Would you recommend to start using Propecia? Risk for Side Effects

[David2]

Hey,
I am newly registered in this forum, but have already read a lot in here.
I am 21 years old and noticed the first hair loss about 2 years ago. I started using Regaine (liquid) back then, but got bad dandruff and stopped it again. My hair loss got worse again. One year ago (and 5 months after stopping minoxidil liquid) I started using Rogaine Foam, which doesnt make my hair greasy or causes dandruff. I was happy and the hair loss got much better, although still not stopped.
Now my hair loss begins to worsen again, although i kept on using Rogaien Foam as before.

The fear of becoming bald drives me crazy (although nobody has ever noticed the hair loss so far, because it has just begun) and I am starting to consider taking Propecia.
But there still is the fear of the hard side effects such as erectyle disfunction, depression or impotence.

First of all I´d like to know if there were any studies about this exact topic? I know of the one 5year study which didnt find these side effects. But in recent articles I have always read about persistend erectyle disfunction (and impotence) and depressive (up to suicidial) thinking.

Further I fear that this might be a head-thing and you can easily get these sides once started, just because you are worrying about them too much...
What do you think?

I would also be interested in hearing your experiences. Do you have any side effects? How strong are they? How many % of propecia takers have such heavy side effects? What do you reckon?

Excuse my english, but I am from Germany and english is not my mother tongue. I hope you can easily understand what i meant and can help me.

Thanks
David

PS: If someone knows how to put a voting list in this threead, please feel free to do that. With options such as:
Didnt experience any side effects
Experienced erectyle disfunction, that didnt disappear
Experienced erectyle disfunction, that disappeared
Experienced depressive thinkings
And so on... Thanks a lot!

 

[rj2000]

Welcome to the forum, I am also a pretty new member. I was in the same boat as you and although no one has said I'm going bald I knew myself my hair was thinning. It has taken me 3 years to decide to go on finesteride. The reason I took so long was because of forums and people tend to try and scare you off (this forum doesnt seek to do that)

I have only been on finasteride just over a week and so far no side effects. Its a tough choice and one not to be taken lightly, if I get any major sexual side effects then I will re-consider my use of the drug but so far so good.

If you do take the plunge and start on finasteride then the best advice I can give is to go to your GP and get a private perscription. Also once you start the tablets dont think about them and dont start looking through forums and scaring yourself, I had a slight ache in my balls yesterday and it would have been easy to blame it on the tablets but in all honesty I 've had aches before every now and then!

 

[IrishFella]

http://www.ishrs.org/articles/propecia-study.htm

http://www.beIgraviacentre.com/blog/long-term-safety-of-propecia/

10 year study.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1529-8019.2011.01441.x/abstract

Independent Japanese study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21980923

Starting Finasteride whilst paranoid is not a good thing, I can tell once you pop the pill, you'll experience a "nocebo" effect and assume you'll have sides, best to do your research and go into it with a clear mind.

 

[Beingbaldsucksass]

Without finasteride say goodbye to your hair

 

[abcdefg]

I dont push propecia on people because I am not on it myself and I can easily understand both sides of the story. There is a camp against it and a camp for it. The facts are right now treatments for male pattern baldness are not that impressive or effective. Your only real option is to try keeping your hair you have right now and the only treatment that can do that is propecia so risk the sides or wait for something better years from now with the understanding your hair loss will progress.

 

[David2]

The official studies seem to show the safety, but how comes that recent articels question this safety?
I have also ready many stories in this forum of users taking finasteride, who experienced numbness or disfunction... (!!!)

I just think that this can be a life-influencing decision to make and shouldnt be done frivolously.
I think i will give Rogaine Foam another few months and see how it goes. I do have small hairs on the hairline (Maybe i will upload some pics today or tomorrow to show you), but cant really tell if they are newly grown or from thinning areas...

I think the most important thing is to begin the therapy (if you begin it) with a clear mind without any prejudices and fears of having sides... So it wouldnt be the right time to start the therapy right now, I guess.
Thanks so far!

 

[IrishFella]

Well, I just posted links, to actual studies, that involved THOUSANDS of people. It doesn't matter to me if want to take it or not, I'm just giving you facts.

 

[earlybalder]

I was in the same boat as you are 3 weeks ago. At first I was completely against finasteride because I thought it wasnt available in my country and that I would need a prescription. When another fellow member of this forum told me that they sell Proscar in my country without prescriptions, it made me confused as to whether I want to go on it or not.

That made me want to do my research about the drug, so in my opinion here is what I think could happen if you use the drug
Majority
1) A lot of people with use the drug with success and without any side effects
2) Again, a lot of people will use the drug with success but with minor side effects ( watery semen, ball ache, reduced ejaculate) by minor I mean that these sides don't occur very often.

Minority
3)People who use the drug without side effects for 1,2,3 + years but then develop side effects out of the blue which subside when they stop using the drug
4) People who immediately get sides when using the drug after taking it for a few months, a few days, or even the first day. These people have a genetic predisposition which makes the drug harmful to them. Their side effects subside when they stop using the drug.

Very, Very rare
5) people who get side effects from the drug and these sides don't go away when they stop using it. Some of them are hypochondriacs who imagine their symptoms and their mental state isn't all that. Some get side effects from something else going on in their life but they attribute it to finasteride. Some actually get it from finasteride because it fu**ed up their hormones.

Now I have started taking 1 mg of Proscar every other day for the past 2 weeks, and so far so good, no sides even though I was really worried about it when I started. For me, If the finasteride improved my hair for 6months, a year, 2 years or more without side effects that would be a success for me. For now, I really want to improve my hair and I think it's worth it for me, If I were to develop side effects down the road, then I would have 2 options, either stop using the drug, or if I'm still desperate then I will lower the dose and see what happens.

If you still have a full set of hair, then you still have time to decide, but for me I am diffuse thinning and I had to act quickly. Just don't syc yourself out thinking that this drug will screw your body up permanently if you take it and keep in mind most people who get side effects will post on the forums to find help. Those who don't get sides and have success will most likely be enjoying their life without any hair loss worries.

 

[Rawtashk]

On it for over 4 years. Little to no sides to report. Still have most of my hair.

http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interac...ide-and-Rogaine-NEWEST-pics-page-14-May-12-12

 

[rj2000]

Like I say, if you think of the sides you will get them. Your mind is powerful. If I stand in front of you and keep itching my head I'm sure within a minute you would also itch, your not itchy but your mind plays tricks. Here's one for you, we gave a mate a neurogenic type tablet on a stag weekend and told him it was a type of v****. The next day he said he barely slept as he was hard all night, totally in his head..

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

Well, I just posted links, to actual studies, that involved THOUSANDS of people. It doesn't matter to me if want to take it or not, I'm just giving you facts.

Listen to this man. Don't take anybody's personal advice over studies involving many people...

 

[Wuffer]

Side effects are repeatedly demonstrated to affect somewhere around 2-5% of users in placebo controlled studies. This means that at least 95% will be able to take the medication without any noticeable side effects. Furthermore, studies show that the majority of side effects go away over time with continued use. For example, a study on 5mg finasteride for BPH involving 3000+ men (half on placebo) showed almost identical side effect rates from year 2-4 between the two groups. The FDA approval for Propecia showed similar findings.

In addition to the low occurrence of side effects, studies have shown they will reverse after discontinuing the medication. There have also been reports of people who experience severe, persisting side effects after discontinuing the medication. However, these reports are anecdotal in nature and it's not currently possible to conclude that finasteride was actually the culprit, even though it is a distinct possibility.

All this being said, I don't think it's debatable that finasteride is a very safe medication.


Discussions of safety aside, it is also works extremely well. Over 90% of people will respond to it to varying degrees. Many will experience significant reduction in the amount of hair loss, and others will experience reversal and a significant degree of growth.

I've been on it for 2 years with some fantastic results and nothing except some transient side effects. When you weigh out the safety versus demonstrated effectiveness of this medication, it's a pretty easy decision IMO.