Should I Go Back On Finasteride (low Testosterone)?

[scottyg93]

Hi all,


To make a long story short:

I took Finasteride for 1 year. Saw significant regrowth (2 cm) and sustaining. It only took a few months after starting to regrow over 4 years of slow recession. Needless to say I was floored.

(I was also using rogaine 2x a day 5% and Nizoral)

I had what I consider significant loss of libido and little sexual desire for anything from cuddling to sexual intercourse with my GF (who I am very attracted to). I never had significant ED or anything like that. Very low volume and quality of semen throughout. Looking back the libido and loss of desire had put a huge strain on my relationship and I did feel like it would be safe to say I was blunt to romantic feelings for the most part.

The scary thing is that I went to the DR and brought some of this up to my DR who is also an endo and he took my testosterone.

Base testosterone readings from a few years back:

25 years old:
Total Testosterone: 830

The results while on finasteride were:

29 years old 6/1:
Total Testosterone: 215 (250-1100) Low
Free Testosterone: 12.9 pg (35-155) Low

Reallllyyyy scary stuff. I quit immediately and came back 1 week later off the drug and it was this:
6/8:
Total Testosterone: 627 (250-1100)
Free Testosterone: 60.8 pg (35-155)
FSH: 6.6 (1.6-8)
LH: 2.9 (1.5-9.3)
Estrogen: 99.1 (60-190)
TSH: .67 (.4-4.50)

Obviously that drop in T seemed to be related to Finasteride...

What happened and does this mean to stay away from it?

 

[abcdefg]

IDK but its weird that your T would drop when in theory it should go up.

 

[scottyg93]

IDK but its weird that your T would drop when in theory it should go up.

https://www.researchgate.net/profil...onadism-Caused-By-5a-Reductase-Inhibitors.pdf


Apparently the struggle is real...

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Abcdef is right, very unusual.. Was finasteride the only hair loss drug you were using? Its no surprise you saw such good results with your hormonal levels. Testosterone does damage hair, but not to as severe a degree as DHT does. If your testosterone wasn't affected I don't think you would have had as good results as you did. I personally would take those side effects than going bald any day.. But that's just me. You will likely lose all your gains and more now that you are no longer taking finasteride.

 

[scottyg93]

Having the test levels of an 80 year old to have hair haha. Man what are we doing to ourselves

I take no other medication

 

[AnxiousAndy]

Having the test levels of an 80 year old to have hair haha. Man what are we doing to ourselves

I take no other medication

It is ridiculous yes but nobody wants to be the guy who is bald before 30. Tsuji needs to hurry and make the treatment affordable so even cue balls can have lush locks again! Haha.

 

[scottyg93]

It's difficult because I know this treatment works so well, but yet I can't deny the severe impact it had on my testosterone...

 

[Thins]

have you tried taking zinc or going to the gym (lifting weights) doing things that raise your testosterone even if slightly? I'm also afraid of becoming emotionally blunted of sexually impotent but the fear of losing my hair before 30 is starting to weigh over that...LOL

 

[scottyg93]

No. The only thing I keep wondering is if it was a lab error but I feel like I’m lying to myself.

Feels like there’s no good choice here

 

[alekgn]

Your sexual desire and your dick, or your hair? It's a f*****g awful choice, but you're pretty much stuck with that.

 

[DoctorHouse]

No. The only thing I keep wondering is if it was a lab error but I feel like I’m lying to myself.

Feels like there’s no good choice here

If I were you, I would take it again and recheck the labs one more time and if it shows a decline again, then I would know for show it was not a lab error and would stop the medication and go topical and then see how I do.