finasteride/propecia = the perfect contraceptive = infertility!

[furrymonkey]

Hi

Been taking finasterid products (pro and finpecia) for a number of yrs now, doing a relatively good job, but no wonders. No noticeable side-effects either. Btw, I'm 32 now. Started trying for kids about a yr ago without success which led to me researching if finasterid has any effect on fertility. Had my sperm count then tested about 3 months ago. Result: basically no useful sperm, i.e. very low concentration and low to no motility. The Doctor recommended I stop taking Finpecia (after he did some of his own research). Problem is that dermatologists and urologists have little to no common ground, which is why this problem seldomly comes to light. So after having stopped taking the hair drug for 3 months (I already see my hair thinning much faster now ) and another sperm test the results are astounding: concentration has tenfolded and motility has gone up from just about zero to 25% (normal and healthy would be around 50% mobility). I'm going for another test in 3 months again to see where my fertility is going.

Conclusion: if you're planning on having kids, take this as a warning that merck and co. don't give a rats arse if your fertility goes down, as long as libido apparently is fine, right? :jackit:

Anybody with similar experiences? I'm really pissed off at the pharma companies selling the stuff for lying in our faces. thinking of going to the newspapers too.

Cheers.

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

Re: finasteride/propecia = loss of fertility!!!

Hi,
I can see your frustration about this.

One question:
If you had the chance again: would you take the decision to not take finasteride and lose your hair had you known the (apparently reversible) effect on your ability to produce kids?

Good luck with everything!

 

[furrymonkey]

Re: finasteride/propecia = loss of fertility!!!

Definitely. In terms of losing one's manhood - losing one's hair is in no way a comparison to becoming infertile. I'm not back to normal again concerning the fertility, but still hoping it actually IS completely reversible, especially because this process might take up to a whole year.
If I would have known before which REAL side-effects exist, I would have explored other possibilities. Maybe Rogaine ...? As far as I could find out, finasteride is still the number one hair saver. Unfortunately. But also the number one contraceptive for men, who would have known...

 

[Pyro]

monty your a brave man going back on finasteride.. O_O

 

[Wuffer]

Monty, you're back on finasteride? May I ask why? I thought you had nothing but a terrible experience on it, what would possess you to go back on it?

 

[ripple-effect]

[youtube:1h3nwj39]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAZ3-t7vJeg&feature=player_embedded#at=150[/youtube:1h3nwj39]


Study published March 18, 2011: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... x/abstract

 

[furrymonkey]

Study published March 18, 2011: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... x/abstract

Unfortunately nothing new in this study, the Doctor never mentions infertility as being part of sexual disfunction. only problems with libido etc., which we were aware of from the time of taking the pill. The more I think about it, I'm guessing Merck is paying doctors to keep this missing information from the people, let alone the media. My Doctor actually recommended I talk to the papers after he saw the change in fertility results. Look for similar posts in other forums, I'm not the only case. As a matter of fact my brother had the same experence after I warned him about my fertility problem and it getting better after stopping propecia, his sperm tests turned out identical to mine. Coincidence? Btw there i no history whatsoever of infertility in my family, I'm one of four including twin sisters, all naturally conceived, dad is one of six, mom is one of four, etc...

 

[Joe-1991]

I literally couldn't care less if i was infertile from finasteride. The problems it has left me with have taken every intention of ever having children away from me.

 

[Joe-1991]

I literally couldn't care less if i was infertile from finasteride. The problems it has left me with have taken every intention of ever having children away from me.

It's sad to hear about your story mate but at least things are improving for you now!

 

[furrymonkey]

yes, i hope so.
really sorry about your effects. i hope that one day this drug is taken off the shelves and merck has to pay. which side effects do you have?

 

[Wuffer]

Monty, good to hear you are doing better this time around. Best of luck to you!

On the topic of fertility, i've only heard of a few cases where fertility was affected. Also, it only seems to harm sperm counts in men with marginal quality to begin with. As for the other major finasteride concerns (prostate and breast cancer) it isn't worth worrying about for the average young, healthy male. Additionally, sperm counts always return to normal in a couple months after discontinuing. Worst case for a man taking finasteride, if he is unlucky enough to have his sperm affected, stop taking the med for a couple months then go back on after conceiving.

For some more reading, here is a good article about fertility on finasteride:

http://www.renalandurologynews.com/Propecia ... le/104651/



However, if you are considering taking finasteride, its a very good idea to have your sperm tested beforehand. That way, if you have problems conceiving while on the medication, you can have a second test completed to see if finasteride is the cause or if maybe something else is going on. I have not yet seen anything that indicates permanent sperm damage from taking finasteride. This article indicates that all affected males reached optimal sperm quality after a few months of discontinuing.



This is another great example of when a study comes out indicating something MAY happen, everyone jumps on the bandwagon: "finasteride causes permanent infertility!". When you read this article, only 5 patients were found with this problem. If it's concerning enough to you, it's best not take finasteride.