Can't pull the trigger on finasteride - please help

[myhairbegone]

- Been thinning for a couple years, age 27 now

- Started noticing hair loss at crown 6 months ago (sad moment)

- Been doing 'internet' research for about that time on my options (big 3).

- I cant decide if I want to take the risk with finasteride. Is PFS real? It has me really hesitant to try finasteride. Even if the odds are only 1%, I dont k ow that I can risk my permanent physical/mental well being for hair..

I am thinking I might try it, and quit right away if I get any sides. Does this sound pretty safe? From all the horror stories I have read, most seem to happen when people kept taking the drug and pushed through side effects. If I decide not to take it, maybe I can just use rogain to hold off my balding as long as possible?

Any help or guideance is much appreciated..some pics of my crown below:





Last picture is most recent, but I had dried gel in hair.

Side question: I was under incredible chronic (work) stress for the last year and a half. Could this cause my thinning at the crown that might grow back on its own? Thinning all over head but worst at crown

 

[mandatswack]

Feeling the same at the moment..Skeptical about finasteride and would be good to get some reassurance as the results seem to be so varied.

 

[wilson2]

I think finasteride is a very controversial topic. One thing I have been considering lately, is getting a hormone panel done a few months before taking finasteride. This would at least theoretically give you a baseline of your endocrine profile so to speak. It may also provide some psychological benefit in the form of you having a "map" of your body and hormones so if anything went bad you could speak to an endocrinologist or urologist and have useful data about you're situation.

 

[g.i joey]

I am thinking I might try it, and quit right away if I get any sides. Does this sound pretty safe? From all the horror stories I have read, most seem to happen when people kept taking the drug and pushed through side effects. If I decide not to take it, maybe I can just use rogain to hold off my balding as long as possible?

this is where the problem is, because with a drug like finasteride it is likely you will notice a change initially, the thing is you want the body to readjust and see if it could compensate.

Theoretically, if you think about, woman use birth control which plays with hormones too, you dont see them bitching and complaining... and theres ALOT of girls on birth control, which literally stops them from being able to have a baby, and once they're off everything goes back to normal.

One thing ive noticed is people who end up with so called "pfs" always talk about taking 1mg dosage, i have yet to hear about anyone getting pfs on .5 or .25mg a day.

Dont get me wrong, i dont doubt the fact that finasteride could kill your boners, ive been so inconsistent with it and havent had much problems really, but im talking taking .25-.5mg ED and sometimes EOD so im not a perfect example.

 

[DeadLine]

My hair used to be about the same as yours. I've been taking finasteride for about 6 months now and honestly I can't help but feel stupid for not taking it earlier. Simply because of my ignorance, I kept playing the waiting game for almost 3 years before I started doing research. Yes, I read the PFS forums and read pretty much everything there is to know about the side effects of finasteride. Yes, I am suffering from at least watery semen but in my honest opinion this condition is not life threatening and my hair continues to improve. Hell, I could still make babies with my girlfriend if I wanted to.

My only regret is not starting the finasteride sooner. I won't tell you to start taking them, I can only share my experiences with you.

 

[mandatswack]

this is where the problem is, because with a drug like finasteride it is likely you will notice a change initially, the thing is you want the body to readjust and see if it could compensate.

Theoretically, if you think about, woman use birth control which plays with hormones too, you dont see them bitching and complaining... and theres ALOT of girls on birth control, which literally stops them from being able to have a baby, and once they're off everything goes back to normal.

One thing ive noticed is people who end up with so called "pfs" always talk about taking 1mg dosage, i have yet to hear about anyone getting pfs on .5 or .25mg a day.

Dont get me wrong, i dont doubt the fact that finasteride could kill your boners, ive been so inconsistent with it and havent had much problems really, but im talking taking .25-.5mg ED and sometimes EOD so im not a perfect example.

How beneficial is taking just .25-.5mg for someone who is catching male pattern baldness fairly early in the process?

 

[Goldee Lox]

How beneficial is taking just .25-.5mg for someone who is catching male pattern baldness fairly early in the process?

I'm curious of this as well..

 

[DeadLine]

How beneficial is taking just .25-.5mg for someone who is catching male pattern baldness fairly early in the process?

Take a look at DHT charts:
http://s60.photobucket.com/user/mcalandria/media/plasma-dht.gif.html

 

[br1]

I think finasteride is a very controversial topic. One thing I have been considering lately, is getting a hormone panel done a few months before taking finasteride. This would at least theoretically give you a baseline of your endocrine profile so to speak. It may also provide some psychological benefit in the form of you having a "map" of your body and hormones so if anything went bad you could speak to an endocrinologist or urologist and have useful data about you're situation.

That's a good idea. I didn't do one before starting it.

I took finasteride for around 15yrs, never had any noticeable side effect... I did not even know that such sides existed, just when I decided to stop (didn't want to be on a drug for a life time) that I found out and kinda freaked out..

Im doing a hormone panel this week, just to see if I'm alright.. though I definitely miss a baseline to compare my results..

 

[mandatswack]

Take a look at DHT charts:
http://s60.photobucket.com/user/mcalandria/media/plasma-dht.gif.html

What about personal success?

 

[wilson2]

That's a good idea. I didn't do one before starting it.

I took finasteride for around 15yrs, never had any noticeable side effect... I did not even know that such sides existed, just when I decided to stop (didn't want to be on a drug for a life time) that I found out and kinda freaked out..

Im doing a hormone panel this week, just to see if I'm alright.. though I definitely miss a baseline to compare my results..

Try not to get yourself overly freaked out. If you've been taking finasteride for 15 years and haven't noticed anything i'm 99.999% sure you're fine. To be honest it may do you more harm then good to get you're hormones checked as you may freak yourself out needlessly. Are you tapering off finasteride slowly?

 

[shookwun]

I can assure you the side effects of going bald are are far worse then the reversible effects of finasteride

 

[myhairbegone]

Thanks for the replies...what do you guys think of my plan to try finasteride, and stop right away if I get any sides? Does this sound safe?

If I get any sore balls or watery semen or something small that is only there for a couple days while my body is adjusting I am ok with that. Anything major and I will stop and just use rogain.

I went to two dermatologist to get their opinions, neither had even heard of PFS, both said finasteride is pretty safe to take. But I am still freaked out from the horror stories I have read.

If I do decide to get on finasteride I wil just take the quarted generic finasteride (1.25) and try to forget about so I dont create side effects in my head. Any benefit from taking (1/8) a tablet (.625 mg) a day? From everything I have read it seems this can also be an effective dose.

I am looking at finasteride as something to stave off the balding until I am ~35. At that point maybe ill be okay witha shaved head.... (maybe not =))

- - - Updated - - -

That's a good idea. I didn't do one before starting it.

I took finasteride for around 15yrs, never had any noticeable side effect... I did not even know that such sides existed, just when I decided to stop (didn't want to be on a drug for a life time) that I found out and kinda freaked out..

Im doing a hormone panel this week, just to see if I'm alright.. though I definitely miss a baseline to compare my results..

You just got sick of taking a pill everyday? Are you having and sides after quitting?

- - - Updated - - -

I can assure you the side effects of going bald are are far worse then the reversible effects of finasteride

Unless those sides are what I am reading on PFS (chemical castration, brain fog, weight gain, anxiety/depression, ect). I have been prety down ever since I realized I am going bald, but I wouldnt trade any of those things for a head of hair

 

[mandatswack]

Just take 1mg a day man, you're psyching yourself out. I roll my eyes when I think about when I was in your position, thinking I'll never get it up while on finasteride, reading the horror stories. The hair loss community is scary beast when you first enter it, you need to dig deep. Unfortunately, digging deep and realizing the truth about all of these treatments will take time..and time is not friendly to untreated hair. I took the "risk", got watery semen....and......THATS IT. You'll thank me in a year.

Is your regimen of the big 3 still working since you started? I think I noticed you post somewhere about your hair going to hell with a lot of shedding.

 

[myhairbegone]

Man hair loss sucks =(. Been up into the wee hours of the night on these forums for weeks and still not sure what the best decision is for my quality of life.

 

[tab531]

No sides for me... I wouldn't buy into all that crap... the stuff saved my hair...


When you hear all the bad things about it online.. it makes the issue seem UNIVERSAL


But in reality its the 1-2% of users that have a problem with it... compared to the millions more taking the stuff with no issues... going about their lives with no need to check online forums

 

[abcdefg]

Its really not an easy decision to take a pill forever and not know if even that is going to stop it. Its not hard to see why a lot of men just live with it verses fighting it. Definitely a personal decision to try or not. Some people value their health more and rather not risk that kind of thing breaking delicate hormonal systems that are poorly understood.
Lots of people today are pretty anti drug in general not just propecia. The whole fitness craze these days doesnt mesh well with drugs.

 

[g.i joey]

heres a great example for how these pfs sites influence our decision and our quality of life. Before i started thinning i knew my brother took propecia but knew NOTHING about it at all. Our old doctor was the least bit hesitant to prescribe it to either one of us. My brother did fine 4-5 years down the line, then i started balding and started researching all this stuff and brought this all to his attention. the next couple weeks after i told him hes like "idk why you even mentioned it to me, now everytime i wake up tired or wanna go to bed early im thinking it might be propecia". this is literally a prime example of nocebo, hes never had provlems at all before and yet as soon as i brought it to his attention he started questioning it. Ive had situations in my car when i was about to get laid and couldnt get it up, this happened before finasteride. This was due to my nerves, but yet if this happened on finasteride, i would not have taken it so lightly, i would have thought im showing symptoms, i may have problems, if i have ed i prob have brain fog and then the anxiety kicks in and everything goes to ****, it doesnt hurt to try finasteride (especially at half the full dose) but it does hurt to lose hair. Ultimately its easier losing the battle knowing you tried everything in reach and couldnt beat it, but if you dont, once you're bald man, i could imagine how ****ty you'd feel knowing you didnt do everything you could.

 

[myhairbegone]

heres a great example for how these pfs sites influence our decision and our quality of life. Before i started thinning i knew my brother took propecia but knew NOTHING about it at all. Our old doctor was the least bit hesitant to prescribe it to either one of us. My brother did fine 4-5 years down the line, then i started balding and started researching all this stuff and brought this all to his attention. the next couple weeks after i told him hes like "idk why you even mentioned it to me, now everytime i wake up tired or wanna go to bed early im thinking it might be propecia". this is literally a prime example of nocebo, hes never had provlems at all before and yet as soon as i brought it to his attention he started questioning it. Ive had situations in my car when i was about to get laid and couldnt get it up, this happened before finasteride. This was due to my nerves, but yet if this happened on finasteride, i would not have taken it so lightly, i would have thought im showing symptoms, i may have problems, if i have ed i prob have brain fog and then the anxiety kicks in and everything goes to ****, it doesnt hurt to try finasteride (especially at half the full dose) but it does hurt to lose hair. Ultimately its easier losing the battle knowing you tried everything in reach and couldnt beat it, but if you dont, once you're bald man, i could imagine how ****ty you'd feel knowing you didnt do everything you could.

I agree, the human brain is very powerful, and the placebo effect very real. This is why I am thinking I might give finasteride a try, try to completely put it out of my mind as if I am not even taking it, and stop taking it if I get hit with any sides. I hate the idea of ****ing with my hormones, but I hate the idea of going bald even more. I cannot pull off a shaved head.

From everything I have read this seems pretty safe approach, even if I get sides I can quit and they will go away (most of the time). What scares me is some of these PFS stories where people claim they took it only for a few weeks and they are now ****ed for LIFE.

The only reason I have not taken the plunge yet is this concern over PFS. I will really be kicking myself if I flush my quality of life away for something as superficial as hair. Then again the amount of energy and concern I have for losing my hair shows how much that would affect me as well. It would def. affect my confidence and outlook (I wish it wouldn't, but I know it will.) Its a tough choice =/.

Does anyone have a link to any studies / statistics of how many people are taking finasteride world wide? That data must be available somewhere but I can't seem to find it?

 

[M.G]

PFS have never been reported on all the numerous studies done on finasteride.

I think you'll be alot calmer after reading this:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=158889153