Throat Swelling with Propecia Use

Thank you for posting such useful information on this site. I want to ask some basic questions regarding post-op care that I haven’t seen posted (or maybe I’m not searching correctly either).

I recently had a 2500+ graft procedure just in case that matters for some of the questions posted:

1. Approximately how long after surgery should a patient expect to see bumps on their head? I am roughly 5-6 weeks out of my transplant, and I still see some pimple-like bumps on my scalp (sometimes even a random scab here or there that easily comes off after showering & soaking). I’m just curious to know how long it might take to see everything go away and return to normal.

2. There are still some areas from the incision that seem to be little tender, which I mostly notice when I apply shampoo in the shower. Is it normal to experience some form of (mild) tenderness around 6 weeks out of surgery? I believe you’ve posted before that around the first month, the incision is about 70-80% healed.

3. Have you ever heard of anyone experiencing slight swelling in the throat after starting Propecia? I started taking Propecia after my procedure, and noticed some minor swelling in my throat, but now it seems to have gone away. I also noticed I was more tired than normal, but that was probably due to causes unrelated to using Propecia or having the surgery (although I followed roughly the same sleeping pattern as I did pre-surgery). In either case, I was curious to know if you had heard of these types of effects from using Propecia.

Many thanks!

While it is a pleasure to educate on issues of balding and hair transplants, I don’t understand why a recent hair transplant patient will have such basic questions to ask when they have their own surgeon. Was this not explained in your post operative instructions? Is the doctor not available? Here is a link to some of the basic questions after a hair transplant procedure from my NHI website: Post-Op Course in Follicular Unit Transplantation

To answer your questions more specifically, some redness or bumps may be common or it may indicate an early infection or folliculitis. I would follow up with your doctor if this is of concern. Scabbing should be gone after 5-6 days unless you have not been washing your scalp well. Some areas on the donor site can be tender, but in the recipient area it can also suggest early infection, though I do not have any way to tell.

I have not heard of swelling in the throat after taking Propecia. Swelling in the throat after taking any medication is a very serious and possible life threatening side effect suggestive of a potentially dangerous allergy. You could have a possible allergy to an inactive ingredient in the Propecia, but I am just guessing. I would follow up with your doctor and stop taking any medication that causes swelling in the throat.