“Reflex Hyperandrogenicity”— anybody have any experience with this?

[BaldEagle98]

Hey guys, I’m new to this forum and looking for some help, in relation to what I believe to be persistent side effects from finasteride.

To make a long story short I took finasteride for a month and developed intense itching, burning and shedding all over my scalp, even the back and sides. My eyebrows and eyelashes have also shed a lot and lightened up in color. 1.5 yrs later and nothing has changed.

I’ve read a few posts on this forum where people have had similar issues and call it reflex Hyperandrogenicity. There appears to be no research or proof that this exists, only anecdotes.

I’ve tried several shampoos, I’ve seen doctors and gotten blood work done, nothing has pointed me in the direction to treat/reverse this. I don’t even care about balding anymore, I just want the burning to stop and my facial hair to grow back. If anybody can help I’d greatly appreciate.

 

[Mr. Slap Head]

So your hair hasn't changed in 1.5 years?

 

[BaldEagle98]

So your hair hasn't changed in 1.5 years?

It’s only worsened. I thought maybe my hormones just needed time to revert to normal but whatever happened seems to be long term/permanent.

My back and sides used to be thick and grow faster than the top, now they’re so thin that you can see some scalp even with it grown out.

 

[Mr. Slap Head]

It’s only worsened. I thought maybe my hormones just needed time to revert to normal but whatever happened seems to be long term/permanent.

My back and sides used to be thick and grow faster than the top, now they’re so thin that you can see some scalp even with it grown out.

Still trying to understand. Were you on finasteride for only 1 month? Or 1.5 years?

 

[BaldEagle98]

1 month. It has been 1.5 years since the side effects started and I quit

 

[Mr. Slap Head]

That’s not long enough at all. I’d give it another go. If you don’t want to, there’s always oral minoxidil.

 

[Jonah]

Hey guys, I’m new to this forum and looking for some help, in relation to what I believe to be persistent side effects from finasteride.

To make a long story short I took finasteride for a month and developed intense itching, burning and shedding all over my scalp, even the back and sides. My eyebrows and eyelashes have also shed a lot and lightened up in color. 1.5 yrs later and nothing has changed.

I’ve read a few posts on this forum where people have had similar issues and call it reflex Hyperandrogenicity. There appears to be no research or proof that this exists, only anecdotes.

I’ve tried several shampoos, I’ve seen doctors and gotten blood work done, nothing has pointed me in the direction to treat/reverse this. I don’t even care about balding anymore, I just want the burning to stop and my facial hair to grow back. If anybody can help I’d greatly appreciate.

Yes unfortunately this is possible but very rare. It won’t show up in bloodwork though. The consensus is that it is a androgen receptor issue and not hormonal. Do you have increased forhead/scalp oiliness as well?

 

[BaldEagle98]

Yes unfortunately this is possible but very rare. It won’t show up in bloodwork though. The consensus is that it is an androgen receptor issue and not hormonal. Do you have increased forhead/scalp oiliness as well?

Yes my scalp is a constant oily mess. I used to have a naturally dry scalp and only shampooed once a week, now I have to shampoo pretty much every day.

Is there anything I can do to make my b**ch *** receptors chill out??

 

[losingbattle88]

Yes my scalp is a constant oily mess. I used to have a naturally dry scalp and only shampooed once a week, now I have to shampoo pretty much every day.

Is there anything I can do to make my b**ch *** receptors chill out??

Yes. Oral Bicalutamide and estradiol injections will calm it down.

 

[Jonah]

Yes my scalp is a constant oily mess. I used to have a naturally dry scalp and only shampooed once a week, now I have to shampoo pretty much every day.

Is there anything I can do to make my b**ch *** receptors chill out??

Once you stopped finasteride and it cleared your system - did your symptoms stay the same, got better a bit a or got worse?

 

[BaldEagle98]

Yes. Oral Bicalutamide and estradiol injections will calm it down.

So turn female basically

 

[BaldEagle98]

Once you stopped finasteride and it cleared your system - did your symptoms stay the same, got better a bit a or got worse?

I feel like it’s for the most part stayed the same. The shedding for sure has.

I should’ve mentioned finasteride also gave me other intense symptoms like ED, depressing thoughts, low libido, stinging nipples etc. which from what I gather are pretty well known side effects. ALL of those went away within a few weeks after stopping.

 

[Mr. Slap Head]

If you cycled topical E2 for say a month or so it might help. It downregulates receptors.

You could also do RU, but you'd have to be on it for life, and there's no guarantee it will work.

 

[BaldEagle98]

If you cycled topical E2 for say a month or so it might help. It downregulates receptors.

You could also do RU, but you'd have to be on it for life, and there's no guarantee it will work.

Funnily enough I tried RU for about 3 or so weeks after stopping finasteride. I can’t tell if it made any difference with the scalp but it gave me chest pain and shortness of breath so I threw it away.

 

[Jonah]

I feel like it’s for the most part stayed the same. The shedding for sure has.

I should’ve mentioned finasteride also gave me other intense symptoms like ED, depressing thoughts, low libido, stinging nipples etc. which from what I gather are pretty well known side effects. ALL of those went away within a few weeks after stopping.

That’s strange. Most with reflex hyperandrogenicity don’t have the typical finasteride side effects. This is so bc the body has reacted in the reverse manner: IE extra sensitive to DHT, therefore there wouldn’t be sides as DHT would be operating as per usual (or better in fact)

 

[BaldEagle98]

That’s strange. Most with reflex hyperandrogenicity don’t have the typical finasteride side effects. This is so bc the body has reacted in the reverse manner: IE extra sensitive to DHT, therefore there wouldn’t be sides as DHT would be operating as per usual (or better in fact)

I should specify that the Hyperandrogenicity happened after the sexual side effects, like about 2 or 3 days later. The sexual sides dissipated but the androgen receptors have stayed upregulated