was stupid to quit.

 

[Ziggyz123]

I realize quitting was sketchy. I saw dr. Feller because I wanted to just do a transplant and when I explained my situation he said that I might have been having an allergic reaction to propylene glycol in minoxidil and he told me to quit. Therefor, I quit. After a month of quitting the insane shed that made me lose handfuls inthe shower did calm down to normal shedding.. However now it's been a consistant shed that I lose like twenty hairs in the shower and another twenty just drying off. Plus, my hair looks like it's diffuse now unless I pull a weird comb over and no one in my family has diffuse loss. Only receding hairlines.

 

[eenrak]

You could try the minoxidil foam. It doesn't have propylene glycol. Many who have had irritation with liquid do well on foam. Good luck.

 

[bilboswaggins]

This is 100% because you quit minoxidil. Hair wise, not stinging wise. It was stupid to quit.

you can't be sure because stinging/itch on the scalp means there is inflammation. inflammation is known to cause shedding

 

[Ziggyz123]

Yeah, i need a scalp biopsy to see if I have some type of infection going on.

 

[unplugged88]

If you have non stop shed, inflammation and itch its most likely you have had a hyperandrogenic reaction. This means that you did respond to finasteride but in a negative way. I think you should just quit finasteride and hope things go back to normal.

I started finasteride 2 months ago now and have been shedding massively ever since. I'm even loosing non-male pattern baldness hairs behind the ears and eyebrows, along with a constant itch. Do you think I'm also responding poorly? Or maybe experiencing a temporary Telogen Effluvium shed??

I'm starting to think that Finasteride is ineffective for a larger amount of people then studied, Ziggyz123 and I included. Those meant to go fully bald...will go bald, with or without todays best treatments.

 

[Ziggyz123]

Unplugged88, my eyebrows were shedding and still are as well. Unfortunately, your shed might be the initial shed that is talked about when starting the treatment. Mine happened at the one year mark. I want to just quit so badly, but I don't know if it is somehow maintaining hair on me. Doesn't seem likely since my crown is now thinning somehow.. Not even in my family baldness pattern so who knows

 

[davepeters3345]

I started finasteride 2 months ago now and have been shedding massively ever since. I'm even loosing non-male pattern baldness hairs behind the ears and eyebrows, along with a constant itch. Do you think I'm also responding poorly? Or maybe experiencing a temporary Telogen Effluvium shed??

I'm starting to think that Finasteride is ineffective for a larger amount of people then studied, Ziggyz123 and I included. Those meant to go fully bald...will go bald, with or without todays best treatments.

Same for me. Everyone told me it is normal. Give finasteride at least 4 months before judging anything.

That's what I'm doing. If finasteride doesn't halt the hair loss at the 4 month mark I'm switching to dutasteride.

Gluck

 

[Ziggyz123]

Davepeters3345, shedding in the first few months is supposedly normal..

https://www.*********talk.com/showthread.php?14056-Hair-Shedding-on-the-Meds

Watch that vid of Spex explaining it if you haven't already.

 

[JimmyJones]

This is why I always advise people - never go on min and finasteride at the same time. Try one. If it works with no problems or side effects add the other. That way you know what is causing the problem.

 

[Ziggyz123]

You're right, Jimmyjones. When I was using minoxidil only, I really didn't see regrowth at all. But when I switched to liquid and got on propecia, I remember going to my derm because my right hairlibe was itching and I was getting dandruff and further loss in that area. She pretty much told me that happens with minoxidil users and it eventually went away. Might have had to do with the summer weather that came.

I'm probably going to quit finasteride because I'm shedding a lot on top of my head and it seems to be thinning there now. And finasteride is actually prove to only help this area so I don't know wtf happened.. as for my hairline, it's like my hair went through five cycles within 6 months. It stung and hurt and fell out, then regrew minaturized, hurt again, and it keeps on falling out.

I can try and post pictures if everyone would like to see. Unfortunately I don't really have before pics because I wasn't trying to regrow, But rather keep my hair.
You can see minaturization and how much of a gap there are between my hairs now.

 

[David.G]

Same for me. Everyone told me it is normal. Give finasteride at least 4 months before judging anything.

That's what I'm doing. If finasteride doesn't halt the hair loss at the 4 month mark I'm switching to dutasteride.

Gluck

Well 4 months of finasteride isn't enough time for some to see a change. I know in my 4th month of generic finasteride/minoxidil 5% I had a shed (or loss to male pattern baldness?) that went through my front hairline. It came on very fast and was a big shock to me. I stopped taking generic finasteride for a month and just recently have got on propecia. I've read some people switch manufacturers when they don't get results from one brand of finasteride and they get better results or worse. dutasteride is a big step up. I'd be careful with that. Stick to finasteride for a year and see what happens.

 

[Ziggyz123]

Yeah definitely stay away from generics. This terrible shed, inflammation, and hair loss happened while I was on dr. reddys finasteride. I take proscar now, but I think I've had my fun with this roller coaster ride.

dutasteride is a big step and it's actually so risky to me that I won't even try it. Fun needs a year, sometimes more to work because of hair cycling. Unfortunately for me, my cycle or whatever did not regrow and I'm beat.

 

[Lennox]

dude take dutasterid in your problem is gone
but dont take to much of it otherwise u could have similar experience
You have to block all types of 5α-reductase

i know what iam talking about trust me
greets from germany
ps u can put your minoxidil in ru its a better solution for you