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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by johnnybaklava on May 7, 2009, at 11:48:29
I've been noticing hair loss for years, but it has seemed to kick into overdrive over the last two years. In that time I had quit Zoloft and tried Lamictal and Elavil for a bit, before sticking to klonopin for nearly a year. I haven't been on klonopin for 8 months (I thought that was the culprit) and have been taking a variety of alternative remedies since, such as 5-htp, melatonin, and taurine at night, and methionine and b-vitamins during the day. A few months ago I added fish oil and phosphatdylserine. Whatever I do, it just seems to get worse. I thought that by getting off the meds I might at least get a little growth back. I know that I am genetically predisposed to this, but I keep thinking that the accelerated lost must be due to something I'm taking. Any similar experiences or advice?
Posted by nolvas on May 7, 2009, at 18:30:25
In reply to Hair Loss, posted by johnnybaklava on May 7, 2009, at 11:48:29
If you are male then there is no cure for male pattern baldness. You can possibly slow down the hair with two treatments :
Minoxidil
Finasteride (Proscar)
Dutasteride (Avodart)Ok that's three, but you either use Proscar or Avodart. No one knows the exact mechanism how Minoxidil helps to regrow hair. The regrowth is usually very minimal. If you have frontal recession then there's absolutely nothing that can treat it yet. It seems that Minoxidil imitates hair growth factors in relation to Nitric Oxide. If you stop Minoxidil then you will quickly lose any hair that you regrew, tolerance is thought to happen with Minoxidil and some people use formulas with Retinoic acid in them to try and avoid this.
Proscar and Avodart are 5-Alpha Reductase inhibitors, there are two types of 5AR, type I and II. Avodart is more powerful at inhibiting 5AR than Proscar. It is thought that Dihydrotestoterone causes the immune system to attack hair gradually reducing them in size over time until they become transparent vellus hairs. 5AR inhibitors stop or lessen the conversion of Testosterone to DHT.
Proscar is approved for treating hair loss and Avodart isn't. Avodart should get approval in the future and appears to be more successful at stopping hair loss than Proscar.
When starting these treatments it's normal to shed more hair, this is to do with how the hair grows, it has different stages of growth, which you can research online if you like :)
I have looked at preventing hair loss myself between 1992 when I first noticed it up to I guess around 2000 when I accepted that I was going to be bald.
My advice is this, it's no disgrace to go bald, I believe around 80% of males go bald, if you can accept yourself as being bald you will be a lot happier person and have a lot more money in your wallet. The best advice is get yourself checked out by a Doctor and if the prognosis is MPB (Male Pattern Baldness) then simply do nothing and accept it. It may seem difficult as hair forms a strong emotional bond in a person, how they feel about themselves and how they think others percieve them.
I have tried every supplement under the Sun they are in my opinion nediocre to useless for treating hair loss, remember you are trying to fight against the will of genetic predisposition, hair loss will not harm you unless you let it emotionally.
Posted by johnnybaklava on May 7, 2009, at 18:43:58
In reply to Re: Hair Loss, posted by nolvas on May 7, 2009, at 18:30:25
This is great information, and I really appreciate the attitude and sentiment behind it. I think what makes my case particularly frustrating is that I had a hair transplant right after my father died ten years ago. It was a moment of weakness and I regret the decision. In retrospect, I would have much preferred simply accepting my fate and shaving my head. But now I have a scar from the surgery, and would feel self-conscious if I shaved or simply let nature take its course. I'm not particularly interested in take a prescription med. I don't think the potential side-effects and expense would be worth the nominal gains, which is why I was, perhaps fool-hardyly, looking for a natural option. It looks like I will just have to accept the facts, but it is hard!
Thanks again for your time on this.
Posted by Phillipa on May 8, 2009, at 12:40:23
In reply to Re: Hair Loss, posted by johnnybaklava on May 7, 2009, at 18:43:58
Just wanted to add that my husbands brother had a brain tumor as a late teen and radiation took his hair he has a wig and today there are excellent ones on the market not that expensive. Just another thought for you. Love Phillipa
Posted by desolationrower on May 13, 2009, at 14:25:49
In reply to Re: Hair Loss » johnnybaklava, posted by Phillipa on May 8, 2009, at 12:40:23
in addition to finasteride/minox, use nizoral shampoo 2-3x a week.
other days, jsut a basic shampoo i but for 100ml shampoo, 1/8tsp caffeine, 1/3tsp green tea extract, 1/3 tsp apple, squirt of lemon juice (stabilizes green tea).
also use a conditioner which has tea tree oil in it.
those are approximately in order of effectiveness (based on studies, i'm not going to spend years to experiement)
copper peptides are good too, but significantly more $$
good health/nutrion is probably good too, especially maintaining insulin sensitivity
-d/r
Posted by manic666 on June 1, 2009, at 11:56:31
In reply to Hair Loss, posted by johnnybaklava on May 7, 2009, at 11:48:29
this is a situation i got in with effexor my hair went thin , not that you noticed it falling out when washing but i lost a lot of hair to that med , i have got it back now but i was on cymbalta . it was crap on depression , but my hair grew back an my aches an pains went.im on zoloft. now and i thought its looking thin again .
Posted by Johnny Baklava on June 1, 2009, at 14:19:41
In reply to Re: Hair Loss, posted by manic666 on June 1, 2009, at 11:56:31
That's so irritating. I hate all of these pills. Did anyone really need all of this crap 100 years ago? I blame society!! Anyway, I had more hair on Zoloft, but I think, in retrospect, that's when the thinning began, I just didn't notices it as much because the drug had more to work with in terms of clear-cutting my scalp. I took Cymbalta for two weeks, and noticed a lot of shedding then, more than when I had taken Zoloft, Prozac, Wellbutrin, Lamictal, or any of the other awful drugs my stupid shrink wrote script for.
I've been doing fish pills for a few months and feel better than I ever did on those pills, save for Zoloft, which will always have a special place in my heart. It made me feel like Spock, which was fun for a while though my family probably thought otherwise.
Posted by morganpmiller on June 24, 2009, at 11:11:09
In reply to Re: Hair Loss, posted by Johnny Baklava on June 1, 2009, at 14:19:41
Zinc/copper, selenium, magnesium, tocotrienols, green tea extract, curcumin, cayenne, fish oil, good multi, and resveratrol, yes, resveratrol. All of these should help with hair loss. The best resveratrol in my opinion, revgenetics nitro 250. Then there is longevinex and botivia. Whatever resveratrol you use make sure it is pure trans resveratrol from a good company. Also, take resveratrol with a good whey protein, some soy lecithin, and maybe quercetin. All of these may help with absorption.
Topical treatments/shampoos: Nanominox FMS by Sinere, Neutrogena T gel, Nizoral shampoo
Someone should have told you that Lamictal depletes vitamins/minerals in your body, especially folic acid. I don't think folic acid deficiency causes hair loss though. Lamictal can cause hair loss.
Posted by johnnybaklava on June 24, 2009, at 19:59:02
In reply to Re: Hair Loss, posted by morganpmiller on June 24, 2009, at 11:11:09
Thanks for all of this great info. I had no idea resveratrol did anything for hair. Does is help balance mood, by any chance?
My quack doctor told me nothing about Lamictal, other than the dreaded rash. I was only on it for a few weeks. In addition to the hair issue, it made me feel hot, itchy, and my mood was, if anything, less balanced than before. Next time someone prescribes me a drug, I'll agree only if they take it first.
Posted by morganpmiller on June 26, 2009, at 0:11:46
In reply to Re: Hair Loss, posted by johnnybaklava on June 24, 2009, at 19:59:02
Resveratrol has some potential to help with mood. It has some mild impact on MAO and may regulate glutamate. Who knows. I have heard of some peoples' mood improving on resveratrol.
Many have also claimed that resveratrol not only helped with hair loss but also turned some greys back to black. This is very anecdotal of course.
This is the end of the thread.
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