Propecia haters

[Flavio]

I really don't know what to think about Propecia haters.

I've been taking finasteride for over a decade with good results and no side effects, so I find it a bit hard to believe that it could have those terrible consequences. More importantly, I've never seen any convincing evidence that finasteride could have permanent sexual side effects. There are so many things that can cause erectile dysfunction, it's probably easier for some men to blame it on the pill.

Anyway, I'm not saying that Propecia is 100% safe, all I'm saying is that I've had no problems with it.

Here's an interesting discussion on YouTube (not very constructive, but entertaining):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nXWVTStnHs

 

[amsch]

I really don't know what to think about Propecia haters.

I've been taking finasteride for over a decade with good results and no side effects, so I find it a bit hard to believe that it could have those terrible consequences. More importantly, I've never seen any convincing evidence that finasteride could have permanent sexual side effects. There are so many things that can cause erectile dysfunction, it's probably easier for some men to blame it on the pill.

Anyway, I'm not saying that Propecia is 100% safe, all I'm saying is that I've had no problems with it.

Here's an interesting discussion on YouTube (not very constructive, but entertaining):

http://www.youtube.com/comment_servlet? ... nXWVTStnHs

some get sides, some don't. Count yourself lucky.

btw, Video is unavaiable

 

[ali777]

Dude, come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really wanted finastride to work for me as it is an easy solution, but it didn't.

You gotta trust us, we don't dream up those side effects. Whenever I took finastride, I just didn't feel like the normal myself. My body felt different, my brain was switched off, etc.

Testosterone and DHT are extremely powerful hormones, changing the balance does affect some of us.

 

[Flavio]

Dude, come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really wanted finastride to work for me as it is an easy solution, but it didn't.

You gotta trust us, we don't dream up those side effects. Whenever I took finastride, I just didn't feel like the normal myself. My body felt different, my brain was switched off, etc.

Testosterone and DHT are extremely powerful hormones, changing the balance does affect some of us.

Ali, I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. I'm sure you didn't dream up those side effects, but the mind does play a huge role in these things (e.g. the famous placebo effect).

If you say you had side effects, I believe you. But many Propecia users see side effects where there aren't any - I once went through a similar situation (not related to finasteride, it was another drug), I even had testicular pain and today I know it was all because of my anxiety.

 

[Timi]

i take Finasterid 15 Years
no sexual sides

this was the first 6Month as i finasteride beginning

and it helps Wonderful

minoxidil does Nothing makes my Hair worse

Timi

 

[3pm]

You gotta trust us

Actually they don't have to trust us. There are men whom have had no problem using the drug, and even though a number of studies external to MSD identify that it can ignite sexual dysfunction, MSD-related data is what they go by. The mere fact that it is on the market is enough proof for most that it is a safe drug.

Some guys get sides, some don't, and there's no apparent way yet to determine who will get them or, precisely, why. Also, I wouldn't describe the unlucky men who are left with side effects "propecia haters"; propecia victims describes their situation more accurately.

That being said, guys who get sides aren't sh*tting bricks for no reason. They expected no complications beyond reversible libido loss, yet in a number of cases, ended up with no sexual capacity at all without recovery.

Glad you have no problems on finasteride, but if you do, don't act surprised or outraged... fair warning is fair. Good luck to you.

 

[Mew]

More importantly, I've never seen any convincing evidence that finasteride could have permanent sexual side effects.

Well, now you have:

viewtopic.php?p=489095#p489095

 

[Quantum Cat]

are you the only two people who have ever had permanent sides from finasteride?

you seem to crawl out of the woodwork to bash finasteride whenever somebody raises the subject - and yet nobody else reports anything other than temporary/mild sides.

but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt - what did finasteride do to you?

 

[ali777]

are you the only two people who have ever had permanent sides from finasteride?

you seem to crawl out of the woodwork to bash finasteride whenever somebody raises the subject - and yet nobody else reports anything other than temporary/mild sides.

but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt - what did finasteride do to you?

Well, when I had finasteride side effects I decided it wasn't for me and I quit. I didn't use it long enough to have permanent effects.

I think anyone that persists with a medicine for too long despite side effects should question his behaviour as well. I know they say sides should subside and keep using it until the body readjusts to the hormonal changes, but for how long?

I tried it for 1-2 months twice. I figured out if I don't feel better after 1 month, there is no need to persist.

 

[Quantum Cat]

are you the only two people who have ever had permanent sides from finasteride?

you seem to crawl out of the woodwork to bash finasteride whenever somebody raises the subject - and yet nobody else reports anything other than temporary/mild sides.

but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt - what did finasteride do to you?

Well, when I had finasteride side effects I decided it wasn't for me and I quit. I didn't use it long enough to have permanent effects.

I think anyone that persists with a medicine for too long despite side effects should question his behaviour as well. I know they say sides should subside and keep using it until the body readjusts to the hormonal changes, but for how long?

I tried it for 1-2 months twice. I figured out if I don't feel better after 1 month, there is no need to persist.

actually I was referring to 3pm and Mew from PropeciaHate.com

I'm glad to hear the effects weren't permanent for you. If the sides were bothering you then I guess 2 months is a good trial time. You have to weigh up how much you want to keep your hair versus enduring the sides. - not a nice choice

 

[ali777]

[quote="Quantum Cat":w1xmdkt2]are you the only two people who have ever had permanent sides from finasteride?

you seem to crawl out of the woodwork to bash finasteride whenever somebody raises the subject - and yet nobody else reports anything other than temporary/mild sides.

but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt - what did finasteride do to you?

Well, when I had finasteride side effects I decided it wasn't for me and I quit. I didn't use it long enough to have permanent effects.

I think anyone that persists with a medicine for too long despite side effects should question his behaviour as well. I know they say sides should subside and keep using it until the body readjusts to the hormonal changes, but for how long?

I tried it for 1-2 months twice. I figured out if I don't feel better after 1 month, there is no need to persist.

actually I was referring to 3pm and Mew from PropeciaHate.com

I'm glad to hear the effects weren't permanent for you. If the sides were bothering you then I guess 2 months is a good trial time. You have to weigh up how much you want to keep your hair versus enduring the sides. - not a nice choice [/quote:w1xmdkt2]

Yeah I know what you meant.... I've seen enough posts by them to know who they are.

Although, I do feel sympathy for them, I was saying that maybe they should be critical of themselves as well. They made the decision to take finasteride despite the sides.... This was my point...

 

[Mew]

Although, I do feel sympathy for them, I was saying that maybe they should be critical of themselves as well. They made the decision to take finasteride despite the sides.... This was my point...

While we are critical of ourselves for taking the medication (but only after having our health and sexual function destroyed by trying it), the blame must be squarely placed on Merck and their deceptive marketing tactics claiming that any and all side effects will reverse upon discontinuation of the medication, which has clearly NOT been the case for a certain minority of men.

The reason many of these men continued taking the medication despite experiencing problems while on it, is due to the aforementioned statements by Merck that things will go back to normal after quitting, or side effects severity will reduce with continued use... for example, per these statements from Propecia.com:

A small number of men had sexual side effects, with each occurring in less than 2% of men. These include less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, and a decrease in the amount of semen. These side effects went away in men who stopped taking PROPECIA because of them. In addition, these side effects decreased to 0.3% of men or less by the fifth year of treatment.

"You may need to take PROPECIA daily for 3 months or more before you see a benefit from taking PROPECIA. If PROPECIA has not worked for you within 12 months, further treatment is unlikely to be of benefit."

So, these men figured they have nothing to lose and will simply "put up" with the side effects unless they become too much to handle, the overriding desire to keep one's hair at the expense of their manhood tips in the favor of health & erections vs. hair, blood tests reveal abnormal hormonal results, or any other factors that may make a person decide they don't want to rely on an anti-androgenic drug for life.

Every guy that has taken Finasteride and has experienced a side effect has to/had to make a decision for themselves about how much they are/were willing to put up with in terms of detrimental impacts to their sexual, mental and physical self... but these decisions are/were based on inadequate information provided by Merck and their BS claims about things reverting back to normal in ALL men who take their medication.

In the majority of cases (whatever % that may be), side effects DO reverse and everything goes back to normal... unfortunately, for a small minority, the opposite occurs.

This is what needs to be recognized and addressed by both the FDA and Merck, as it has been by the Swedish MPA... so that people can make a proper, informed decision before they try a product.

 

[3pm]

Just to say my piece in fairness..

are you the only two people who have ever had permanent sides from finasteride?

No

you seem to crawl out of the woodwork

PropeciaHate.com

Nice phrasing, appreciate your manners, lol. Yeah, while I am still having some hairloss I don't post on such sites out of interest of alopecia as much as health and safety, since myself and others have taken a tremendous hit in that area and had no one to inform us. In a forum labeled 'dealing with side effects', my experience files here. BTW again you're seeing what you want to see; the website offers help and support for the minority that does get f*cked over by finasteride, not spread venom, so pls get your facts straight before you do that yourself.

but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt

To be honest, I respectfully couldn't care any less about your personal tolerance/interest of my experience. I don't publicly speak about it to change minds as much as I do so to inform those who will be careful enough to consider it. If that's not you, I'm not losing any sleep mate. I do however have the hope that you'll be diplomatic and considerate about it.

I was saying that maybe they should be critical of themselves as well. They made the decision to take finasteride despite the sides.... This was my point...

I'm substantially critical of how the issue comes off, and how ppl react to the posts made. As I've said before I ceased the drug once the sides appeared and had no recovery, please tell me how that is all my fault. So good point but I already consider it.

It's not my intention to grate against your preconceived notions of Propecia, really I'm just here to say my piece and be counted. I mean no disrespect, and appreciate your's. Like the forum rule notice reminds, I don't demonize - I just share my real experience. Obviously Propecia works for a number of you, and I'm glad not everyone is suffering.

 

[Flavio]

[...] Some guys get sides, some don't, [...]

Don't forget to mention that only 2 - 3% of Propecia users suffer from those side effects.

 

[ali777]

[...] Some guys get sides, some don't, [...]

Don't forget to mention that only 2 - 3% of Propecia users suffer from those side effects.

If forums are anything to go with, the side effects are much more common. However, we shouldn't forget that the likelihood of someone with a side effect to report in a forum is much higher.

I'm also skeptical about those numbers. I don't want to scare any potential finasteride users away, I think they should give it a go and decide for themselves. As I said, I had minor sides, they were subtle but present. Think of your body as a finely tuned machine, and then we intentionally mess with the hormonal balance of it. Those changes may not be noticeable for most, but some of us feel them. I waited more than a month for my hormones to re-balance themselves but it didn't happen.

 

[astral week]

Mew and 3pm are the only ones who regularly post here because most other victims don't give 2 shits about hairloss anymore and spend more time looking into possible fixes. They just post here to give propecia a more balanced image amid all the propecia groupies.

I personally came to this site, learned about propecia, took it for 18 months, and gradually got side effects until they became severe. I wholeheartedly believed in Merck, the FDA, and the whole reversible 2% bullshit. Look at my post history if you don't believe me. I looked at propeciahelp.com as a bunch of paranoid hypochondriacs, just like you do now. And now I go there looking for help, and see this forum as the one that has a skewed perspective.

It honestly just frustrates me to come here now, I only do because I hope awareness of the dangers of finasteride is becoming more prevalent. I see that it hasn't at all, unfortunately. If it was when I first wanted to take propecia, I wouldn't be in the shitty situation I am in now.

 

[Mew]

Don't forget to mention that only 2 - 3% of Propecia users suffer from those side effects.

Not according to this recent 2008 study:

5-alpha reductase inhibitors and erectile dysfunction: the connection.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entre ... s=19090946


"...Sexual AEs are reported in clinical trials at rates of 2.1% to 38%. The most common sexual AE is ED, followed by EjD and decreased libido"


CONCLUSION:

The connection between 5ARIs and sexual dysfunction is apparent upon review of the literature. Though theories have been proposed, little is known about the exact mechanisms behind 5ARI-related sexual dysfunction.

Since the connection between 5ARIs and sexual AEs is established in the literature, future research should be directed toward deciphering the pathophysiologic mechanisms.

When more basic science knowledge is attained in this area, the focus can shift toward prevention and treatment.

 

[OverMachoGrande]

And now I go there looking for help, and see this forum as the one that has a skewed perspective.

You have got to be kidding me. What basis do you use for that assumption? This forum has a DEALING WITH SIDFE EFFECTS section just for those people to discuss these isssues.

 

[Flavio]

[...] And now I go there looking for help, and see this forum as the one that has a skewed perspective. [...]

Everyone is allowed to speak on this forum. It's the PropeciaHelp forum that bans those who think differently and defend Propecia.

 

[astral week]

And now I go there looking for help, and see this forum as the one that has a skewed perspective.

You have got to be kidding me. What basis do you use for that assumption? This forum has a DEALING WITH SIDFE EFFECTS section just for those people to discuss these isssues.

I have this assumption because I used to frequent this forum, and I know how it perceives those at propeciahelp.com. When I first posted here, people that claimed to have significant side effects were often ridiculed. Even still there are plenty of people who just refuse to believe some personal accounts of what finasteride has done. They will never believe that severe sides are due to anything other than psychological factors, until it happens to them as it happened to me.

I have no reason to try to convince them of anything anymore; Mew and others have given them information as well as many many accounts of severe side effects in order to help others, NOT to simply "demonize a product" as the disclaimer says. People with bad side effects already have to face a (mostly) stubborn medical community amid their own private battle, and coming here to warn others just to get a verbal slap in the face doesn't have a lot of appeal.

And propeciahelp does NOT ban those who defend propecia, it bans those who come to the forum specifically to slander and mock the members there (aka bubka). You won't find people defending propecia there, obviously, but if any propecia lovers actually took the time to read the studies and posts (while being able to distinguish the paranoids from the level-headed, as there are indeed a couple hypochondriacs there but they are in the minority) they would have second thoughts about Propecia.