Hormonal Profile After 8 Months On 0.5mg finasteride Ed

getting_back

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If you had the correct other blood values done ,you can calculate your free testosterone here:

http://www.issam.ch/freetesto.htm

How is your libido and EQ?

This I get with the standard value for Albumin.

My libido was affected but I could have sex whenever it got to that point. Sperm quality decreased (watery semen) and the worst side that caused me to stop was depression. I'm thinking about going on with topical finasteride (@0.01%) or try a topical AA. Any suggestions are very welcome.

Edit: I got results (temple regrowth) from minoxidil and finasteride in combination. finasteride alone (8 months+) didn't do much. Now I stopped finasteride and all results start to go away. I think PGD2 is now increased and overpowers minoxidil (that might act on PGE1). As I have to take Aspirin (500mg for my heart) at the moment which cancels COX1/2, minoxidil effects are limited. If I understand it right, Aspirin should also decrease PGD2. So adding PGE2 topical might do the trick for me.

The regime would be as follows: Aspirin 500mg oral, topical finasteride (0.01%) and topical PGE2. Does this make sense or is it total bullshit?
 

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reyl

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This I get with the standard value for Albumin.

My libido was affected but I could have sex whenever it got to that point. Sperm quality decreased (watery semen) and the worst side that caused me to stop was depression. I'm thinking about going on with topical finasteride (@0.01%) or try a topical AA. Any suggestions are very welcome.

Edit: I got results (temple regrowth) from minoxidil and finasteride in combination. finasteride alone (8 months+) didn't do much. Now I stopped finasteride and all results start to go away. I think PGD2 is now increased and overpowers minoxidil (that might act on PGE1). As I have to take Aspirin (500mg for my heart) at the moment which cancels COX1/2, minoxidil effects are limited. If I understand it right, Aspirin should also decrease PGD2. So adding PGE2 topical might do the trick for me.

The regime would be as follows: Aspirin 500mg oral, topical finasteride (0.01%) and topical PGE2. Does this make sense or is it total bullshit?
If I were you I'd look into microdosing finasteride instead, try 0.10mg per day for example, if you can't cut it into small enough pieces, consider diluting it into a liquid.

Though some people have had success with topical finasteride but not as low as 0.01% I don't think.
 

getting_back

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If I were you I'd look into microdosing finasteride instead, try 0.10mg per day for example, if you can't cut it into small enough pieces, consider diluting it into a liquid.

Though some people have had success with topical finasteride but not as low as 0.01% I don't think.

Out of a very old study:
https://www.researchgate.net/public...y_evaluations_after_a_16-month_therapy_course

"During the first 3 months of the trial, the clinical response was not significant. The scores for hair regrowth ranged from 1 to 2 with no significant difference between the two study groups. By contrast, throughout the subsequent course of the study a significant improvement in the status of the scalp hair was observed among the finasteride-treated patients. At the end of the study, the clinical results were scored 4 in 12 patients and 3 in the remaining 14. Response to treatment was substantiated by both an increase in the hair density at the periphery of balding areas and a progressive, though slow and incomplete retrieval of the hair texture within previously bare sites. Patients initially grew vellus-type hair that tended to change to thicker, pigmented terminal hair as the clinical response progressed. As for the group receiving placebo, only ten patients were evaluable at the end of the study. The high number of dropouts was a result of the lack of any improvement in the status of the scalp hair. These results were scored as follows: 2 in three patients, 1 in three patients and 0 in four patients."

"Of the 52 patients enrolled, 36 (69.2%) completed the entire study period. Notably, all dropouts occurred in the placebo group after 1 to 10 months. Moreover, the overall tolerability of the treatment was excellent. No patient experienced any local or systemic untoward effect. In particular, in the finasteride group laboratory data indicated revealed no relevant change in plasma levels of total testosterone, free testosterone or dihydrotestosterone. On the basis of these findings any significant percutaneous absorption of the drug could reasonably be excluded."

The most important thing here is that the study was carried out over 16!! months. And I believe due to the steap response curve of finasteride it doesn't really matter if you take 1mg or 0.1mg, with the low dose it just takes longer for side-effects to occure. At some point you are always hitting the saturation point and this makes the development of topical finasteride difficult. Even if a very low dose goes into the blood, the effect OVER TIME is giving you the same outcome as taking a oral pill every day. This happened to me: I started with oral finasteride 1.25mg/ED and got after 3-4 months heavy side-effects (brain fog, depression). So I thought lets switch to 0.5mg/ED and with this approach it just took longer (6-7 months) for the sides to build up. For topical finasteride I assume an asorption rate of 10-15% and it's cruicial to start at a very low dose, track the sides that occure fast (watery semen, less scalp itching for me) and up the dose till a point where you get real benefits. Just how I want to approach it now. I never again want to experience depression!!!!!
 

reyl

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I understand your points, however there have been people who microdose as low as 0.05mg . And it doesn't have to be everyday. You're right that there is a flat dose response to an extent but most people have definitely reported less side effects on a lower dose than people who take a larger one.
 

getting_back

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I understand your points, however there have been people who microdose as low as 0.05mg . And it doesn't have to be everyday. You're right that there is a flat dose response to an extent but most people have definitely reported less side effects on a lower dose than people who take a larger one.

Do you have some evidence that they had success with 0.05mg? A link to a thread would be nice. Or just a nickname and I could try to make contact. I want to get as much input as possible.

What's your opinion on the saying that finasteride needs to go systemic to get into action?

For me the question is: Where is T converted into DHT? So how would finasteride locally (topical) on your scalp help if DHT is already floading in your blood, converted somewhere else. This is one of my concerns with topical finasteride.

To let you know, I started topical finasteride (0.006%) yesterday. And it seems that the scalp itch, I'm always feeling whenever hair loss kicks in, got better. Of course it's just a first observation and not very meaningful.
 

getting_back

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I want to report back just to make you aware of how much of an influence finasteride can have on your hormonal system! I was never biased and tried finasteride to see if it can help me. First I took the pill, seeing the hormonal profile after 8 months at the beginning of this thread. After getting depressed and other metal sides (not by hairloss - by the drug itself) I started to do topical finasteride. I did 0.01%, about 1ml daily, which is a really low dose. I wanted to be on the save side.... but it just took longer for the sides to show. My conclusion, if you are using finasteride you will hit the saturation point sooner or later. Finasteride is not a dose-dependent drug. Sides will hit you or not... depending if you can tolerate it and how your hormonal system is influenced. As you will see on my current hormonal test.. For me this drug had an huge impact on my system and now after quitting I have a really hard time to recover!! Be aware that finasteride has not only sexual sides but also influences your brains chemestry.. It is dangerous and some people crash even after they took it a long time without any issues. I just want to say, for many finasteride works and for some it is very dangerous!
 

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upload_2019-2-18_13-5-36.png

upload_2019-2-18_13-11-36.png


And here while 8 months on finasteride (propecia 0.5mg/daily):
 

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getting_back

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My FAI is very low... as well as the free testosterone because my SHBG is through the roof and total testosterone is quite low. E2 (Östradiol) is high. And I have insomnia, brain fog, joint pains, neck pain... just to name some issues I'm dealing with now after quitting.
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manda

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Hey man,

I'm also from Germany. How or where did you get your blood test done? Danke im Voraus! :)
 

getting_back

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Hey man,

I'm also from Germany. How or where did you get your blood test done? Danke im Voraus! :)

Hi,

bin aus Österreich ;) Ich war bei einem Endokrinologen der auf Schilddrüsenerkrankungen spezialisiert ist. Der kann bei uns solche Bluttests anfordern, wobei man ca. 30% selber bezahlen muss.
 
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