Finasteride Weekly Update [19m] [health]

[Twelve]

I have seen a lot of people scared of actually starting Finasteride and I intend to encourage those who were scared of either the internet or, worst case scenario, their derm.
I am a 19M and I have noticed balding for aproximately 2 months now. Finally went to derm who diagnosed me with Alopecia. None of my parents/grandparents are bald so yes, you can bald despite having non-balding family in general.
Besides the general temple recession, I am a difused thinner, hair falls from literally everywhere, including sides and back. I took the leap and started Propecia 2 days ago and I intend to write a single post here weekly about my health status in order to encourage people to actually start treatment(and a 3 month mark of before and after pics). I'm sorry if this is considered spam. If not, I will make a post in 5 days.
*progress so far, all normal, no first day "crash"

 

[INT]

I have seen a lot of people scared of actually starting Finasteride and I intend to encourage those who were scared of either the internet or, worst case scenario, their derm.
I am a 19M and I have noticed balding for aproximately 2 months now. Finally went to derm who diagnosed me with Alopecia. None of my parents/grandparents are bald so yes, you can bald despite having non-balding family in general.
Besides the general temple recession, I am a difused thinner, hair falls from literally everywhere, including sides and back. I took the leap and started Propecia 2 days ago and I intend to write a single post here weekly about my health status in order to encourage people to actually start treatment(and a 3 month mark of before and after pics). I'm sorry if this is considered spam. If not, I will make a post in 5 days.
*progress so far, all normal, no first day "crash"

No need to update weekly. Just update when something worth posting happens.

 

[Twelve]

It has been around 12 hours since I took my 7th pill and so far I can see things changing already. The shedding is definitely reduced, I have no more anxiety taking a shower now. On the other side, libido is lower and there are no more random erections; there is some sort of nipple sensitivity but no pain whatsoever. Very similar to another guy on the forum (recedingornot87 or something) so I am not lowering my dose and waiting another week or 2 for things to adjust, otherwise I'll lower to 0.5 or quit altogether.

 

[Twelve]

Currently on the 15th pill, hours away from 16. As far as hair goes it's just a pure relief that I honestly can barely see hair anymore in my daily routine: i can easily count the hair falling in the shower since it doesn't go above 15-20 and about the hair on the pillow in the morning, close to nothing. One thing strangely going on is that my hair just refuses to grow. I've been wondering for a while if it's the fact that I dyed my hair(from brown to black) and since then hair just refuses to grow and I cannot see my natural color. I could notice the balding days after coloring but went to a derm who actually confirmed that is alopecia so...idk what to think. I'll stick with finasteride at least for a while.
As far as sides go, they are improving. Again, I'm confident enough to say that what has been happening to me is not placebo the last 2 weeks. The erections came back,not completely but definitely much better than in the first week. I still have weird feelings in my chest from time to time, but not frequent enough for me to worry. Not pain and I cannot call it tenderness, i don't know it's just weird.

 

[Twelve]

A bit more than 3 weeks. It's working, the shedding is reduced, I just feel depressed honestly. I don't know I feel like I have days when it is better and when it's at its worst. Again, I am 19, I think I am a nw2 with tons of min. hair(front and temples) which if grown I think would get me to at least something decent. I am sorry, I am not egocentric, I know there are people doing much worse than me. I just feel depressed, and it has come to a point in life where I really need motivation.
I have seen a derm at the very start of this who has indeed confirmed my thoughts of alopecia and said that I also have telogen effluvium. I don't know how much I'm buying the t.e. stuff but I can only hope I guess. Life has indeed been stressful the last months. I wanted to change unis and basically my whole path in life so I did that and took an exam. I initially failed it and was put on a reserve list in which I had to wait a week to know if there is a place for me or not. I barely slept and ate during that week but I got in. I don't honestly feel any emotional support coming from my parents, and generally any support besides a financial one, I feel lonely but I guess these are common problems for someone at the age of 19.

 

[CrownBalding]

A bit more than 3 weeks. It's working, the shedding is reduced, I just feel depressed honestly. I don't know I feel like I have days when it is better and when it's at its worst. Again, I am 19, I think I am a nw2 with tons of min. hair(front and temples) which if grown I think would get me to at least something decent. I am sorry, I am not egocentric, I know there are people doing much worse than me. I just feel depressed, and it has come to a point in life where I really need motivation.
I have seen a derm at the very start of this who has indeed confirmed my thoughts of alopecia and said that I also have telogen effluvium. I don't know how much I'm buying the t.e. stuff but I can only hope I guess. Life has indeed been stressful the last months. I wanted to change unis and basically my whole path in life so I did that and took an exam. I initially failed it and was put on a reserve list in which I had to wait a week to know if there is a place for me or not. I barely slept and ate during that week but I got in. I don't honestly feel any emotional support coming from my parents, and generally any support besides a financial one, I feel lonely but I guess these are common problems for someone at the age of 19.

Your life circumstance can seem like a bummer. If you feel depressed there are things you can do to improve your situation, talking to people that support you can have a beneficial impact on how you feel. If the depression is severe enough, there’s nothing wrong with taking meds, they help a lot of people. If you’re truly a nw2 with no thinning anywhere except the hairline, your hair isn’t an issue. Finasteride can help you maintain it for a long time, and you shouldn’t be worrying about your hair. Especially if you’ve noticed a decrease in your shedding.

Just keep popping your pills n try to look at the positive things in your life. Depression is normal for your age. But if your hair looks fine I wouldn’t blame it on the hair. I also wouldn’t hope that it’s Telogen Effluvium either, but stress can accelerate balding in my opinion.

 

[Alphalete]

hey man, i'm also 19 and ive been taking finasteride for about 3 months now... try to stay positive, and find someone to talk with about your feelings. I was also initially bummed out when I got on finasteride but it's getting better.

hit the gym, do sh*t you like, find a purpose to live for and the depression will get decrease.

 

[Twelve]

Lack of activity but I didn't want to leave the thread hanging. What I'm sharing here is my personal experience so don't take it as advice for your personal problem.
I almost finished 1 and a half boxes of Propecia but while on it, it got progressively worse. I had chest pains and breathing deeply just didn't feel right, it felt like my lungs were getting smaller while my chest actually felt bigger, idk if that makes sense. Besides that I felt the muscle around my chest was(idk what the term is it felt like a shock sometimes in my chest). Despite all that I continued treatment until one day when I couldn't walk 2 floors upstairs to class, which I go to a few times a week. I stopped that day and the very next got help.
Shortly, the doctor was like well maybe stop taking that f*cking drug. My derm also told this on the 1 month mark, that if I felt discomfort in my chest and trouble breathing just stop. But I went on until it was actually unbearable. Mornings were awful, walking felt awful and I had to sleep on my back because on my sides felt awful.
I'm a bit more than 3 weeks I think off the drug. Right after the first days I just felt better, like what was making my lungs feel small was starting to disappear. I feel like it's better regarding the random boners and libido but it honestly wasn't an issue after like 2 weeks into the drug. Hair also didn't shed anymore, I guess it will start again soon but I'm not taking that again. I'd rather breathe. I will go to the doctor again at least once before Christmas just to report since right now I just feel like it s better day by day.
TL;DR: Chest issues, breathing issues. Stopped, 3 weeks after I can take deep breaths again and the weird chest feelings are gone. I was healthy before finasteride, while on it(theoretically) and after stopping.

 

[random phone charger]

Lack of activity but I didn't want to leave the thread hanging. What I'm sharing here is my personal experience so don't take it as advice for your personal problem.
I almost finished 1 and a half boxes of Propecia but while on it, it got progressively worse. I had chest pains and breathing deeply just didn't feel right, it felt like my lungs were getting smaller while my chest actually felt bigger, idk if that makes sense. Besides that I felt the muscle around my chest was(idk what the term is it felt like a shock sometimes in my chest). Despite all that I continued treatment until one day when I couldn't walk 2 floors upstairs to class, which I go to a few times a week. I stopped that day and the very next got help.
Shortly, the doctor was like well maybe stop taking that f*cking drug. My derm also told this on the 1 month mark, that if I felt discomfort in my chest and trouble breathing just stop. But I went on until it was actually unbearable. Mornings were awful, walking felt awful and I had to sleep on my back because on my sides felt awful.
I'm a bit more than 3 weeks I think off the drug. Right after the first days I just felt better, like what was making my lungs feel small was starting to disappear. I feel like it's better regarding the random boners and libido but it honestly wasn't an issue after like 2 weeks into the drug. Hair also didn't shed anymore, I guess it will start again soon but I'm not taking that again. I'd rather breathe. I will go to the doctor again at least once before Christmas just to report since right now I just feel like it s better day by day.
TL;DR: Chest issues, breathing issues. Stopped, 3 weeks after I can take deep breaths again and the weird chest feelings are gone. I was healthy before finasteride, while on it(theoretically) and after stopping.

This is why I discontinued the drug the 3rd day in. People aren't "fear-mongering" like hairloss sufferers with the proposition of consuming finasteride claim. They're just conflicted with the ultimatum of having to take drugs in order to re-mediate an inconsistent issue; gambling health. Also, ensuring one another by congregating on forums like this & relying on controlled studies in regards to finasteride; when you should consider both anedotes and studies.


The silliest thing anyone could do is take full advice from a person that's self-conscious. The hair loss community has done nothing but populate a culture of anxiety, anxiousness, and irrationality. All awaiting decent news that could abruptly remove them from their fast- paced decisions.

 

[Twelve]

I have to agree, and I'm in no position whatsoever to offer advice but I'll throw my 2 cents in here before I leave. There are many people in their young 20s lurking around this forum with minimal hairloss and some I believe are driven insane because of the wish of being "perfect" with their hair. And this thinking is either induced by self-consciousness or by others. If you are 20, or worse, younger, my advice would be to get the f*ck out of here. Find what you want to find, maintain a regime, see if that works, if you damage your body and mental health along the journey just stop and try to never come places like these again.
Those who read my first post probably understand that I had to damage my body and mental health in order to ask myself what in the world am I doing. I also came to conclusion that lurking around here made things worse, as there are indeed some genuine people around here but most are delusional.
For instance you can't tell a person with not even a nw2 get on finasteride asap or your hair is gone. Or if you are getting sides just go through it they will subside. "I mean sure my chest feels bigger while on finasteride but you gotta sacrifice. Low libido? I'd rather have my hair dude. Get on it and you'll thank us later. You will be bald in x years".
NO. Get on it, try it. No sides, good. Sides? Just stop and get the hell out of here.

 

[Twelve]

There is more to the story and I wanted to share as I felt there may still be people around here who have read my post and got scared and I want to clarify some things. Those who have read this thread know that I've complained about not even being able to walk some stairs.
A few days ago, before 2019, I was diagnosed with TB and I've been staying at the hospital ever since and I guess I will stay a few days more. Now, because of TB water slowly formed in the lung area, therefore causing rather a bubbling feeling in the chest when breathing, but not pain. I have to admit that chest tenderness/pain and tiredness are all symptoms of TB.
Back to finasteride however, I will say that the pain that I had in the chest was gone once I stopped, despite, unknowingly at the time, having TB, I did not have chest pain because of it. Whatever the pain was it stopped once I stopped the drug. Not that I paid too much attention to libido anyway since I've been feeling sh*t for what, 1 and a half months now, but it felt better just a few days without propecia.

Now, am I willing to start again? Absolutely the f*ck not. Once you are in the hospital for a few days you don't give a crap about anything else than health and how to get home faster. For context, I am not even sure I can be called a nw2 since my corners are round and not that far back. I've also seen how nw3 looks like and I'm not even remotely close to that. I will be 20 in a few weeks, hairloss stopped a long time ago and it seems like thinning has as well. I can style it if I really want to and it doesn't even look like a nw2 since I cover one temple completely and the other looks, idk, just rounded and maybe a bit back? It's hard to say, when I was little I had such a big forehead I had the bowl cut and now I have the classic male haircut. Sides short and the top is left alone.

TL;DR: I was diagnosed with TB which may have been the cause to some problems I had but propecia still gave me chest pain and loss of libido. It feels like I just had bad luck after bad luck but if I wasn't sure of it back, I'm 200% sure of it now. I did not think anymore about the hairloss, but I felt like I had to say something since some of my sides were actually the cause of TB. I will say the same thing I said 1 month ago:

Get on it, try it. No sides, good. Sides? Just stop and get the hell out of here.
Take care of yourselves people, and don't take your health for granted. I wish you all the best this new year, to be healthy physically but also mentally.

 

[Alphalete]

sorry for bein slow but what is TB?

either way, I wish you the best of luck man. I'm sorry finasteride didn't work out for you. You can always contemplate hairsystems in the future.. gl bro.

 

[Retinoid]

I am surprised nobody pointed out that there is no correlation to severe breathing problems and Finasteride...unless maybe if you were allergic. Glad the tuberculosis cleared up, that is crazy.

 

[Alphalete]

I am surprised nobody pointed out that there is no correlation to severe breathing problems and Finasteride...unless maybe if you were allergic. Glad the tuberculosis cleared up, that is crazy.

yo retinoid

long time no see

question: stuffy nose same as trouuble breathing ?

 

[Twelve]

Don't be sorry and as far as I'm concerned it will take a while until I need a hairsystem. At least I can only hope. Anyway after such an experience I can safely say I don't care, at least for now, about anything besides health and going home.
TB=Tuberculosis thankfully can be treated, I have it in lungs therefore liquid around there formed, breathing became somewhat difficult and weird and chest tenderness due to the liquid around there.
Trouble breathing as in why the hell am I not getting enough air not as in my nose is stuffy.
I wish to both of you a speeding recovery regarding the hairloss as well, but I'm afraid the more I looked into it the more I got the idea that making the fight longer doesn't make you the winner in the end.

*I will say one thing which I guess to some is pretty obvious: it looks so bad when you don't wash it for a while. Not bad in the sense of, oh it looks shiny and greasy, no. It looks worse, I think especially to the mild balders.
*Another one is that I believe the mentality most people have with, I just need it now to find someone, to be socially accepted, etc. and I won't care about it later is just false hope. If you care that much about it now, you care because of your way of looking at yourself in the mirror, and that won't change with that mentality.

 

[random phone charger]

yo retinoid

long time no see

question: stuffy nose same as trouuble breathing ?

If you still have a stuffy nose; that is not good.

 

[Alphalete]

If you still have a stuffy nose; that is not good.

I quit finasteride twice. Problem still existed, next step is to visit a Doctor tbh

 

[Alphalete]

People here are stupid and irresppnsible.
First of all the biggest first of alls.
Finasterid take at least by minimum one month to show his sides. Not by the first two week in practicular.
Second of all, the two most dangerous periods on finasterid is the start and the end. You cant just start to consume 1mg daily, it will dispurt you hormonal system so be aware of side effect that caused by that. And when you cut off immideatly???? You f*****g ruining your system twice and make it longer for yout body to recover. Be careful guys.

meh I think you're exaggerating. many people quit it cold turkey, the same as those who begin and they turn out fine.
Most doctors ive spoken to even recommend to quit it cold turkey anyways