How common is it that finasteride sides go away without discontinuing?

[INT]

Hi all,

First of all, see this link for my background story: http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/showthread.php/95272-Long-curly-haired-man-And-so-it-begins

I am in my second week of finasteride now (1.25 mg every day).

- Week 1: I thought my libido was actually higher than usual, nothing else to mention yet.
- Week 2: Noticed after a masturbation session that my semen volume seemed a bit lower than usual so I immediately got worried. I noticed that after this, I got almost no morning wood anymore and it feels like my libido has decreased ever since. It also takes a bit more time to get it up, however getting an orgasm is no problem.
During the second week I also started with a new temporary job. I noticed that I really had some difficulty with understanding some simple tasks which made me feel extremely stupid and self-conscious. I immediately thought about 'braind fog' which sent me into a complete state of panic... I actually went to the hospital after work to have them check me but was sent home quite quick.

I am very afraid now that I am one of those few people that can't handle this drug. My hair is extremely imporant for me and I have done enough research over the years (even way before I started to recede) that I know that no finasteride means that you are basically ****ed when it comes to keeping your hair... My hair reacts extremely bad to alcohol so topicals would also not be an option for me.
I am constantly surfing over the web and checking my penis (in private moments of course) which probably does not do any good for my problems either. I have to admit, I am a typical 'worst case scenario guy' who as a personality that is probably very prone to a nocebo effect but it is very hard to deny a soft penis in the morning when it used to be hard most of the times.

So what I want to know:
- How many of you guys also had sides in the beginning but noticed that it went away after a while?
- For those for who the sides did not go away or did not want to wait; did you try to do something against these sides like certain supplements or lifestyle changes?
- Should I already cut my daily dose back to 0.625 mg every day? Did any of you experience complete absence of sides after lowering your dose?
- Is it likely that my penis related problems are mostly mental? It just seems so odd to me that my brain could actually 'trick me' to this degree...

Thank you so much guys!

 

[Scrappy]

Hi all,

First of all, see this link for my background story: http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/showthread.php/95272-Long-curly-haired-man-And-so-it-begins

I am in my second week of finasteride now (1.25 mg every day).

- Week 1: I thought my libido was actually higher than usual, nothing else to mention yet.
- Week 2: Noticed after a masturbation session that my semen volume seemed a bit lower than usual so I immediately got worried. I noticed that after this, I got almost no morning wood anymore and it feels like my libido has decreased ever since. It also takes a bit more time to get it up, however getting an orgasm is no problem.
During the second week I also started with a new temporary job. I noticed that I really had some difficulty with understanding some simple tasks which made me feel extremely stupid and self-conscious. I immediately thought about 'braind fog' which sent me into a complete state of panic... I actually went to the hospital after work to have them check me but was sent home quite quick.

I am very afraid now that I am one of those few people that can't handle this drug. My hair is extremely imporant for me and I have done enough research over the years (even way before I started to recede) that I know that no finasteride means that you are basically ****ed when it comes to keeping your hair... My hair reacts extremely bad to alcohol so topicals would also not be an option for me.
I am constantly surfing over the web and checking my penis (in private moments of course) which probably does not do any good for my problems either. I have to admit, I am a typical 'worst case scenario guy' who as a personality that is probably very prone to a nocebo effect but it is very hard to deny a soft penis in the morning when it used to be hard most of the times.

So what I want to know:
- How many of you guys also had sides in the beginning but noticed that it went away after a while?
- For those for who the sides did not go away or did not want to wait; did you try to do something against these sides like certain supplements or lifestyle changes?
- Should I already cut my daily dose back to 0.625 mg every day? Did any of you experience complete absence of sides after lowering your dose?
- Is it likely that my penis related problems are mostly mental? It just seems so odd to me that my brain could actually 'trick me' to this degree...

Thank you so much guys!

You sound like you have similar symptoms to me when I tried the drug years ago. It's not in your head. The drug has bad side effects for many. I got off it before I could find out if they go away, but I might be trying it again soon.

 

[INT]

Went to my derm the other day.

He told me that it is more likely that it is in my head than anything else. He told me just to stay away from the internet and see how it will go in the next 2 months. He even told me I should not lower my dosage.

Any thought?

 

[sportsfan12]

Went to my derm the other day.

He told me that it is more likely that it is in my head than anything else. He told me just to stay away from the internet and see how it will go in the next 2 months. He even told me I should not lower my dosage.

Any thought?

Im almost a year into finasteride. I take it with my multivitamin and just act like its another vitamin or something. The less you think about it, the better off you will be.

Now if you really are having sides, thats another story and i wont say keep taking it but 98% of people dont have sides so just let that stat reassure you!

 

[INT]

Im almost a year into finasteride. I take it with my multivitamin and just act like its another vitamin or something. The less you think about it, the better off you will be.

Now if you really are having sides, thats another story and i wont say keep taking it but 98% of people dont have sides so just let that stat reassure you!

Thanks for the response! I have some questions if that's ok?

1) Since when did you start feeling any sides?
2) What were the sides you experienced?
3) With what mindset did you begin finasteride? (Scared of sides or not)
4) Does your strategy work for you? Do you still experience any side effects?

 

[Scrappy]

I highly doubt that 2% side effects figure is accurate. It's gotta be more like 20% in reality.

 

[INT]

I highly doubt that 2% side effects figure is accurate. It's gotta be more like 20% in reality.

Based on what?

 

[xRedStaRx]

Finasteride will give you side effects, there is no way around it.

 

[sportsfan12]

1- I have never really felt any sides, at least nothing noticable. Maybe a few cases of my balls tingling when i first started but nothing that bizarre.

I keep this very objective- i was losing my mind waking up every morning before i started finasteride knowing i will have less and less hair every single day. Not to be shallow and overly image conscious, but this essentially meant to me i will be less and less attractive every day.

I have a job where image is important and im 25 and single, so i really just am at a point in my life where losing more hair would crush me. Without treatment i would be freaking out every day trying to settle down with a girl while i still have my hair as id be frightened im going to lose it all and not be able to find a girl (just me, not saying this is reality). I have so much i want to accomplish before i start a family and to be quite frank, going bald would derail these plans.

I saw multiple docs/derms before starting finasteride and thoroughly did my research. I made the decision to start and i have had no noticable sides. It has helped my crown and im just hoping for some more hairline help from it.

Bottom line, the risks of finasteride outweighed going about my life every day losing more hair. I have always done well in school, work, etc where I have control and having no control over this really messes with me mentally.

I am going to get blood tests done as im approaching a year and i want to be proactive and make sure everything's in check. It was reassuring to know my derm who prescribed it has been on it for years (works for a very reputable health system)

Feel free to ask if have any other questions. My advice- don't overthink it! If you choose to try it out, just act like its brushing your teeth, taking a multivitamin, etc- another step in your day. I have literally found finasteride in friends' cabinets of mine that i never would have guessed they were taking it. This is used so much more frequently than we think.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

Went to my derm the other day.

He told me that it is more likely that it is in my head than anything else. He told me just to stay away from the internet and see how it will go in the next 2 months. He even told me I should not lower my dosage.

Any thought?

Good to see you followed his advice.

- - - Updated - - -

However, a person responding who claims to be from Merck, says 35% have temporary side effects. That's a large number.

Sounds legit. I believe him. Making claims like this is definitely not something an anti propecia troll would do.

 

[INT]

UPDATE:

Non sexual side effects:

Absolutely no negative non sexual side effects anymore. No feelings of lack of energy or brain fog. Ik feel very fit and have a lot of energy. This might also be because of the fact that I started working out again which always feels great. Over the last two years a few hairs started growing on my shoulders (blegh) which I always remove with a razor. Now I notice that it seems like they are comming back a bit thinner than before. Is this possible after just 1 month on finasteride?

Sexual side effecs
1,5 week ago I decided to lower my dose. Now I am taking 0.625 MG EOD. Two days ago I experienced my first non-touch induced erection since I started noticing sides 2 weeks ago.. Yesterday I wanted to see if I could pull it of again and it worked! So it seems like my erections are definitely doing better than when I started this thread. However... I also started added maca supplements to my diet so this might also be partially responsible for this increase and my erections are still not back to 100%. Two weeks ago they were just 70% at best and right now they are arounds 85-90%. Semen is still a bit less than usual but the consistency got a bit less watery again.

Continue and see if I keep on improving or pause and restart gradually?
I feel like I have two options that I can choose regarding my finasteride usage. BTW I am 4 weeks on finasteride now and it is almost 3 weeks ago since I started noticing the first side effects.

Option 1) Just continue on this dosage and see if my erections will keep on improving

Pros
- Not having to stop with finasteride and avoid a potential blast for my hair (and my hormones in general). My male pattern baldness is not aggressive however, I only have some minor recesion near the hairline and temples. I am 25 and my goal is just maintaining what I have now.
- My body might already be adjusting to the finasteride so stopping might not be necessary.


Option 2: Take a break from finasteride and then gradually introduce it again to my system

Pros:
- If I would stop for 2-3 weeks my hormone levels would probably go back to baseline. If so, I could get a pre-finasteride blood test and compare it with my hormone levels when I am back on finasteride again.
- I could also see how big the difference in my erections is. I think I usually got morning wood but I am actually not sure since I never really paid attention to it.
- I could gradually introduce finasteride to my body and thus avoid the potential side effects? I was thinking of starting with 0.25 mg eod and then gradually building up untill 1mg every day (unless I experience sides again).

What do you guys think? What would be a better option? Any guys here that experienced their sided to disappear after 3 week (or longer) after they started? I hope 3 weeks is not too long for them to disappear without actually discontinuing the drug...

 

[simtastic]

Hi all,

First of all, see this link for my background story: http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/showthread.php/95272-Long-curly-haired-man-And-so-it-begins

I am in my second week of finasteride now (1.25 mg every day).

- Week 1: I thought my libido was actually higher than usual, nothing else to mention yet.
- Week 2: Noticed after a masturbation session that my semen volume seemed a bit lower than usual so I immediately got worried. I noticed that after this, I got almost no morning wood anymore and it feels like my libido has decreased ever since. It also takes a bit more time to get it up, however getting an orgasm is no problem.
During the second week I also started with a new temporary job. I noticed that I really had some difficulty with understanding some simple tasks which made me feel extremely stupid and self-conscious. I immediately thought about 'braind fog' which sent me into a complete state of panic... I actually went to the hospital after work to have them check me but was sent home quite quick.

I am very afraid now that I am one of those few people that can't handle this drug. My hair is extremely imporant for me and I have done enough research over the years (even way before I started to recede) that I know that no finasteride means that you are basically ****ed when it comes to keeping your hair... My hair reacts extremely bad to alcohol so topicals would also not be an option for me.
I am constantly surfing over the web and checking my penis (in private moments of course) which probably does not do any good for my problems either. I have to admit, I am a typical 'worst case scenario guy' who as a personality that is probably very prone to a nocebo effect but it is very hard to deny a soft penis in the morning when it used to be hard most of the times.

So what I want to know:
- How many of you guys also had sides in the beginning but noticed that it went away after a while?
- For those for who the sides did not go away or did not want to wait; did you try to do something against these sides like certain supplements or lifestyle changes?
- Should I already cut my daily dose back to 0.625 mg every day? Did any of you experience complete absence of sides after lowering your dose?
- Is it likely that my penis related problems are mostly mental? It just seems so odd to me that my brain could actually 'trick me' to this degree...

Thank you so much guys!

Hey INT,
I am on finasteride since a year now, i have the sides since the first week of starting Finasteride.
So, around 5-6 month i lowered the dose to half (0.5mg) and waited another 5 months for the sides to reduce, eventually it got reduced a bit, my semen got a little thicker, my erections were improved by 20% but thats it, the sides didn't got resolved completely.
So i quit finasteride somewhere around 11th month and within 10 days it got resolved completely.
I went to my dermatologist for some alternative, but he said you should continue with the drug coz in max cases the sides get resolved after a year of continues usage.
And ya he also told me that your sides could be phycological because of reading to much about it on the internet.

 

[INT]

Hey INT,
I am on finasteride since a year now, i have the sides since the first week of starting Finasteride.
So, around 5-6 month i lowered the dose to half (0.5mg) and waited another 5 months for the sides to reduce, eventually it got reduced a bit, my semen got a little thicker, my erections were improved by 20% but thats it, the sides didn't got resolved completely.
So i quit finasteride somewhere around 11th month and within 10 days it got resolved completely.
I went to my dermatologist for some alternative, but he said you should continue with the drug coz in max cases the sides get resolved after a year of continues usage.
And ya he also told me that your sides could be phycological because of reading to much about it on the internet.

Hi Simtastic,

How significant was the change you had from stopping with finasteride (regarding your sides)? I am especially curious to the ED since that seems to be the only side that I am still experiencing at the moment. Did your erections for example go from 70% back to 100%? How bad was your ED at it's worst (and at what month on finasteride was this)? How bad was it at it's best while still being on finasteride (and at what month was this)?

Do you think you will hop on finasteride again? Maybe it is a good idea for you to gradually introduce is back to your body and slowly increase the dose till you start feeling any sides again to find your sweet spot? I am of the opinion that no one really needs 1 mg everyday if you look at the halflife of finasteride. I think that as long as you consume a total of 2,5 mg as evenly distributed as possible over 1 week you should be fine.

I masturbated yesterday and it seems like both my sperm volume and consistency are back to normal. My erections are back at 90% which I guess is already enough for having sex but I really wish it will go back to 100%. Morning wood is also not back yet at it's normal level but I am a bit uncertain if it really was that much better before starting finasteride... I wish I would have paid more attention to it before I started 1 month ago.

PS: I am on 0.625 mg every MWFS at the moment and will probably keep it like this for the next 2 months. If my sides have completely disappeared by then I will maybe increase my dose a little bit. I also included maca powder in my diet.

 

[simtastic]

First of all i only experienced sexual side effects from finasteride no mental sides and the sexual sides included low libido (30-40% of what i really used to have), watery semen, weak erections.
After quitting finasteride i noticed my libido was back to 100% within 10 days and my erections were hard again.
Regarding morning wood, i really didn't paid that much attention to it ever but as far as i remember i never got one while on finasteride.
When i reduced the dose to 0.5mg in the 5th month, the sides reduced a bit but i feel that wasn't significant enough ie: my libido was almost the same but the watery semen thing was resolved completely and that was it.
I continued for 6 months though.
I stopped consuming it around 11th month.
Regarding your question to get back on finasteride, Yes i have started with 0.5mg again 5 days ago after consulting to my dermatologist & the sides have appeared again but apparently this time the sides are less severe (libido is 60-70%, No watery semen) i think they are resolving slowly hopefully.
I'll continue it for another 3 months to see if they are gone completely if not then ill quit.
Also i had started with topical finasteride + minoxidil (1x day) when i reduced the dose to 0.5mg (5th month). Previously my regime was 1mg finasteride + 2x minoxidil 10%.

PS: After quiting finasteride completely my hair started to shed badly, i see some 50-80 hair per day while on finasteride i used to see only 10-20 per day.

 

[INT]

First of all i only experienced sexual side effects from finasteride no mental sides and the sexual sides included low libido (30-40% of what i really used to have), watery semen, weak erections.
After quitting finasteride i noticed my libido was back to 100% within 10 days and my erections were hard again.
Regarding morning wood, i really didn't paid that much attention to it ever but as far as i remember i never got one while on finasteride.
When i reduced the dose to 0.5mg in the 5th month, the sides reduced a bit but i feel that wasn't significant enough ie: my libido was almost the same but the watery semen thing was resolved completely and that was it.
I continued for 6 months though.
I stopped consuming it around 11th month.
Regarding your question to get back on finasteride, Yes i have started with 0.5mg again 5 days ago after consulting to my dermatologist & the sides have appeared again but apparently this time the sides are less severe (libido is 60-70%, No watery semen) i think they are resolving slowly hopefully.
I'll continue it for another 3 months to see if they are gone completely if not then ill quit.
Also i had started with topical finasteride + minoxidil (1x day) when i reduced the dose to 0.5mg (5th month). Previously my regime was 1mg finasteride + 2x minoxidil 10%.

PS: After quiting finasteride completely my hair started to shed badly, i see some 50-80 hair per day while on finasteride i used to see only 10-20 per day.

Thank you for your response. Don't you think there is a chance that the decrease in libido might just be nocebo? My decrease in libido seemed to happen right after I saw my decrease in ejaculation volume... Shortly after this my ED started as well...

PS: You also did not pay any attention towards your morning wood during your finasteride break?

 

[2Young4This]

I am 1 week into finasteride and after the testicle soreness went away, I began to experience much HIGHER sex drive, a lot MORE semen, and more aggressive ejaculations, which is all pretty awesome. I'm really hoping that I don't experience lower libido like you did in your second week...

Obviously I haven't been on finasteride long, less time than you have, but my advice is to keep going. That's what I would do if I get into your situation. From what I've read, initial side effects are common and I think you should give it a try for at least a few months to see its benefits. A lot of people regret stopping too soon and start taking the drug again in the future.

Have some faith and stick with it!! Good luck

 

[simtastic]

Thank you for your response. Don't you think there is a chance that the decrease in libido might just be nocebo? My decrease in libido seemed to happen right after I saw my decrease in ejaculation volume... Shortly after this my ED started as well...

PS: You also did not pay any attention towards your morning wood during your finasteride break?

After what my derm said i think their are like 50% chances that my sides are nocebo, but i am not sure about the nocebo thing. Although now after starting finasteride again iam not stressing myself on the side effect thing anymore, i'll simply wait for few months and quit if it didn't got resolved (fingers crossed).
Regarding morning wood as far as i remember i got it like twice or thrice while i was off finasteride, but now i dont get any.

Ps: what is your hairline like?
And how much do shed?

 

[INT]

This is my hair a few days before starting with finasteride (see my story here http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/showthread.php/95272-Long-curly-haired-man-And-so-it-begins)

Because I have long hair it is really difficult to see anything significant regarding my shedding. I have long hair for 10 years now and even back then I sometimes had times where the drainer was somethings completely full of hair and times where I only see a 'normal' amount of hair comming off while showering.

How is your hair at the moment?