Finasteride Sex Drive Issues (ed/libido)

Timpson12

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Hi,

So to start with, I've been on it for 4 months now and I can see very clear improvements in my hair. I'm 25 and my hair was starting to get thinner and the sideburn/front area was pulling back. My hair is now thicker and the hairline is clearly making a comeback (probably not to what it was like but i'm but fussed because it's a good improvement).

Now, the big issue is sexual side effects. I've been having serious issues getting an erection and with libido ... which is non existent. The way it's happened is as follows:
- First I got a massive sex drive boost ... I could drill a hole through the wall
- Then I got a bout of 0 erection/libido
- It came back for 2-3 weeks at full flow
- Now it's been dead for a month again

My question is do this sexual side-effects really go away eventually or should i expect intermittent/no sex drive?


That leads me on to my second question - if I stop finasteride, will I loss all the progress I made or will my hair carry on falling out at it's regular pace from where it is at the moment. My issue is my hairloss was steroid induced and so I'm unsure if it will all fall out again if I halt finasteride. Just so it helps, I haven't taken steroids in order 2+ years so it's a non-issue and my sex drive was fine prior to starting finasteride.
 

pintosamuel

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Based on what I have read, the effects of finasteride may be long-lasting. This causes a dilemma for those affected and are looking at this widely celebrated medication. A hair transplant, if it is within your budget, would be a good option. Ask for professional advice first. For my part, I went with Dr. Andrew Kim of AIHR and from there I was able to map out a plan of action, which involved surgery. Not to push you towards that direction since we all have our unique needs, but it was the best investment for me.
 

dralex

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If your sex drive and erection quality is fluctuating that much it may be unrelated to finasteride. I would stop worrying about the sex drive and erection issues for a while and just live life. If things continue you could quit, but you will lose all progress you made and start shedding fast if finasteride was effective for your hair. My sex drive and erection quality fluctuate A LOT, but it has always been that way, and I just never really thought too much about it until I got on finasteride, because I was worried about side effects.

If you have hair loss that is steroid induced it means you had male pattern baldness, and the cycle just sped things up. If you don't have the genes for hair loss until a later age steroids wouldn't cause the hair loss. If you halt finasteride you will most likely start shedding again regardless of if you are on steroids or not.
 

countjulian

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Could be bad. You should make an attempt to mitigate other factors before ceasing treatment since fina is currently our best hair loss treatment. Try a couple things first:

1. Get on DIM at least 300 mg a day and zinc 100 mg a day
2. Lose weight.
3. Start lifting weights
4. Stop looking at p**rn for at least a week straight.
 
Last edited:

countjulian

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Im sure u dont have 100 % libido as earlier. U cant block 70% of this important hormone which regulates libido and erection without zero sexual sides.

DHT isn't that important in men after reaching full sexual maturity, regular testosterone and free T do most of the lifting in adult men's libido. The increased regular T more than makes up for the lost DHT, the key is to control the increase in estrogens.
 

HairCook

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When Brotzu works, put it on your dick. Apprently ppl put pge1 shots into their dicks in days before v****.

(No, dont do this )
 

Timpson12

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Its the finasteride. What you describe is me to a T.

Only thing that helped was getting off the drug. Im attempting to maintain what I have and when Im comfortable with its progression, Ill get a transplant.

When you get off this drug, watch how amazing you feel.


Did you try to wait it out and if so, what happened?
Did you continue to get these cycles of change or did it progressively get worse. I want to see if I can hold out for a month or two.
 

Timpson12

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Held out for 11 months, hair looked fantastic. Unfortunately, the side effects did not subside, and ultimately my girlfriend was like that's it get off that sh*t, so I did.

I'm going to try to drop my dose from 1mg a day to 0.25mg to see if that works. Would you recommend I stop and let symptoms subside before restarting on .25mg or should I just switch and pray it fixes up?
 

Timpson12

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For the past few months - I've been on a testosterone cycle and taking 1mg finasteride a day. This hair me lose a little hair but at the same time I had no side-effects. The massively increased testosterone in my system was most likely causing my DHT to be high despite the fact I was on Finasteride.

I quit the cycle around 4 weeks ago and my natural testosterone production is probably still somewhat low. However, I also continued taking 1mg Finasteride a day and I believe I am probably feeling the combined effects of both of them (low test and low DHT) at the moment. Low sex drive, ED and no energy or excitement in doing anything.

I've decided to lower my dosage to .25mg twice a week (Monday and Thurs) as some researching shows this can work for people.
Also, studies show that side effects in most men diminish with continued use and this going in line with the stories I've read online.

The game plan now is to stick to this lower dosage for about 2 months and see if there is an improvement.


Hair all the while is pretty much the same as when I started it in ~September, if not a little thicker. However, this is expected given the steroid cycle and my short finasteride break. Also, I have very little hair loss at the moment so there isn't really too much space for regrowth.
 

Rajiv Kumar

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Let me explain you in a detailed view

A number of studies have looked at the problem of side effects caused by finasteride.These studies which are discussed below reveal that sexual adverse effects occur at the rates of 2.1% to 3.8%, erectile dysfunction (ED) being the commonest followed by ejaculatory dysfunction and loss of libido. These effects occurred early in the therapy and returned to normal on stopping or over a time on the continuous use of the drug. The only causal relation between finasteride and sexual adverse effects is decreased ejaculatory volume because of predominant action of DHT on the prostate.

A comprehensive review of a total of 73 papers on medical therapies for BPH was conducted, with a focus on the effects of different pharmacological agents on sexual function. The review revealed that finasteride is infrequently associated with problems of ejaculation (2.1-7.7%), erection (4.9-15.8%), and libido (3.1-5.4%).

In view of this, it is very important to properly counsel patients about the treatment. In particular, the following facts need to be stressed:

  1. The drug is probably the best available to treat androgenetic alopecia and the only one to address the root of the problem.
  2. Its effects are proven.
  3. Several studies have shown its safety over long duration of administration. The dosage given (1 mg) is small and unlikely to cause side effects. Even in those cases where side effects were reported, the changes were found to be reversible.
  4. There are very few effective alternatives to the drug and it is therefore important for the patient not to stop the drug unless he experiences any side effects.
  5. The patient should contact the doctor for any advice, should he experience a side effect.
  6. Most importantly, the intake of the drug is totally voluntary, as male pattern hair loss is only a cosmetic condition and it is entirely up to the patient to take or not take the drug.
  7. The treating physician should provide full information about the drug to enable the patient to make an informed decision.
  8. It is better to avoid the drug for any patient who has the prior history of oligospermia, infertility, particularly if he is newly married and is trying to raise a family.
Please consult with your doctor ASAP, no one can help you in this except a professional.
 

Timpson12

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Let me explain you in a detailed view

A number of studies have looked at the problem of side effects caused by finasteride.These studies which are discussed below reveal that sexual adverse effects occur at the rates of 2.1% to 3.8%, erectile dysfunction (ED) being the commonest followed by ejaculatory dysfunction and loss of libido. These effects occurred early in the therapy and returned to normal on stopping or over a time on the continuous use of the drug. The only causal relation between finasteride and sexual adverse effects is decreased ejaculatory volume because of predominant action of DHT on the prostate.

A comprehensive review of a total of 73 papers on medical therapies for BPH was conducted, with a focus on the effects of different pharmacological agents on sexual function. The review revealed that finasteride is infrequently associated with problems of ejaculation (2.1-7.7%), erection (4.9-15.8%), and libido (3.1-5.4%).

In view of this, it is very important to properly counsel patients about the treatment. In particular, the following facts need to be stressed:

  1. The drug is probably the best available to treat androgenetic alopecia and the only one to address the root of the problem.
  2. Its effects are proven.
  3. Several studies have shown its safety over long duration of administration. The dosage given (1 mg) is small and unlikely to cause side effects. Even in those cases where side effects were reported, the changes were found to be reversible.
  4. There are very few effective alternatives to the drug and it is therefore important for the patient not to stop the drug unless he experiences any side effects.
  5. The patient should contact the doctor for any advice, should he experience a side effect.
  6. Most importantly, the intake of the drug is totally voluntary, as male pattern hair loss is only a cosmetic condition and it is entirely up to the patient to take or not take the drug.
  7. The treating physician should provide full information about the drug to enable the patient to make an informed decision.
  8. It is better to avoid the drug for any patient who has the prior history of oligospermia, infertility, particularly if he is newly married and is trying to raise a family.
Please consult with your doctor ASAP, no one can help you in this except a professional.


What are you trying to get at?

Finasteride is causing me libido problems. I've stopped finasteride before only to have them disappear. This time I'm going to drop the dosage and try to weather it out for 2 months.
Walking around like a zombie is my key concern - just complete lack of energy. Libido issues too though.

Anyway - will check back in after a few weeks - going to avoid any thought of hair loss and/or side-effects.
 

Timpson12

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2 weeks since I swapped over to 0.25mg Mon and Thurs - have very brief moments where my libido exists but generally it's still all dead as a dodo. My prostate area also feels a bit weird throughout the day. No mental side-effects such as depression or lack of energy.
 

Timpson12

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Sex drive has gotten a little better - Overall sex drive is negligible compared to before.

No real other side effects bar prostate area feeling a little odd but that has also improved.

Hair is going strong and continually improving on this much lower dose.
 

Rajiv Kumar

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What are you trying to get at?

Finasteride is causing me libido problems. I've stopped finasteride before only to have them disappear. This time I'm going to drop the dosage and try to weather it out for 2 months.
Walking around like a zombie is my key concern - just complete lack of energy. Libido issues too though.

Anyway - will check back in after a few weeks - going to avoid any thought of hair loss and/or side-effects.

As i said, Just consult with other physician and see what they recommend....
 

Timpson12

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Still having ED- goes up easily sometimes and morning woods etc ... but most the time ... nothing.

Have starting a 3 month course of Cialis 5mg ED - have a libido so it should help mask ED problems whilst I give my body time to adjust to finasteride. Definitely an improvement from having 0 libido and ED a few months ago.

Will increase finasteride dosage to 0.25mg MWF. Might help making the dose more constant in my body.

Hair is slowly but surely improving.
 
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