Unexpected side effects

[plasticletters2]

It's been one week since I started taking 1.25 mg. finasteride daily and I started noticing side effects instantly. I was very reluctant about taking finasteride because my libido was always iffy although not terrible, yet sensitive. Everything had to be perfect during sex... no distractions. The room couldn't be too hot or too cold, and if my partner did the least little thing I didn't like, I'd go limp for awhile. I've taken antidepressants in the past and have dropped them within days due to absolutely no libido and ED. So on day 1 I take a dose at 2 pm and work 3-11pm. I'm worried and thinking about it all day that I'm going to have all these bad sexual side effects. So I'm planning on taking matters into my own hands when I get home (If you know what I mean) Driving home I'm anticipating what will happen. I'm a little embarrassed to discuss, but I got an erection thinking about masturbating. I've heard of some guys having an increased libido while taking this drug but I'm worried and expecting the worst! Is this going to end eventually, and am I going to end up with no sex drive and ED tenfold? I'm rather enjoying my new supercharged sex drive! Other than increased libido I've had some mild dizziness, more frequent but mild headaches, and more frequent urination. I've tried almost everything to stop my thinning hair and maybe regrow what I lost. Minoxidil seemed promising but I just couldn't commit to twice daily applications. It was a pain and the product left my hair feeling yucky and greasy! I also noticed that my hair loss has increased dramatically just in the past year. I used to be able to hide it with some product and styling it a certain way, now it's impossible! Crazy as it sounds but I joined a gym 2 months ago and I have been working out 4 nights a week and I've lost more hair in 2 months then I have in 10 years! Am I doing the right thing now by taking finasteride? I'm really scared Included is a pic from last year and some from last week.

 

[wstef]

I had an increased in libido when I first started, too. It's now back to normal but at times I do feel I am hornier. I put this down to more testosterone in the system since less is converting to DHT (but that's just my own theory, so I have no idea how valid it is).

I never had any issues with an erection. The only issue I had was reduced sensation, but that has pretty much gone now.

My hair loss was similar to yours - same regions - and I have had great results on finasteride and minoxidil so far.

It's normal to lose more hair in the initial stages of hair loss treatment, because your body is doing away with the old and ready to grow new hair which is less prone to fall out.

Remember, finasteride can take a while to work so you might not see results straight away; in some people it can take a year or so.

And, I know this is easier said than done, but try not to think about it too much because it can make matters worse if you overthink.

Good luck.

 

[plasticletters2]

I had an increased in libido when I first started, too. It's now back to normal but at times I do feel I am hornier. I put this down to more testosterone in the system since less is converting to DHT (but that's just my own theory, so I have no idea how valid it is).

I never had any issues with an erection. The only issue I had was reduced sensation, but that has pretty much gone now.

My hair loss was similar to yours - same regions - and I have had great results on finasteride and minoxidil so far.

It's normal to lose more hair in the initial stages of hair loss treatment, because your body is doing away with the old and ready to grow new hair which is less prone to fall out.

Remember, finasteride can take a while to work so you might not see results straight away; in some people it can take a year or so.

And, I know this is easier said than done, but try not to think about it too much because it can make matters worse if you overthink.

Good luck.

Thanks so much for your advice! I'm thinking of adding minoxidil 5% once a night before bed time as well. I can't commit to twice daily as I said, but once a night can't be so bad.

 

[wstef]

Thanks so much for your advice! I'm thinking of adding minoxidil 5% once a night before bed time as well. I can't commit to twice daily as I said, but once a night can't be so bad.

It takes me literally 30 seconds - 1 minute to rub it into my hair. I squirt it directly onto the hair, so I use less and get more coverage, because using it as directed wastes loads. However, I believe a lot of people simply use is once a day because it lasts around 22 hours.

You might want to add Nizoral (or similar) to the regime as well. It's simply just a shampoo for dandruff but recommended for hair loss "off label".

You can see my results after 4 months here.

 

[Wuffer]

Hey there. First of all: my hair loss pattern was similar to yours before starting on finasteride, but not quite as advanced. I was maybe 6 months away from having basically the same hair as you judging by the rate at which I was losing it. Almost all my hair has since returned after 20 months thanks to the stuff, and hopefully you will see some similar success. From what I've seen, men with this loss pattern (thinning with decent coverage as opposed to 'slick' bald) usually see the best results.

In answer to your questions, I also experienced increased libido for a few weeks, followed by decreased libido and ED that also lasted a few weeks. In retrospect, I had been reading that people experience increased libido up front, and right before I experienced low libido, I had been reading all these horror stories about the drug. I believe both my increase and decrease in libido were a result of psychosomatic symptoms, or that I was basically willing myself into experiencing the symptoms based on my belief that they would occur. Since I realized this and was able to basically talk myself out of my fears and worries, I haven't had a single issue since. 20 months of great sex, full sustained erections (unless I was drunk of course) and fantastic hair growth.

Remember that libido and erectile function both have a significant mental aspect. When I was around 22 (I am 30 now) I had serious issues getting it up while with my girlfriend at the time. I was going through some bad anxiety, and I was lucky to be able to get it up for 5 minutes at a time. I was NEVER in the mood for sex, and my girlfriend practically had to beg me to have sex with her. Basically at the prime of my sex life, I couldn't even be bothered! It was all mental. Since curing my anxiety issues, I have had fantastic sex. For a short while when I started finasteride, anxiety crept back and I had issues again, but I was able to stop it before it turned into a real issue.. But my point is, don't underestimate how strong the mental component is.

 

[plasticletters2]

Thanks all you guys for the advice! And wstef, I saw your pics and your progress is awesome! I can see a big difference and it gives me a little more hope and incentive to actually do something about my hair loss. Today I started using 5% Minoxidil along with my dose of 1.25 mg. Finasteride. I've been wanting to use the Minoxidil but my scalp wasn't in the best of shape. I have dandruff and dry itchy scalp, and I'm VERY sensitive to styling products. Honestly sometime I think I'm allergic to my own sweat! If I skip washing my hair for a day, my scalp gets really itchy (even worse if I had some styling product on my hair) I get these tiny red, raw bumps all over my scalp. When that happens I just scratch the Hell outta my scalp! I've been reading up a lot about the Nizoral shampoo, and I'm thinking it may help out. I've seen it in stores and thought it was just a really expensive dandruff shampoo, so I just bought my usual Head and Shoulders instead.

 

[Benjamin36]

What Wuffer is saying is so true, if you keep thinking about the side effects you have read from other posts it is pretty likely you will start to believe you have them yourself. The mind is so powerful that you will start believing you are experiencing the same things others are.

The thing you have to remember is that barely any people will post about a good experience with a product, drug, etc, but if someone has a bad experience they will definitely make sure everyone knows it. That's why it seems like there are so many bad cases, because those who have a good experience go on with life and stay off of forums, but those who have a bad experience go on forums freak out, etc.

It's good that you are doing something about your hair loss, but do you really think that minoxidil twice a day is too much of a pain to try? I don't use it myself, but from what wstef is saying it seems pretty easy.

 

[wstef]

Thanks all you guys for the advice! And wstef, I saw your pics and your progress is awesome! I can see a big difference and it gives me a little more hope and incentive to actually do something about my hair loss. Today I started using 5% Minoxidil along with my dose of 1.25 mg. Finasteride. I've been wanting to use the Minoxidil but my scalp wasn't in the best of shape. I have dandruff and dry itchy scalp, and I'm VERY sensitive to styling products. Honestly sometime I think I'm allergic to my own sweat! If I skip washing my hair for a day, my scalp gets really itchy (even worse if I had some styling product on my hair) I get these tiny red, raw bumps all over my scalp. When that happens I just scratch the Hell outta my scalp! I've been reading up a lot about the Nizoral shampoo, and I'm thinking it may help out. I've seen it in stores and thought it was just a really expensive dandruff shampoo, so I just bought my usual Head and Shoulders instead.

Cheers!

With minoxidil, be careful not to use too much. I did at first and my eyes paid for it. The bottom eye lids became extremely dry and flaky and they're not darker than they usually are. It's fading, gradually, but because the skin in this part of the face is very thin it takes a long time to repair (it essentially becomes see through, so the dark areas are usually just blood vessels showing through).

Also, it makes your hair get greasier quicker, so you might have to wash it more often.


I always had - and still do - a dry scalp. minoxidil hasn't worsened it, and if anything it's became healthier because of Nizoral. I use it twice a week and you only need to use a tiny amount. I started over 4 months ago and I am still on the first bottle (but my hair is relatively short).

The way I look at hair loss treatment is... women spend hours every week washing, drying and styling their hair. It's the norm, so me spending 5 minutes a day applying some foam is nothing. I pop the pill in the morning and I forget about it. It doesn't take time... what does take time is constantly checking myself in the mirror to see if I have new growth, haha!

Good luck!

 

[plasticletters2]

Cheers!

With minoxidil, be careful not to use too much. I did at first and my eyes paid for it. The bottom eye lids became extremely dry and flaky and they're not darker than they usually are. It's fading, gradually, but because the skin in this part of the face is very thin it takes a long time to repair (it essentially becomes see through, so the dark areas are usually just blood vessels showing through).

Also, it makes your hair get greasier quicker, so you might have to wash it more often.


I always had - and still do - a dry scalp. minoxidil hasn't worsened it, and if anything it's became healthier because of Nizoral. I use it twice a week and you only need to use a tiny amount. I started over 4 months ago and I am still on the first bottle (but my hair is relatively short).

The way I look at hair loss treatment is... women spend hours every week washing, drying and styling their hair. It's the norm, so me spending 5 minutes a day applying some foam is nothing. I pop the pill in the morning and I forget about it. It doesn't take time... what does take time is constantly checking myself in the mirror to see if I have new growth, haha!

Good luck!

Well you spoke too soon about the mind thing but thanks ... I actually thought about that on day one taking finasteride. I kept saying to myself "Don't anticipate on having bad sexual side effects, or you WILL have problems... just stop thinking about it already!" Still no problems and I'm at week two, if anything it's made me into a total man wh***...:woot: lmao! I have a couple reasons why I don't use the minoxidil twice daily. I tried it like that for a few weeks and it made my scalp very dry and itchy. It also leaves a nasty and noticeable translucent film on my hair and made my hair straight as a stick with no body. My hair appeared even thinner. I've been using minoxidil 5% once a night after work for 3 days now and my scalp is still a bit itchy but it's tolerable. I had to order the Nizoral shampoo online since I went to 6 different pharmacies and couldn't find it! There's probably 50 pharmacies in Cleveland and I'm sure one of them has to sell this stuff! Anyways it's scheduled for delivery sometime today so I'm eager to try it out!

 

[wstef]

minoxidil can be difficult it seems. For me, although it is slightly greasier, it doesn't look like it and makes the hair appear a bit thicker. You seem to develop a tolerance to it, well, at least I did...

I feel the same quite often... I just want to pounce on people and start touching them inappropriately, haha (I would never do that, it was an exaggeration before people start accusing finasteride of causing rape!!!)

I live in Cleveland, but in the UK, haha (well, it's name has changed now but it was the original Cleveland).

Nizoral, I believe, is a UK brand which is why it's harder to track down in the USA.