Need Advice On Whether To Keep Taking Finasteride

[personhead]

I have been taking for almost a year and a half now. It has definitely halted/slowed recession. I am early stages - some thinning in the crown and my hairline hasn't receded a lot, but what has is quite bare. It's also quite diffuse over the top of my head (except for a small circular patch front and centre).

I'm a dude who suffers pretty high level anxiety and so this is something that causes me quite a bit of stress.

I'm at a point where I feel like I have to make a decision on whether to continue or whether to accept my hair loss and stop. I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone here what a catch-22 this feels like.

The only side effect I seem to experience is that my ejaculate is now very clear and watery. I'm a gay male and have no intention to have kids but to be perfectly honest this is not really an issue anyway - the idea of having this watery mess as opposed to normal thick/white ejaculate bothers me on a purely aesthetic level. I've experienced no other sexual side effects. If I was to cease finasteride would this improve? I find it quite embarassing.

I also live in a rural/remote area in QLD and I just don't have access to specialists who I could discuss this with. Doctors here are transient and so I always seem to be speaking to a new one. I hate the trip to the doctor for my prescription - they are invariably weird about it and it's really frustrating that I can't seem to have a reasoned conversation about it with them. One doctor spoke of the "long term effects on my body" but when I quizzed her she couldn't really elaborate. Many of them don't seem to really know what they're talking about. One simply opened up the product information leaflet on his computer and skimmed through it before insisting it was a bad idea and that I am "too young".

I've read a lot about this and there seems to be very conflicting information. Some seem to say it is safe to use long term, others that it isn't. Some results seem to say it can increase risk of prostate cancer where others seem to say it is actually sometimes used preventatively. So much conflicting information makes it hard to make a reasoned decision. As it makes me highly anxious to think about and having no real solutions I needed to do something and so thought I would hit these forums.

I also use minoxidil and nizoral, but I don't believe these are working for me, though I have to admit I have been a bit irregular with their use.

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm really quite stressed about it and thinking about it way too much. Sorry for being so long winded.

 

[rclark]

Hair can only REMAIN on thy head if an ANTI ANDROGEN agent is taken while thy
follicles are STILL DYING.

That said, you MUST BE FRUITFUL AND REPRODUCE.

A man can only enjoy life if HE FUCKS THE sh*t OUT OF LOTS OF WOMEN IN HIS
YOUTH.

Take it from me, I've NAILED quite a FEW IN MY HOLY TIME!!!

 

[personhead]

Hair can only REMAIN on thy head if an ANTI ANDROGEN agent is taken while thy
follicles are STILL DYING.

That said, you MUST BE FRUITFUL AND REPRODUCE.

A man can only enjoy life if HE FUCKS THE sh*t OUT OF LOTS OF WOMEN IN HIS
YOUTH.

Take it from me, I've NAILED quite a FEW IN MY HOLY TIME!!!

Clearly you missed the part where I said I'm gay... I'm not sure how you think this is helpful?

 

[rclark]

Clearly you missed the part where I said I'm gay... I'm not sure how you think this is helpful?

Even gay people should be fruitful. If you are a male gay person, you must suck lots of c***.

If you are a gay women, you must EAT LOTS OF CHERRIES, AND BE FRUITFUL.

Just because we cannot MULTIPLY, DOES NOT MEAN JESUS DOES NOT LOVE YOU.

HE DOES.

Just as TRUMP LOVES WHITE AMERICA!

 

[Baldingat188]

Well personally watery semen sounds a lot better then being bald

Yes it's a catch 22, I just started on propecia recently and have a lot of anxiety about it. I just think the alternative is worse ( losing hair)

As far as I know there is no conclusive data showing propecia has any harmful affects long term

 

[personhead]

Well personally watery semen sounds a lot better then being bald

Yes it's a catch 22, I just started on propecia recently and have a lot of anxiety about it. I just think the alternative is worse ( losing hair)

As far as I know there is no conclusive data showing propecia has any harmful affects long term

Had any experience with convincing GPs of this? Every time I go I feel I have to argue my case...

 

[jimmyjonas]

I'ld say get off it man, it's not worth it, watery semen is mild but still get off it, kids or no it can mess your body up, my advice anyway

 

[Suswang]

I notice you mentioned "stress" twice. Do you think that has contributed to your hair loss? (I sure think it's contributed to mine.)

Also, do you follow a healthy diet?

 

[personhead]

I'ld say get off it man, it's not worth it, watery semen is mild but still get off it, kids or no it can mess your body up, my advice anyway

Mess my body up how? Can you be more specific?

 

[personhead]

I notice you mentioned "stress" twice. Do you think that has contributed to your hair loss? (I sure think it's contributed to mine.)

Also, do you follow a healthy diet?

No it's male pattern baldness. Yes I eat well. I exercise.

 

[DoctorHouse]

You say your watery semen bothers you on an aesthetic level. Are you saying, other guys are turned off by it when with you. Or you just don't feel manly or normal seeing that. I would think if a gay man had to chose between the aesthetics of a full head of hair or watery semen, I would think hair would win. But if you want kids, that would be another issue. I have been on finasteride for 10 years and my ejaculate is still watery and less in volume. However, hair is more important to me. So its all comes down to your values. I would think as a gay male, hair would be very important for you as it is for many straight males. Do you find balding or bald men attractive?

 

[personhead]

You say your watery semen bothers you on an aesthetic level. Are you saying, other guys are turned off by it when with you. Or you just don't feel manly or normal seeing that. I would think if a gay man had to chose between the aesthetics of a full head of hair or watery semen, I would think hair would win. But if you want kids, that would be another issue. I have been on finasteride for 10 years and my ejaculate is still watery and less in volume. However, hair is more important to me. So its all comes down to your values. I would think as a gay male, hair would be very important for you as it is for many straight males. Do you find balding or bald men attractive?

Thanks for your response. I think I mostly just feel insecure about it, more than any reaction to it. As for bald/balding men I have had partners who were bald and if I found someone attractive I wouldn't worry that they were bald but everyone's different and I guess I worry that no one will find me attractive. I don't have a lot going for me already and losing my hair just feels like one less thing I have going for me.

I guess my big thing is there's all this hyperbole about the LONG TERM EFFECTS of the drug but few people (even my GPs) seem to ever be able to go into specifics about this and so it's hard to make a reasoned/informed decision. If I continued the drug, what are the risks to myself?

 

[DoctorHouse]

Thanks for your response. I think I mostly just feel insecure about it, more than any reaction to it. As for bald/balding men I have had partners who were bald and if I found someone attractive I wouldn't worry that they were bald but everyone's different and I guess I worry that no one will find me attractive. I don't have a lot going for me already and losing my hair just feels like one less thing I have going for me.

I guess my big thing is there's all this hyperbole about the LONG TERM EFFECTS of the drug but few people (even my GPs) seem to ever be able to go into specifics about this and so it's hard to make a reasoned/informed decision. If I continued the drug, what are the risks to myself?

Your potential long term risks for YOUR particular case are unknown. Medicine is not an exact science. You are very aware of the potential risks so decide if you want to take them or not. If you found other partners balding attractive, I am sure it goes both ways for many gay men. I would think "looksmaxing" is just as common in the gay community as it is in the straight community. Am I right? If so, it might be an issue for you but maybe not since you don't find it to be an issue. And why do you say you don't have alot going on for you?

 

[personhead]

Your potential long term risks for YOUR particular case are unknown. Medicine is not an exact science. You are very aware of the potential risks so decide if you want to take them or not. If you found other partners balding attractive, I am sure it goes both ways for many gay men. I would think "looksmaxing" is just as common in the gay community as it is in the straight community. Am I right? If so, it might be an issue for you but maybe not since you don't find it to be an issue. And why do you say you don't have alot going on for you?

What is looksmaxing?

 

[DoctorHouse]

What is looksmaxing?

Sorry I meant looksmatched but I guess they both apply. Looksmax is when you try to improve your looks to the max and looks matched means you and your partner are equally good looking. I am just a newbie at these new terms. Sorry.

 

[personhead]

Still not sure I really understand, but all good, lol

 

[personhead]

Your potential long term risks for YOUR particular case are unknown. Medicine is not an exact science. You are very aware of the potential risks so decide if you want to take them or not. If you found other partners balding attractive, I am sure it goes both ways for many gay men. I would think "looksmaxing" is just as common in the gay community as it is in the straight community. Am I right? If so, it might be an issue for you but maybe not since you don't find it to be an issue. And why do you say you don't have alot going on for you?

I'm not really aware of the potential risk either... just the sexual performance ones and as I have said all I ahve is the watery semen everything else is normal. Everybody keeps talking about the long term side effects. Are they talking about sexual side effects?

 

[DoctorHouse]

I'm not really aware of the potential risk either... just the sexual performance ones and as I have said all I ahve is the watery semen everything else is normal. Everybody keeps talking about the long term side effects. Are they talking about sexual side effects?

If you want to know the worst case scenarios go to propeciahelp.com. Check back here after you go there and let me know how you feel about propecia. I have read their cases and I am still on Propecia.

 

[personhead]

Thanks - it's nice to have a conversation about it that isn't all just doom and gloom

 

[DoctorHouse]

Thanks - it's nice to have a conversation about it that isn't all just doom and gloom

Its only doom and gloom if it happens to you. I think people who have alot of stress, anxiety and depression about hair loss or in general are more likely to experience the sexual side effects.