Reduced Penis Size upon erection on finasteride

[BDD]

Here is the small study that supports this case:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... &db=PubMed[/url]&list_uids=12647000&dopt=Abstract

The full detailed study is located here:

http://www.asiaandro.com/1008-682X/5/33.htm


Reduced androgen levels don't necessaraly make your penis smaller, it just disturbs the tissue (corpus cavernosum) that engorges in blood once the penis becomes erect, thus resulting in softer erections. The study does not state if these effects are permanent...I wish they would have to quench some doubts.

For those of you you don't want to google corpus cavernosum, here's the definition:

For the penis to stiffen when sexually stimulated it needs the corpus cavernosum. Two are located in the penis and fill up with blood when stimulation occurs. Simultaneously, the blood flow out of them is slowed. The corpus cavernosum swells, which results in an erect penis. After sexual stimulation ceases the blood flow is slowed in and accelerated out so that the penis becomes flaccid again.

Those who don't have erectile disfunction on finasteride, probably have less sensitive andgogen receptors in that tissue area....any thoughts??

 

[hairschmair]

Just for the record, those studies are on rats...

Interesting though!

 

[rapidfrontal]

I truly think much of the sexual sid effects from finasteride are in people's heads. I know I don't have any problems and I'll guarantee I won't. I have only been on finasteride for 2 months, but I just know it isn't going to cause any problems for me. In fact, in talking with a Derm about this who also happens to be my Father, I was told that of the small percentage of men that have sexual sides with finasteride, half of those would have developed the same sides with placebo. I know people like this. They are so suggestive that the mere mention of it will manifest itself and become a reality. I say, forget about the sexual sides and worry about wether or not this sh*t will prevent you from wearing a hairnet at the dinner table.

 

[Johnny24601]

re:

How do you "know" you will have no side effects after two months, that is a rediculous statement, sorry. I actually agree that many who have side effects are just paranoid, but I also think that the Merck studies are sh*t and totally bias.

 

[rapidfrontal]

Re: re:

How do you "know" you will have no side effects after two months, that is a rediculous statement, sorry. I actually agree that many who have side effects are just paranoid, but I also think that the Merck studies are sh*t and totally bias.

Let me rephrase my statement: I am highly confident that I will have no sexual sides from finasteride ever, eventhough I have only been on it for 2 months. You said it, many are just paranoid. When I started on finasteride I hoped I wouldn't have any sexual sides but it never worried me. Soon I realized I was having sex just fine. Now if I had thought about it and worried over it, maybe it would have come true, but it really never even entered my mind except when I was weighing the pros and cons of finasteride before I started it. It is a self fulling prophecy and that is the trap the people can fall into. Also, my brother took finasteride for a period of time, but quit because he couldn't get it up. He feel into the trap.

By the way Johnny, how are the studies by Merck totally biased? Are you of the opinion that the 82% success rate is artificially inflated? [/quote]

 

[Johnny24601]

re:

Trying to chart the rise and fall in your libido prior to finasteride and post finasteride is very tough. People hear the side effects and panic and think the sky is falling. I have been on finasteride for a few months and I do think I have had a slight decrease in libido and johnson stiffness, but it is not like I was puting togehter daily charts my libido prior to taking finasteride to compare. As men age their libido and resting T levels drop, some may actually have sides from finasteride or may actually be experiencing a natural drop in labido that they simply never really cared to notice in the past.
As far as the Merck studies, I do not have the time or energy to fully eleborate, but consider the many questionable factors that go into this (as well as most medical) study. Merck and every one of their "experts" on the panel were all looking for a result that said the drug worked because that meant huge profits and paychecks, which is awfully bias to begin with. They do have some solid numbers showing a decrease in hair count, but this is for a tiny area so a few hairs can greatly change the results and there is nothing that shows these actual tests. They just say "hey we counted and it increased", no photos. Then they have another stat that is totally subjective in which the patients and pros just evaluate who has gotten better or worse, they provide no pictures (accept for 4 examples) even though they have thousands of photos of these patients. They conducted the tests on men who were, for the most part, older (35+) and advanced in balding (NW3+). No disrespect to your dad, but I do not trusts derms for the most part, do not trust big time drug companies and the FDA seems to be more cncerned with the safety of the drug rather then its effectivness. Why did Merck conduct this study and not a completely arbitrary party? Why do they say, it works for about 83% and the rest well oops we don't have any clue why but it doesn't work. I hate the idea of taking a drug every day of my life without having information about every aspect of the functionality of the medication (long term sides, semen quality, birth defects, liver function etc.). I guess in the end, Merck knew there was this huge market of balding consumers who were desperate for anything and Merck got the outcome they wanted. The medication and the study may be 100% legit, yet their only desire is $$ and $$ can often times effect one's judgement. I would be alot more comfortable if Propecia came about as a result of direct studies on why we go bald insteadof guys on proscar saying it looks like we have more hair. They should have long term studies on its effectivness and risks from a completely unbiased source.
Though I think the sides are a bit overrated, I also think the 2% number is a flat out lie.
The best is rogain's basic claim that "buy this product because it may grow some hairs. Of course we have no idea why it works but we know you are desperate so give it a shot. $20 a month is not much to spend, but wow when we can get millions to spend that $$ then we are set."
That post was too long and disjointed. Sorry I am in work and busy.

 

[rapidfrontal]

No problem, Johnny. I don't disagree with much of what you said. I have basically come to the conclusion that we really don't know much at all about this whole hairloss thing. We may know what can play a role, but we don't know why and we may know what helps grow hair, but we don't know why and on and on. The Norwood scale is a good example: frequently male pattern baldness will follow one of the patterns, but on any one individual forget about trying to predict anything. I came to this conclusion after talking to my Derm, my Father, when I realized that he doesn't know sh*t about male pattern baldness. In the end his response to all my questions is, "well, you're taking Propecia which is about all you can do. Only time will tell. If you lose you lose it and that's just the way it is."

 

[Johnny24601]

re:

"well, you're taking Propecia which is about all you can do. Only time will tell. If you lose you lose it and that's just the way it is."
That is the right approach. male pattern baldness has made me realize how vanity is an awful quality and a quality that is totally out of control (at least in American society).
The one thing that really scares me right now is rogain. I am confident that finasteride is effective in some way to almost all who use it with mild to at most moderate side effects. It is universally accepted that DHT is directly related to male pattern baldness and finasteride effects DHT, great. But minoxidil is another story. Nobody knows why it works, it dries up your scalp, has to be constantly applied, can look ugly and it is not too cheap.
I think that many of the people who are seeing results from minoxidil may actually just be seeing the normal natural ups and downs as a man ages and recedes. I think poeple realize they r going bald and think they they will be a a Norwood-6 in no time so they jump on minoxidil. They don't go bald for years and think it is the minoxidil when in reality it is just that they were not going to go bald for years. So what I am getting at is that many men have different types and rates of male pattern baldness and we have no idea whether it is the treatment that slowed down one's hairloss or just that one had a slow on set of male pattern baldness. Others of course may really be seeing results, but who knows.
For me, I get my finasteride at a very good price and can afford the minoxidil. Not to mention that I am receding and thinning so it is worth the extra $$ and time if I can get any type of results. I am only using minoxidil about 10 times a week (once a day during the week and twice on weekends). They (the minions at rogain) claim to grow hair and don't show any medical evidence as to why, how is this any different then all the other snake oils that are available?

 

[rapidfrontal]

I don't use Rogaine, because it scares me so much. I have been shedding for at least 4 months now with no end in sight and as of last night, my hair is a shell of what it was at the end of '04. Within 3 months, I'll be totally screwed if nothing changes. I bought minoxidil but it just sits there because my damn Father the Derm, still thinks my hair is coming back. He thinks I have Telegon Effluvium. If I have Telogen Effluvium, then it is accelerating my naturally, but slowely, occuring male pattern baldness, in which case the shedding should eventually stop and regrowth at least to some degree should start, therefore I shouldn't need the minoxidil. And if I don't have Telogen Effluvium, then I am terrified to use minoxidil because everybody talks about the initial shedding where it is applied. If I apply it to the front where I need it, and I shed, then I am fucked, so basically, I am waiting for my hair to come back based on what my Father told me. If I get to a point where I can no longer deal with the loss then I'll try the Rogaine, but as it is now, if things were to stop or at least slow, I could live with it.

 

[Odelay]

Just put a c*** ring on and everything will work out for the best.

 

[Guest]

I think its people using finasteride as an excuse for a small c***