Thinking of using Propecia

[Rawtashk]

[quote="amalgamated"

There is still a substantial lack of any hard evidence that supports the idea of persistent symptoms resulting from Finatseride. Any new user should take this into consideration when deciding whether or not to use the medication.

look brain surgeon, you get one endocrine system. if you want to risk permanent impotence because you lack self confidence over hair loss, go for it pal. the problem you guys think you have over thinning hair loss will seem laughable when your dick is limp for the next 50 years.

Look, licensed medical doctor. You get one life. If you want to risk losing it, then by all means continue driving and riding in automobiles. The fact that you can get to a store faster in a car will seem laughable when you're dead.

You have a 1-in-77 chance of dying in a car wreck in your lifetime. You have a 2-in-100 chance of getting sexual side effects from Propecia, and a 999-in-1000 chance of them going away if you stop. You are a troll. You are ONE person who has had a bad experience and has decided to "warn the world of this evil!!".

There have been COUNTLESS studies done on finasteride and the safety of it. There have been 1, 3, 5, and 10 year studies on it. Some people (on this forum even) have been on it for more than 10 years and have had little or no problems at all with it.

finasteride is a very safe drug, as far as statistics and percentages go. I hope the OP doesn't let the SCREAMING AND SHOUTING voices of the few drown out the rational facts of the many.

 

[imlosinit]

finasteride is a very safe drug, as far as statistics and percentages go. I hope the OP doesn't let the SCREAMING AND SHOUTING voices of the few drown out the rational facts of the many.

Largely true. But beware if you're the one that gets deboned.

 

[Rawtashk]

Penicillin was a miracle drug when it was discovered. It saved MILLIONS of lives...yet some people are deathy allergic to it. It doesn't mean it's a bad drug. Same thing goes for finasteride, as far as I'm concerned.

There is next to nothing in this life that doesn't have risks. Hell, I risk someone blowing a red light and running me over every time I cross the street in the morning to get to work!

 

[gh05]

tbh amalgamated has posted links which should worry all finasteride users...and i would love if that were not the case as much as anyone.

finasteride used to treat hypersexuality in certain patients - if it doesn't lower libido then why the hell has it been used for this? It's lowering of a potent sex hormone - nobody has ever been able to explain to me how drastically reducing this hormone can supposedly be without side effects other than to the hair.

 

[Chris87]

tbh amalgamated has posted links which should worry all finasteride users...and i would love if that were not the case as much as anyone.

finasteride used to treat hypersexuality in certain patients - if it doesn't lower libido then why the hell has it been used for this? It's lowering of a potent sex hormone - nobody has ever been able to explain to me how drastically reducing this hormone can supposedly be without side effects other than to the hair.

Everyone knows that in some people finasteride has the side effect of lowering libido. This is admitted by lots of studies on finasteride and by Merck (makers of Propecia). So its no secret that SOME people experience this. So, if you are a scientist and you're looking at ways to try to lower people's libidos who are "hypersexual" it makes sense to try using drugs which are known to have that effect in some people. That doesn't mean it'll have that effect in all people. Obviously there are lots of people who take finasteride and don't experience any loss of libido or erectile dysfunction.

So no one is saying it doesn't possibly lower libido.

Also, I am on the fence about the whole "DHT isn't important" thing. There are studies that claim, and many people believe, that DHT's primary purpose is served up until after puberty, and that in fully grown adult males it is not that important.

We also know finasteride raises testosterone and estrogen levels. Could raised estrogen levels be to blame for sexual dysfunction in some people on finasteride, and not lowered DHT levels? Maybe.

In my own opinion, it doesnt make sense to me that your body would continue producing this hormone if it was useless. I think there are a lot of things we don't know/understand about DHT and finasteride. What I do know is there are apparently many men out there who have taken finasteride, or even dutasteride, for 10+ years and are completely fine.

I myself have begun taking finasteride for the second time (the first time I took .5mg a day and had sides and quit after a month). This time I'm taking .25mg every other day. The first few days I did have sexual sides that were bearable. As of right now, the sides effects have seemed to pretty much have gone away and I feel fine in all regards. Personally, if theres a chance to save my hair...I'm going to take it.

 

[gh05]

tbh amalgamated has posted links which should worry all finasteride users...and i would love if that were not the case as much as anyone.

finasteride used to treat hypersexuality in certain patients - if it doesn't lower libido then why the hell has it been used for this? It's lowering of a potent sex hormone - nobody has ever been able to explain to me how drastically reducing this hormone can supposedly be without side effects other than to the hair.

Everyone knows that in some people finasteride has the side effect of lowering libido. This is admitted by lots of studies on finasteride and by Merck (makers of Propecia). So its no secret that SOME people experience this. So, if you are a scientist and you're looking at ways to try to lower people's libidos who are "hypersexual" it makes sense to try using drugs which are known to have that effect in some people. That doesn't mean it'll have that effect in all people. Obviously there are lots of people who take finasteride and don't experience any loss of libido or erectile dysfunction.

So no one is saying it doesn't possibly lower libido.

Also, I am on the fence about the whole "DHT isn't important" thing. There are studies that claim, and many people believe, that DHT's primary purpose is served up until after puberty, and that in fully grown adult males it is not that important.

We also know finasteride raises testosterone and estrogen levels. Could raised estrogen levels be to blame for sexual dysfunction in some people on finasteride, and not lowered DHT levels? Maybe.

In my own opinion, it doesnt make sense to me that your body would continue producing this hormone if it was useless. I think there are a lot of things we don't know/understand about DHT and finasteride. What I do know is there are apparently many men out there who have taken finasteride, or even dutasteride, for 10+ years and are completely fine.

I myself have begun taking finasteride for the second time (the first time I took .5mg a day and had sides and quit after a month). This time I'm taking .25mg every other day. The first few days I did have sexual sides that were bearable. As of right now, the sides effects have seemed to pretty much have gone away and I feel fine in all regards. Personally, if theres a chance to save my hair...I'm going to take it.

Fair points.

I have a lot more respect for that than i do the people who scream loudly about how great it is and how everyone who wants to save their hair should just jump in and use it.

I haven't read the study on hypersexuality in a while so I'm not sure what it says but didn't they suggest that it would lower libido in more than just a few patients? I'm also of the opinion that DHT must have a purpose and if it is the most potent androgen then maybe that is reason enough - just because we don't understand something in the body, doesn't mean it has no function. We don't understand most of the human brain yet.

Another thing that concerns me with finasteride is how it supposedly lowers free/useful testosterone (something rarely if ever mentioned). That really scares me off because as much as I would LOVE to keep my hair, I consider myself an athlete and what to be at my peak in every way for as long as possible. Messing with those male hormones goes completely against what i believe in.

Last thing - I know many people claim that they're libido remained the same but i do wonder how accurately they can measure that. I think every guy wants to believe that his sex drive hasn't decreased even when it has.

FFS hope this recent media speculation of a breakthrough comes to something soon.

Good luck with your usage. Please give us feedback on how it works for you.

 

[Chris87]

As far as the athletics concern. I am also an athlete. I've played soccer my entire life, I workout every day both running and lifting weights. I have not heard anybody on this forum who lifts weights regularly and takes finasteride complain about losing muscle mass or strength. If you go to the success stories board, there is a guy on there named Peabody who has been on finasteride for quite some time (over a year I believe). He is a natural body builder and he says he has not experience any loss in strength or size while on finasteride. I have only been back on finasteride for a short period of time but I can say personally that I have not experienced any strength decrease or loss of muscle mass myself either.

Believe me, I don't want to be taking a drug. I'm totally against pharmaceutical drugs. I'm quite a health nut. I only eat organic, I don't eat any processed foods, I avoid almost all sugar, I don't eat dairy, I take multi vitamins daily, I drink fresh vegetable juice from a juicer daily, I take fish oil, I run and lift weights every day, I rarely drink, don't smoke and dont do drugs. So..I'm totally with you there..unfortunately I dont want to lose my hair...I know that being a guy who is bald or balding would severely affect my outlook on life and my opportunities whether it be with women or in work (I work in the entertainment industry so..looks are important)...so..I'm willing to take a risk and try finasteride.

As far as libido..I'm very sensitive about this issue. I have a long term girlfriend who expects to f*** at least every other day and she doesnt know im taking finasteride....so I know how often I should be feeling horny and how often I should be able to perform. I do agree though that a lot of guys aren't in touch with their bodies. If a guy doesn't have a girlfriend or doesn't get laid very often..he might never notice that his sex drive is down or that he has erectile dysfunction.

Well anyway I'm hoping to stay side effect free and at least stop my hair loss for the time being. In an ideal world I would get away scott free with no side effects for a couple 2-5 years and then maybe by then we'll have a cure or at least another effective treatment that isn't as dangerous...we'll see

 

[gh05]

As far as the athletics concern. I am also an athlete. I've played soccer my entire life, I workout every day both running and lifting weights. I have not heard anybody on this forum who lifts weights regularly and takes finasteride complain about losing muscle mass or strength. If you go to the success stories board, there is a guy on there named Peabody who has been on finasteride for quite some time (over a year I believe). He is a natural body builder and he says he has not experience any loss in strength or size while on finasteride. I have only been back on finasteride for a short period of time but I can say personally that I have not experienced any strength decrease or loss of muscle mass myself either.

Believe me, I don't want to be taking a drug. I'm totally against pharmaceutical drugs. I'm quite a health nut. I only eat organic, I don't eat any processed foods, I avoid almost all sugar, I don't eat dairy, I take multi vitamins daily, I drink fresh vegetable juice from a juicer daily, I take fish oil, I run and lift weights every day, I rarely drink, don't smoke and dont do drugs. So..I'm totally with you there..unfortunately I dont want to lose my hair...I know that being a guy who is bald or balding would severely affect my outlook on life and my opportunities whether it be with women or in work (I work in the entertainment industry so..looks are important)...so..I'm willing to take a risk and try finasteride.

As far as libido..I'm very sensitive about this issue. I have a long term girlfriend who expects to f*ck at least every other day and she doesnt know im taking finasteride....so I know how often I should be feeling horny and how often I should be able to perform. I do agree though that a lot of guys aren't in touch with their bodies. If a guy doesn't have a girlfriend or doesn't get laid very often..he might never notice that his sex drive is down or that he has erectile dysfunction.

Well anyway I'm hoping to stay side effect free and at least stop my hair loss for the time being. In an ideal world I would get away scott free with no side effects for a couple 2-5 years and then maybe by then we'll have a cure or at least another effective treatment that isn't as dangerous...we'll see

That's good to know of another athlete concerned with the same things as me. I'm exactly the same with training, diet etc. Yeah, I've seen peapoddy's thread and while it is impressive (assuming he is natural BB that is - i have my doubts), I still can't help but think that if DHT is lower and free test is lower then performance must be affected at least in some way. I read a long article on the importance of DHT which talked about how it is useful for aggression and explosive activities (i.e. not just building muscle or strength) - I do amateur boxing so it's important to me not to lose those qualities.

Mind me asking what entertainment business you are in?

Jealous of your girlfriend expecting regular sex btw!...i split with my ex a while back, partly because she lost her libido completely but it's been in a while...trouble with losing hair is confidence goes with it...i'd feel weird with a new girl now, worrying bout what my hair looked like...ffs! shaved head it is then

 

[Chris87]

I work in music production as well as film rights licensing in los angeles. Just living in Los Angeles you're going to get judged on your looks..lots of pretty people here.

I'm not a model or anything where my looks are whats making me money directly, but..I think in any business..and especially in music/film..people want to work with good looking people. Los Angeles is an environment that in general is easier to navigate for good looking people. As far as picking up girls...hair in a place like this is definitely important.

Girls don't like guys who are bald or balding..period. Some guys in the hairloss community are in denial about this. You can do things to mitigate it, like being in really good shape..but at the end of the day no girl says "I want a bald guy" and it makes it harder to even get a girl to consider you a potential boyfriend if you're a bald or severely balding guy. I'm at a point now where people still don't notice i'm losing hair..and I want to keep it that way.

I feel like hairloss has subtly held me back, in that I waste a lot of time thinking about it and worrying about it..even if its just subconsciously. Its a constant dark cloud. I'm hoping to stop it with finasteride, maybe regrow some, and move on with my life...stop coming to these forums..stop thiking about it..etc

 

[Rawtashk]

I wouldn't worry too much about muscle loss. Here's what I accomplished in about a year, all while on finasteride.

I know what you mean about the hairloss affecting you mentally. I'm looking to make the move out to LA this fall and audition my *** off and hope to get some roles...and my hairloss bothers me. I know that everyone is VERY superficial out there, and they only want to put the prettiest people in front of the camera.

You should PM me if you have tips for LA

 

[Chris87]

I wouldn't worry too much about muscle loss. Here's what I accomplished in about a year, all while on finasteride.

I know what you mean about the hairloss affecting you mentally. I'm looking to make the move out to LA this fall and audition my *** off and hope to get some roles...and my hairloss bothers me. I know that everyone is VERY superficial out there, and they only want to put the prettiest people in front of the camera.

You should PM me if you have tips for LA

Awesome man. Yeah the superficiality is there in the business. Its not as bad as some people make it out to be though. I mean people in LA are generally cool..but there are definitely those typical LA douchebags. Where are you moving from?

If you come out here feel free to hit me up. You look about my age (25). I've been out here for about 5 years now so I know a decent amount of people, unfortunately none of my friends here are dealing with hairloss (or are aware that I am) so it'd be cool to know somebody out here whos in my shoes to shoot the sh*t with, hit the gym with..ya know..have crazy nights of drinking and snorting Propecia hahahaha (kidding obviously)

If you have any questions or anything about LA feel free to PM me..i'm always willing to help out one of my hairloss brothas