A bit concerned about Propecia..

[ohlife]

Hey guys, wondering if I could ask my advice.

I'm 22 years old and started propecia about 2 weeks ago, after getting it online, i.e. without a proper doctors prescription. This is mainly because the only doctor within a reasonable distance was really against Propecia, saying that there's little reason to believe it actually does anything etc etc (he hardly knew anything about it). Now, first of all I was wondering whether there's any procedures taken when having Propecia prescribed normally - such as testicular health or something like that? I ask firstly because I read that the use of Propecia can make testicular cancer hard to detect.

I ask secondly because, as of 2 days ago, I've been noticing a slight pain or at least 'swelling' feeling in my testicles. Now, I doubt whether this is linked to the above, but nonetheless I've read up that testicular pain is one of the possible side effects of propecia, and am concerned about what I should do about it? On the one hand, I know I should go see the doctor - tell him I've started taking Propecia regardless of what he said. At the same time, I'm concerned he'll simply be like: 'i told you so', and convince me to come off it. Seeing as the latter option would mean the end of all hope, I'm really undecided about what to do - I mean the pain isn't bad or anything, it just comes and goes in flashes; maybe it will pass as I've read it did for others that had the same problem.

Also, one last question. I've started taking propecia having only realised I have MPB 3 months ago - since Ive realised, my temple area has copped a beating though, and I don't think it'll be long before I can't cover it up any longer (its already a matter of having to do my hair a certain way). I was wondering however, if propecia starts working in say, 2-3 months (in a preventative sense), do I have a decent chance of also regaining some of that hair (seeing as the follicles should technically still be alive?)

Any help would be so much appreciated, please take your time to give me some advice!

cheers.

[CND23]

Here's my two cents, I'm basically in the same situation as you life. I'm 25 and my hair probably started thinning 2 years ago and hairline started receding maybe a year ago. I had read that Propecia can do amazing things for us younger guys so i decided to go for it too. Two Months in and i haven't lost anything from what i can see. Not sure what to expect in the long run either but i don't expect losing much. The 5 year study of propecia did show that at the 2 year mark it does lose effectivness though, like we'd most likely start losing what we currently have at that mark..
Anyway no matter how suttle if your getting pains even in the begining weeks you gotta address it and tell somebody who can diagnose you. If your sure it's not just anxiety or something which I had when starting too then consult a physician, says right on the sight. Take care man

[whyyyyyyyyyyy]

I'm 24 and started taking Propecia about a month ago. I had slight testicular pain like you for probably about the first week or so until it died out. I occasionally feel some sensation going on down there, but it's not exactly what I'd classify as pain. My guess is it's the Propecia going to work on the 5-alpha reductase where it's produced in the seminal vesicles and prostate, and it'd probably explain why a lot of users get watery semen. I'm no doctor so don't quote me on this, but I think that's a pretty reasonable explanation.

From what I've learned in researching Propecia, I'd suggest that you continue to take it for another week or so and see if it gets any worse. If it does, I'd consider lowering the dose or consulting with a doctor as the pamphlet says.

I don't know where you managed to find Propecia online without a prescription, but with all the possible sides and your hair being at stake, I wouldn't trust anything but the official product unless money's a real issue or there really aren't any other doctors in your area.

[ohlife]

Hey why, thanks for the help - seems like a good enough theory; also, today things seem to be ok. Anyway, I did manage to get the real propecia online without a proper prescription (quite expensive though) - im not sure if you can get it like this in the US but in the UK it's not hard.

All the same, as soon as I move from my current location i'll try to get a proper prescription.

CND23... are you saying that after 2 years Propecia stops being effective full stop? or that the first 'wave' of hair that its holding in place will probably start to go, leaving Propecia to only be effective on the 'next wave'??

Cheers guys.

[ohlife]

also, one last thing. For the past couple of weeks (not sure if it was just before or after starting propecia) I've been shedding like a bitch. Up until this point, in my observations of my hairloss it has consisted of losing about 5-10 hairs in the shower, a few on the pillow, and then maybe 5-10 during the day (as far as i've been able to see) - before the last fortnight, my hair was, cosmetically speaking, fine.

However, now I'm in trouble. Everytime I have a shower, I'm finding about 5 hairs on my hands everytime I run my hands through my hair until the shampoo is well and truly all washed out. When I don't wash my hair, however, I don't seem to lose as much. I'm currently using Revita shampoo - is there any chance this is somehow causing the hairs to fall out a bit quicker than usual? or could it have something to do with propecia? or is this just the DHT, and am I simply ****ed if Propecia doesn't start to work soon?

Cheers guys

[CND23]

Hey life, i didn't mean to give that impression. From what i interpreted from the 5 year study is that after 2 years on propecia it slowly losses effectiveness, not completely. Due to tolerence or just genetics doing what's inevitable i don't remember. I'm pretty sure it just means the drug won't have the same effect on your current hair state at the 2 year mark, most likely start losing hair count slowly.. Lookup the 'Propecia 5 year study' You'll get a better idea.
BTW don't sweat those hairs you find laying around, you'll go mad. I buzz my head and with hair this short you coulden't find one if you tried. =)

[ohlife]

Haha that may be so, but the whole point of this ordeal is that I don't want to have my hair THAT short... not entirely sure how it'd look on me, but I've got a bad feeling.. I was thinking I should slightly cut my hair every day before my shower, so I don't know why ones are falling out .. ignorance is bliss so long as it can be maintained

[Mane Man]

I've had a dull pain in the boys all day. Not really reassuring. I told myself that if I experienced any side effects I would stop. Would I be jumping the gun if I pulled the plug? Maybe skip days? I don't want to make this more complicated than it needs to be. Any advice?

[ohlife]

well mine pretty much went away after a few days.. I do like the theory that its just finasteride doing its stuff.

[Mane Man]

This is where I meant to post

So rather than start a new thread, I think I'll just post here. I decided this morning that I am stopping the finasteride. I've only been on it for about three weeks. The dull ache in my testicals went away, but I really can't deal with the reduced feeling and loss of erections. The only time I get a hard on now is if I physically stimulate myself or (thankfully) my wife gives me any physical attention. I woke up this morning having to urinate bad. Normally when this happens, it is always accompanied by the morning wood (eg scene from 40 Year Old Virgin). Not this morning. My junk was flacid and completely asleep.

Now I know that this could subside, and I am passing on getting some great results from taking the Finasteride. I'm really more bothered by the thoughts of messing up my sex life more than I ever was worried about hair loss. In my personal potential cost/benefit analysis, the numbers do not add up. I am hoping that all goes back to normal in a few days. I'm actually really lucky in that I like the way I look with the buzzed head. My wife said that I would look fine if I even bic'd it. I'm happily married and my sex life and my libido is way more important to me than keeping my hair. That's my choice. I don't want to scare anyone else out of giving finasteride a try. I'm just too uneasy riding out these "normal" side effects and hoping they subside.

[rtpatter]

ManeMan

Thanks for posting back. It sounds like you and I are in a very similar situation. I'm still on the fence but you seem like a very level headed person who gave an honest assesment and actually posted back after starting fin. I'm still considering it although I doubt I could physically or metally handle the drug. I feel like if I don't try it then I would never know for sure. But I like you would bail at the first sign of sides. I was thinking of trying .5mg maybe every other day. What was your dosage?

[Mane Man]

No problem. I think that if people share info here, it can really help out others. As you probably know, Propecia is 1 mg of finasteride. I got prescribed Proscar, which is 5 mg finasteride. My dermatoloigist said to buy a pill cutter and just cut it into quarters. So that makes my dose approximately 1.25 mg daily.

I am bailing at the first sign of sides. Maybe I read into the "propecia help" stuff a little too much, but the sides are concerning to any man. Even the legitimate information spells it out in black and white. Side effects may include increased difficulty achieving an erection... yeah, I'll just stop right there with that one. That's enough for me. I was reassured with the low percentages of people experiencing these sides- something like 1%. If I wasn't experiencing any sides, I would be continuing to take my dose. But I truely feel like my dick is taking a vacation. It's like a twisted version of that movie The Changling- This is not my penis! Ok maybe not that dramatic, but when something feels off down there,the alarms get sounded real quick.

Like I said before, by stopping taking Finasteride, I'm pretty much giving up on keeping my hair and definitely giving up on regrowing any. Part of me really wants to stay with it. It has netted some great results for a lot of people. I wish this was an easier decision for me. It's tough. The bottom line is that I'm getting all worked up and worried over the sides, whereas I was pretty accepting of my hair loss all along.

[Phatalis]

No problem. I think that if people share info here, it can really help out others. As you probably know, Propecia is 1 mg of finasteride. I got prescribed Proscar, which is 5 mg finasteride. My dermatoloigist said to buy a pill cutter and just cut it into quarters. So that makes my dose approximately 1.25 mg daily.

I am bailing at the first sign of sides. Maybe I read into the "propecia help" stuff a little too much, but the sides are concerning to any man. Even the legitimate information spells it out in black and white. Side effects may include increased difficulty achieving an erection... yeah, I'll just stop right there with that one. That's enough for me. I was reassured with the low percentages of people experiencing these sides- something like 1%. If I wasn't experiencing any sides, I would be continuing to take my dose. But I truely feel like my dick is taking a vacation. It's like a twisted version of that movie The Changling- This is not my penis! Ok maybe not that dramatic, but when something feels off down there,the alarms get sounded real quick.

Like I said before, by stopping taking Finasteride, I'm pretty much giving up on keeping my hair and definitely giving up on regrowing any. Part of me really wants to stay with it. It has netted some great results for a lot of people. I wish this was an easier decision for me. It's tough. The bottom line is that I'm getting all worked up and worried over the sides, whereas I was pretty accepting of my hair loss all along.

I was in the same boat. Given I only took it for a week or so. The side effects warnings just got to me, I mean, I felt a slightly "cold" sensation in my dick, never felt pain... but that was enough for me. If I felt ANYTHING I was going to drop the stuff.

I realize people say they're fine on it, and it's less than 2% but regardless it never sat right for me. Messing with hormones just isn't something we should do unless we're certain about what's going on. We know for a fact when it comes to Propecia we know how it works - yes - but we don't know FOR CERTAIN why and whats going on. Yes, it blocks receptors... the 5 alpha reductase... but we don't know with 100% exactly all the functions of this receptor. A lot of the side effects make sense for it - and a lot of the things people complain about make sense when you read more and more about this receptor... do some research. We're learning more and more as time passes... and it just doesn't seem 100% healthy to me. Not even for the libido loss... but depression and even more on top of that. It's not worth it.

Some people take it and feel nothing, I've read a lot of reports where people felt nothing until going OFF it. Their system tries to return to what it was and THAT'S when the problems arrive. Now I don't know how and why this happens this way, but I just wouldn't risk it myself.

I know Spencer and many others see amazing results and no sides with it and giving it up before knowing for sure kinda sucks... but really Propecia could be just like any other drug. No one knows what their allergic to right away. People do cocaine a lot and are fine... and some do cocaine just once and die. No one knows why one person is different from the other. Propecia seems this way to me - like playing russian roulette... maybe the odds aren't bad at all but regardless sometimes the bullet is there.

For me, I overlooked Rogaine. I didn't try it for years because it didn't "work on the hairline." After giving up Propecia I had no other choice. I read there was anecdotal evidence it works on the hairline. I tried the foam and lo and behold... my hairline is nearly replenished. It's still thin in the front temples but it's not thin to the point where it's obvious. If I can hold onto this for a little bit longer my hope is that Histogen or Trichoscience or some company such as these... the ones racing for the "cure" will actually produce something amazing. I mean, we have all these groups working towards something that can be real. All these new advances in medical science... I have my fingers crossed... I believe it will happen... and curing baldness will make someone RICH beyond their dreams. I mean, this is going to be huge if it happens. I don't think being this close these companies will give up.

I was at a crossroad... do I use Propecia... and risk losing my dick for a few years of hair before this cure... you just hope Minox works and maybe the cure does and I keep my dick. God knows whatever else... depression etc. I decided if the cure doesn't come out, I'm screwed anyhow... might as well forgo collateral damage.

I'm sticking with the Rogaine... when it stops working and wears off... if the cure isn't there... I'll just shave my head. I don't want to be bald but like you having hair and possibly risking depression/libido/sex isn't worth it. Especially if you've ever suffered from any sort of depression big or small. I had a small bout at one point and no way in hell do I ever want to go near that again.

[Mane Man]

Thanks Phatalis. I left it out, but I was also concerned about brain fog and depression. I've got some other stuff going on at this point of my life (not related to any of this) that makes hair loss a minor nuissance in comparrison. The last thing I need right now is to feed any feelings of depression. I'm doing a lot better now. Thanks for the rogaine tip. I'm taking a vacation from hair loss treatments and will maybe check out other options later on.

[KeepTheHair]

I also don't like taking these drugs... I don't think it's good at all. But my hair is just too important not to take the drug at this point. My plans are to take it for 3-5 years until I can get whatever histogen throws our way...

For anyone not taking propecia you should at least try a topical anti androgen or something that helps.

My regimen is definitely working for me and I am so, so grateful for it. It is no miracle but it is slightly improving. It will look good/decent when I grow it out again and I will be happy. If I never started my regimen...god knows how bad my hair would have looked by now! Would have been terrible. I am glad I started.


Right now I don't have a choice. I don't think these drugs are good for mental health at all. But really... When I look in the mirror and I'm getting balder every day...that will just completely destroy me mentally anyway.