My Propecia plunge 2morrow first a few questions!!!!!

[BATTLETIME]

Ok after much deliberation i am finally buying Propecia tomorrow for the first time. Im in Ireland & my Doctor has prescribed it & the chemist are making a special order for me. I know that your supposed to take one a day etc but its costing 130 Euro a month so im going to take a half a tablet a day as ive read here that 0.5 mg is just as effective almost as the full one? I am a Rogaine user for 15 years already so is my regimen ok with a half a tablet etc?I have a few questions which i would dearly love to hear your responses on ASAP as i want to start tomorrow.

I cycle a lot & usually do big big efforts, does exercise like this have any effect on what Propecia does or will it affect my body even more? Basically can Propecia screw with my heart as regards exercise etc etc?

I also like to drink a good bit, is it ok to drink Alcohol while being on Propecia? Especially at the start??

As regards side effects, if i get any im going off it straight away, im not going to mess around here. I read here about some guys going through brain fog, what do you mean by brain fog & can you give examples etc?

Will i feel normal after taking it? Should i look out for anything in the first hours etc??How should i expect to feel if im not getting side effects?

Thanks in advance for your replies & please wish me luck with this. I hope im going to be ok.

Am i over worrying after reading & viewing the Youtube horror stories??

 

[Agahi]

1. Price- If you can get your doctor to prescribe proscar you will save money, it is the same pill but in 5mg instead of 1mg. You cut it into 1/4 and take 1/4 every day. It is a 9 dollar pill at walmart, and online you can get in very cheap as well.

2. Exercise, and Alcohol- I drink all the time, and the finasteride seems to work just fine regardless. Heavy Exercise, I think the Jury is still out, maybe someone else can help.

3. Sides- Don't think that any little thing that happens is a side, some people will think "hey I got a hangnail, damn you finasteride!" don't fall into that trap. Also if you get one of the real sides, like ball ache or watery semen, I would recommend you stay on for 2 weeks, as most people say they pass by that time. If you develop Gyno, impotence, or something else major, stop immediately. Shedding is not a side effect remember, that is a part of the process for almost everyone, and is a sign the pill is working. It is normal to shed for up to 2 months.

 

[BATTLETIME]

Ok so i started on Propecia 2 days ago. I have been bery tense about taking it. So far im taking half a pill a day. I had very very slight ball tingle or tug the first day & yesterday. Yesterday my right breast was a little sore & today its bugging me as its getting worse.Thoughts or advice anyone?. Can Propecia make you nauseous also? I hope im not going to worry to death on this stuff.

 

[zb11]

Those are significantly stronger side-effects than my own experience. Though they are not horribly uncommon. Are you taking finasteride and cutting it into halfs or are you cutting propecia in half?

If you're taking 5mg finasteride, cut it into 4ths, not 1/2s.

You could stay on it and see if the side-effects subside. But frankly if it's worrying you, just make an appointment and go see your doctor.

 

[BATTLETIME]

Im taking Propecia pills in half. I took a day off a couuple of days ago & had a nibble of one yesterday. I took a full half this morning. A little ball tingle but i can deal with that. Has anyone ever felt a little spaced after taking the drug in the hours after consumption? Kind of like a depression or something.

 

[Joe-1991]

Check propeciahelp.com there is a doctor in Ireland dead against Propecia and has made it known publicly.

 

[heynow1234]

hey hang with it alittle long i had the same sides you had and they went away after a week or so....been on it 2 1/2 years and everything has been fine since

 

[Rawtashk]

Stick with it. I would say that ball ache is an extremely common side effect. I got it when I went on .5mg, and then again when I upped it to 1.25mg 3 years later.

Don't overthink it. I highly doubt that you'd have breast tenderness after just 2 days on it. Your mind is a very very powerful tool. If you look hard enough, you'll find a "symptom" that will match up with a side effect....even if it's totally off the wall and not really a symptom.

 

[Danik0226]

I don't understand all the fears related to finasteride. In all honesty, I think doctors that fear it should perform a blood test for Testosterone, Free Testosterone, DHT, Estradiol, Cortisol, and Thyroid hormones. Go on finasteride for a month and then perform another test. Some people may be able to get away with a smaller dose of finasteride given DHT levels that may already be low.

As far as exercise is concerned, don't worry about it. DHT is more important when it comes to power lifting and extreme sports that require a concentrated short burst of power utilizing as many muscle fibers as possible. Testosterone takes care of muscle mass. DHT is also involved in sexual function as well as acting as an estrogen antagonist. DHT will compete with estrogen to bind to receptors. Certain areas you would want DHT to bind to effectively, such as breast tissue.

The important thing is to see how you react to propecia. .5 mg is still an effective dose of finasteride. People who experience major side effects should probably test their hormones if able and consider lowering to .25 mg.

 

[Rawtashk]

Here's what I've done in a little over a year.....all while on Propecia.

I'm sure you'll be just fine as well if you workout.

 

[gsk]

Hi Rawtashk,

I read some where that zinc is effective in reducing the sides from finasteride...is it true?

Do you take any other medicines to counter the sides?

 

[Rawtashk]

I take 100mg of zinc every other day. Don't know if it makes any difference or not, but I was upping my finasteride dose from .5 to 1.25, so I figured that I'd throw it in there to try and make sure.

Grape seed extract is also good, from what I've heard.

 

[AnberlinFan84]

Here's what I've done in a little over a year.....all while on Propecia.

I'm sure you'll be just fine as well if you workout.

Nice gains in a year man

 

[BATTLETIME]

Ok at this stage the "Brainfog" or as i like to call it the crippling depression is my main foe here. I took a third on Teusday evening & was mentally gone until this morning. Even yesterday evening i felt it. Does Brainfog ever subside? I would not be able to keep going on like that. Why take something that makes you Depressed & feeling unwell that has a side effect of making you keep your hair?

 

[Rawtashk]

IF that's really the case, then there's not much purpose.

Some questions:
1: Has this been happening every day you took it?
2: Is this the first time it's happened?
3: What else had you done the day before?
4: Are you 100% POSITIVE that NOTHING else could have caused you to feel this way?

Like I said, the mind is a POWERFUL instrument, and it doesn't take much to freak it out.

I've been on finasteride for over 3 years with great success...but every now and then I freak myself out.

Here's an example. I was POSITIVE that I had finasteride sides, and I was about to drop it...
viewtopic.php?f=46&t=66803

 

[multispeed27]

Be grateful you don't have the sexual side effects. At least not yet. :agree:

 

[gh05]

I don't understand all the fears related to finasteride. In all honesty, I think doctors that fear it should perform a blood test for Testosterone, Free Testosterone, DHT, Estradiol, Cortisol, and Thyroid hormones. Go on finasteride for a month and then perform another test. Some people may be able to get away with a smaller dose of finasteride given DHT levels that may already be low.

As far as exercise is concerned, don't worry about it. DHT is more important when it comes to power lifting and extreme sports that require a concentrated short burst of power utilizing as many muscle fibers as possible. Testosterone takes care of muscle mass. DHT is also involved in sexual function as well as acting as an estrogen antagonist. DHT will compete with estrogen to bind to receptors. Certain areas you would want DHT to bind to effectively, such as breast tissue.

The important thing is to see how you react to propecia. .5 mg is still an effective dose of finasteride. People who experience major side effects should probably test their hormones if able and consider lowering to .25 mg.

wtf!!! you say you don't understand the fears and then you go on to admit how it is involved in being physical and in sexual function. That is why people are scared - not to mention the potential persistent effects and fertility issues which doctors and past users all warn about. It's serious stuff to block such a powerful male hormone whether you decide to take it or not - with it you are that little bit less masculine.

 

[multispeed27]

:agree:

DHT is there for a reason. It's the hair follicles that are overly sensitive to it. Not really DHT's fault. And DHT as well as A5R does a whole lot more important stuff than just attack hair follicles

 

[BATTLETIME]

OK folks my latest update is as follows. I have dropped the dosage to roughly 0.25 mg about 3 to 4 times a week. I try leave it out on the weekend so i can just enjoy myself without having to think about it. I am finding it easier to live through. The time period where the brainfog or depression comes is about the 1 to 3 hour mark after taking it. I am now on Propecia just over a month & no sexual sides thankfully. A little ball ache but nothing at all sometimes. Im dealing with the depression but it can be a pain.
Anyway what is now bugging me is that in the last week in particular i seem to be losing more hair still. I am thin enough to begin with & this is what i seriously hope is the "shed" ive heard about. It pissed me right off this weekend let me tell you. Anyone here have a freaky shed & have it grow back? If this keeps up i will be bald in a few months!!!! Ive been on Rogaine for about 15 years so i am still using it twice daily & washing my hair around twice a week with Nizoral 2%. I also have a habit of touching my hair & convincing myself its getting thinner & probably helping it on its way by doing so? Any tips to help with stopping doing that?
I just want to make it to my wedding with something.
Thanks for all your replies so far folks so keep em coming.

 

[Joe-1991]

if you are sensitive to the androgen deprivation that finasteride is causing then get off it altogether.

I was in your exact situation years ago. Started off at 1 mg and suffered nasty side effects. Reduced dosage again and again until i eventually crashed and now i am completely fucked.