Is my tolerance to propecia too high after 10 years?

[Kube8]

I've been on propecia for 10 years now and have maintained my hair. It's hard to say what i might look like now if i hadn't taken it. Why all of the sudden in the past few months has my hair started to thin? It's all happening so fast. Everything feels much thinner, my head itches like mad, my temples are receding, and now it's moving to the front. After so long on propecia, could my tolerance be so high the medication it's not working anymore or something? Could this just be "my time?" This sucks!

 

[abovedagame]

what is ur regimen like and what has it been over the last 10 years?

 

[Kube8]

Propecia 1mg a day and rogaine extra twice a day (give or take) mainly by the temples and the back of my head since about 1997/1998.... almost right after propecia came on the market.

 

[youngbaldie]

Have you been consistently getting brand name propecia from your local pharmacy? Any recent switch over to generics online?

 

[abovedagame]

have u been using rogaine since 97/98 also? and what is ur age?

 

[bubka]

no, you cannot build a tolerance to finasteride, you are always blocking the same amount of DHT

however, what little you do not block, eventually makes the hair follicles again sensitive to DHT again, even at reduced levels, in some men at least

 

[Kube8]

Have you been consistently getting brand name propecia from your local pharmacy? Any recent switch over to generics online?

I've always shelled out the money for the real stuff. I did just start using Revita shampoo, but literally only 2 days. I do feel the sort of cold/peppermint like sensation in the hairline when I use it. Could this be making it worse too? That's the only real recent change, other than maybe using a little more Rogaine for the past month or so. Maybe I should just go back to what I was doing before?

 

[Kube8]

have u been using rogaine since 97/98 also? and what is ur age?

I can't remember exactly, but I started both around the same time. I was about 21 or so and I'm going on 32 in Feb.

 

[Kube8]

I know propecia doesn't necessarily help by the hairline (which is SO annoying) and that's mainly where I'm seeing more hair loss lately. I thought I was good to go because I've been using it for so long and maintained almost everything. The hairline/temples is where I see the most loss as of late. I feel the cold on my head now (granted it's been freezing in NY lately) which is a constant reminder of what's going on. GRR!

 

[youngbaldie]

Kube, if you haven't had any bad sides from propecia, then I would consider switching to avodart, this may help you keep what you have at this point.

I don't know much about revita, I heard it has nizoral's active ingredient in it, so that is good.

I would use that or nizoral and let it soak up in your hair for 10 minutes, I would do this 3 times a week. It works better if your hair is buzzed shorter (it doesn't have to be shaved).

An Avodart/Nizoral combo could really help out though.

You have to keep in mind too that even if you are losing at this point, the meds are slowing the loss down big time, even though it doesn't seem like it. You could consider staying on the meds and getting a hair transplant for the front (just do your research though, some of those guys are butchers, others I have heard are great though).

If you stay on the meds and get a good hair transplant, you may have a good shot at retaining what you have. I don't want to steer you in the wrong direction though. Transplants can be a blessing or a curse. Sometimes people get them to early while their hair loss hasn't leveled out and they end up losing everything around the transplanted hairs, which makes the head look worse than it naturally would.

I would visit the transplant subforum on here, and talk to people who have actually gone through with it, because they know better than I. I know very little if anything about transplants and the risks involved.

But you may be a good candidate if you are on avodart/nizoral/rogaine.

Good luck.

 

[Cassin]

no, you cannot build a tolerance to finasteride, you are always blocking the same amount of DHT

however, what little you do not block, eventually makes the hair follicles again sensitive to DHT again, even at reduced levels, in some men at least

bubka is correct here

male pattern baldness will always catch up to you.

 

[bubka]

now i theorize that this is not the case with everyone, actually I have no clue and don't care go give out a number

I think that if you make it past a certain age though, as your T levels begin to decrease, thus so will DHT, and then you are in the clear

 

[Cassin]

I think its on Dr Pickarts site somewhere, an explanation of why some people never go bald after they start. Its a long read that summarizes to "we just don't know why it stops"

http://www.skinbiology.com/

its a great site....check it out guys.

 

[ps1freak]

thats really depressing news : /

how bad is male pattern baldness in your family? is it aggressive?

 

[Cassin]

it shouldn't be. You can expect treatments to last forever.

But this could have another 10 years though...he shouldn't stop. He could just be going through a shedding phase. Nothing too serious at all.

 

[Guest]

no, you cannot build a tolerance to finasteride, you are always blocking the same amount of DHT

however, what little you do not block, eventually makes the hair follicles again sensitive to DHT again, even at reduced levels, in some men at least

bubka is correct here

male pattern baldness will always catch up to you.

not always. most experts believe that switching to dutasteride from finasteride if finasteride becomes overwhelmed by the male pattern baldness process later will halt further loss forever in the vast majority of people. testosterone and other androgens cannot do significant harm on their own and dht is the real culprit as we all know.

 

[RaginDemon]

I am more concerned of long term general health issues of blocking DHT for over 15-20 yrs.

I am perfectly comfortable letting my hair go after I am 45 or so.

 

[Cassin]

no, you cannot build a tolerance to finasteride, you are always blocking the same amount of DHT

however, what little you do not block, eventually makes the hair follicles again sensitive to DHT again, even at reduced levels, in some men at least

bubka is correct here

male pattern baldness will always catch up to you.

not always. most experts believe that switching to dutasteride from finasteride if finasteride becomes overwhelmed by the male pattern baldness process later will halt further loss forever in the vast majority of people. testosterone and other androgens cannot do significant harm on their own and dht is the real culprit as we all know.

If you need treatments than yes.

I also posted this right above...

I think its on Dr Pickarts site somewhere, an explanation of why some people never go bald after they start. Its a long read that summarizes to "we just don't know why it stops"

http://www.skinbiology.com/

its a great site....check it out guys.

 

[Kube8]

Wow... to start I thank all you guys for your replies! To respond to so many posts will be difficult, but I will try the best I can.

First off.... I still basically have a full head of hair. The reason I began propecia and rogaine at such a young age was 1- I must have experienced my first "shed" to whatever degree..... and 2- my mother's father was bald bald BALD at a very early age.

The only real side effects that I've experienced is my testicles do hurt when (not to get too personal) they are "manipulated" in some way. I actually never realized that propecia might have been the culprit in regards to that until recently. Also, I do suffer from libido fluctuations from time to time, but it's hard to say if propecia is what's doing it or not. Much of it is probably due to the time of year.... I certainly get hornier during the spring time and less so at this time of year.

About 5 months ago, I started experiencing alot of itchiness on my scalp. First on the right side of my temples and then the left. Now I have receded before in this manner, but only VERY slight.... and only I would notice. This time around it's gone way far back, but only thinned slightly on the right side and it's starting on the left as opposed to all the hair being gone from the area.... tho not much more needs to thin before people will notice. The most irritating issue is that it's happening in the front too. I still have hair there, but if I pull it back I can see that it's clearly thinned a bit.... and the quality of the hair is not as strong for sure. Maybe this is a shed that will return you think? I don't know.

On a whim I purchased Revita shampoo and used it twice. After reading some posts about how it made men shed significantly and some men never had it come back, I threw the bottles away. I hope I didn't do any damage by using it twice and now not planning to use it again.

I mainly feel a difference in the quality of my hair in these regions. My hair feels weaker and is thinner, but only really if you look at it closely.

I have considered this dutasteride, but I've heard that it can cause horrible side effects so I'm very apprehensive about trying it. I have absolutely no plans on going for a hair transplant at this time. For one.... I don't need it yet at all. 2- I would probably wait until I see where my hair loss takes me so I'm not left with strips of hair surrounded by bald spots.... that's just not a good look! lol.

Thank you cassin for that link..... I have bookmarked it and will give it a read. I plan on going to my dermatologist on wednesday to ask him what he thinks about everything..... he's "family" after all and will definitely sympathize as he always does. I'm particularly curious about asking him if my 2 days of revita use without plans on continuing will have caused any real damage.

Maybe this is just a larger shed than I've ever had before and it will return. or maybe it won't. Maybe it'll stop. I've just never experienced a thinning like this in all the years I've taken the meds and it freaks me out. It certainly doesn't help that it's been freezing here in NY and I can feel the cold on certain parts of my head which reminds me all too often about what may be happening.

I feel like a whiny child, bitching and moaning about my hair loss when there are so many men who are WAY further along than I am. I'm just exceptionally vain (which is stupid I know) and I don't ever want to be bald! I don't like things I can't control lol

Alas.... that's my rant for now.... again.... I thank all you guys for your replies and support. It definitely has made me feel a bit better about things. I guess whatever will happen will happen and I'll learn to deal with my fate whatever that is, but right now... I'm pissed.

 

[RaginDemon]

dont be pissed, there are many guys in their early 20's that have gone further than you on the Norwood scale.

If you are pissed, imagine how much rage those fellas would have.

live you life, and be happy!