Is Dementia/brain Fog A Real Issue With Finasteride?

[Early20sBaldcel]

I started taking finasteride last September because my hairline had receded fast to NW2. I took 1mg generic and initially got placebo side effects and dropped the drug. But I didn't really want to lose more hair and so I started taking the drug again. I got no side effects and my hairline improved. Last pill I took was in early August. Now I am rethinking taking the drug since I've read about early dementia as a side effect of it?

Are there any studies proving finasteride causes these sides?

 

[Ollie]

No one can answer as to whether 5ar inhibitors contribute to dementia or not. Brain fog however yes there are plenty of accounts - i would say mentally im not as clear on it.

 

[K505]

My derm said there was a higher chance for alzheimers, i did find some sh*t about it on the net afterwards.

 

[Manochoice]

I don't think enough time has passed or enough studies have been made on this subject to be able to come with a clear statement.

 

[Michael1986]

It is possible that finasteride can cause brain fog and could increase dementia risk, but as Manochoice says, there has not been enough time that has passed or enough studies done yet to prove these theories.

Interestingly, here are two studies which provide evidence that Dutasteride has neuro-protective properties in Parkinson's disease, so 5ar inhibitors may not be all bad news:

Study 1:
Effect of the 5α-reductase enzyme inhibitor dutasteride in the brain of intact and parkinsonian mice:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076017302698
Study 2:
The 5α-reductase inhibitor Dutasteride but not Finasteride protects dopamine neurons in the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390815001963

 

[washed_up]

Seems like a waste of energy to worry about something that could happen to you decades from now. Brain fog is a more immediate issue.

 

[Manochoice]

Seems like a waste of energy to worry about something that could happen to you decades from now. Brain fog is a more immediate issue.

But in a few decades that will become the "now". I observed some dementia patients and most of them have bad trips...

 

[Dennis1775]

It is possible that finasteride can cause brain fog and could increase dementia risk, but as Manochoice says, there has not been enough time that has passed or enough studies done yet to prove these theories.

Interestingly, here are two studies which provide evidence that Dutasteride has neuro-protective properties in Parkinson's disease, so 5ar inhibitors may not be all bad news:

Study 1:
Effect of the 5α-reductase enzyme inhibitor dutasteride in the brain of intact and parkinsonian mice:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076017302698
Study 2:
The 5α-reductase inhibitor Dutasteride but not Finasteride protects dopamine neurons in the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390815001963

How do you think Dutasteride 'PROTECTS' dopamine neurons??? What dutasteride only does is only inhibit 5AR RECEPTOR 5AR1 AND 2

 

[Michael1986]

How do you think Dutasteride 'PROTECTS' dopamine neurons??? What dutasteride only does is only inhibit 5AR RECEPTOR 5AR1 AND 2

Study 1:
Effect of the 5α-reductase enzyme inhibitor dutasteride in the brain of intact and parkinsonian mice:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076017302698
Highlights:
• Dutasteride prevented the MPTP-induced striatal loss of dopamine contents.
• Dutasteride prevented striatal MPTP-induced loss of DAT and VMAT2 transporters.
• Dutasteride increased striatal DAT binding and glycosylation.
• Dutasteride affected androgen and progesterone metabolism in brain and plasma.
• Dutasteride prevented MPTP-induced increase of GFAP.

Study 2: The 5α-reductase inhibitor Dutasteride but not Finasteride protects dopamine neurons in the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390815001963
Highlights:
• The 5α-reductase inhibitors Dutasteride and Finasteride were studied in MPTP mice.
• Dutasteride prevented the MPTP-induced striatal loss of dopamine concentrations.
• Dutasteride prevented striatal MPTP-induced loss of DAT and VMAT2 transporters.
• Finasteride did not protect striatal dopamine concentrations, DAT or VMAT2 levels.
• Dutasteride and Finasteride prevented MPTP-induced decreases of plasma testosterone.

 

[Dennis1775]

Study 1:
Effect of the 5α-reductase enzyme inhibitor dutasteride in the brain of intact and parkinsonian mice:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076017302698
Highlights:
• Dutasteride prevented the MPTP-induced striatal loss of dopamine contents.
• Dutasteride prevented striatal MPTP-induced loss of DAT and VMAT2 transporters.
• Dutasteride increased striatal DAT binding and glycosylation.
• Dutasteride affected androgen and progesterone metabolism in brain and plasma.
• Dutasteride prevented MPTP-induced increase of GFAP.

Study 2: The 5α-reductase inhibitor Dutasteride but not Finasteride protects dopamine neurons in the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390815001963
Highlights:
• The 5α-reductase inhibitors Dutasteride and Finasteride were studied in MPTP mice.
• Dutasteride prevented the MPTP-induced striatal loss of dopamine concentrations.
• Dutasteride prevented striatal MPTP-induced loss of DAT and VMAT2 transporters.
• Finasteride did not protect striatal dopamine concentrations, DAT or VMAT2 levels.
• Dutasteride and Finasteride prevented MPTP-induced decreases of plasma testosterone.

Are you happy with the dutasteride ?? I am into 10 months of treatment I have brainfog..

 

[INT]

Seems like a waste of energy to worry about something that could happen to you decades from now. Brain fog is a more immediate issue.

A smoker could also say that about lung cancer.

 

[Michael1986]

Are you happy with the dutasteride ?? I am into 10 months of treatment I have brainfog..

Yes I am happy with the treatment. I've been using dutasteride for over five years, and it has completely stopped my hair loss and given me a good amount of regrowth. My libido does seem to be slightly lower than before I started treatment, but this is not a problem for me.

Did your brain fog start as soon as you began using dutasteride?

 

[Dennis1775]

Yes I am happy with the treatment. I've been using dutasteride for over five years, and it has completely stopped my hair loss and given me a good amount of regrowth. My libido does seem to be slightly lower than before I started treatment, but this is not a problem for me.

Did your brain fog start as soon as you began using dutasteride?

How much would you say your libido is down? My semen volume is down like 50% I would say.When I was into 6-7 months of dutasteride is started happening.

 

[IslaStephenson]

Pathologies that might cause degenerative processes and the loss of brain cells may be the cause of these changes. The cerebral cortex is destroyed in diseases like Alzheimer's syndrome, Pick's syndrome, or dementia with Levi's corpuscles, which have independent characteristics. It is feasible to examine and take a memory test online beforehand, followed by clinical studies. There are diseases as well, and it is precisely against this backdrop that dementia of the second sort may develop. This condition may develop as a result of hypertension, malignancies in the central nervous system, atherosclerosis of the cerebral blood vessels, drug, alcohol, or substance abuse.