I was just doing some research on the internet after feeling what I thought was brain fog. I didn't even know this was a side effect of propecia, I just felt it in myself and wanted to see if by any chance anyone has felt what I was feeling. I honestly don't feel this is because of propecia. It could very well be because i've been getting up early for work recently. I just wanted to see if anyone else had been experiencing this, and what you did to change it. My side effects include not being able to think of things quickly and feeling like my brain is dragging. My bet is that I need more sleep or something.
Brain Fog? Real or Myth?
- Thread starter markspe34
- Start date
hair_tomorrow
Senior Member
- Reaction score
- 5
I've experienced brain fog from finasteride. It's like having a hangover without the headache.
Luckily in my case, it was never a constant or long lasting side effect.
Luckily in my case, it was never a constant or long lasting side effect.
This is a very real side effect of Finasteride, as documented anecdotally here: http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.a ... e=PROPECIA
... here: http://www.askdocweb.com/propecia2.html
... and of course on http://www.propeciahelp.com
Since Finasteride does more than just block DHT (for more info see Finasteride Studies section on propeciahelp.com) and in fact interferes with the conversion of various OTHER 5AR-reduced metabolites which are found in the brain, it makes sense. Based on scientific studies, we do know that Finasteride:
- blocks Progesterone --> Allopregnanolone conversion
- blocks 5ARII reduction of dihydroprogesterone
- blocks 5ARII reduction of dihydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC)
- Interferes with GABAA receptors
- Reduces NOS (nitric oxide synthase) via inhibition of DHT
- Can lead to an accumulation of Progesterone
- Can lead to increased Estradiol via blocking of DHT / aromatization of extra/increased Testosterone to Estradiol
- Can lead to increased liver enzymes
... AND has been found to cross the blood brain barrier as well as been found in Cerebral Spinal Fluid, as documented by MERCK themselves -- http://www.merckfrosst.ca/assets/en/pdf ... 2_06-E.pdf
PAGE 6:
"Finasteride has been found to cross the blood-brain barrier."
PAGE 12:
"Finasteride has been recovered in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients treated with a 7-10 day course of finasteride..."
... Plus the fact the drug has been linked to depression (look it up on Google)... you are foolish to dismiss these symptoms as due to sleep deprivation.
I and many others, like you, experienced the exact same symtoms when we took it -- slow to think, memory issues, tiredness, felt like viewing life through a filter, passive, emotionally flat, felt as if in a semi-"drunken" state...
So to answer your question -- yes others have experienced this. It is an "undocumented" side effect of the drug. But if you want to prove it to yourself, stop taking the drug for two weeks and see how you feel. I guarantee you will notice a vast improvement in your mental state when not taking the medication.
Nick4441
Experienced Member
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- 2
How long have you been on it. I gave it 2 months on 1mg and could not hack the sides any more so dropped the dose to 0.5mg, I gave it another month then had to drop it again to 0.25mg..then I was able to tollerate the sides.
So suggest you follow similar until sides are tollerable..even at 0.25mg its 70% effective as 1mg.
So suggest you follow similar until sides are tollerable..even at 0.25mg its 70% effective as 1mg.
bustabucket
Established Member
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- 0
markspe34 said:
Dutasteride.
Dutasteride? You're nuts.
Whereas finasteride only blocks 5AR-II, Dutasteride is a potent dual inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase -- meaning it blocks both 5AR Type I AND II... and Type I is actively found in the brain.
dutasteride also blocks up to 94% of serum DHT in the body, whereas finasteride only blocks ~ 65-70%, which when coupled with dual 5AR inhibition may bring about even stronger side effects than finasteride alone.
The long term effects of Dutasteride useage are quite simply unknown, to suggest it as a treatment without potential side effects is to be ignorant of the possible health risks.
jakeb
Established Member
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- 0
Yeah, some people -- aka myself-- definitely get the fog. Tried tapering down to .25mg, but still was foggy.
Been off for a few months now and I feel like my old self again. And sadly, back to losing my hair. I want to have hair more than most anything -- but not at the cost of being a zombie ( I won't even get into the erection problems... but let's say the zombie analogy works well there, too).
Good luck, man. I'm off to try some fringe topicals. (Just got 17a-estradiol in the mail)
Been off for a few months now and I feel like my old self again. And sadly, back to losing my hair. I want to have hair more than most anything -- but not at the cost of being a zombie ( I won't even get into the erection problems... but let's say the zombie analogy works well there, too).
Good luck, man. I'm off to try some fringe topicals. (Just got 17a-estradiol in the mail)
First, get blood tests to see whats up with your hormones, as that may explain some things.
If you have high E2 (Estradiol) and low Total Testosterone/Bioavailable Testosterone, this may be causing problems in addition to the finasteride. If high E2, you could try taking low dose Arimidex to try and bring it down and see if it helps.
Second, if you are taking Propecia, you could try cutting the pill into 8ths (0.125mg) and see if that helps. Since the drug pretty much has a flat dose response, you'll still be inhibiting almost as much DHT as you would be with 1mg, but possibly without such severe side effects.
Failing that, I'm sorry... you might have to consider quitting.
SkylineGTR
Experienced Member
- Reaction score
- 1
i never got this brain fog.
Total Testosterone
Free (Bioavailable) Testosterone
DHT
Estradiol (E2)
Estrone (E1)
Total Estrogens
LH
FSH
DHEA-s
Cortisol
SHBG
Prolactin
Progesterone
Albumin
ACTH
PSA
TSH, T3, T4
CBC or FBC (Complete Blood Count/Full Blood Count)
LFT (Liver Function Test - AST, ALT, etc.)
Aldosterone
Androsterone
Androstenedione
Corticosterone
Also consider a Catecholamine test (dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine) as well.
Free (Bioavailable) Testosterone
DHT
Estradiol (E2)
Estrone (E1)
Total Estrogens
LH
FSH
DHEA-s
Cortisol
SHBG
Prolactin
Progesterone
Albumin
ACTH
PSA
TSH, T3, T4
CBC or FBC (Complete Blood Count/Full Blood Count)
LFT (Liver Function Test - AST, ALT, etc.)
Aldosterone
Androsterone
Androstenedione
Corticosterone
Also consider a Catecholamine test (dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine) as well.
jakeb
Established Member
- Reaction score
- 0
If you get the side effects, you've likely worked yourself into a weird hormonal state. For me, getting rid of these effects took awhile. There was a lot of swingback...
A few days off finasteride, I felt like superman -- libido, energy was through the roof. Then a few days later, I crashed. Then a few days later, another high -- just not as high. Then a low, but not quite as low. This continued back and forth, slowly tapering off over the course of about a month and a half.
Now I feel pretty normal and level.
A few days off finasteride, I felt like superman -- libido, energy was through the roof. Then a few days later, I crashed. Then a few days later, another high -- just not as high. Then a low, but not quite as low. This continued back and forth, slowly tapering off over the course of about a month and a half.
Now I feel pretty normal and level.
NYVic20
Established Member
- Reaction score
- 0
I just want to clarify, that cutting down your dosage will most probably not take away the side effects. If finasteride's effectiveness is almost the same when taking .25 mg compared to to taking 1 mg, the side effects will be proportional to that effectiveness; the whole reason why you experience the side effects relates to how effective finasteride is in reducing your serum dht levels by blocking 5AR type 2.
Secondly, I do believe that it is important for everyone taking this drug to check their hormones before and after they've taken drug for about a month, in order to have a baseline to compare to, when checking how much finasteride is affecting their hormone levels. A lot of the problems I have experienced on finasteride was a result of the fact that it boosted my total estrogen levels beyond the normal physiological range for men.
Secondly, I do believe that it is important for everyone taking this drug to check their hormones before and after they've taken drug for about a month, in order to have a baseline to compare to, when checking how much finasteride is affecting their hormone levels. A lot of the problems I have experienced on finasteride was a result of the fact that it boosted my total estrogen levels beyond the normal physiological range for men.