Sides On Finasteride! What To Do Now?

[Robinvanpersie20]

I'm in a really difficult situation. I'm 24 years old and started on finasterid after I started getting receding hairline. I have been on finasteride for 13 months, and it has gone very well. I have not experienced new hair at all, but experienced that my hair loss has stopped completely while I have been on the pills. It's a victory in itself!

But now, 13 months later, I have had periods of depressed thoughts. I realized that during my summer vacation I caught myself feeling that everything was a bit gloomy. The last month, some night when darkness falls, I have the same feeling, despite the fact that everything in my life works really well.

Therefore, I have chosen to stop finasteride to see if I'm getting better mentally. However, I really want to keep my hair yet and am very nervous that I lose a lot.

Therefore, I hope some of you have some advice on what to do.I have considered switching to topical finasteride in the hope that it has much less side effects.

If you think it may result in the same side effects, do you have any other ideas for what I can start to delay my prosperity with my hair loss without a finasteride?

 

[clowns on stilts]

You in the northern hemisphere? Could be lack of vitamin d, I find I get s.a.d sometimes.. maybe try supplements before you stop finasteride.

Btw wrong section you cheeky chap.

 

[Robinvanpersie20]

Oh. Im sorry.. Haha. Im new here

Try to find another section

Btw. i dont have lack of vitamin

 

[riquelme]

are you only using finasteride? if so, why not add minoxidil to your programme one with a dht blocker added to it. eventually you can come off the finasteride if you think it is whats causing you to feel down. ive not used topical finasteride but it is meant to have less side effects.
alternatively, go and speak to a counsellor about your issues before you come off the finasteride. it could do your wonders.

 

[abcdefg]

I have no doubts that finasteride in some people can cause depression, and mental side effects from the neurosteroid changes. Its easily possible.

 

[jared garnith]

I'd recommend microdosing on a psychadelic for depression

 

[Longway886]

Why anybody takes finastride is beyond me
Would rather have a working dick and wear a hair piece

 

[Trichosan]

I've heard a similar thing about the mental effects from another user. Thoughts of fear, anxiety, selfdoubt. He said, he continued on realizing it was the drug influencing his thinking and eventually mental processes came back to equilibrium. Maybe you can power through it with that realization.

 

[HairSuit]

And I have no doubt that you have no doubt. The real question is do you have any data that supports it? A study that shows finasteride causes depression? It’s not a listed side effect, despite having been on the market for 25+ years, and at much higher dosages for people who take it for bhp:

https://www.rxlist.com/propecia-side-effects-drug-center.htm#overview

https://www.rxlist.com/proscar-side-effects-drug-center.htm#overview

The only place I have ever seen this claimed side was on the boards, a place that also seems to have a significant number of people suffering from mental health problems. Coincidence? I don’t know, so any data you have that supports your supposition would be genuinely useful. And if it does, define “some people” - what percentage?

@occulus because you and most others are fortunate enough to have never experienced the mental side effects of finasteride, does not mean they do not exist. I assure you, there are many of us “normal” folks out there, that have been chugging along on finasteride for over a decade, and suddenly got blindsided. I was the one for so long telling people it doesn’t happen, until it did. I hope it never happens for you and probably won’t. Carry on. But after being on these boards since 2002, we have seen enough to get past this whole “it’s in your head” crap. I assure you, it is not

 

[Robinvanpersie20]

I have decided to stop oral finasteride. Thank you for your ideas.

Now I'm just confused about what I could start.

I'm considering topical finasteride - to test if I get the same side effects. Otherwise, I'm a little shy for ideas.

What would you recommend me to try. most to reduce hair loss

 

[HairSuit]

I have decided to stop oral finasteride. Thank you for your ideas.

Now I'm just confused about what I could start.

I'm considering topical finasteride - to test if I get the same side effects. Otherwise, I'm a little shy for ideas.

What would you recommend me to try. most to reduce hair loss

I did not have any sides on topical finasteride

 

[abcdefg]

@occulus because you and most others are fortunate enough to have never experienced the mental side effects of finasteride, does not mean they do not exist. I assure you, there are many of us “normal” folks out there, that have been chugging along on finasteride for over a decade, and suddenly got blindsided. I was the one for so long telling people it doesn’t happen, until it did. I hope it never happens for you and probably won’t. Carry on. But after being on these boards since 2002, we have seen enough to get past this whole “it’s in your head” crap. I assure you, it is not

Couldnt we really argue the opposite though? That just because you think you felt mental sides doesnt mean its from the drug? Its possible finasteride has zero mental effects, and its just people reporting them from a placebo effect. If your convinced of something you can convince yourself its real. I would never ever ever underestimate the power of the placebo effect. If your on this board your highly susceptible to it.
Im not saying they dont exist. Im just saying there is not a lot of evidence for or against it. It could very well be true we know all drugs have sides its a fact.

 

[soundnvision]

One things for certain you will definitely be depressed when you're bald in a few years

 

[abcdefg]

One things for certain you will definitely be depressed when you're bald in a few years

Very true. However depressed propecia makes you it wont compare to living life as a norwood 7 realizing you had the chance to save most of that hair, and you didnt because it made you depressed. Duh!
I will say I think it can have mental effects, and its not all a placebo effect.

 

[HairSuit]

Couldnt we really argue the opposite though? That just because you think you felt mental sides doesnt mean its from the drug? Its possible finasteride has zero mental effects, and its just people reporting them from a placebo effect. If your convinced of something you can convince yourself its real. I would never ever ever underestimate the power of the placebo effect. If your on this board your highly susceptible to it.
Im not saying they dont exist. Im just saying there is not a lot of evidence for or against it. It could very well be true we know all drugs have sides its a fact.

You absolutely could, except for the fact that the first time I crashed, I had no idea it was from finasteride. I thought I was losing my mind. I was checked out by countless doctors and specialists. No one could explain what was happening. I didn’t know of the sides to attribute it to finasteride except sexual. I got no sexual sides my first crash. When I quit finasteride first time i titrated down. No issues. Decided to try oral again this past year. Felt the brain fog coming on that I had felt before. I quit cold turkey. I got the whole thing. Sexual, mental. All of it. Still dealing with it.
Now, I’m 39 years old. I was on finasteride in some way or another for almost 19 years. It was amazing for me. I’m not telling anyone not to do it. I’m also not a 23 year old screaming,” ahhhh. My dick isn’t working!” In alarm. (No offense to 23 year olds. Point being, I’ve been around the block. This is not in my head. Please, continue taking finasteride, you’ll (probably) be fine. But enough of this “there are no sides, it’s all in people’s heads” crap. This has happened for too long to people to ignore it. You’re just being ignorant if you think by the mechanism by which finasteride works (progestin) that it doesn’t mess with some people’s hormone profile, which translates to neurotransmitters as well. I’m glad most people don’t get sides. Carry on.

 

[HairSuit]

Cool story. So, again, someone post a study that shows that finasteride causes depression, because that's not an official reported side of the drug, and is something that only seems to come up on hair loss forums, places that seem to attract people that are already suffering from higher incidence of mental illness to begin with. Cough up that link.

You need to learn some of the basic principles of the scientific method, among them, anecdote is not data and correlation is not causation.

Yawn. Listen. I thought you were a sensible guy. From the tone of your response, clearly I was wrong. Don’t tell me what I need to learn and not. Fantastic you didn’t experience these things. If I was going around spouting doom and gloom and telling people their legs and dicks were going to fall off every time they took they the drug, then I would be the alarmist you are trying to paint me as. If you think that because Merck has not “added” certain sides is validating of the fact that they don’t exist, you’re living in a dream world. I am in consistent contact with two of the finest transplant docs in the field, one which who experienced many of the sides himself, the other who readily admits he sees many of these sides present in the occasional patient. I never said I got “depression”, but given the mechanism of the drug you’d be a fool to think it wasn’t possible. So yes. Continue to click away behind your key board and assume that because in “occulus land” the sides don’t seem to add up, while medical professionals, doing the job day in and day out, verify the existence of additional sides. Or, we simply agree on this...... finasteride does wonderful things for hairloss. Agreed. Most probably will be fine taking it for however long they take it. Agreed. However, in some, they may be in for a rude awakening..... to not concede that point is ignorance.

 

[Robinvanpersie20]

I did not have any sides on topical finasteride

Have you tried oral? And which sides do you have?

 

[Robinvanpersie20]

And just a side question. If you take minoxidil and it gives regrowth and then you stop it but still take finasteride. Does finasteride help also to maintain the hair that minoxidil gave?

 

[HairSuit]

You wrote a lot when all you had to say was, "it's all anecdotes from forums full of anonymous and often mentally ill people." Merck doesn't control studies of it's products - anyone can study any compound, particularly when there are claims of sides that never showed up in the Federally-reviewed and approved trials. So, again, just post a link to some actual data - not anecdotes, not what you've read on the forums, not what "two of the finest transplant docs in the field" told you, etc. - and put this to rest. No need for 500 words when a simple link to some real data will do. If "real professionals" think finasteride causes depression, why aren't they doing a study about it? Oh, that's right - because the people you provide as experts are hair transplant doctors, and thus (marginally) clinicians, not research scientists.

As to the "mechanism of the drug" causing depression, could you please elaborate? Provide your hypothesis for how finasteride causes depression. Not, "uh, it messes with your hormones" - detail the actual process - the causal process - by which you believe finasteride can result in depression.

I am a sensible guy, which is why I push back when people argue anecdote as data and perpetuate myth as truth. Finasteride has some sides for a very small percentage of users, but depression isn't one of them.

If you think my experience, and the experience of thousands of others is all psychosomatic, then again, continue to be the forum Rambo that you are. Congrats. For those that are new to hairloss that are considering taking this drug, they should do so with excitement, expectation, and awareness of the (possible) consequences. There are those on hear spreading undo panic. We agree. But by getting all beer muscled with those of us on here that are “sane” you pick the wrong battle. I assure you, reading the sage wisdom on this forum is not root cause of my experience. You’re so cute, the way “uh....try and uh.... dumb down what I says.....”. Anyway...... back to life

 

[spooon]

It is well documented that finasteride can CAUSE depression.