I initially got PFS after quitting 2 months then restarting a week later, initially got bad anxiety that cleared after a month and was left with sever depression. 4 months later due to my complete lack of research and lies from my Dermatologist I took oral minoxidil for a month and have been having horrible side effects since. my question is that if Minoxidil is incapable of passing the BBB would this mean that there is a possibly that it is more related to hormones getting messed up? or am I completely wrong and minoxidils properties are capable of reaching the brain? Just a thought
This is a interesting question indeed and I’ve researched it before since people had gotten “PFS”, including the mental issue from Minoxidil only (never touching fin).
And it seems like minoxidil can not cross the blood brain barrier.
Which lead me to believe that whatever is going on with us, might start in the body and then the brain gets affected. This is not unheard of before.
Finasteride, Minoxidil, Isotretinoin (Accutane), SSRIs despite their differences all share anti-androgenic properties, which are likely responsible for the symptoms all these substances cause in a small subset of patients.
1 Like
Yes, but while SSRI, Fin and Accutane all cross the blood brain barrier, minoxidil doesn’t.
This could mean that disturbing the androgen / hormonal homeostasis in the body can give neurological symptoms.