Am I missing something here? UMM says that finasteride has 19%...

[diffuse propecia]

chance of impotence, this can not be right. please could somebody elaborate.




Adverse Reactions
Note: "Combination therapy" refers to finasteride and doxazosin.

>10%:

Endocrine & metabolic: Impotence (19%; combination therapy 23%), libido decreased (10%; combination therapy 12%)

Genitourinary: Neuromuscular & skeletal: Weakness (5%; combination therapy 17%)

1% to 10%:

Cardiovascular: Postural hypotension (9%; combination therapy 18%), edema (1%, combination therapy 3%)

Central nervous system: Dizziness (7%; combination therapy 23%), somnolence (2%; combination therapy 3%)

Genitourinary: Ejaculation disturbances (7%; combination therapy 14%), decreased volume of ejaculate

Endocrine & metabolic: Gynecomastia (2%)

Respiratory: Dyspnea (1%; combination therapy 2%), rhinitis (1%; combination therapy 2%)

<1%, postmarketing and/or case reports: Hypersensitivity (pruritus, rash, urticaria, swelling of face/lips); breast tenderness, breast enlargement, breast cancer (males), prostate cancer (high grade), testicular pain

from :- http://www.umm.edu/altmed/drugs/finasteride-054415.htm

Thats from the uni of maryland medical centre, not some fake website so why are the numbers so high?

 

[$tackz]

Maybe because the incidence is that high?

I'm not saying it is one way or the other. I'm just saying.. Impotence is defined as an inability to achieve sufficient erections for sexual activity or decreased ejaculation or both. It doesn't nessecarily have to be permanent.. It doesn't even have to occur all the time. Only minor incidents of this are still described as impotence. Those numbers don't seem that far-fetched.

Myself, I've only had minor problems.. Nothing to write home about.

 

[diffuse propecia]

But does not finasteride have a 2% risk for side effects ( from the mereck studies), how can that be true if 19% of people who take it become impotent?

 

[Fundi]

I think that relates to 5mg rather than 1mg.

At 5mg, my Proscar says impotence occurs in over 1 in 10 men. for Propecia at 1mg it's only 1-2 in 100.

 

[diffuse propecia]

but does not finasteride have a flat dose response ( is that even the right term? ), i.e. 1 mg inhibits almost the exact amount that 5 mg inhibits.

 

[Fundi]

but does not finasteride have a flat dose response ( is that even the right term? ), i.e. 1 mg inhibits almost the exact amount that 5 mg inhibits.

Yes I think that is true. But it must be to do with the dosage of finasteride too. People who gets sides cut their dosage and sides stop, people who have accidently taking too much finasteride get sides etc.

Like I said, inside the box, Proscar tells you the sides are more common than Propecia. So dosage of finasteride must count for something.

 

[threats77]

i get wood no problem......dont be scared about side effects you read..everybody's bodies will react differently to the drug

 

[fromchicago]

:cues Mew:

 

[Bryan]

but does not finasteride have a flat dose response ( is that even the right term? ), i.e. 1 mg inhibits almost the exact amount that 5 mg inhibits.

Yes I think that is true. But it must be to do with the dosage of finasteride too. People who gets sides cut their dosage and sides stop, people who have accidently taking too much finasteride get sides etc.

I seriously doubt the accuracy of that claim. I think that just comes from anecdotes on hairloss sites, and I think it's garbage. Here's a statement from the OVERDOSAGE section for Proscar from the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference):

"Patients have received single doses of Proscar up to 400 mg and multiple doses of Proscar up tp 80 mg/day for three months without adverse effects."

Like I said, inside the box, Proscar tells you the sides are more common than Propecia. So dosage of finasteride must count for something.

Hey, did you take into consideration the difference in AGE between the typical patient populations taking Proscar and Propecia? In any event, the PDR I have here says the following in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section:

"The following clinical adverse reactions were reported as possibly, probably, or definitely drug-related in >/= 1% of patients treated for 12 months with 5 mg/day of Proscar or placebo, respectively: impotence (3.7%, 1.1%), decreased libido (3.3%, 1.6%), decreased volume of ejaculate (2.8%, 0.9%)."

And then they make the following profoundly important statement:

"The adverse experience profile for an additional 547 patients patients treated with 1 mg/day of Proscar for 12 months was similar to that observed in patients treated for 12 months with 5 mg/day of Proscar."

 

[SoThatsLife]

Bryan, one of the biggest hospitals in Europa(Karolinska I think) have been looking in to this, and I believe that they have said that finasteride can cause impotence(at least temporary). I think they said some veins grew together. But again, MANY people have no sides, but this could be because some are sensitive to drugs effecting the hormones and some are not.

Personally Im affected with nipple pain(could be gyno), and I hope this goes away now that I have more free time and can exercise more. I only use 0.5mg, but I have read that dr. Wong and other says 1mg EOD it more effective than 0.5mg ED, so I guess that could be worth a try. Quite interesting that Dr. Hasson recommends 1mg ED but Dr. Wong recommends 1mg EOD. Of course 1mg ED is the best way.

It would be interesting to see a rated list of finasteride dosings.

 

[Jake_89]

Bryan, one of the biggest hospitals in Europa(Karolinska I think) have been looking in to this, and I believe that they have said that finasteride can cause impotence(at least temporary). I think they said some veins grew together. But again, MANY people have no sides, but this could be because some are sensitive to drugs effecting the hormones and some are not.

Personally Im affected with nipple pain(could be gyno), and I hope this goes away now that I have more free time and can exercise more. I only use 0.5mg, but I have read that dr. Wong and other says 1mg EOD it more effective than 0.5mg ED, so I guess that could be worth a try. Quite interesting that Dr. Hasson recommends 1mg ED but Dr. Wong recommends 1mg EOD. Of course 1mg ED is the best way.

It would be interesting to see a rated list of finasteride dosings.

Don't mean to stear the thread off track but I am going to help a buddy here people!

YES, that is early stages of Gyno!!!!!! Don't fall into the trap of waiting, waiting for it to go away its there and while you wait tissue is forming (b**ch tits here you come). So get one a AI, or SERM ASAP low doses will completely rid the problem as it did for me, although I am taking micro doses of Aromasin (about 190$ AUD for 30 tablets)

 

[Bryan]

Bryan, one of the biggest hospitals in Europa(Karolinska I think) have been looking in to this, and I believe that they have said that finasteride can cause impotence(at least temporary).

Sure, but so what? The issue here in this thread isn't whether or not finasteride can truly cause impotence, it's what the incidence actually IS (expressed as a percentage), and how much that incidence changes (if any) when you go from 1 mg/day to 5 mg/day.