Trying finasteride again after sides....

[ciok]

Hey All,
So I've tried finasteride three times before - twice oral, once topical - and gotten sides all three times. With oral I got a slight case of gyno and some sexual sides/ junk numbness which may or may not have just been in my head. This was even with .25mg/day. With topical (Dr. Lee's 5% minoxidil + finasteride) the gyno came back (and stayed) and I got a nasty shed to top it all off.

Currently: I'm 23, NW2/3, taking Spectral DNC (2x/day) and topical spironolactone (1x/day), which worked a bit for me a year ago, but is clearly not working anymore, like AT ALL. Plus I've been using that Revita shampoo BS for the keto for over a year now. Smells nice. Great.

So, last-ditch effort here guys. I just read this dude's thread: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=62136
He says he's kept his hair taking 1-2mg propecia a week. Like, pop one on a monday and you're done. Anyone on this schedule? Sides? Anything? Any help would be really appreciated. Got some leftover propecia in the medicine cabinet and I'm feeling a little wtf why not. Cheers.

 

[Ruel Fox]

Just joined the forum and understand that you might think the opinion of a one post wonder isn't worth much but I've been experiencing and extensively researching hair loss for a long time now and what I would say is:

Firstly, although that guy's experience of the results from once a week finasteride do seem to be amazing, you have to remember he's just one man. Many, many more men take 1mg/1.25mg finasteride daily and fail to halt their hair loss. I'd say your chances of being one of the incredibly lucky ones who can take that amount weekly with good success are very low.

Secondly, the sides of finasteride aren't really from some unrelated, unitended effect the drug has on your body. finasteride works because it blocks DHT, the sides some experience happen because of the hormonal reaction to that DHT being blocked.

If you're susceptible to this reaction to the point that 0.25mg gives you sides, you have to accept that your body doesn't agree with yout DHT being inhibited. As such, there's never going to be a situation where you block enough DHT to stop hair loss but not enought to stop sides. You can keep lowering the dose until you don't get sides, but you want be doing anything for your hair either by that point.

 

[Ende]

Try 0.25 mg finasteride a day, and add 50 - 100 mg zinc picolinate a day if you experience sexual side effects. Begin with 50 mg, and increase the dose if needed. Take all at once, before bed, and adjust the dose according to morning erections.

 

[ciok]

Thanks a lot for the advice guys. I'll do some more thinking about it...

 

[Wuffer]

When you say the finasteride sides may have been in your head, it's a good indication that it is what's going on. When you have real finasteride sides, there is absolutely no doubt that the drug is causing them. I've had times where I thought finasteride might be causing sides, but when i'm not constantly thinking about it (good example: during sex!) I have absolutely no problems. In fact, finasteride has increased my sex drive if anything!

How do you know you are having Gyno? Did you notice lumps and significant swelling? Were there any other factors that could have contributed to it, most notably, weight gain?

Anybody that decides to take finasteride needs to commit to it and do what they can to take their mind off their hair loss. I see so many people that start on finasteride, then convince themselves they are having sides, or shedding, or that it just doesn't work (after only a couple months, amazingly).

My suggestion is to start on it again, and do something else like work out or start a hobby or whatever, just to take your mind off things. Check your hair every couple months, but don't stress.. This stuff really needs time to work it's magic. In some cases, even over 2 years. But it works for most guys

 

[Ende]

The mind is powerful, but one certain sign of trouble is lack of morning erections. Your testosterone/estrogen ratio is altered if they disappear, and it'll only get worse. DO NOT ignore this, and continue with the drug.

Weight gain DOES NOT cause pain or lumps around the breasts.

 

[HT55]

The mind is powerful, but one certain sign of trouble is lack of morning erections. Your testosterone/estrogen ratio is altered if they disappear, and it'll only get worse.

True but at what age ? Are we talking about a 20 year old or a 40 year old.

50% of men over 40 have some degree of ED without finasteride

Even me at age 42, I'm very strong and can have sex 3 times on bad day but I don't wake up with a rod everyday.

 

[Ende]

Yes, I believe that's a symptom of andropause. Since the testosterone production declines as we age, the testosterone/estrogen ratio shifts towards estrogen dominance in a lot of men. This is normal, but if you're treating the condition, you should have morning erections too. I've heard about onset of andropause as early as 30-40 years old.

It'll be hard to judge by morning erections if you don't have strong morning erections every day. Finasteride may shift the ratio slowly over several years, but usually you'll notice changes fast; within weeks or months after beginning treatment. So you're right, but it should be a solid indicator before 30.

 

[OhioGuy]

Hmmm I didn't wake up with an erection before finasteride everyday and certainly don't wake up with morning erections now. I get erections with no problem for sex but just don't wake them. Should I be concerned?

 

[OhioGuy]

Hmmm I didn't wake up with an erection before finasteride everyday and certainly don't wake up with morning erections now. I get erections with no problem for sex but just don't wake them. Should I be concerned?

Don't wake up with them is what I meant. (damn iPad!)

 

[TheGrayMan2001]

Well, I never realised how often I got morning wood until I started Finasteride, I used it for over two years and probably only got morning wood two or three times, now that I quit I wake up with a concrete dick almost every morning.....

I also never got spontaneous erections while on finasteride, and I had to be really stimulated to get a hard on, now that I quit I get random boners and I can get it up in no time, not to mention that my jizz isn't a little sprinkle of clear liquid LOL!

I was the same way. I ran out in January and about a week later I started waking up with a "concrete dick" almost every morning since then. Also the jizz isn't clearish anymore. More of it and way more white.

I never really had a libido problem but I know my sex drive went way up to almost intolerable levels for a while, had to find a way to keep my mind off of stuff. It levelled off a bit though.

Started .25 mg of finasteride a day four days ago, so far no sides and it seems to be mostly eliminating the itching on my head. Had morning wood and everything else seems normal the past 3 days.

 

[Mens Rea]

You are ABSOLUTELY and postively crazy to do this.

So many people on propeciahelp did this to disasterous consequences. You're putting your sexual health at complete risk. The fact you haven't tolerated it well is the past means another go could result even worse. Your entire endoctrine system could well crash/shutdown with more sustained usage.

I'm telling you now you shouldn't do it. If you do, you'll have to accept you've been warned.

 

[TheGrayMan2001]

You are ABSOLUTELY and postively crazy to do this.

So many people on propeciahelp did this to disasterous consequences. You're putting your sexual health at complete risk. The fact you haven't tolerated it well is the past means another go could result even worse. Your entire endoctrine system could well crash/shutdown with more sustained usage.

I'm telling you now you shouldn't do it. If you do, you'll have to accept you've been warned.

Total membership at Propeciahelp: 1700.

Don't think that's "so many people". About half the people at PropeciaHelp are some of the small, small few who have had bad side effects. The other half are crazy in general.