Mr. Hairy Palms
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Dudes,
Let me start by saying that I've been reading this forum for the last 4 months trying to figure out whether or not to get my balding self on propecia... Im 24 years old, fairly healthy, and have been noticing, like alot of you, that my hair is slowly but surely falling out. I first noticed a change in my hair when I was 18; nothing drastic, but Im a perceptive guy, and i noticed that my hairline had started receeding. Not until about last January 2007, did I realize that my hairline rate of loss had started to accelerate and with the help of a few well placed mirrors, I could see that my crown was starting to thin out as well. I think Im about a 2-2.5 on the norwood scale; not so bad, but like alot of you on this site, I knew that the quicker I started a treatment plan the better.
Flash forward to about 2 months ago (January 2008). To put it quite simply, I had had enough of being down about my hairloss and after reading this and other forums about the potential risks and benefits of propecia, i decided to give it a try... im more concerned with keeping what I got then regrowing (although a little thickening would be nice) so I wanted to stay away from messy and noticeable topicals. I buddy of mine uses something (im not sure what) and you can see the crusty residue on his hairline. Everyone knows hes on treatemnt and he gets made fun of behind his back. Mean, I know, but i think its more to do with the fact thats hes noticeably insecure about his hairloss. Anyways, so I made the big step, went to the Doctor and got a prescription. We discussed the potential side effects (low libido, ED, man boobs, etc.) and we talked about how Merck, and other pharm. companies, only take the best study out of all the ones they do to show to the public. This is a converstion that wouldnt happen nearly as much in a U.S. Doctor's office as opposed to in Canada, where Im from, where doctors dont get kickbacks for writing prescriptions. We talked about how the incidence of side effects is probably much higher than the 3% that was reported by Merck.
So I start taking propecia, and like alot of you on here, after 3-4 weeks I started to get side effects, or at least I thought I was having side effects. I wasnt really horny, my morning erections were soft, my semen a little watery and it hurt a little when I ejaculated. You see though, its so hard to tell with this kind of thing, because, believe it or not, men go through monthly cycles just like women do. Granted, in detail, they are much different, but I think every guy would agree that there is a period of time each month where they are noticeably hornier and a period where they are noticeably less horny... the bottom line is that you'll notice this if you pay attention. Im not saying that side effects from propecia are a myth, Im just saying that if you fear side effects, expect them to happen, and constantly monitor your own sex drive and erection quality, you're bound to run into problems. This is not a black and white issue either; personally, I am suffering from minor side effects that are exagerated by my own constant pshychological fear of impotence. So, by now, you're probably wondering when Im going to tell you the answer to my problems! here goes...
If anyone on here didnt know, the most versatile drug on the planet is cannabis. :youbet: Hold your horses though, this was NOT the answer to my libido problems and will probably not be yours either, but the way cannabis works can give us insight into how to properly treat the side effects of propecia. The reason why canabis is so versatile and effectice (and it is, trust me, it treats more conditions than you could possibly imagine: depression, anxiety, pain, arthritis, MS, brain tumours, herpes, even hairloss allegedly, etc) is because of the fact that chemically, it consists of somewhere between 60-70 drugs in varying proportions depending on the strain. THC is only one of the active drugs in cannabis. That is why different strains have different therapeutic effects. For that same reason however, along with an unfairly negative social stigma, is why it is not an accepted FDA or Health Canada drug. Drugs, like propecia must have one ingredient, and one targeted effect. A drug like cannabis has many active drugs in it and has varying and versatile effects depending on strain and dosage. The fact that other chemicals (drugs) are present in cannabis allows for the negative side effects to be dampened by the supporting chemicals (drugs)... that is why cannabis is such a beatiful plant... it was designed by the combination of the processes of evolution and selective breeding to be synergistic and to bring about pshychological and physical equilibrium in its use. THIS IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE USE OF ANY PHARMACEUTICAL that creates side effects. You need to find a natural supporting mechanism that will dampen off the side effects of the drug. You also need to find the correct dosage. This is true of cannabis as well because it has been shown that small, controlled dosages effectively treat depression, but the irresponsible and excessive use of cannabis causes depression. This is also illustrated in the fact that THC based medications like sativex tend to cause side effects like nausea, anxiety, etc. because ONLY thc is present. With a supporting cast of CBN and CBD (the 2nd & 3rd most active ingredients in cannabis) we see little incidence of nausea, anxiety, because these two others cannibinoids have sedative properties, thus eliminating potential side effects like nausea. In actuality, cannabis treats nausea and anxiety when all cannibinoids are present. have you ever smoked cannabis the next day after a night of drinking? if you ever have, and im not promoting the use of illegal substances, you would notice that there is no better medication for the treatment of a hangover (nausea).
I did some extensive research on how to naturally improve my libido and came across three natual supplements that increase sex drive but wasnt sure if id have to have buy all three separately or I could get em all together. They are as follows: L-arginine, ginseng, ginkgo bilbao. I wont get into how they work but L-arginine really improves circulation and stimluates the pituatary gland apparently... Bottom line is that these substances are a good mechanism to dampen off the side effects of propecia. I also lowered my dose to half a pill because Ive read on here that its just as effective; plus if you're getting noticeable sides then you probably respond better to propecia than most and a cut back will not only minimize sides, but cut your propecia bill in half while maintaining hair. I am very reluctant to recommend a specific product for fear that I'll be perceived as a sales rep. by alot of the understandably cynical people on here, but I hope the length of this post, my knowledge on the issue, and my references to cannabis show my understanding on the subject and my true/sincere dedication to help others like myself. If anyone wants to question my credibility, go right ahead, i have nothing to hide.
Anyways, the product that I stumbled across, and I wouldnt have unless the sales clerk at the store pointed out that it was on sale at this particular location, is made by GNC and is called ArginMax. It contains all three of the substances mentioned above, not to mention that its also a multivitamin, and says on the bottle its actual purpose is to help with male sexual function. DUDES, try this stuff out if you're currently on propecia or are about to start and want to increase or maintain your libido/erections. It will only make you more virile. It says to take three pills twice a day; this seems like a high dose, but it may be what you need if youre suffering sides. It will keep you healthy with vitamins and will bring back your libido and limp willy at least to the point where you left off! try it out for a few weeks and let me know. OH, and dont forget to hit the gym, thats also very important to maintain a healthy sex drive, plus l-arginine is very helpful for muscle repair and weight training so you're killing two birds with one stone.... and bros, lighten up about this whole balding process... we're lucky that we even have options!
Sincerely,
Mr. Hairy Palms :jackit: :crazy:
PS. with the help of this supplement, in combination with a lower finasteride dose, my sides have diminished substantially and my libido and erection quality is much better. Ive been on finasteride for about 2 months now... i cant see any results except for maybe that my hair seems to have stopped falling out and is much softer. I did go through a period of shedding about 2 weeks into treatment. If i can give any more advice, its that you should stick with the finasteride, even at a lower dose, cause sides will subside with time and a little l-arginine. GOOD LUCK!!!
Let me start by saying that I've been reading this forum for the last 4 months trying to figure out whether or not to get my balding self on propecia... Im 24 years old, fairly healthy, and have been noticing, like alot of you, that my hair is slowly but surely falling out. I first noticed a change in my hair when I was 18; nothing drastic, but Im a perceptive guy, and i noticed that my hairline had started receeding. Not until about last January 2007, did I realize that my hairline rate of loss had started to accelerate and with the help of a few well placed mirrors, I could see that my crown was starting to thin out as well. I think Im about a 2-2.5 on the norwood scale; not so bad, but like alot of you on this site, I knew that the quicker I started a treatment plan the better.
Flash forward to about 2 months ago (January 2008). To put it quite simply, I had had enough of being down about my hairloss and after reading this and other forums about the potential risks and benefits of propecia, i decided to give it a try... im more concerned with keeping what I got then regrowing (although a little thickening would be nice) so I wanted to stay away from messy and noticeable topicals. I buddy of mine uses something (im not sure what) and you can see the crusty residue on his hairline. Everyone knows hes on treatemnt and he gets made fun of behind his back. Mean, I know, but i think its more to do with the fact thats hes noticeably insecure about his hairloss. Anyways, so I made the big step, went to the Doctor and got a prescription. We discussed the potential side effects (low libido, ED, man boobs, etc.) and we talked about how Merck, and other pharm. companies, only take the best study out of all the ones they do to show to the public. This is a converstion that wouldnt happen nearly as much in a U.S. Doctor's office as opposed to in Canada, where Im from, where doctors dont get kickbacks for writing prescriptions. We talked about how the incidence of side effects is probably much higher than the 3% that was reported by Merck.
So I start taking propecia, and like alot of you on here, after 3-4 weeks I started to get side effects, or at least I thought I was having side effects. I wasnt really horny, my morning erections were soft, my semen a little watery and it hurt a little when I ejaculated. You see though, its so hard to tell with this kind of thing, because, believe it or not, men go through monthly cycles just like women do. Granted, in detail, they are much different, but I think every guy would agree that there is a period of time each month where they are noticeably hornier and a period where they are noticeably less horny... the bottom line is that you'll notice this if you pay attention. Im not saying that side effects from propecia are a myth, Im just saying that if you fear side effects, expect them to happen, and constantly monitor your own sex drive and erection quality, you're bound to run into problems. This is not a black and white issue either; personally, I am suffering from minor side effects that are exagerated by my own constant pshychological fear of impotence. So, by now, you're probably wondering when Im going to tell you the answer to my problems! here goes...
If anyone on here didnt know, the most versatile drug on the planet is cannabis. :youbet: Hold your horses though, this was NOT the answer to my libido problems and will probably not be yours either, but the way cannabis works can give us insight into how to properly treat the side effects of propecia. The reason why canabis is so versatile and effectice (and it is, trust me, it treats more conditions than you could possibly imagine: depression, anxiety, pain, arthritis, MS, brain tumours, herpes, even hairloss allegedly, etc) is because of the fact that chemically, it consists of somewhere between 60-70 drugs in varying proportions depending on the strain. THC is only one of the active drugs in cannabis. That is why different strains have different therapeutic effects. For that same reason however, along with an unfairly negative social stigma, is why it is not an accepted FDA or Health Canada drug. Drugs, like propecia must have one ingredient, and one targeted effect. A drug like cannabis has many active drugs in it and has varying and versatile effects depending on strain and dosage. The fact that other chemicals (drugs) are present in cannabis allows for the negative side effects to be dampened by the supporting chemicals (drugs)... that is why cannabis is such a beatiful plant... it was designed by the combination of the processes of evolution and selective breeding to be synergistic and to bring about pshychological and physical equilibrium in its use. THIS IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE USE OF ANY PHARMACEUTICAL that creates side effects. You need to find a natural supporting mechanism that will dampen off the side effects of the drug. You also need to find the correct dosage. This is true of cannabis as well because it has been shown that small, controlled dosages effectively treat depression, but the irresponsible and excessive use of cannabis causes depression. This is also illustrated in the fact that THC based medications like sativex tend to cause side effects like nausea, anxiety, etc. because ONLY thc is present. With a supporting cast of CBN and CBD (the 2nd & 3rd most active ingredients in cannabis) we see little incidence of nausea, anxiety, because these two others cannibinoids have sedative properties, thus eliminating potential side effects like nausea. In actuality, cannabis treats nausea and anxiety when all cannibinoids are present. have you ever smoked cannabis the next day after a night of drinking? if you ever have, and im not promoting the use of illegal substances, you would notice that there is no better medication for the treatment of a hangover (nausea).
I did some extensive research on how to naturally improve my libido and came across three natual supplements that increase sex drive but wasnt sure if id have to have buy all three separately or I could get em all together. They are as follows: L-arginine, ginseng, ginkgo bilbao. I wont get into how they work but L-arginine really improves circulation and stimluates the pituatary gland apparently... Bottom line is that these substances are a good mechanism to dampen off the side effects of propecia. I also lowered my dose to half a pill because Ive read on here that its just as effective; plus if you're getting noticeable sides then you probably respond better to propecia than most and a cut back will not only minimize sides, but cut your propecia bill in half while maintaining hair. I am very reluctant to recommend a specific product for fear that I'll be perceived as a sales rep. by alot of the understandably cynical people on here, but I hope the length of this post, my knowledge on the issue, and my references to cannabis show my understanding on the subject and my true/sincere dedication to help others like myself. If anyone wants to question my credibility, go right ahead, i have nothing to hide.
Anyways, the product that I stumbled across, and I wouldnt have unless the sales clerk at the store pointed out that it was on sale at this particular location, is made by GNC and is called ArginMax. It contains all three of the substances mentioned above, not to mention that its also a multivitamin, and says on the bottle its actual purpose is to help with male sexual function. DUDES, try this stuff out if you're currently on propecia or are about to start and want to increase or maintain your libido/erections. It will only make you more virile. It says to take three pills twice a day; this seems like a high dose, but it may be what you need if youre suffering sides. It will keep you healthy with vitamins and will bring back your libido and limp willy at least to the point where you left off! try it out for a few weeks and let me know. OH, and dont forget to hit the gym, thats also very important to maintain a healthy sex drive, plus l-arginine is very helpful for muscle repair and weight training so you're killing two birds with one stone.... and bros, lighten up about this whole balding process... we're lucky that we even have options!
Sincerely,
Mr. Hairy Palms :jackit: :crazy:
PS. with the help of this supplement, in combination with a lower finasteride dose, my sides have diminished substantially and my libido and erection quality is much better. Ive been on finasteride for about 2 months now... i cant see any results except for maybe that my hair seems to have stopped falling out and is much softer. I did go through a period of shedding about 2 weeks into treatment. If i can give any more advice, its that you should stick with the finasteride, even at a lower dose, cause sides will subside with time and a little l-arginine. GOOD LUCK!!!