Hey comrades!
I have taken finasteride for 14 years. Most of the time 1mg daily. I have had a little break or two here and there but very largely kept it up all these years. My hair loss is only from the front/temples (so far). I have kept all my hair since starting finasteride, actually even at some point gained a little I think (that I might have lost with my little breaks).
The issue I have are side-effects. I thought I don't have any big ones. Maybe only watery semen and poor fertility. But recent breaks of taking finasteride showed I probably had. They have most likely crept up slowly making it hard to notice.
When I didn't take finasteride for two weeks, my morning erections and nocturnal erections returned. Something I hardly had any more and had forgotten about.
I've managed to have erections normally but I noticed they were stronger with Cialis, so I occasionally took some Cialis.
Without finasteride, my erections went stronger, in just a week or so and I have not needed Cialis any more at all.
Also, my penis and testes feel and look bigger and fuller, just a few weeks off of the finasteride.
There are some other side effects too, that might be related to finasteride but also might not be. As there are many factors at play. Like problems with sleep, anxiety, not able to stay calm in stressful situations, concentration issues. Small gyno, penis and testes changes, mood issues, prostate issues...
Weird hormonal profile. Low T but high Free T.
I think I feel better off finasteride in my mood department.
Some of these things are subtle and they could have crept up to me very slowly, becoming the new normal.
I know there are many things that could be the cause for the very large profile of possible (subtle) symptoms and some of my other lifestyle changes could also be a positive cause for improvements. But the fact remains, that when I quit finasteride for a few weeks, I've noticed a difference in several areas.
One strange thing is – after being off of finasteride for a few weeks my DHT levels have remained very low.
(Even though I've lost more hair having breaks in taking finasteride earlier).
My dermatologist even said it could take a year for the DHT to bounce back (??).
I will go and measure my DHT and other hormones again tomorrow.
I have become way more informed and knowledgeable about health, hair loss mechanics, biohacking, and medicine than I was and I have started to think it's quite a bad idea to mess with 5-alpha-reductase. And not only related to DHT but it has a way bigger role affecting Gaba, metabolism, and many more things.
But I have been stuck with finasteride as many of the men here. As I don't want to lose my hair within a year. So, I've been an idiot and continue taking it. (Recent break is two weeks as I needed to do a break for an unrelated reason).
I have been telling myself, some new treatments are here soon. So I just need to hold out a little longer. But as everyone here knows, they are always 5 years away
(They were 5-10 years away also when I started taking finasteride 14 years ago).
What and if any options do I have when I don't start up finasteride again?
Currently, it's just been finasteride and some Nizoral here and there for me.
I'm thinking to try minoxidil and dermarolling? I have done some stretches of minoxidil (up to 8 months or so) but it seemed to do more harm than good to my hairline.
Topical finasteride? For what I've read – shaky results? And if the results are good, then it goes systemic anyhow and could have the same side-effects?
Thanks guys!
I have taken finasteride for 14 years. Most of the time 1mg daily. I have had a little break or two here and there but very largely kept it up all these years. My hair loss is only from the front/temples (so far). I have kept all my hair since starting finasteride, actually even at some point gained a little I think (that I might have lost with my little breaks).
The issue I have are side-effects. I thought I don't have any big ones. Maybe only watery semen and poor fertility. But recent breaks of taking finasteride showed I probably had. They have most likely crept up slowly making it hard to notice.
When I didn't take finasteride for two weeks, my morning erections and nocturnal erections returned. Something I hardly had any more and had forgotten about.
I've managed to have erections normally but I noticed they were stronger with Cialis, so I occasionally took some Cialis.
Without finasteride, my erections went stronger, in just a week or so and I have not needed Cialis any more at all.
Also, my penis and testes feel and look bigger and fuller, just a few weeks off of the finasteride.
There are some other side effects too, that might be related to finasteride but also might not be. As there are many factors at play. Like problems with sleep, anxiety, not able to stay calm in stressful situations, concentration issues. Small gyno, penis and testes changes, mood issues, prostate issues...
Weird hormonal profile. Low T but high Free T.
I think I feel better off finasteride in my mood department.
Some of these things are subtle and they could have crept up to me very slowly, becoming the new normal.
I know there are many things that could be the cause for the very large profile of possible (subtle) symptoms and some of my other lifestyle changes could also be a positive cause for improvements. But the fact remains, that when I quit finasteride for a few weeks, I've noticed a difference in several areas.
One strange thing is – after being off of finasteride for a few weeks my DHT levels have remained very low.
(Even though I've lost more hair having breaks in taking finasteride earlier).
My dermatologist even said it could take a year for the DHT to bounce back (??).
I will go and measure my DHT and other hormones again tomorrow.
I have become way more informed and knowledgeable about health, hair loss mechanics, biohacking, and medicine than I was and I have started to think it's quite a bad idea to mess with 5-alpha-reductase. And not only related to DHT but it has a way bigger role affecting Gaba, metabolism, and many more things.
But I have been stuck with finasteride as many of the men here. As I don't want to lose my hair within a year. So, I've been an idiot and continue taking it. (Recent break is two weeks as I needed to do a break for an unrelated reason).
I have been telling myself, some new treatments are here soon. So I just need to hold out a little longer. But as everyone here knows, they are always 5 years away
(They were 5-10 years away also when I started taking finasteride 14 years ago).What and if any options do I have when I don't start up finasteride again?
Currently, it's just been finasteride and some Nizoral here and there for me.
I'm thinking to try minoxidil and dermarolling? I have done some stretches of minoxidil (up to 8 months or so) but it seemed to do more harm than good to my hairline.
Topical finasteride? For what I've read – shaky results? And if the results are good, then it goes systemic anyhow and could have the same side-effects?
Thanks guys!