Has anyone here experienced what's called hyperandrogenicity

General Discussion
#1

Hi,

I was on Finasteride about a year ago. I tried it for 4 months and during that time I experienced a constant and massive shed (multiple hundred hairs per day). I went back to my doctor who prescribed it (top UCLA hair expert) as well as another hair expert here in Los Angeles who has prescribed Propecia to about 15k people (his estimate). Both of the docs said that this was absolutely not normal and that I should stop it immediately. I also had other symtoms such hot flashes, much increased sebum production, acne, increased sexual function (multiple spontaneous erections during the day). I could have lived with these other symptoms but the hair loss was off the charts. From my own research online, I have come across people who have referred to this as hyperandrogenicity. This is a term which a guy called Dr. Lee (an online doctor) coined apparently. It apparently means that my body increased the androgren receptors in response to the drug. Before anyone comments that 4 months isn’t that long to be on the drug, believe me, I absolutely had to get off this drug. Both doctors were shocked by the hair loss and said that this was not a part of some natural shed that happens when you start a hair loss treatment. Some of my hair came back when I stopped using it. Some did not. My hair loss has continued since then (to a much lesser degree) and now I’m back to square one.

My questions are

  1. has anyone here experienced this response to finasteride?
  2. Would dutasteride be an alternative drug that might avoid this response?
  3. Has anyone tried topical finasteride? Does this work? what are the side effects like?
  4. Does anyone have an alternative anti androgen that works and is safe?
  5. Has anyone got a hair loss regiment that they are happy with? Please share.
#2

This isn’t a hairloss forum, I personally recommend you forget your hair and live a healthy, happy life without it.

As you’ve already experienced an uncommon response to hairloss drugs, you could find yourself in a very bad position as we here have.

It is extremely likely to be unsafe for you to persue continued use of any of these drugs, many people here have significantly worsened their condition with subsequent exposure to drugs like Finasteride.

If you are using these drugs, you cannot continue posting here, this is a forum for people with problems after ceasing usage, not for those with problems during use. If you find your problems continue after discontinuation we will try to help and support you, but you cannot continue to post here if you are using these drugs.

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#3

People need to quit ignoring the hair symptoms as imo it’s part of the syndrome and a clue as to what’s going on with androgen receptors…I had the same thing and an acceleration of hair loss that I never had prior to using finastride and constantly shedding scalp its horrible…

#4

Yea most of us have experienced it to some degree two-three weeks after stopping finasteride due to the flood of DHT returning.

Your case is different since you’re still on it but the feeling is probably the same. People react differently to this drug, anything is possible. Nothing you can do about it, maybe go on dutasteride and see if you react differently if you’re desperate to keep your hair. Otherwise you should probably quit and hope for the best.

#5

It’s when you dont experience it the trouble begins…Aftet stopping some have theorized the androgen receptors are damaged or dried so to speak…Others think there is an epigenetic mechanism that has silenced the gene that controls this androgenic response of the receptors…

#6

Hi, @holyhead, @lbv if you think there’s a discussion to be had about this, it’s fine to create a topic but I’m going to close this one.

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#7