androcur/cyproterone acetate

olivia_baxter · 01-23-2003, 08:32 PM

hi all,

i was wondering what experiences people have had with this medication?

in particular i'm interested in how long you took it for, what the effects were, any side effects, dosage, and how soon after stopping did hair grow back.

(btw this med isn't available in the US).

olivia

Cato · 01-25-2003, 05:59 AM

My endo says that my experience was unusually successful, but here goes:

I started taking cyp. acetate about 5-6 years ago. I started on 50 mg per day for 12 days out of 28 -- I also took Dianette.

I had a dramatic reduction in facial hair growth almost immediately (I know people say this isn't possible because it takes time for the hair to grow in the first place, but it seemed to be the case for me) -- I used to spend about 2 1/2 hours every day plucking out my beard, and by day 12 I noticed that the hairs weren't really replacing the ones I'd plucked -- by day 12, I was only having to spend maybe 15 minutes a day plucking. Maybe it's because my hair grows so fast -- maybe I was able to pluck a large percentage of them out by the root early on, and the cyp. prevented new ones from growing.

Anyway, I just stopped taking it two months ago (to give myself a chance to think of maybe starting a family). I may be imagining it, but it seems like the hair is already starting to grow back faster. Nothing like before, but just a few more hairs than while I was still taking it (I'd got down to only having to pluck every couple of days, but now I feel like I have to pluck every day again -- only for 5 minutes a day now rather than 2.5 hours, but I'm really worried that it will get worse as time goes on)

I'm thinking of buying some Saw Palmetto... not sure if it's any healthier than cyp. acetate (which did sort of scare me from time to time, all the warnings about liver damage and so on). I've also bought one of those electrolysis pad machines -- my theory being that the little @@##$$'s will be easier to kill off in their current fine state than they would if I let them get back to full coarse beard-hair proportions. keep your fingers crossed for me!

anyway, that's my experience -- hope it helps.

Appollonia · 01-25-2003, 10:42 AM

Just started it, on 25mg a day, trying it for hairloss, see if I can reverse that.
The person with the above post, how did you find it for halting head hair loss?
That's a good point about Saw PAlmetto in pregnancy, if it really is an antiandrogen then shouldn't it also have the potential to feminise a male foetus?
Have you tried those creams that inhibit hair growth, eg, "Hair no More" (Aussie brand).
Or, laser?

Cato · 01-29-2003, 10:27 AM

Hiya.

fortunately (touch wood) I've never had a problem with hair loss -- it's always been too much hair (only growing where I don't want it!)

I would definitely stop the Saw Palmetto if I tried to get pregnant... I guess I have this notion (which may be totally incorrect) that as a herb it's more "natural" and so then when I stop taking it, it won't cause the sort of harsh reaction that I had when I stopped taking cyp.acetate.

I've tried creams, no luck. And I saw someone about laser recently (back when I first started taking the cyp.a. laser wasn't available) -- but since it's so expensive, I'm going to wait until more hair grows back (maybe if I'm lucky it won't !)

Appollonia · 01-30-2003, 03:06 AM

Good plan, I think is saw palmeto works it must also have antiandrogen efects on the foetus which isn't so good.
Lucky you no hair loss...
thanks so much for your experience.
Laser is meant to be pretty brilliant.
Best wishes!!