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Greetings all,
This is my first post on this forum after months of lurking and doing my research.
I decided to take the Propecia Plunge after weighing up a number of things:
- Lack of hard scientific evidence on serious risks associated with taking this drug (all research seems to indicate a small subset of men having problems- Negative views on Propecia seem mostly anecdotal).
- Erwig study flawed in my view. Biased sample from Propecia Help, research conducted via phone interviews.
- Propecia has been on the market since 1997(?). That's a long time. I must say that conflicts of interest between medicine and profit are a concern of mine. When there is a lot of money to be made, things can be distorted (how does Mercke justify price difference between Proscar and Propecia? Blatant price gouging and it's insulting to the consumer). However, most arguments against Propecia seem to be ad hom/ancedotal at this stage. John Crisler does not do the cause against Propecia use any favours.
- I've weighed up quality of life Risks vs Benefits. My balding was effecting my quality of life. I've been depressed about it, obsessively checking for signs of hairloss progression, constantly comparing my hairline to other guys, starting to resent the Full Head of Hair on display from other men (smug bastards!). This is no way to live. In the opinion of many, I'm a very good looking guy (i'd say a 9 out of 10) and I have plenty of reason to maintain this advantage in life. I'm currently in a well paid job, successful with women, easily make friends, am looked up to by many as a leader etc.
However vain/arrogant this may sound, I think it is an important point to make in my decision to tackle my baldness.
Despite the above points, there are enough people reporting side effects that I decided to be prudent and start on 0.25mgs of Propecia (non-generic) every Thursday and Sunday morning- Just to see what would happen, and expecting no results.
I have taken 2 doses of 0.25mgs to date- and am due for my 3rd tomorrow morning.
My baldness is more frontal- early stages. Thinning in front half of head, receding hairline. The crown is also getting more exposed. I am 25 years old. My hair is very dark brown and I have quite pale skin, so thinning is more visible with this combination of my natural pigments.
I think it's been about 2 years now knowing that my baldness was progressing, but I'd been hoping it would slow down. There have also been elements of being in denial about my fate. My indicator to my recession is a small mole close to my hairline. My indicator to my thinning was feeling the front half of my head versus the back half. Noticeable difference. Front half feels thinner, whispier, can feel the scalp more easily.
Now for the results of being a week in to 2X doses of 0.25 mg of Finasteride (taken Thursday morning and Sunday morning):
Amazing effects a week in- I have stopped losing hair. Previously I would run my hands through the front portion of my head and come up with 4 or 5 loose hairs consistently. Worse was in the shower when shampooing- Often 10 to 15 hairs in my hand at any one time. The hairs were very thin and miniaturized. Worse still I was starting to get comments from girlfriend, friends, family about. I think that's when you know you're ****ed.
A week into my treatment I can run my hands through the front of my hair and come up with 1 hair if I'm lucky. No only that, my hair feels/looks thicker and healthier. I am aware that this speed of efficacy is unusual and not typical for the majority of Finasteride users. Most users seem to count on results appearing 6-12 months into treatment.
I am already maintainig and thickening at the front (also unusual as Finasteride is meant to be less effective in the frontal region). My girlfriend of 2 years agrees and thinks my hair looks visibly better (and she speaks her mind, had no problem telling me my hair previously looked like shit, was constantly making bald jokes).
My endocrine system is clearly very sensitive to this drug.
Now for the bad news. I am experiencing side effects. Not severe, but not mild either. Some are physical, some are psychological.
First the physical:
- My dick feels weird/ less sensitive. Slight twinges throughout the day around the knob. I'm getting those twinges in both my nuts too. Could be psychological (I've read a lot of stuff on testicle and penis atrophy on this drug- true or not, it's not a nice thing to read. I have a nice dick in terms of length and girth and I want to keep it that way. It is definitely one of my assets).
- Erections are weaker. Could also be psychological. My erections are more transient than usual, however my erections have always been transient when I focus on them. I have suffered performance ED in the past with new partners when I worry about whether I can get hard or not.
That being said, I am still masturbating every night (Girlfriend and I don't have sex that often these days- I'd lost a bit of sexual interest in her prior to taking this drug). Had a massive wank session last night, so I am inclined more towards thinking my mild ED is psychological. I am the type of guy who can psych myself out of erections easily.
Now for the psychological:
- General malaise, bit anxious, bit more depressed, bit less focused. I work as a recruitement consultant so changes in my mental faculties are easy to measure. I'm making more spelling errors in emails, bit more forgetful, bit less talkative and witty in the office, loss of energy.
SIDE NOTE ABOUT MY WORKPLACE: several people in the office have asked if I've had a haircut. I haven't, my hair just looks better. How about that?
Back to the side effects. I am naturally inclined to anxiety and depression. I can be moody from time to time, but I definitely feel less emotionally settled at the moment. It could be because I am very worried about the effect this drug might be having on other things aside my hair (androgens, penile function, prostate, neurosteroids). The jury still seems to be out on this stuff in the medical world.
Because I have responded to Finasteride so quickly, I think it is safe to assume that I am very sensitive to this drug, and probably do not need to increase my dose.
My original treatment plan was to eventually work my way up to 0.5mg every other day. I don't think that's necessary for the moment.
What are your thoughts guys? I know there are a lot of very intelligent people on this forum and I would like the input of anyone who finds my unusal experience with Finasteride interesting.
For the moment, I am undecided if the benefits outweigh the risks. I would say I am leaning towards continuing with this drug for the time being. I am due for my third dose of 0.25mg tomorrow.
This is my first post on this forum after months of lurking and doing my research.
I decided to take the Propecia Plunge after weighing up a number of things:
- Lack of hard scientific evidence on serious risks associated with taking this drug (all research seems to indicate a small subset of men having problems- Negative views on Propecia seem mostly anecdotal).
- Erwig study flawed in my view. Biased sample from Propecia Help, research conducted via phone interviews.
- Propecia has been on the market since 1997(?). That's a long time. I must say that conflicts of interest between medicine and profit are a concern of mine. When there is a lot of money to be made, things can be distorted (how does Mercke justify price difference between Proscar and Propecia? Blatant price gouging and it's insulting to the consumer). However, most arguments against Propecia seem to be ad hom/ancedotal at this stage. John Crisler does not do the cause against Propecia use any favours.
- I've weighed up quality of life Risks vs Benefits. My balding was effecting my quality of life. I've been depressed about it, obsessively checking for signs of hairloss progression, constantly comparing my hairline to other guys, starting to resent the Full Head of Hair on display from other men (smug bastards!). This is no way to live. In the opinion of many, I'm a very good looking guy (i'd say a 9 out of 10) and I have plenty of reason to maintain this advantage in life. I'm currently in a well paid job, successful with women, easily make friends, am looked up to by many as a leader etc.
However vain/arrogant this may sound, I think it is an important point to make in my decision to tackle my baldness.
Despite the above points, there are enough people reporting side effects that I decided to be prudent and start on 0.25mgs of Propecia (non-generic) every Thursday and Sunday morning- Just to see what would happen, and expecting no results.
I have taken 2 doses of 0.25mgs to date- and am due for my 3rd tomorrow morning.
My baldness is more frontal- early stages. Thinning in front half of head, receding hairline. The crown is also getting more exposed. I am 25 years old. My hair is very dark brown and I have quite pale skin, so thinning is more visible with this combination of my natural pigments.
I think it's been about 2 years now knowing that my baldness was progressing, but I'd been hoping it would slow down. There have also been elements of being in denial about my fate. My indicator to my recession is a small mole close to my hairline. My indicator to my thinning was feeling the front half of my head versus the back half. Noticeable difference. Front half feels thinner, whispier, can feel the scalp more easily.
Now for the results of being a week in to 2X doses of 0.25 mg of Finasteride (taken Thursday morning and Sunday morning):
Amazing effects a week in- I have stopped losing hair. Previously I would run my hands through the front portion of my head and come up with 4 or 5 loose hairs consistently. Worse was in the shower when shampooing- Often 10 to 15 hairs in my hand at any one time. The hairs were very thin and miniaturized. Worse still I was starting to get comments from girlfriend, friends, family about. I think that's when you know you're ****ed.
A week into my treatment I can run my hands through the front of my hair and come up with 1 hair if I'm lucky. No only that, my hair feels/looks thicker and healthier. I am aware that this speed of efficacy is unusual and not typical for the majority of Finasteride users. Most users seem to count on results appearing 6-12 months into treatment.
I am already maintainig and thickening at the front (also unusual as Finasteride is meant to be less effective in the frontal region). My girlfriend of 2 years agrees and thinks my hair looks visibly better (and she speaks her mind, had no problem telling me my hair previously looked like shit, was constantly making bald jokes).
My endocrine system is clearly very sensitive to this drug.
Now for the bad news. I am experiencing side effects. Not severe, but not mild either. Some are physical, some are psychological.
First the physical:
- My dick feels weird/ less sensitive. Slight twinges throughout the day around the knob. I'm getting those twinges in both my nuts too. Could be psychological (I've read a lot of stuff on testicle and penis atrophy on this drug- true or not, it's not a nice thing to read. I have a nice dick in terms of length and girth and I want to keep it that way. It is definitely one of my assets).
- Erections are weaker. Could also be psychological. My erections are more transient than usual, however my erections have always been transient when I focus on them. I have suffered performance ED in the past with new partners when I worry about whether I can get hard or not.
That being said, I am still masturbating every night (Girlfriend and I don't have sex that often these days- I'd lost a bit of sexual interest in her prior to taking this drug). Had a massive wank session last night, so I am inclined more towards thinking my mild ED is psychological. I am the type of guy who can psych myself out of erections easily.
Now for the psychological:
- General malaise, bit anxious, bit more depressed, bit less focused. I work as a recruitement consultant so changes in my mental faculties are easy to measure. I'm making more spelling errors in emails, bit more forgetful, bit less talkative and witty in the office, loss of energy.
SIDE NOTE ABOUT MY WORKPLACE: several people in the office have asked if I've had a haircut. I haven't, my hair just looks better. How about that?
Back to the side effects. I am naturally inclined to anxiety and depression. I can be moody from time to time, but I definitely feel less emotionally settled at the moment. It could be because I am very worried about the effect this drug might be having on other things aside my hair (androgens, penile function, prostate, neurosteroids). The jury still seems to be out on this stuff in the medical world.
Because I have responded to Finasteride so quickly, I think it is safe to assume that I am very sensitive to this drug, and probably do not need to increase my dose.
My original treatment plan was to eventually work my way up to 0.5mg every other day. I don't think that's necessary for the moment.
What are your thoughts guys? I know there are a lot of very intelligent people on this forum and I would like the input of anyone who finds my unusal experience with Finasteride interesting.
For the moment, I am undecided if the benefits outweigh the risks. I would say I am leaning towards continuing with this drug for the time being. I am due for my third dose of 0.25mg tomorrow.
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