Switching from oral to topical Minoxidil?

Question

I’m a post menopausal woman who experienced significant hair thinning/shedding for ~3 yrs. A dermatologist prescribed oral Minoxidil 2.5mg and, after the initial 4 wks of shedding, I’ve had terrific results. There is a shortage of the drug due to manufacturing disruption and I’m left with using Rogaine 5% foam. Am I likely to experience the shedding I had in the first 2-6 wks of taking oral Minoxidil? How about when I switch back to the oral? I don’t want to loose all the gains I’ve made! Thx!

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

Thanks for the question. You are likely to experience shedding but for a different reason than you ask about and perhaps a different reason than you think. You are not likely to get shedding simply because you are starting topical minoxidil. No. However, you are likely to experience shedding because you are not able to supply your scalp with the equivalent amount of minoxidil by using the topical compared to the oral minoxidil. 5 % foam is not equivalent to 2.5 mg so you hair will likely say “where is my minoxidil?” If you have been using it a very short time, it may not be a big issue. But if you have been using oral minoxidil at 2.5 mg for some time it could be an issue. Be sure to discuss fully with your dermatologist. The key point here is that 2.5 mg of oral minoxidil is not equivalent to topical minoxidil so you are now likely underdosing.

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Switching from oral to topical Minoxidil?

Answers (1)

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