Has anyone used finasteride for 7 to 10 years (or more)?

[Kirby_]

1. Has it worked still after all that time?
2. Did you notice side effects later on that weren't experienced earlier?
3. Did you ever take breaks from finasteride usage?

[frankJ]

I started using it around '95. It was only available as proscar at the time and by prescription, so I would would take trips to Tijuana and buy it there with out a prescritption.
When I started I took the full 5mg daily, and continued that for several years. I've never experience any side effects that I'm aware of.
There were a few periods where I took 1mg finasteride after propecia became available, and some periods, up to 6 months whereI wasn't able to use any. I'm still using it now, and have been pretty happy with it. I haven't maintained all the hair I started with, as it seems that I've thinned some around my hair line in the last few years, but I have maintatined most of it. Also I started with a pretty deep widows peek. Really my only regret is I didn't begin it sooner. Right now it looks
Right now I'm taking 2.5mg daily, and 1 Avodart weeky, as per a regiment I read about from another hair doc.
If you are thinking about starting, I'd say go for it.

[WarLord]

I started using it around '95. It was only available as proscar at the time and by prescription, so I would would take trips to Tijuana and buy it there with out a prescritption.
When I started I took the full 5mg daily, and continued that for several years. I've never experience any side effects that I'm aware of.
There were a few periods where I took 1mg finasteride after propecia became available, and some periods, up to 6 months whereI wasn't able to use any.

What? You had such a long periods without finasteride? This sounds suspiciously to me. Your hair would thin very rapidly, if you stopped using finasteride for such a long time.

[JoeMama]

I've used it for over 13 years and am just now deciding to go off of it...I think (see my post). I have had some side effects over the years, but for the most part, not too much that I have noticed. I don't know whether it is due to aging or the Propecia/Finasteride. It's not like a light switch, or at least it wasn't for me, but I am noticing some things that don't seem altogether right. I am 1mg a day, and have been for the whole time. I don't know what to do.

[mpb47]

What? You had such a long periods without finasteride? This sounds suspiciously to me. Your hair would thin very rapidly, if you stopped using finasteride for such a long time.

I went off of it after about 4 years. It took about 6 months before the sheding even started, but yes it was dramatic. He may have been the same way.
Minox only takes about 3 months. It too was pretty dramatic but propecia shed was even worse.

[kanyon]

It seems then that people are getting off it because of side effects and not so much because it stopped working. Good to see it works for so long. I've been on it for 2 years and hope it will continue working until something better comes out.

[frankJ]

When i went off of it for a couple of extended periods I didn't notice anything like a rapid shed. It probable just continued at the rate it would have if I'd never been on it in the first place.
Also I've never experienced any noticeable sides.

[Kirby_]

I went off of it after about 4 years. It took about 6 months before the sheding even started, but yes it was dramatic. He may have been the same way.
Minox only takes about 3 months. It too was pretty dramatic but propecia shed was even worse.

Did you ever recover from the shed? Why/how did you decide to go back on fin?

[mpb47]

Did you ever recover from the shed? Why/how did you decide to go back on fin?

Yes but it took a long time to recover. If you read what docs say about stopping propecia, some say nothing really happens. Maybe your loss starts up again slowing but no real changes. Others says you rapidly catch right backup where you been had you you never taken it in the first place- in my case about 4 + years. Propecia made my hairline come forward and the thinning was gone. Hairline had more of straight across look as well. When I stopped nothing did happened at the front other than it began to slowly recede again. But back was very different. Lost tons of hair in a short period of time and it was like I suddenly developed a bald spot in 6 months time. Took over a year for crown to recover and I recovered about 1/2 on minox alone.


As for as propecia go's Yes I wan't t go back on it if I can muster up the to courage to to get back on it full time Pictures do not lie and they show I am slowly advancing on minox alone I don't want to end up with my uncle's /grandfathers horse shoe and it's probaly going to happen with minox alone

[Kirby_]

Ah, I see. Sorry to hear that. Did you have problems with fin that make you apprehensive about starting again?

[mpb47]

Ah, I see. Sorry to hear that. Did you have problems with fin that make you apprehensive about starting again?

After about 4 years I got sides and stopped. But at this point I am not even sure it was entirely propecia's fault. I still think it had a hand it it but I also believe other factors were involved as well. I say this because about 5 years after I stopped, I started having symptoms again and was not even on it at the time. The second time I told my Dr that I thought my symptoms were due to pain pills I used for my back. He agreed they could temporarily cause low T problems, but that I would have recovered in about 3 months after I stopped. Only I didn't and things only got worse and worse as time went on. Then I remembered The one thing that was common between the first time I had sides and the second. I told me dr and he said if anything the opposite should have been true. And it could be a coincidence but in both cases my sides started, or got much worse shortly after I quit smoking. Smoking is supposed to be bad for T and this does not make any sense but that is what appears to be the common thing between both problems. The first time I quit smoking , the sides hit me a few months later. I then went to grad school and started smoking again to deal with the pressure. After I graduated, I started gradually cutting down and got to about 5 a day. I started feeling the sides (no sex drive, tired all the time, gained weight easily, loss of muscle mass, anxiety, depression). And when i totally quit it only got worse- to the point I had no energy to function.

Does not make any logical sense...but I went back to smoking about 5 a day. And as long as I keep running a few miles a week, I won't get addicted.

[lukis]

1mg for 4 years now .. one week of minor sides when I started (ball ache and watery semen) but nothing since (except better hair