Low Dose Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss, AAS and Androgen Receptors

[Pig Vomit]

I have a bit of hair loss and recently read an article in the New York Times about low dose oral minoxidil being effective at regrowing hair. The article is here: (board wouldn't let me post link said it was too spam like, do a search). The article basically says that dermatologist are increasingly prescribing 2.5mg of minoxidil per day for hair loss. I didn't do a whole lot of research, but asked my derm about it, and learned the derm has quite a few patients for whom this has been effective. The derm also said that since the article came out a ton of people were asking for scrips. I was told that it was definitely effective for regrowing hair, but I needed to be aware that if I stopped, I would lose all the regrown hair rather quickly but wouldn't be any worse off than if I had never started. Sold. Got my scrip.

Whaddya know....it works. Definitely have more hair on my head now than when I started, a bit more hair on the arms and nose (outside, not inside), a little on the back, but the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

So lately I've noticed I'm looking a bit softer which I attributed to having to slow down in the gym due to injury, but lately I've thought it might be something else. I seem to be retaining water and am a bit more thirsty. Then I went to the doctor the other day and I had a rather sudden weight gain (I rarely weigh myself) of around 8 pounds.....8 soft pounds, despite eating pretty clean.

This caused me to finally do some research today and I'm kicking myself for not having researched sooner. Well known side effects are water retention and salt retention, and a few posts here and there from lifters saying their workouts went sideways and they looked softer. And then I found this study, which is entitled, "Minoxidil may suppress androgen receptor-related functions": (again, wouldn't let me post link, do a search).

So....looking for knowledgeable input from folks on the impacts of oral minoxidil on test replacement and AAS effectiveness. Also throwing this out there for informational purposes. It's an older study, but I wasn't able to come up with anything more comprehensive. Glyco, would really appreciate your input on this one.

Thanks in advance for any and all replies. Did a search on the forum first, found nothing on point.

 

[Kluso]

Saw u mention this in your intro. I have been using topical minoxidil for around a month and not noticing much. Had not heard of taking it orally. I have heard of using finasteride topically and I’m thinking of trying that. I only apply the minoxidil once a day though. Before bed cause I’m not walking around in public with greasy hair. Lol. I heard you can crush up a fina pill and add it to your minoxidil and supposedly works well and u don’t get the fina sides. Have you heard of doing this?

 

[Pig Vomit]

Yeah, the whole greasy hair thing is why I didn't want to go down the topical route, and while the negative impacts from orals seem to be greater than topical, from what I've read, it still gets absorbed into your system and can have the same negative impacts to a lesser degree.

As for the crushing of fina, I had not heard of that until I started researching, but there's nothing but incidental posts on some boards, some say it works, some say it doesn't.

Here are the links to the articles, which the board didn't let me post earlier as I didn't have enough prior posts.

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/18/health/minoxidil-hair-loss-pills.html

The scientific study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4039155/#:~:text=These tests revealed that minoxidil,AR-positive LNCaP cell growth.

 

[Kluso]

Yeah, the whole greasy hair thing is why I didn't want to go down the topical route, and while the negative impacts from orals seem to be greater than topical, from what I've read, it still gets absorbed into your system and can have the same negative impacts to a lesser degree.

As for the crushing of fina, I had not heard of that until I started researching, but there's nothing but incidental posts on some boards, some say it works, some say it doesn't.

Here are the links to the articles, which the board didn't let me post earlier as I didn't have enough prior posts.

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/18/health/minoxidil-hair-loss-pills.html

The scientific study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4039155/#:~:text=These tests revealed that minoxidil,AR-positive LNCaP cell growth.

I usually put it on after I shower when I get home from work. You mentioned minoxidil can be absorbed systematically and I think I do feel it after application. Maybe because my pores are more open from the shower. It’s hard to describe but I feel it. And I don’t mean on my scalp. Like physically or mentally. It’s doing something. I may just stop it if it’s messing with the AR or growth because I’m now in a growth phase and that’s last thing I need. Was just hoping to offset this blast of androgens. My hairline gets worse every blast now. And thins on top. Thanks for the info. Going to read now.

 

[Kluso]

Sounds like it increases E2 also! From the study. Now I’m curious how much is absorbed systemic when applied topically? Like I mentioned I can feel something happening when I apply it to my scalp. Like a different feeling comes over me. But hard to describe. Do you notice anything like that when u take it orally? Think I might drop it for now. Or stop taking it when it runs out.

 

[Pig Vomit]

I feel nothing different when I take it orally.

One other thing that came up in my research.....it's vasodilator, and some doctors warn people not to take it for 24 hours prior to using any ED meds like Viagra because it increases the effects (positive and negative). I can vouch for this particular interaction.

Like you, I'm concerned about the potentially negative impacts on size and condition and interference with test and other substances. My current scrip runs out in a couple weeks, and I'm wondering if I should stop. Going to consult with the prescribing doctor and might just experiment by going off to see what happens with water retention, weight, and the effectiveness of other substances I may be using. Part of me says stay the course for another few months.

That's why I posted.....I'm not really sure what to do and there are far more educated people than me on pharmacology (Glyco! Hate your politics, love your knowledge!) who I would love to hear from.

 

[Kluso]

I’d like to here Glycos thoughts as well!

 

[Kluso]

This might help. @Glycomann

 

[Pig Vomit]

I just messaged my endocrinologist for his input. He's not known for quick responses, if he responds at all. I will post any info he provides.

 

[Pig Vomit]

Nothing back from my endocrinologist yet....but that doesn't really surprise me. Some doctors great at responding, others not so much, and with this guy I never really expected a response anyway. I don't see him again for about another 5 months.

 

[beefnewton]

I've been too much a coward to try anything that might affect DHT, topical or oral. I had low testosterone my whole life, and it took me years of TRT for my body to acclimate to actually having normal levels. Normal levels for me were 200's/300's, but then that fell to 50-150 in my mid-late 30's, at which point I had to go on TRT... keep in the 800's now. But these days I have a nice bald spot forming in the back of my head and thinning in the front. Can still hide the front, but the back? Not so much. Good times.

 

[Pig Vomit]

Beef, I think a lot of us are in the same boat. Honestly, I was SHOCKED at how effective it worked. I thought, meh, why not, might see a little more hair, what will it hurt? The difference is easily noticeable, by me, by the spouse, etc. My desire not to interfere with effectiveness of test levels is higher than my desire for hair, because, c'mon, I'm old and I've been with someone over 20 years. But vanity is vanity, whether it be your body or your hair. It would be a much easier decision if the difference wasn't so noticeable. I would just like someone who can decrypt the study I posted (@Glycomann ) and give me a definitive answer before I stop, because I really don't think my endocrinologist will answer it before my next appt (months away) and the prescribing doctor probably can't answer it (who I will see soon). That study is just WAY over my now-not-so-hairless head.