Considering taking Finasteride (Propecia) - Are side effects and Post Finasteride syndrome (PFS) real risks?

[Paul C]

Hi all,

I am male 45 and my hair is thinning noticeably especially at the crown and front. I have researched and seen that the best results seem to be achieved from Finasteride tablets and Minoxidil topical.

I am considering starting with Finasteride but am very concerned about potential side effects.

1. How common are the sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction etc?
2. How common are other side effects like depression etc?
3. Is Post Finasteride Syndrome a real thing? If so how common is it?

It's hard to know so far because there is competing information in what I've read.

Thanks for any input.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Hi all,

I am male 45 and my hair is thinning noticeably especially at the crown and front. I have researched and seen that the best results seem to be achieved from Finasteride tablets and Minoxidil topical.

I am considering starting with Finasteride but am very concerned about potential side effects.

1. How common are the sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction etc?
2. How common are other side effects like depression etc?
3. Is Post Finasteride Syndrome a real thing? If so how common is it?

It's hard to know so far because there is competing information in what I've read.

Thanks for any input.

Go topical first and see how you do. There is always going to be a downside to anything that messing with your hormones. There is always going to be someone who will tell you not to mess with finasteride and there will always be someone who will tell you to take the risk. You have to make your own choice to see how you respond. If only, everyone had the luxury to have someone administer your finasteride and not tell you whether they used a placebo or the real deal. I will never forget the story about the guy who stopped finasteride due to sides. He noticed a few months later his hair was improving and his sides went away. He found out later that his girlfriend kept making him protein shakes with finasteride in it because she knew how badly he wanted to save his hair and she obviously was happy to make that dream come true since she obviously did not want to see him go bald either.

 

[Paul C]

Go topical first and see how you do. There is always going to be a downside to anything that messing with your hormones. There is always going to be someone who will tell you not to mess with finasteride and there will always be someone who will tell you to take the risk. You have to make your own choice to see how you respond. If only, everyone had the luxury to have someone administer your finasteride and not tell you whether they used a placebo or the real deal. I will never forget the story about the guy who stopped finasteride due to sides. He noticed a few months later his hair was improving and his sides went away. He found out later that his girlfriend kept making him protein shakes with finasteride in it because she knew how badly he wanted to save his hair and she obviously was happy to make that dream come true since she obviously did not want to see him go bald either.

Thanks for your reply.

Is there a topical version of Finasteride?

Wouldnt it absorb into your syatem

 

[DoctorHouse]

Thanks for your reply.

Is there a topical version of Finasteride?

Wouldnt it absorb into your syatem

You would need to either get the topical from a doctor who gets it from a compounding pharmacy or directly from the pharmacy. The systemic absorption would be much lower than oral. Hopefully enough to avoid some serious sides. Like I said, you have to be willing to take some risk just to see how your body responds.

 

[Manochoice]

Go topical first and see how you do. There is always going to be a downside to anything that messing with your hormones. There is always going to be someone who will tell you not to mess with finasteride and there will always be someone who will tell you to take the risk. You have to make your own choice to see how you respond. If only, everyone had the luxury to have someone administer your finasteride and not tell you whether they used a placebo or the real deal. I will never forget the story about the guy who stopped finasteride due to sides. He noticed a few months later his hair was improving and his sides went away. He found out later that his girlfriend kept making him protein shakes with finasteride in it because she knew how badly he wanted to save his hair and she obviously was happy to make that dream come true since she obviously did not want to see him go bald either.

Where is that story?

 

[DoctorHouse]

Where is that story?

I don't remember where I read it but I did read it online.

 

[heyhey]

Hi all,

I am male 45 and my hair is thinning noticeably especially at the crown and front. I have researched and seen that the best results seem to be achieved from Finasteride tablets and Minoxidil topical.

I am considering starting with Finasteride but am very concerned about potential side effects.

1. How common are the sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction etc?
2. How common are other side effects like depression etc?
3. Is Post Finasteride Syndrome a real thing? If so how common is it?

It's hard to know so far because there is competing information in what I've read.

Thanks for any input.

1. Very rare
2. I would guess it does not happen
3. Not a real thing

 

[Redgate]

While around 2% of people experience side effects, this forum makes it seem like it's 60%. Just try and see what happens.

 

[Fontaine]

While around 2% of people experience side effects, this forum makes it seem like it's 60%. Just try and see what happens.

Forums like this, and reddit are full of cry babies

 

[welshman123]

You would need to either get the topical from a doctor who gets it from a compounding pharmacy or directly from the pharmacy. The systemic absorption would be much lower than oral. Hopefully enough to avoid some serious sides. Like I said, you have to be willing to take some risk just to see how your body responds.

i hope this is true as 3 months of oral finasteride 1mg daily, and for the past 2 weeks almost i've been on 3mg weekly i'm still having some sides (though my sex drive went up, sensation and ejaculate is effected), considering topical finasteride soon. i've had really good results so it'd be a shame to stop treatment now

 

[bluecyclone]

Chiming in as someone in perfect health, high libido and function with zero hairloss until 42. Never used a single medication until they Roi’s then Finasteride.

Eventually you will get sides on topical or oral just takes longer on topical and the sides may or may not be something you can tolerate. I agree with @DoctorHouse give it a shot. But please do yourself a favor and get labs done before you start and again in six months to a year. At 44 my hair got much worse when I tried to switch from topical to oral Finasteride. I struggle to tolerate either and worried I’m going to have to go overboard to correct the damage from sides. Seem like those without sides are either not paying attention, didn’t have a great situation to begin with, or are young enough that their testosterone can make up for the DHT.

oral minoxidil was great for about two years, bad initial shed then a good two years at 5mg.

 

[Androgenic Alpaca]

Hi all,

I am male 45 and my hair is thinning noticeably especially at the crown and front. I have researched and seen that the best results seem to be achieved from Finasteride tablets and Minoxidil topical.

I am considering starting with Finasteride but am very concerned about potential side effects.

1. How common are the sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction etc?
2. How common are other side effects like depression etc?
3. Is Post Finasteride Syndrome a real thing? If so how common is it?

It's hard to know so far because there is competing information in what I've read.

Thanks for any input.

Side effects are very rare, usually mild if they happen at all, usually will go away after a few months if they happen at all, and will stop after cessation of the drug in virtually every case

I think the verdict is still out on whether PFS is real, but even if it is it's going to be impossible to actually scientifically measure because it's so incredibly rare that it's impossible to distinguish PFS from random variation. The signal to noise ratio is almost zero

Personally I wouldn't bother with topical. It's going to be a pain in the *** to get it specially compounded. Just take the damn pills and be done with it

 

[welshman123]

Side effects are very rare, usually mild if they happen at all, usually will go away after a few months if they happen at all, and will stop after cessation of the drug in virtually every case

I think the verdict is still out on whether PFS is real, but even if it is it's going to be impossible to actually scientifically measure because it's so incredibly rare that it's impossible to distinguish PFS from random variation. The signal to noise ratio is almost zero

Personally I wouldn't bother with topical. It's going to be a pain in the *** to get it specially compounded. Just take the damn pills and be done with it

It’s quite easy to source in the UK

 

[jamesbooker1975]

Hi all,

I am male 45 and my hair is thinning noticeably especially at the crown and front. I have researched and seen that the best results seem to be achieved from Finasteride tablets and Minoxidil topical.

I am considering starting with Finasteride but am very concerned about potential side effects.

1. How common are the sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction etc?
2. How common are other side effects like depression etc?
3. Is Post Finasteride Syndrome a real thing? If so how common is it?

It's hard to know so far because there is competing information in what I've read.

Thanks for any input.

You are inhibiting 70% of a male hormone, a natural hormone, what do you think it will happen ? Also, it is not just DHT what you are inhibitin, cause 5-alpha reductase is part of many other reaction like the convertion of pregnolone into allopregnolone ( a neurosteroids need it to combat stress ) .
By the way, DHT is give it as treatment in many countries for low libido and bad orgasm .

 

[jamesbooker1975]

Side effects are very rare, usually mild if they happen at all, usually will go away after a few months if they happen at all, and will stop after cessation of the drug in virtually every case

I think the verdict is still out on whether PFS is real, but even if it is it's going to be impossible to actually scientifically measure because it's so incredibly rare that it's impossible to distinguish PFS from random variation. The signal to noise ratio is almost zero

Personally I wouldn't bother with topical. It's going to be a pain in the *** to get it specially compounded. Just take the damn pills and be done with it

Actually not, should be easy if Merck did the things right, In fact they did a 10 years follow up but....they didn't even bother to test the hormones and compare to a baseline group. Incredible, right ?

 

[Templah]

tressles iq if you hop on finasteride expecting to never get sides

 

[jazz1]

You can get Topical Finasteride from this compound pharmacy i use and they give us forum members discount.

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/threads/topical-minoxidil-finasteride-mixture-check-here.126633/