Anyone who had eliminated side effects of finasteride with lower dose

[chrisis]

Title pretty much sums up this topic. I always do a lot of research before posting a question, but I'd like some more feedback on this if possible.

Are there any guys who have experienced side effects on the recommended dosage of finasteride (1mg-1.25mg), and then successfully eliminated them with a lower dose?

If so:

1) What was your new dose?
2) What did you notice in terms of your hair?
3) Did the side effects go away completely? Or is it a compromise?

My story:

Started taking finasteride in November.
Side effects hit me in February: fewer erections, less volume and thinner consistency of semen, lower libido/interest in sex.
Stopped taking finasteride this week and waiting for my libido to return before considering my options. I am still applying minoxidil and using Nizoral shampoo, as I assume they aren't responsible for the sides.

Thanks

P.S. I don't really want a debate on whether finasteride causes side effects or not! I've heard both sides of the argument and I'm simply interested in a solution to my situation

[25 going on 65]

The risk of finasteride side effects does seem to correlate, at least to some extent, with dosage. The rates of side effects for 5 mg users are significantly higher than for 1 mg users. This is especially true for loss of libido (which is something like 2-3% for 1 mg users but 18+ % for 5 mg users).

It would probably be worth experimenting with lower doses if 1 mg side effects are intolerable. Maybe try 1/2, and if that doesn't help, maybe 1/3 or 1/4. But at a certain point there will be almost no positive effect from the drug; 0.1 mg seems to do virtually nothing for DHT inhibition when you look at blood tests.

[chrisis]

Thanks. Going from the studies and charts I think 0.25mg would be an acceptable compromise. Waiting for my libido to come back first before I touch it again though. It's actually scared me a bit

It's been 2-3 days. I guess it could take a few weeks.

[25 going on 65]

Definitely see a doctor if your libido doesn't return to normal (but I'm sure you know that already).

If you start taking the drug again at lower doses, maybe consider having your DHT levels tested before you start, and then every so often after that. This will help give you an idea of how much DHT is being suppressed and whether it's worth continuing.

[mattj]

2-3 days isn't that long after stopping so it's not a bad sign that the side effects haven't improved yet.

The actual length of time it takes can vary - much like the time it takes for them to appear. Many users who experience side effects notice them much sooner than you did. Some users report that the side effects improved in a week while for others it can take longer.

I'm saying this so you don't go and read a post from someone was back to normal in a week and then worry when you aren't.

[willy]

My story:

I've been taking 1 - 1.25 mg per day since 1998. I'm 34 now. Over the years I've had no problems sexually besides a slight lower libido, watery semen and things like no morning wood. I honestly didn't care because I could rise to the occasion easily and to me that wasn't a problem. Sometimes I took supplements to increase libido and that seemed to help actually. You can get lots of natural supplements online. I won't post any name brands cuz I'm not a shill.

I did start to have depression / anxiety problems over the last several years and lately its been particularly bad. Just problems focusing and concentrating. I just rolled with it and didn't let it bother me but now I'm sick of feeling spaced out. Sometimes I would feel fine but other times just totally out of it. I live a healthy lifestyle with eating and exercising but I still would get the foggy feeling. I've taken anti-depressants that didn't really help but I noticed that taking clonazepam really helped clear my head though.

I'm hoping to lower my fin dose but I might just quit altogether as I'd rather be able to think straight. I don't know if fin is to blame for my psychological state but perhaps over the long-term it has played a role.

My plan is to quit for a while (probably lose hair ..) and attempt a natural regimen. Once my head is straight I will probably start fin at a lower dose.

I think you can gauge the level of how much fin is affecting you by whether you have morning wood or not.

I don't like the idea of being off fin because I think it has really helped my hair over the years! So hopefully I can get a lower dose that works for me.

I'm also NOT yet convinced that my mental state is from fin because:

1. All my docs including psychiatrist have said it wouldn't give me depression/anxiety
2. I have friends on it and are fine
3. I have depression / anxiety in my family

Anyway I'll be checking to see if you find a good dosage. I read that .2mg every 3 days is pretty good.

[25 going on 65]

Originally Posted by 25 going on 65

0.1 mg seems to do virtually nothing for DHT inhibition when you look at blood tests.

I know I said this quite awhile back but I still feel the need to correct myself. When I wrote that I was thinking of .01 mg, because I was referencing an inhibition curve chart from memory.
.1 mg, which is 10x the dose, actually does seem to have a noticeable inhibition effect. Obviously not as strong as higher doses, but it's there.

Apologies for the misinformation.

[alex82]

Originally Posted by chrisis

Title pretty much sums up this topic. I always do a lot of research before posting a question, but I'd like some more feedback on this if possible.

Are there any guys who have experienced side effects on the recommended dosage of finasteride (1mg-1.25mg), and then successfully eliminated them with a lower dose?

If so:

1) What was your new dose?
2) What did you notice in terms of your hair?
3) Did the side effects go away completely? Or is it a compromise?

My story:

Started taking finasteride in November.
Side effects hit me in February: fewer erections, less volume and thinner consistency of semen, lower libido/interest in sex.
Stopped taking finasteride this week and waiting for my libido to return before considering my options. I am still applying minoxidil and using Nizoral shampoo, as I assume they aren't responsible for the sides.

Thanks

P.S. I don't really want a debate on whether finasteride causes side effects or not! I've heard both sides of the argument and I'm simply interested in a solution to my situation

Hi Chrisis

Looks like we're in a simmilar situation regards Fin and hairloss type. How are you getting on with the sides after stopping cold?

I started proscar (5ths 1mg) in beginning nov '11 and soon developed same sides as you after 1-2 months. Worst thing being the testicular pain and hard to get erection.

Reduced dosage gradually rather than stopping cold and now on approx 0.25mg every day as best I can measure Sides are better but not 100% I'd say compared to before Fin. Still shedding too

[ryan555]

I think some guys attribute everything that happens to them to this drug, especially those who anticipate side effects because they read these horror stories online. I experienced a pretty long bout of depression when I was younger before I ever took fin. In fact, I've had all kinds of weird, unexplained ailments during my life. Some of them happened before I took the drug, some happened during and then went away while I was still on it. The human body is not a perfect machine and things go wrong sometimes.

I am sure that this drug has more common side effects than originally stated by Merck. I had several side effects while on the drug but I never gave them a second thought because I never read any of these terrible stories and I assumed the drug to be safe. And I was fortunate that the effects all went away shortly after I stopped the drug. However, I can tell you for certain that many, MANY drugs on the market are much more dangerous than this one and that it is not uncommon to experience side effects long after you stop them. Common tranquilizers that Americans pop like candy can cause horrific neurological syndromes and take years to recover from. Anti-depressants can wreak havoc on people and make depression worse for months after stopping. Birth control pills cause hormonal side effects in almost 100% of women who take them. There is an entire class of antibiotic drugs that are widely known to cause severe neurological damage in 5 - 10% of people who take them and they are still on the market. There are dozens of drugs that are commonly prescribed that have "black box" warnings because they can cause deadly rejection syndromes. Many psychiatric drugs have long been known to cause permanent neurological twitches in most people who take them long term and they are still prescribed. And more people die from Tylenol every year than just about any drug on the market.

The point is, taking a drug is a serious decision and you generally have to accept some side effects. You have to weigh the cost vs. the benefit. However, in the scheme of things, this drug is really pretty benign for the vast majority of people who take it.

[chrisis]

Originally Posted by alex82

Hi Chrisis

Looks like we're in a simmilar situation regards Fin and hairloss type. How are you getting on with the sides after stopping cold?

I started proscar (5ths 1mg) in beginning nov '11 and soon developed same sides as you after 1-2 months. Worst thing being the testicular pain and hard to get erection.

Reduced dosage gradually rather than stopping cold and now on approx 0.25mg every day as best I can measure Sides are better but not 100% I'd say compared to before Fin. Still shedding too

Still got my sides, which is weird because it's supposed to be "all in my head" so surely they should have stopped by now......................

Glad to hear your sides are better with 0.25mg dose! How much better are they? What do you notice in terms of the difference between 1mg and how you felt before taking it at all?