EVERYONE Will Get Finasteride Side-Effects Eventually

[20YearsOnFin]

The drug should not be approved by the FDA

Doesn't help you much, but for clarity Topical Finasteride is not approved by the FDA.

 

[20YearsOnFin]

it is not like I can sue anyone.

So if you do ever want to sue them, don't say you used topical.

 

[Merckilled]

So if you do ever want to sue them, don't say you used topical.

I understand and I have zero interest in suing anyone. Once I get my health back that would be all I want. When you are affected like that the last thing you care about is money....you just want to heal. And it seems like the lawsuits got very small settlements it is almost a joke.

 

[Merckilled]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry this happened to you as well as many many many others here and all over the world. 100% agree with you.

Thank you. I just hope to prevent this from happening to younger people. If I were in my early 20s and this happened then I would not be able to cope and probably would have ended my life. That is a completely needless tragedy in my opinion. Even if the remaining 99 are fully satisfied with the drug it should not be at the price of sacrificing one LIFE especially when we are doing it for cosmetic reasons.

 

[20YearsOnFin]

And it seems like the lawsuits got very small settlements it is almost a joke

I think Merck has got fed up with all the class-action lawsuits against them now, its spun off all it's legacy products, whether that is down to financial reasons or just to clean up its image I don't know.

 

[Micky_007]

Thank you. I just hope to prevent this from happening to younger people. If I were in my early 20s and this happened then I would not be able to cope and probably would have ended my life. That is a completely needless tragedy in my opinion. Even if the remaining 99 are fully satisfied with the drug it should not be at the price of sacrificing one LIFE especially when we are doing it for cosmetic reasons.

It's nowhere near 99% of people that are satisfied with Finasteride, that's a false number created to make Finasteride look much better than it is. Not even 70% of the people who use it are "satisfied" or side free. It's more like 50/50 or 60/40. But yes i agree, people really underestimate how detrimental to a person Finasteride can be, and not even just the sexual part as yourself and others have admitted. And yes i too try to warn newbies to hairloss about the very real and potential side effects of Finasteride so that people can make a more informed decision on how to address their hairloss.

 

[Merckilled]

I think Merck has got fed up with all the class-action lawsuits against them now, its spun off all it's legacy products, whether that is down to financial reasons or to clean up its image I don't know.

Yes, I have read that. For me the damage is done. I must say the landscape has changed a lot in a few years with more studies coming out this year about the potential side effect. I most definitely would have been dissuaded from taking it if starting now. That is a good thing, in my opinion it should not be FDA approved for hair loss as patients are unknowingly playing a game of Russian roulette. You cannot convince me that it is worth destroying a life as a trade-off for hair.

 

[20YearsOnFin]

I most definitely would have been dissuaded from taking it if starting now. That is a good thing, in my opinion it should not be FDA approved for hair loss as patients who are unknowingly playing a game of Russian roulette. You cannot convince me that it is worth destroying a life as a trade-off for hair.

The problem is, and with the mindset with hair loss, is that even if it's no longer FDA approved people will still be drawn towards it.

I would never take steroids, as pictures like these are enough to scare me off. (this is one of the less graphic pictures)

But when it comes to hair loss, it becomes difficult to draw the line between risk and reward until you have crossed it.

 

[20YearsOnFin]

I just came home from the Urologist today who prescribed me Finasteride for an enlarged prostate. How worried should I be? Are there better options I should ask him about?

Sorry, didn't have time to read all of the thread

Used for prostate use, although the same drug, its slightly different as its not for cosmetic reasons, if you are concerned you will have to weigh up how bad your own symptoms based on your age, or consult with your physician about alternative treatments

 

[Merckilled]

The problem is the mindset with hair loss that even if it's no longer FDA approved people will still be drawn towards it.

I would never take steroids, as pictures like these are enough to scare me off. (this is one of the less graphic pictures)

View attachment 171623

But when it comes to hair loss, it becomes difficult to draw the line between risk and reward.

And that is fine. Some people are willing to take illegal drugs but most won't because it is a hurdle. It would have stopped me from taking it because I would never go to the black market for pills. If that extra hurdle saves some lives then it is worth it.

Do you mean steroids as in cortisone?

 

[20YearsOnFin]

Do you mean steroids as in cortisone?

anabolic steroids etc for body building.

 

[Merckilled]

anabolic steroids etc for body building.

Ok, the guy looks like he never lifted so I wasn't sure. Anabolic steroids are illegal anyway so your point is kinda moot

 

[20YearsOnFin]

I didn't know the Finasteride for the prostate was slightly different. Is it not as damaging?

I don't mean the drug is different, but you would be taking it for a medical condition rather than vanity.

 

[20YearsOnFin]

So the side effects would be the same?

Yes

How concerned should I be?

If you are concerned enquire about an alternative treatment.

 

[kidcurry96]

I have created this account to report my story. I know it is another anecdote and might not sway opinions but I would like to share it. I have been lurking here for a while now and have read both sides of the argument.

Around November 2019 I stumbled on Kevin Mann and MPMD channels. At the time even Derek didn't seem too concerned about finasteride. They painted a picture that all sides are rare, temporary and most probably nocebo. I had a close friend who took it many years ago and had been dealing with depression ever since but I dismiss it his experience as probably unrelated. I read tressless and understood that nocebo is very real and then even read the propecia help forum and thought these people are crazy. They must be very unhealthy and overweight. I am a gym rat and take meticulous care of my diet and health this would never happen to me. I even consulted my dermatologist friend who has been taking it for a few years with no sides according to him. He encouraged me to start I decided to start treatment for the new year and went to my family doctor and he agreed to give me a script for a few weeks and referred to a derm for the rest who prescribed the rest. They both mentioned side effects but said it was transient and only affected less than 2% of people. Pharmacists are so busy they just hand you the med and mention briefly sides like lowered sperm quality. Of course I didn't care, at that time my mind was fully made up and was convinced 'DHT is a trash hormone'. Still, I had a little seed of doubt in my heart and wanted to play safe, so I asked a compounding pharmacist I knew to make it into a topical solution. I used it for a total of 3 weeks.

Within those 3 weeks all hell broke loose. My nipples start itching and burning by the 2nd week and by the beginning of the 3rd week I had an even worse side effect. When I was young I dealt with an autoimmune in one specific tiny area that turns the skin white. It was restricted to my ball area and faded in my teenager years all good. The finasteride somehow reactivate it and my ball was now burning and skin depigmented. I immediately stopped. Read this LINK and I understand that 5AR or DHT seems to have a protective effect on auto-immune disease. It seems to the reason females are more prone to them due to lack of protective androgens.

After discontinuation, my breasts continued to be swelled. I didnt not get gyno but the shape of my chest has changed drastically to look more droopy like an old female despite me exercising daily with a strict diet. The white spot continued to burn but subsided after a month however still de-pigmented. I thought the worse was over and I dodged the libido bullet. In fact, my sex drive was much higher than usual during and right after the finasteride. I was very wrong because my real problems would start a few months down the line. One day I woke up with a dead penis. No more morning wood no sex drive. Even masturbating which I used to do daily many times was no longer enjoyable. Worse, my penis atrophied immediately. It started to retract as I walk to sit. Flaccid size has gone to nothing while my erect length is at least 1.5 inches shorter and lost girth as well. Keep in my mind I had an above average penis over 7' which is in line with OP theories.

Over the years other side effect kicked in. Weight gain around midsection, Constipation, Complete loss of sexual desire, Nail problems, Dry skin, Social anxiety (I used to be very introverted). Those side effects rotate but I still maintain a healthy lifestyle and an exercise regimen but it is much harder. The way my penis looks makes me experience depersonalization and suicidal thoughts. I have completely stopped checking on it.

So far I have spent around $7,000 in multiple therapies. PRP (to the penis), Shockwave, mind therapies and many supplements. Some areas are slowly improving although to date my penis remains non-functional but hoping for improvement one day.

I thought I had good medical knowledge when I signed up for finasteride but in reality I was very ignorant and misinformed. I didn't understand how important the 5ARs that I am blocking are and their role beyond creating DHT. I thought if anything topical wouldn't go systemic (wrong). I wish I had read the studies that Pigeon linked. This is why his work here is very important. The sad part is my hair loss wasn't even that bad and was doing well with dermarolling. I was NW2 at 34 and well settled with a gf. Now my life is a mix of anxiety and doom and gloom but I am trying to be positive. I am an unreported statistic, the prescribing dermatologist has no idea. I have informed my family doctor who is clueless and visited countless urologists who couldn't help. I am not going to be reported as a victim that's how the system works and it is not like I can sue anyone.

I am not sure how many guys will get side effects. My gut feeling is that it is much higher than Merck claims. Maybe a certain genotype is more prone to getting them. Maybe some bodies aren't that reliant on 5AR but that doesn't make sense to me. I cannot really explain how people go 10-20 years on this medication when I was decimated in few weeks. It is hard not to hold resentment in my position. In my opinion, a risk-benefit analysis makes sense for serious conditions not cosmetic. I agreed to low risk of TRANSIENT side effects not permanent life altering ones. And my story is not that unique you can find much worse online. The drug should not be approved by the FDA

There are doctors out there for sure that deal with patients who have had issues from finasteride usage. Different types of medicine work for different people. I have heard of some going on TRT for a bit, HCG and some on masteron or proviron...

 

[20YearsOnFin]

It would have stopped me from taking it because I would never go to the black market for pills. Anabolic steroids are illegal anyway so your point is kinda moot

I don't mean black market, I just mean FDA approval will make very little difference when it comes to hair loss, Dr's in the US still prescribe non FDA hair loss medication like dutustride and these treatments are available either over the counter or online in the majority of Non US country's, which is considerably larger than the US market.

Ok, the guy looks like he never lifted so I wasn't sure

Yep, I choose the first less graphic picture I could see, I didn't study his pectoral development

 

[20YearsOnFin]

There are doctors out there for sure that deal with patients who have had issues from finasteride usage. Different types of medicine work for different people.

@Merckilled just focus on finding a doctor like that, to see if you can improve your condition

 

[Merckilled]

There are doctors out there for sure that deal with patients who have had issues from finasteride usage. Different types of medicine work for different people. I have heard of some going on TRT for a bit, HCG and some on masteron or proviron...

I have already tried HCG with a doctor. Did not work. I will continue to try different treatments but this is my life now one experiment to the next. My advice is just dont take it

 

[Merckilled]

I don't mean black market, I just mean FDA approval will make very little difference when it comes to hair loss, Dr's in the US still prescribe non FDA hair loss medication like dutustride and these treatments are available either over the counter or online in the majority of Non US country's, which is considerably larger than the US market.


Yep, I choose the first less graphic picture I could see, I didn't study he pectoral development

Like I said it is an additional hurdle which will make people less likely to take it so I am all for it.

Again anabolic steroids are already illegal so your analogy just doesn't work.

 

[20YearsOnFin]

Like I said it is an additional hurdle which will make people less likely to take it so I am all for it.

ok.

Again anabolic steroids are already illegal so your analogy just doesn't work.

I was just agreeing with you that when it comes hair loss, people often make decisions based on vanity 1st and health 2nd, which is why I'm saying the side effects of drugs like finasteride were something I was willing to risk at the start, where as other ways of improving my looks, like steroids I wouldn't touch.

I'm not from the US so what's illegal or legal where you are has no baring on where I am or the personal analogy's I choose to make.

Anyway it was not meant to be an arguing point I was just sharing a personal view.

Hopefully your condition improves over the following months.