Underactive Thyroid and Propecia

Dear Dr Rassman,
I am 26 years of age and have been losing lots of hair recently (last two months). I had a blood test and was told that my Thyroxine levels are slightly below normal. I am having another blood test in a week or two, but because my hair loss has been very quick I have been tempted to take propecia. I know propecia is best at keeping hair rather than restoring it so I am concerned that if I wait for my second blood test then start taking it I will have lost lots of hair. Is it not advisable to take propecia if I may have an underactive thyroid. I would be very grateful for your insight.

Propecia is a medication that needs to be precribed by a doctor. As harmless as Propecia (finasteride) may seem, there are subtle medical factors that only your doctor can assess. Sometimes, even if you are balding, Propecia may NOT be indicated. If so, you would be wasting your money. I realize that it is faily easy to obtain drugs over the internet, but I discourage such practice.

These medical issues are things you need to discuss with your doctor. Thyroid conditions are fairly easy to treat. The best “insight” that I can give you is that a patient to doctor relationship should be thought of as a partnership. I am a medical doctor, but I am not YOUR doctor. BaldingBlog is merely a platform of my personal opinions and an attempt to educate the general public.