26 yrs, can't handle hairloss, afraid to take Propecia

[tda2487]

Hi everyone --

This is my first post. I'm 26 and have been losing hair for about 18 months now. I don't have a bald spot, but my formerly thick hair is now thin, wispy and limp, and where I used to have thick curls I know just have a lifeless, wispy hairline that has noticeable receding.

The emotional toll of this is getting worse and worse. Every time the slightest breeze blows I feel my wispy hair blow around out of place. I see hair coming out every time I take a shower, or even just shedding at my desk at work. This is becoming all I think about, all day, and I'd say I'm legitimately depressed over this. I don't enjoy things I used to enjoy; I don't want to go out and see friends because I have no confidence. I don't care what I wear anymore because I don't feel attractive anyway. The worst part is that I know it's only going to get worse.

I've been using Minoxidil foam and Nizoral, but no noticeable difference from it. Minoxidil just makes my hair look crunchy and greasy during the day, so I can't even enjoy the hair I do have.

For the last 18 months, I've been agonizing over whether to take Propecia. I know it's my best bet to save my hair, but the horror stories have me absolutely terrified. I can't stand losing my hair, but if I was both bald AND completely impotent, I don't know what I'd do.

What's the consensus on here over the Propecia scare?

 

[wellwellwell]

Hey buddy, I've actually been there and know all about these feelings. It's depressing.

My case is a little different, I've actually been losing hair since I was about 16... but losing it very slowly I guess as when I was around 25-26 I tried Propecia for 8 months or so... I had some strange sides like testicle pain and slight gyno so I quit. I never noticed much in the way of abnormal sheds, hair loss, hair gain... as I ordered from India 5mg finasteride and split it in 4... maybe it was fake.

I'm in my early 30's now and I have diffuse thinning, I can hide it well with molding pastes... but it's getting even too thin to do that now...

Merck lists the % of side effects but there is no way in hell they are accurate as pretty much everyone has libido loss for example... the fact that they can falsify this information so blatantly scares me.

Consensus is you will probably loose most of your libido and good chance you'll get some gyno too I think...

It's a tough call... but if I wasn't planning to have children soon I might go back on it, I guess I'm pretty vain.

Btw, please post pictures of your hair in good lighting and I/we can give you some better recommendations.

 

[Night]

Take it, if you get sides lower the dosage. If it continues you quit. End of. Better to have tried it then continue losing your hair.

 

[wellwellwell]

Not a bad idea I guess...

Also, this may sound weird but I remember feeling like I couldn't attract girls any more during and a couple years after... as if I was no long "emitting" the necessary pheromones or something... then a few years later I banged 4 different chicks in one year... No idea if this is anything more than just me being paranoid back then because I was smoking a bit of pot.

 

[tda2487]

Take it, if you get sides lower the dosage. If it continues you quit. End of. Better to have tried it then continue losing your hair.

Yeah but my main fear isn't the temporary sides -- that'd be fine. It's the risk that the sides could be permanent even after stopping the drug. that's what's been reported, though I know those reports are controversial.

 

[wellwellwell]

Can't blame ya

 

[Night]

Yeah but my main fear isn't the temporary sides -- that'd be fine. It's the risk that the sides could be permanent even after stopping the drug. that's what's been reported, though I know those reports are controversial.

Problem is, I don't think the whole 'permanent' sides thing is correct. First of, in all studies only 5% got sides, close to the placebo group...

Then you add the fact that people are on it for years, some over a decade. Lots can happen in a decade. You do know old age makes you not pop an erection? Yes, old age has higher counts of people with limp dicks. Its hard for me to agree without seeing numbers of how many people have reported permanent sides and how long they took the medicine. Did they ignore the sides (like low sex drive) for years? Did age just catch up?

Too many factors. In my opinion, if you can't get an erection, you should quit. It is FDA approved, all drugs have risk. I just have a hard time believing the permanent story...

 

[wellwellwell]

The reported sides are clearly fabricated as 5% is not even close to what is generally reported around forums.... more like 80%

 

[Night]

Of course, those that have negative effects scream the loudest. If you get good results, you will move on with your life. Just how if you had a full head of hair you wouldn't be posting here.

 

[MisterMister]

I stopped taking propecia and my hair is falling out again, propecia works in keeping your hair on the top but it doesnt do anything for the receding hairline, just maintains the hair.

But the side effects were horrid. I had deep depression, super low libido, insomnia, and forgetfulness. and I only to 1.25 mg every other day.

It took many months after going off the stuff to finally get a woody in the morning again, i am happier, my insomnia is getting better, and i can get horny again.

But Propecia is the only thing that really works for stopping hair loss, if I do decide to try it again ill just get the propeccia instead of proscar, and cut the propecia in half and take one half every day.

 

[WastedYears]

Afraid of propecia? Okay, boy, less competitors for me.

Just don't cry 10 years after when you realize you could have prevented a lot of harm by just doing all you could.

But the side effects were horrid. I had deep depression, super low libido, insomnia, and forgetfulness. and I only to 1.25 mg every other day.

Sounds like regular male pattern baldness side effects to me. Except of added self-harm that male pattern baldness causes in me.

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

Merck lists the % of side effects but there is no way in hell they are accurate as pretty much everyone has libido loss for example... the fact that they can falsify this information so blatantly scares me.

Consensus is you will probably loose most of your libido and good chance you'll get some gyno too I think...

No that's definitely not consensus. And there is definitely not a good but a very remote chance you get gyno. You may have another impression because all you read is people complaining on forums about it. But that has no statistical relevance. Unless there is a study or some objective data sample there is no way to tell. I agree that one gets the feeling that it may be more people, but there are actually quite a few studies that say different.

 

[Heat06]

I disagree with WillNotLetItHappen...I for one read all the "scary" negative sides regarding Propecia before I took the plunge myself. My mindset then was, well maybe I won't fall under that small % of people that experiences sides. I felt I had nothing to lose (except more hair if I didn't try) and possibly some hair to gain. When you are desperate you do desperate things. Hair was and still is all that I think about...not one day goes by I don't think about..but I digress..

Started taking it at age 25 and ignored the stories of neg. sides. Noticed a huge decrease in strength in the gym after 1 week and noticed I was more tired after 2 weeks. I continued forcing myself to ignore what my body was telling me. After 2 months my morning woodies completely vanished and I no longer could get my "rocket" so to speak. I could gain an erection if I focused, but it could never get in full rocket mode (basically weak erections). At this point, started freaking out but continued hoping sides would ease. Then I noticed I was stuttering more at work and coworkers were commenting on that. This FREAKED me out...it's like my brain couldn't process words like I normally could and was having a hard time delivering quickly formed sentences...fast track on my 8th month I noticed slight forming GYNO, which was brought to my attention by my g/f. It was at that moment I said OMFG what have I done! Apologize for the lengthy response, but long story short I cut the dose to .5mg EOD after I saw the gyno forming. That did absolutely nothing in terms of reducing the sides. I continued to month 11 determined to get my hairline back and decided to review my hair from when I started to that point. I noticed absolutely NO IMPROVEMENT, but rather a bunch of body altering negative sides. Oh the irony!

Whose to say that Propecia didn't "maintain" what I had...I don't know..but the only thing I do know for sure is what the DRUG did to me...excess sides and belly weight, brain fog, stuttering at times, weak erections, watery semen, morning erections gone, and slight gyno (puffy nipples) with no noticable positive effects on my hair. I'm 4 months off and finally starting to see improvement in all areas minus the belly fat. I'm currently working hard at the gym at that. Point is...dude I have been there and I tried it..you want to take the plunge go for it..I did..but understand it you notice sides, it might take some time to get back to normal, or worse permanent. I have yet to think anything I experienced from the drug will be permanent. Hopefully you can read my experience with Propecia and understand I have been there bro and look what happened...The negatives outweighed any positive..for me that is.

 

[abcdefg]

I would believe the percentages in the studies over the percentages of people claiming sexual sides in these forums. I think the percent might be a little higher then the studies show but a sample is not always 100 percent accurate given a huge increase in the amount of people that started using it. Merk honestly might have found that percent and then once millions of men took it those turned out to be lower then originally thought. Science cant perfectly figure stuff like this its a risk.

 

[IrishFella]

Not a bad idea I guess...

Also, this may sound weird but I remember feeling like I couldn't attract girls any more during and a couple years after... as if I was no long "emitting" the necessary pheromones or something... then a few years later I banged 4 different chicks in one year... No idea if this is anything more than just me being paranoid back then because I was smoking a bit of pot.

Are you saying you think Finasteride stopped you producing the "necessary pheromones" to attract women!? Please tell me I read that completely out of context .... please.

 

[akp22191]

Hey just thought I'd share my opinion on Propecia. I just got a 30 day pill. Took it the first day and noticed a low libido and watery semen, same thing for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th day. I took a 0.5mg cut in half on the 4th day. I have stopped since & it's been only two days. I noticed my morning wood come back, and was able to get a hard on faster just like before I took the pills for 4 days. Now I only have a receding hairline. I believe the sides came in due to the DHT levels not being as high in my prostate. I mean if I had the DHT levels of the men who participated in the Merk trials, then 1mg would have not shown any sides, since these men had diffuse hair loss all over the scalp. I think the DHT levels vary depending on how significant you hair loss is. If you only have a receding hairline like me, then 1mg might be too much for people like me. Anyways I am going to continue the treatment up until a month. But this time I'm going to taper into the 1mg dose. Start 1mg once a week first week, twice a week 2nd week, thrice a week 3rd week, and so on until it reaches taking 1mg every week (every 7 days). Do you think this is a good idea as this way my body can get used to it, and I could monitor the side effects; plus since I only have a receding hairline right now (recession just started late August) I think this would be a safe approach both ways?

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

I disagree with WillNotLetItHappen...I for one read all the "scary" negative sides regarding Propecia before I took the plunge myself. My mindset then was, well maybe I won't fall under that small % of people that experiences sides. I felt I had nothing to lose (except more hair if I didn't try) and possibly some hair to gain. When you are desperate you do desperate things. Hair was and still is all that I think about...not one day goes by I don't think about..but I digress..

That's all nice and good. But - it is an anecdote, a nice story of what CAN happen. This, just like my personal story has no statistical relevance. This does not contradict the fact that NO you are not likely to get gyno or lose your libido but you MAY with a some low probability. Out of the number of people that take finasteride, your story (and mine) have the weight of 1/(# of finasteride users). Nothing more, nothing less.

What you do in science is you do studies. You try to take a representative group of people, do certain tests and then measure the results. There are statistical techniques with which you can come to conclusions about the total number of people by means of a sample. Will these numbers be always true? No, they will be to a certain confidence (e.g. 90% or 95%). This is all you can do since (for obvious reasons) you cannot observe all people who are on a drug. The only way to objectively say anything. Anecdotes by a couple of kids on a forum (again including me) mean very little unfortunately.

Do I believe the numbers? Irrelevant, I have no way or means to judge anything. Just because I find 10 people who have b**ch tits doesn't mean that the next 10 people on finasteride do too.

P.S. I think libido is hard to measure in any case. I for one have lower libido on the drug.

 

[Beingbaldsucksass]

1 mg is maybe too high for some people including mine, it gave me gyno, while every other day I don't have any sides

 

[tda2487]

hey everone -- thanks for the replies. I'm still not entirely sure what to do. It's just hard knowing there's a medication out there that could really help, but being too afraid to take it. I know there's a 99% chance it'd be fine, but the 1% could ruin your life. How do you make a decision like that?

 

[nagan]

To the guys suffering side effects... my recommendation is take a lower dose.. Im doing 0.25 mg.. and it seems to be helping the hair loss.