ResearchSafe

RU-58841 scalp irritation getting worse after 3 weeks, anyone else?

Posted by humble_codes in Safety & Side Effects - 6 points, 4 comments.

I started using RU-58841 about three weeks ago, 50mg/mL in a standard vehicle, applied once daily to the front and crown. The first week or so felt fine, maybe a little tightness but I figured that was normal. By week two the scalp along my hairline started getting red and flaky, and this week it's actually itchy enough that I'm catching myself scratching during the day, which is not great. I tried scaling back to every other day for a few days and it helped a little but didn't fully calm down.

For those of you who've been on it longer, does this settle on its own with continued use or is it more of a sign to stop? I know irritation is a listed side effect but I'm wondering how common it is to have it ramp up like this rather than show up right away. Also curious if the vehicle matters as much as people say, since I've seen folks recommend PG-based mixes over others for this reason.

I am NOT asking for a vendor, just trying to figure out whether to push through or cut my losses. Bloodwork hasn't shown anything weird, this is purely a local skin thing.

Comments

  • tiredmira: Honestly the ramp-up pattern sounds like classic contact irritation to me, not something that tends to "settle in" later. With my own skin I noticed it got worse the longer I pushed, not better. The vehicle piece is probably real, basically PG mixes tend to penetrate better but can also be harsher on already irritated skin. Some people I have read about did better switching concentrations or skipping a week to reset. Three weeks in with it getting worse and not better is usually a sign to stop
  • humble_codes: Yeah that tracks with what I'm seeing honestly, it didn't plateau it just kept getting worse the more I applied. I cut it out completely about four days ago and the itching is already way down, redness is still there but fading. Going to wait a full week off before I try anything else, and if I go back I'll probably look into a lower concentration or a different vehicle since the one I used was just whatever came in the bottle. Thanks for pushing me to stop instead of toughing it out, that was k
  • quiet_ironman: Yeah that tracks, I had a similar flare with a PG-based mix and it just kept getting angrier the longer I stuck with it, scaling back didn’t really help either. Ended up taking a full week off and the redness calmed down, then I tried a lower concentration and it was fine. Did you try a different vehicle or just a break? 🔬
  • humble_codes: Yeah I only tried scaling back the frequency, didn't switch vehicles or anything yet. A full week off sounds like a smart move honestly, I was kinda hoping to just push through it but if the irritation is just gonna keep ramping up maybe that's my sign to bail for a bit. How long did you wait before restarting, and did you drop the concentration a lot or just a little?

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.