Do I need to quit propecia or not?

[Obsidian]

Hear me out, this is not a rambling paranoid rant as usual but rather a well looked into situation.

As far as side effects with depression/libido, I have been having trouble with that before I started Propecia as my depression has crippled my sex drive all together but I have found myself slowly getting out of the depression and actually popping a few more recently. Now the thing that concerns me is I have noticed that when users first start using Propecia it says it causes a moderate increase in testosterone. Now granted I have wanted a fuller beard, I have gotten my wish as more facial hair as come in with Propecia. Yet along with that is not a massive increase but my body hair become more defined except for pubic hair near my crotch which has thinned out significantly. Along with that I have had a massive increase in bacane (back acne) and pimples on the face.

Am I experiencing hypoandrogenicity? More importantly should I quit? At the same time I want to save my hair as much as I humanely can. At the same time I have not completley but defientley lost parts of my baseline since starting. Yet at the same time the shedding and the acne is a price I am easily willing to pay if I want to save my hair. Still could an increase of body hair also mean my male pattern baldness is becoming more agressive? My hair has been shedding more but I do not think it is thinning out anymore than it has in fact it feels a little thicker since starting.

EDIT: My temples and forelock especially has thinned out since starting propecia but I figure this is part of a shed? As far as excess oil/sebum it was in the beginning but now seems under control along with my inflammation since I use Lo Prox and T-Gel along with Nizoral.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

 

[Axl_Rose]

I have gotten my wish as more facial hair as come in with Propecia. Yet along with that is not a massive increase but my body hair become more defined

Really? Propecia decreased my body hair.

 

[Guest]

If i were you i would quit and never look back...Propecia has too many side effects..Why give up your manhood when revivogen does the same thing?? Just my opinion...

 

[Eureka]

For those of us who experience actual side effects, the taking of propecia becomes a dilemma.

I'm still conflicted about getting back on it myself, but my hair is crucial to me, so it seems inevitable.

Although your particular sides... I've very rarely heard of propecia increasing facial hair density. It practically stopped my facial hair coming in altogether.

If i were you i would quit and never look back...Propecia has too many side effects..Why give up your manhood when revivogen does the same thing?? Just my opinion...

That would be because revivogen is no where near as powerful as finasteride. I'm rather unconvinced it works at all. Certainly to no where near the degree propecia does.

 

[Guest]

For those of us who experience actual side effects, the taking of propecia becomes a dilemma.

I'm still conflicted about getting back on it myself, but my hair is crucial to me, so it seems inevitable.

Although your particular sides... I've very rarely heard of propecia increasing facial hair density. It practically stopped my facial hair coming in altogether.

If i were you i would quit and never look back...Propecia has too many side effects..Why give up your manhood when revivogen does the same thing?? Just my opinion...

That would be because revivogen is no where near as powerful as finasteride. I'm rather unconvinced it works at all. Certainly to no where near the degree propecia does.

How long have you been using revivogen?

 

[Obsidian]

Since JR's opinion is about as useful as a poopy-flavored lollipop. I will pay attention to you guys, my parents think it might be the fact of the other meds I am taking with it (Biotin they think is causing it, green tea extract, omega 3, thinking of starting saw palmetto but don't worry I wouldn't quit propecia and endorse that).

 

[Nathaniel]

You know, when I started finasteride I was also pretty depressed and my libido was garbage. When I started finasteride it got even worse but I guess I was one of the lucky ones cos I didn't get any other sides so eventually forgot I was taking the pill and now 2 1/2 years later I have no problems whatsoever with libido. I think you should try and see if you can ride out the sides for a couple of months. Your body should adjust (hopefully).

 

[Obsidian]

Actually it was kind of funny, I woke up this morning with the strongest erection I have had in months even before starting propecia and I am glad I turned over just in time because my Mother walked in the door as I turned saying she needed help with her computer. :shock:

 

[Norsk]

I think trying to "ride out" side effects is a bad idea in general, because of the risk of getting permanent side effects. But sides aren't the problem in this case, right? I think I would stay on Propecia in your case, since you'll continue to lose hair for sure without it.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Hear me out, this is not a rambling paranoid rant as usual but rather a well looked into situation.

As far as side effects with depression/libido, I have been having trouble with that before I started Propecia as my depression has crippled my sex drive all together but I have found myself slowly getting out of the depression and actually popping a few more recently. Now the thing that concerns me is I have noticed that when users first start using Propecia it says it causes a moderate increase in testosterone. Now granted I have wanted a fuller beard, I have gotten my wish as more facial hair as come in with Propecia. Yet along with that is not a massive increase but my body hair become more defined except for pubic hair near my crotch which has thinned out significantly. Along with that I have had a massive increase in bacane (back acne) and pimples on the face.

Am I experiencing hypoandrogenicity? More importantly should I quit? At the same time I want to save my hair as much as I humanely can. At the same time I have not completley but defientley lost parts of my baseline since starting. Yet at the same time the shedding and the acne is a price I am easily willing to pay if I want to save my hair. Still could an increase of body hair also mean my male pattern baldness is becoming more agressive? My hair has been shedding more but I do not think it is thinning out anymore than it has in fact it feels a little thicker since starting.

EDIT: My temples and forelock especially has thinned out since starting propecia but I figure this is part of a shed? As far as excess oil/sebum it was in the beginning but now seems under control along with my inflammation since I use Lo Prox and T-Gel along with Nizoral.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

Its not called hypoandrogenicity but hyperandrogenicity. It normal to have a reflex hyperandrogenicity when you first take it but then after a month or so your body should get used to it and it should subside but if it continues for a few months and you start to get hair loss I would talk to your doctor. Obisidan, you are getting paranoid too early in the game. I hate to put it this way but when you decided to take Propecia, you kind of made a deal with the devil in my opinion. For some people it may give more more hair but in return you may have sexual sides. For others, you may get no sides but your hair may get worse. Regardless, it is a risk and you have to realize there are no guarantees in medicine. It may work or not work. It may give sides or no sides but you have to realize that your main goal from the beginning was to keep what you have or slow down balding. If you feel things are not right, then talk to your prescribing doctor. Have him run a blood test to see where your hormone levels are at. I have seen your hairloss situation and considering your age, I would definitely chose to stay on the Propecia for at least 3 months and then reassess your situation. Its funny but you tend to give this type of advice to other posters, yet you seem not to follow your own advice.

 

[Obsidian]

Yep, one of major flaws is Do as I say not as I do. :thumbdown2:

EDIT: I think it is the biotin, I have noticed many forums with users complaining of existing body hair thickening up along with their regular hair. Still like I said, it is cool I have a real decent beard now.

 

[treadstone]

I used to take biotin... but from what I've read it's not really necessary if you're eating a normal diet. Only people severely deprived of it can suffer from hair loss (ex. ppl food deprived in camps).

 

[Obsidian]

It has made my hair a lot stronger since using it that is why I like it.

 

[Axl_Rose]

Obsidian, are the hairs that your shedding at the moment thin and weak looking or are they healthy looking ones? I noticed after a few weeks on finasteride i was shedding but it was really thin looking hairs and not the thick healthy looking ones.

 

[Obsidian]

Weak hairs mostly, one or two healthy hairs but mostly thin weak hairs of all lengths.

 

[medmax84]

The problem with everyone's line of reasoning is that you guys are forgetting a key player in the physiology of the human body: homeostasis.

Inherently, the body has a multitude of mechanisms whether it be via alternative biochemical pathways or innate broad-sweeping changes that seek to keep everything within "normal bounds."

So, if your body experiences a sudden decrease in testosterone, it will compensate by increasing endogenous production over time whether it be by causing hypertrophy of the Leydig cells in the testes or further up the biochemical pathway (LH, FSH, GnRH) in the pituitary OR in the adrenal cortex... This is why side effects TYPICALLY last for a short duration while the body finds a way to compensate to restore "normal" homeostatic balance.

Realistically, the only part of the equation that the body CANNOT compensate for is the significant decrease in DHT production. The extent to which DHT is utilized as a secondary sex hormone varies from person to person. This is why long-term side effects are largely unpredictable and vary greatly from propecia user to propecia user.

 

[fishwins]

so how long do you guys think i should stay on propecia to see if the sides will continue. I have had decreased libido and am wondering if i should just ride it out a while longer. I have been on propecia for almost 2 weeks now and am worried about it. Maybe i should decrease the dosage?
taking 1.25mg daily

 

[Norsk]

How long have you had the decreased libido? I would presume waiting it out for a few weeks should be relatively safe. I don't think riding it out for months is safe (speaking from experience) unless you're ok with low libido for a long, long time. Since you only recently started taking propecia, you don't have much to lose by quitting for a little while and seeing how long the side effects take to reverse. Then you can restart propecia later if you want.

 

[fishwins]

have had the decrease for around 5 days now.
maybe taking every other day would help?
I have researched finasteride as much as possible and like the feedback as it should help my hairloss, but i am only 23 and having decreased libido is a major concern.

 

[Norsk]

I think it should be relatively safe to wait it out for a few weeks, maybe a month. Obviously the safest route is to quit immediately. If you decide to quit, maybe you should get your hormones checked a while after quitting (maybe a few weeks, or a month, I don't know). If you get back on finasteride again, a baseline for your hormones could be useful if you ever get persistent side effects.