I have been taking minoxidil for about 16 months. My shedding is as bad as it's ever been, but somehow the minoxidil seems to help keep my part a little tighter. I really hate how it makes my scalp feel, and the daily forever of it, but I can tolerate it to keep more of my hair (it's about half what it was when I went into sudden meno at 38, am now almost 43). I take it once in the morning, either liquid or foam, depending on my mood. I have a scalp pathologist who says it's ok to take a day off once in a while, so I do.
I have tried testosterone in the past, but it was at the same time that I started higher doses of HRT, and my hair started falling out then. My doc discontinued the T, thinking it was the culprit, but my hair just kept falling out. So I think the T was a red herring. I just restarted T a week ago, because my hair is already shedding so much anyway. Maybe it will help, or at least help my lack of response and social anxiety.
I am in the US and I use generic minoxidil 5%, once per day. The liquid is about $6-8 per month, not bad!
