I Have an Increased Libido and Increased Shedding After 3 Months on Propecia

Dear Dr Rassman,

I’m writing to ask your opinion on my furthered use of Finasteride. I’m nearly 28 years old, around NW 2. All the men in my family (father’s side) are NW 4a by around age 40. I first noticed hairloss at the temples at age 25, at which time it was quite mild.

After suffering extensively with this emotionally (I am/was a musician), I tried 5% minoxidil for 8 months (no results).

I then consulted a dermatologist for a Finasteride prescription (5mg quartered), which I have been taking for just over three months. I have noticed a slightly increased libido and markedly increased shedding which has gotten progressively more extreme to the point where I am increasingly rapidly losing my hairline and density behind it. I am losing hair all over my head and my crown is very itchy/red/inflamed, none of which I had before starting with Finasteride. None of the men in my family suffer from crown loss.

I simply wanted to add myself to the small list of men who feel strongly that the drug is making their hairloss much, much worse and ask whether I should wait it out the suggested year or cut my losses now. My dermatologist suggested stopping the drug.

You’ve written about finasteride shedding several times and I understand your opinion is that it is something of a myth. The statistical data shows that 89% do well with the drug over a 5 year period. Nonetheless, I have seen several anecdotal accounts from men that compare with my situation (age/NW) where they claim their hairloss sped up rapidly and never returned and am unsure what to take from this.

Thanks and best regards.

Your history is atypical. Increased libido is an occasional side effect that I have seen in my patients.

With regard to your shedding, it generally stops at about 3 months, but you need to go back to your prescribing doctor and have him examine you. I hope that he did a bulk analysis of your hair to see if you are actually losing hair bulk. Applying good science tells much about what these observations mean.