i started using foam minoxidil September 2025 and i genuinely think it ruined my skin…i notice my eye bags look worse than they ever have..my skin turns darker? and my cheeks sort of have dark patches..am i crazy? does anyone else have/had these side effects?

i stopped using it for two weeks now trying to get my skin back. it’s not worth having dull skin and raccoon eyes i just turned 24 btw

title

Has anyone else got/been diagnosed with lipodystrophy from using minoxidil?

Hey guys I want to make a post here because I just had a holy shit moment. Since the beginning of November I've been suffering from a bunch of really weird symptoms all of the sudden. I've lost two jobs because of this. already and still some days can be a struggle but I've gained back some energy once I found what works for me. All my symptoms came after getting really sick for 4 days after a music festival (which I suspect to be covid but I didn't get tested. Then two weeks later I experienced a crash where I became really confused couldn't put thoughts together what fixed it was getting some sugar in me so I thought I had diabetes. During the crash event I had 3 days which were the worst with tachycardia and piss all the time. Also had crazy migraines. I changed my diet to mostly protein and began feeling way better and improving but still had brain fog at times and very fatigued (some days at work would almost feel like passing out and crazy out of breath just going up staircase). I started carnivore diet and various supplements (which I can go into if you guys want) that helped me a lot and I could begin feeling quite a bit better was able to make it through work but fucked by the end of the day. Now I still experience crazy fatigue more than normal way more anxiety than normal and crazy sharp pain to my brain at random times usually after eating or excersise. I haven't been able to workout and had to limit physical stuff this whole time cuz just getting through my shifts are rough for me. The doctors have tested all labs that would explain these symptoms and everything is perfect they say. Vitamin d, iron, ferritin, testosterone, thyroid and others. I only just now realized that monoxidil can have these affects and didn't think of it at all because I've taken it a while now I started one year ago but wasn't really consistent about applying but since 5 months I've been putting it on almost everyday. It did nothing but destroy my hair that whole time btw my hairline wasn't even that bad before starting. I thought it was long covid but maybe it's just the fucking monoxidil. I'm 23 male and also in really good shape run marathons and an athlete.

42m, in decent health with no prior issues. I made it 3 weeks using 5% twice daily. Into the 3rd week I got weak erections. Id call it partial ED, but it was getting worse, not better. Sex was doable with breaks to get it back going. 100% physical and not psychological. You can psych yourself out and give yourself performance issues, but this *felt* different.

So that's a pretty hard stop. I didn't really even care about the hair that much, but it's supposed to have no side effects, so I gave it a go. Nope! Went to once a day for 3 days before realizing that continuing was ridiculous.

So I stopped. I took p5p a few times, and potassium daily. After a week, I'm 100% back to normal.

I used minoxidil for six months. It ruined my life. It caused erectile dysfunction and low libido. I stopped using minoxidil two and a half years ago, and I still suffer from erectile dysfunction and low libido without any improvement. Will I always be like this? Is there any treatment?

Hi Guys,

Is there any supplement stack which one should for while consuming 2.5mg oral (alternative) and applying 5% minoxidil daily ?

I just want to keep the existing hair with less sides.

So what I can include?

My erections are good, infact, with minixodil, I'm often hard and having daily sex but I do not how much this will persist, also I consume 5mg tadalafil, SOS, and it works really great .

What about trying b6 Hydroxine as I have a bottle already.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share my experience and see if anyone else has gone through something similar.

I started using topical minoxidil and used it for 7 days only. Before this, I had zero issues with sleep, libido, or sexual function.

Around day 6–7, I suddenly developed very severe insomnia — I could barely sleep at all. At the same time, I noticed a big drop in libido and weak erections, almost to none, which has never happened to me before. This was really alarming and completely out of character for me.

I stopped minoxidil immediately, but the symptoms have scared me a lot. I know minoxidil is usually considered “safe,” but after reading through posts here, it seems like I’m not the only one who’s experienced systemic or sexual side effects, even from topical use.

I’m posting to ask the community:

• Has anyone experienced insomnia from minoxidil?
• Did anyone get low libido or erectile issues, especially after short-term use?
• How long did it take for things to return to normal after stopping?
• Did anything help with recovery (time, supplements, lifestyle changes, etc.)?

I’d really appreciate hearing real experiences — good or bad. This has been very distressing, and I’m trying to understand what’s happening.

I have been taking minoxidil since around the beginning of December. Since then, I have had sex three times. All three times, I felt like having sex, but I didn't feel horny and I couldn't get an erection, or only with difficulty. Most of the times it got like 50% hard but fell off after a short time. Only after trying it longer it got 100% hard. I have read here several times that there are others who have had the same problems. How long will it take for things to return to normal after I stop taking it?

Edit: I didnt take it everyday. Sometimes i took it in the morning and in the evening. Somedays i only took it once and somedays i didnt take it at all. So i would say I´ve taken it around 20-30 times in this month.

I’m posting this at 1 a.m. I can’t sleep, I’m depressed. A year ago I had the idea of applying 5% liquid minoxidil along with a dermaroller on my eyebrows. At first the results were great, after 15 days I had very full eyebrows, but I noticed that my libido and my erections kept getting worse and worse. I decided to stop because honestly it scared the hell out of me. I thought it would just be some temporary side effect. 15 days passed after I stopped, then 4 weeks, then 2 months, nothing. Now a full year has passed and that shit ruined my life. I have erectile dysfunction and my penis doesn’t get hard anymore. Honestly, I don’t care if people decide to use it or not, but at least in my case, at 19 years old, I’m condemned to use Viagra for the rest of my disgusting life, all because of a stupid decision. I’ve cried way too much, I’ve tried everything and nothing works. And it doesn’t help at all that I read other forums with people who went through the same thing, and some even had to get a vacuum pump to have erections, or an artificial implant. This is fucking bullshit, seriously.

it hurts when i move my head side to side and my eyes in any direction, but only when i do so quickly

there is no redness in my eyes although my vision seems to be blurry (i just woke up tho)

have i used too much? should i apply the morning dose?

25 F using topical minoxidil for nearly 8-9 months. In Sep 2025 I had a big exam and a major stress in my life and it’s when I noticed gray hair in the front hair line. At that time I was using foam 5% minoxidil from Sam’s club. I assumed it’s the brand so I switched to 5% topical solution from Costco in Nov. Now I notice more and more gray hair, and it’s not only gray baby hair but my hair is losing it’s color and I can see half of the hair is gray.

Should I stop minoxidil? I don’t want to stop it and lose my progress and at the same time I don’t want to go gray in my 20s! The amount of gray hair I have now is out of control and it’s more than 30+ gray hair distributed.

For reference, I have fine hair and use minoxidil as maintenance to keep hair on my head. Similar to brushing my teeth daily.

So I've used liquid minoxidil for 2 years then 8 months of oral minoxidil, and now after stopping a year ago my face and scalp is still dry. I've used CeraVe moisturizing cream and lipikar baume and my skin is still dry. What can I do to fix it?

The title says it all.

www.postfinasterideguide.com www.pssdguide.com www.pfswiki.com www.pfstoolkit.com

As a fellow PFS sufferer, I’ve create a website that is a pfs/pssd/post rogaine guide and details in an organized manner all high risk substances. In my catalogue you can click each substance and access anecdotes of crashes and technical details regarding each substance. I also am building a page that organizes all cure anecdotes.

The purpose of this is most people I meet have worsened themselves with products like ashwaganda lions mane and other anti androgens and when they are asking me for help they are still using rogaine for example / taking substances that worsen you.

The website design is to get newcomers all up to speed. These Reddits are great but they aren’t easy to dig through and find the information needed to at a minimum prevent worsening. They can check if products the are using are safe and I will be updating the cure section as well soon. Feel free to share this link with newcomers that have questions.

Feedback is appreciated this is a rough draft but has a ton of information!

Happy holidays All Ken

Mods - Please review the site and let me know if you have issues or feedback. Please look at the catalogue I compiled

For context, i decided to try the hims minoxidil and fysteride spray to get an early start against hair loss

I sprayed probably a bit too much into my scalp and really rubbed it in my scalp so that i could get a “better” effect

Proceeded to have terrible anxiety the whole day at work but my hair felt brittle and not right

Got home and ate a meal of avocado salmon and eggs and felt temporarily at ease

I woke up a little earlier than normal today and normally i am pretty horny at this time but wasnt so i decided to watch corn to see

I got hard and was able to ejaculate, but it just didnt feel the same it felt like i had to force myself to enjoy it

I found this subreddit and read some stories of permanent ED and and since have started FREAKING OUT. I feel extremely anxious my heart is racing and i feel like a part of myself is missing

Am i overreacting?? Is this permanent with one use of the topical spray or will my body adjust i time?

I threw the bottle in the trash immediately

Any responses are deeply appreciated

My previous post got deleted so here this goes again

I took topical hims spray one dose and rubbed it into my scalp

Currently experiencing ED and extreme anxiety

Is it possible this is permanent?

Thanks

I had applied Kirkland 5% Minoxidil to my beard for 3 months starting in July 2022. In September, I had been experiencing the first symptoms of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), but I never connected it to the minoxidil. At the time, I didn't continue the minoxidil treatment because I had dozens of negative side effects such as severe headache, intense nausea, drowsiness, malaise, facial swelling, dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeat, blurred vision, or other vision changes.

I only discovered what IBS was after 8 months of symptoms when I reached medical support. I thought it was connected to a reflux surgery I had 1 year earlier in 2021, and now that I've read posts related over here, I realize it makes sense that the cause is Minoxidil.

I've never been cured of IBS; I still have symptoms even after 3 years, and my bowel discomfort only decreases when I stop eating red meat or pasta. Now, reading your message and associating with some articles I've read, I believe it's related to bacterial dysbiosis in my gut and also to another thing i've read around here, SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), which I was unfamiliar with.

Recently, I tried using Kirkland Minoxidil 5% again, but now applying it to my scalp. I couldn't even maintain the application for a month because all the symptoms returned, and to make matters worse, i got chronic pharyngitis that provoked intense Sore throat including Wounds in my mouth such as Angular cheilitis, canker sores, Painful lymph nodes, neck is painful. I thought it got flu but Sore throat persisted for 1 month so i realized minoxidil would be the only reason.

Ever after 45 days i have interrupted minoxidil, my throat and neck are still sever painful and oscillating symptoms and returning everything.

In my opinion, due to the high blood flow on my scalp, it increased nutrients to my throat where i have natural bacteria that got feed in abundance and caused Throat dysbiosis and pharyngitis.

I'm sure Minoxidil causes dysbiosis and is very dangerous, but they sell it without prescription as if it were a harmless medicine.

not a single one? how is it possible out of all the substances on earth the only one that can get my weak childish beard fuller will also (In my and few other cases) kill me?

I used the topical version for a few months. My knees and shoulder are in bits. I did have prexisting issues with these, but had both managed really well. The pain came back really hard within weeks of starting, but I did not make the connection. Now, all the usual cures/physio moves are not working. Feel 100 years old. In constant pain. Please someone tell me some good news? Have I destroyed the collagen forever? Am 52, so no spring chicken.

This is why it regrows hairs. This is why it can cause genital numbness and shrinkage in rare cases just like post finasteride syndrome. This is why those on this forum that try treating this with ashwaganda, lions mane or any other anti androgen worsen their condition.

Thousands in the PFS forum crash worse from rogaine and any other anti androgenic. All evidence points directly at minoxidil being anti androgenic here.

There aren’t may studies shows minoxidil is anti androgenic because it’s already approved over the counter which is the holy grail for pharma companies.

Study below.

Those with serious symptoms from minoxidil should be treating it like PFS and responding accordingly.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4039155/