Hey guys,
Sorry for the long absence and thanks again for the support. As I'm sure happens all the time with newbies like myself (especially the < 30 crowd) I made a stupid decision. After introducing myself here, I was talked into by others (including my doctor who I no longer trust) to give the rogaine/propecia combination a try. That's the bad news. The good news is that, after about 3 weeks, I've already realized that it isn't for me and I'm done with both of them (flushed remaining propecia down the toilet, a very therapeutic experience). As a health matter, I can't believe I even considered taking a drug that would alter my hormones (and to keep taking it for life!) just to save my hair, which sucks anyway. And as a matter of principle, I just felt ridiculous spending money/time in hair medication when I had so much more in life to be worrying about.
In sum, I'm glad I've reached the place I have now, and quite frankly I cannot wait to shave my head. I wish I could turn back the clock 20 days and talk some sense into myself, but the upside is that this brief 3 week experiment has provided a lot of perspective on my hair loss. The act of putting a pill into my mouth every day made me realize how stupid it was to risk health for hair. I know a lot of guys had to go through a lot before accepting the sly lifestyle, I guess I should be glad that I didn't waste any more time and money, or risk my health any more than I already have, before I could see clearly how the easiest and healthiest option is right here on this forum.
Anyway, my first priority going forward is making sure even my brief time on medication did not harm me in any permanent way (I think I noticed some mild sides, but very well could have been paranoia). I know the odds are in my favor of being just fine, but the horror stories are out there and I'm hoping that a couple of months down the ride I am feeling well. In the meantime, I'm also going to the sly lifestyle and I couldn't be happier about that. I don't think I'll feel the full happiness of it until I know I've moved on from the 3 weeks of lowered DHT in my system, but I am hopeful that day will come sooner rather than later.
Finally, thanks again. Whether stressing about hair, side effects (or as others have, wigs, transplants, etc.), it's nice to have a community of guys who can relate to the roller coaster of emotions and stress, and help reinforce that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and the way to get there is a lot easier than previously thought.
