How to deal with placebo side effects ?

ariel12160 · Dec 13, 2022

Hey,

I'm 25M and many years lurking here, since the age of 19 when I saw the first thinning in the temples.

I always thought the finasteride is poison and I'll never take it but as the hairline keep recede, I know that I'll freak out when it will bad (nothing too bad right now, it slowly recede over the past 6 years but it still looks good and no one of the normal noj balding people out there will say I'm balding)

First of all I added here photos of myself from today compared to 4.5 years ago and I defintely think I recede and that my hairline is recded and not just "maturing" but still I would appreciate your second opinion.

Secondly (and my main question) - I very hypochondric and have some OCD, and I'm definitely ready to take risk to get sides but I know that I will most likely will get placebo sides because tbh I'm really anxious to take it.

How can I know if my sides are placebo or real ?

I'm trying no to see any negative stories (or stories in general) on those hair loss forums.
I also trying to "brainwash" myself with finasteride success stories from a site dedicate to it so there's no chance for me to tackle in a negative story.

But still I feel like it's not enough, if you have other techniqe to me or someone who have been through the same and manage not to get placebo sides, I'll glad to hear about it.

Thanks

WhiteWolfKevin · Dec 15, 2022

Check out my YouTube channel. I make a lot of videos where I talk about this specific problem.

Here is one of them.

hudsonhawke · Dec 18, 2022

I was the same, noticed receding at the temples though was too paranoid about sides and especially shedding. I avoided finasteride for over 10 years until it all started falling out in the span of a month. Before taking finasteride I watched many youtube vids to put my mind at ease, basically a small percentage will get really bad sides. After taking it for almost three months I've not noticed any sides or shedding (yet) I may have had a shed in the beginning, but my head was shaved so never really noticed it. Though I don't have erectile issues or achy balls or depression or gyno or any of that so far. I'm just popping the pill EOD and not thinking too much about it.

PRIMEN · Dec 19, 2022

You can try it and see whether you have side effects or not.

I'm balding and tried to take it to stop hairloss. I experienced lots of side effects including sexual, cognitive, gynecomastia, severe acne. It was destroying my life and my face more than balding. The good thing is that I recovered with minimal damage done, I don't have post finasteride syndrome.

I'm a different person on finasteride, worst version of myself. Just my personal experience and how my body reacted to it. Millions of people still take this drug without such problems. Yeah being bald su*ks but being miserable and destroyed su*ks even more.