Oral Minoxidil

[thx1138]

I read an article in the New York Times recently about people getting results from ORAL minoxidil. I talked to my dermatologist about it and he wrote me a prescription for generic minoxidil 2.5mg a day. Actually I split them in half for 1.25mg/day. Anyway I feel like I'm already getting results after a month. Mostly that I seem to need to shave my face more often. I don't see as much of my scalp, but from time to time I take an overhead photo.

I'm reading that people get better results out of 5mg a day. And I figured out that if I buy like some 60ml 5% topical scalp lotion minoxidil from say Costco, that has 600 5mg doses. There are 1200 drops in 60ml. So each drop would be 2.5mg. So I could take a drop every 12 or 24 hours.

I guess I can also ask my dermatologist to up my prescription pills. But I kind of resent how doctors role seems to be, a monopoly over prescriptions. So I'm thinking of going rogue. What do y’all think?

I can’t post links here yet, this being my first post, but the article was from August 18, 2022 and titled An Old Medicine Grows New Hair for Pennies a Day, Doctors Say.

 

[MPBsucks1234]

Oral minoxidil for me has been better than I could have imagined. I have a HT as well but not on the frontal third. It has thicker my front up so much no that aged 35 I can leave my house without worrying about wind or rain, made such a difference it is hard to put it into words.

 

[Mark Wolfer]

It seems crazy to me to drink topical minoxidil, but people are doing it I guess.

 

[thx1138]

By my math, we're only talking about one or two drops a day. But I wouldn't mind someone sharing their experience, and/or checking my math.

 

[Kevboy]

Ask your Dermatologist about drinking Minox. I would not be willing to drink it.

 

[HR1986]

Quick question: I'm currently 18 months post HT (FUE) I've been taking 1mg of finasteride 3 times a week for around 15 months and I use topical finasteride once a day. I still lose 20-30 hairs day. Is this normal? Or should I increase my dose of finasteride?

 

[Bigmac]

Quick question: I'm currently 18 months post HT (FUE) I've been taking 1mg of finasteride 3 times a week for around 15 months and I use topical finasteride once a day. I still lose 20-30 hairs day. Is this normal? Or should I increase my dose of finasteride?

It is completely normal to lose that amount of hair per day. You probably lose more but don't notice it.

 

[Mark Wolfer]

Quick question: I'm currently 18 months post HT (FUE) I've been taking 1mg of finasteride 3 times a week for around 15 months and I use topical finasteride once a day. I still lose 20-30 hairs day. Is this normal? Or should I increase my dose of finasteride?

What does this have to do with drinking topical minox?

 

[HR1986]

I made a mistake - I meant topical minoxidil not finasteride.

 

[MPBsucks1234]

I know of people on other forums drinking the stuff, maybe more out of desperation since oral tablets are hard to get hold of. Fortunately I get my prescription from Dr Farjo.

 

[thx1138]

Those minoxidil sippers at the other forums... do they report that it works?

 

[MPBsucks1234]

To be honest I don't know as I find it unreliable to use purely patient accounts of this when on other medication since I have read that only a small percentage survives the stomach when in liquid form . I would not do that myself and would stick to oral minoxidil.

 

[Tom80]

It only works for 2 out of 3 people

 

[thx1138]

To be honest I don't know as I find it unreliable to use purely patient accounts of this when on other medication since I have read that only a small percentage survives the stomach when in liquid form . I would not do that myself and would stick to oral minoxidil.

Not to put too fine a point on things but, a liquid is, when solid ice melts and turns to liquid water. I don’t know what the melting point of minoxidil is, but the minoxidil is not in a liquid state. It’s a solid, dissolved in a solution of alcohol, propylene glycol, and purified water. Now, if I take a minoxidil tablet, it is small and I put it under my tongue, and then it is dissolved in saliva, and absorbed sublingually and buccal-ly (through the cheeks, like chewing tobacco) into my body. This will work the same way if I take a drop of minoxidil solution that was supposed to go onto my scalp and put it under my tongue. The stomach is not involved.

That said, at least the Costco brand, I’m finding the “dropper” minoxidil to have been replaced by a “foam” minoxidil, making it harder to measure, for those inclined to experiment. Both do say “for topical use only”.

I agree it would be better to have a lot of data, than to rely on a few anecdotal reports. However as the NYT article pointed out, you would lose millions of dollars in running a proper clinical trial of this, let alone a test that takes topical minoxidil and puts a drop a day under your tongue. The article said dermatologists (who have more data) feel like its worth trying (though they prescribe the tablet, not the use of the dropper in a manner inconsistent with its labelling).

 

[MPBsucks1234]

Im not saying it does or does not work, if you want to drink it then that is up to you. Im no science specialist on this so simply prefer to buy the tablets than drink the stuff.