Afraid of Propecia

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  • norc
    Member
    • Oct 2010
    • 47

    Afraid of Propecia

    Hi. I am 31 years old suffering from MPB and thinning on the right temple side. I consulted one doctor and prescribed me Propecia.

    After doing lots of research, I came across "http://mypropeciasideeffects.com/". This scares me a lot.. I've been really reading bout the side effects. And still can't decide if I am going into this pill. I am currently still searching on other uses of DHT in our body that might get affected as an effect of the pill. According to some doctors, DHT is being used by our brain, nervous and endorcrine system....

    any comments guys....

    I really want to solve my hairloss problem...but I am facing this decision problem....


    thanks
  • ohlife
    Senior Member
    • Apr 2010
    • 134

    #2
    Personally, I wouldn't take it. I tried.. 6 months in to it, my hair was as bad as ever and i developed Gyno which still hasn't gone away, a month after discontinuing propecia. I think whilst bad side effects of Propecia constitute the minority, theres a very good chance that propecia will alter your body and its way of functioning in SOME way. the fact that it can lower DHT, which in turn fails to control estrogen levels, which in turn leads to adverse and permanent side effects; all of that makes you wonder whether its worth taking propecia.

    Comment

    • norc
      Member
      • Oct 2010
      • 47

      #3
      Originally posted by ohlife
      Personally, I wouldn't take it. I tried.. 6 months in to it, my hair was as bad as ever and i developed Gyno which still hasn't gone away, a month after discontinuing propecia. I think whilst bad side effects of Propecia constitute the minority, theres a very good chance that propecia will alter your body and its way of functioning in SOME way. the fact that it can lower DHT, which in turn fails to control estrogen levels, which in turn leads to adverse and permanent side effects; all of that makes you wonder whether its worth taking propecia.

      Hi ohlife. How many milligrams if Fin did you take and how often?

      Comment

      • ohlife
        Senior Member
        • Apr 2010
        • 134

        #4
        1mg every day.

        If there's one piece of advice I can give you, it is to consider the following:

        Whether or not you start taking Propecia will largely be determined by how willing you are to take the risk against getting side effects. However, don't make the decision under the assumption that, if side effects do occur, you can simply stop the drug and they'll go away - in many cases they don't. Gyno, for example, is extremely hard to get rid of without surgery once it occurs - and that's what im now facing, on top of the hair loss issue.

        For all that people say about finasteride being 'low-risk', I think you have to concede that it is a powerful drug in that it alters your body's chemistry - you just have to hope it doesn't do so in a way that is damaging.

        Also, judge realistically how bad your hair loss is, whilst keeping in mind the prospect of new technology and improved treatment in the coming years.

        Comment

        • Boldieheed
          Junior Member
          • Oct 2010
          • 3

          #5
          I stay confused has how many highlly doctors recomend it knowing the potential side effects on in, some say it only affects some percent of the people

          Comment

          • norc
            Member
            • Oct 2010
            • 47

            #6
            Originally posted by ohlife
            1mg every day.

            If there's one piece of advice I can give you, it is to consider the following:

            Whether or not you start taking Propecia will largely be determined by how willing you are to take the risk against getting side effects. However, don't make the decision under the assumption that, if side effects do occur, you can simply stop the drug and they'll go away - in many cases they don't. Gyno, for example, is extremely hard to get rid of without surgery once it occurs - and that's what im now facing, on top of the hair loss issue.

            For all that people say about finasteride being 'low-risk', I think you have to concede that it is a powerful drug in that it alters your body's chemistry - you just have to hope it doesn't do so in a way that is damaging.

            Also, judge realistically how bad your hair loss is, whilst keeping in mind the prospect of new technology and improved treatment in the coming years.
            oh..sorry for your case...this scared me a lot now....as boldie mentioned, I am confused why doctors keep prescribing this..and as they say, different persons react to this medicine. so why not try according to them..

            Was the cause confirmed by your physician already?

            Comment

            • ryan555
              Senior Member
              • Oct 2010
              • 428

              #7
              There is a very small but extremely vocal group of guys who have had serious issues with the drug and who have taken to the Internet to demonize it. The vast majority of men have no issues at all, while a sizeable minority have minor issues that are quite tolerable. I can tell you from my own experience taking the drug for 12 years that I kept a full head of hair with very minimal side effects. Once I stopped it 7 months ago, I did notice some minor increases in erection quality that had slowly crept up on me over the years, but all my hormones went back to normal within 2 weeks (I had them tested to make sure). I had no decrease in sex drive or ability to perform and I would have never noticed the slight decrease in erection had I stayed on the drug because it was too minor to be recognized as a "side effect." On the other hand, I could have avoided this almost undetectable side effect at the expense of spending my 20's obsessing about hair loss.

              Anecdotally, I can also say that I have 4 friends (that I know of) who have taken the drug long term without side effects and all of them have maintained their hair. I have also spoken to numerous doctors (several on this board) who have prescribed finasteride to probably tens of thousands of patients over the years and they all say the exact same thing - about 1% of patients report issues and they always go away after stopping the drug. I'm sure there are more men that have very minor issues but that's the nature of medication - they have side effects. Like I have pointed out before, way more than half of women who take birth control pills have noticeable side effects including decreased sex drive and sensitivity, and you never find them freaking out about it online.

              On a side note, in the 12 years I was on the drug, it never even occurred to me that this drug had side effects and I never noticed any difference in my physiology. But when I decided to stop the drug I went online to research and found propeciahelp.com and all the others. All of a sudden, I started having anxiety and even decreased erections. I'm not trying to take anything away from the guys who have actually suffered from side effects, but the mind probably plays a huge role in all this.

              Comment

              • norc
                Member
                • Oct 2010
                • 47

                #8
                hi ryan...thanks for this info..

                keep the inputs/suggestions/stories coming guys.....I need them badly...


                thanks

                Comment

                • skotya
                  Junior Member
                  • Dec 2010
                  • 24

                  #9
                  Originally posted by ryan555
                  There is a very small but extremely vocal group of guys who have had serious issues with the drug and who have taken to the Internet to demonize it. The vast majority of men have no issues at all, while a sizeable minority have minor issues that are quite tolerable. I can tell you from my own experience taking the drug for 12 years that I kept a full head of hair with very minimal side effects. Once I stopped it 7 months ago, I did notice some minor increases in erection quality that had slowly crept up on me over the years, but all my hormones went back to normal within 2 weeks (I had them tested to make sure). I had no decrease in sex drive or ability to perform and I would have never noticed the slight decrease in erection had I stayed on the drug because it was too minor to be recognized as a "side effect." On the other hand, I could have avoided this almost undetectable side effect at the expense of spending my 20's obsessing about hair loss.

                  Anecdotally, I can also say that I have 4 friends (that I know of) who have taken the drug long term without side effects and all of them have maintained their hair. I have also spoken to numerous doctors (several on this board) who have prescribed finasteride to probably tens of thousands of patients over the years and they all say the exact same thing - about 1% of patients report issues and they always go away after stopping the drug. I'm sure there are more men that have very minor issues but that's the nature of medication - they have side effects. Like I have pointed out before, way more than half of women who take birth control pills have noticeable side effects including decreased sex drive and sensitivity, and you never find them freaking out about it online.

                  On a side note, in the 12 years I was on the drug, it never even occurred to me that this drug had side effects and I never noticed any difference in my physiology. But when I decided to stop the drug I went online to research and found propeciahelp.com and all the others. All of a sudden, I started having anxiety and even decreased erections. I'm not trying to take anything away from the guys who have actually suffered from side effects, but the mind probably plays a huge role in all this.
                  ryan

                  you haven't mentioned why you had to stop Propecia ?

                  Comment

                  • ryan555
                    Senior Member
                    • Oct 2010
                    • 428

                    #10
                    Originally posted by skotya
                    ryan

                    you haven't mentioned why you had to stop Propecia ?
                    I have an illness that is completely unrelated to Propecia. I was ordered by my doctors to stop all medications, even allergy medicine.

                    Comment

                    • norc
                      Member
                      • Oct 2010
                      • 47

                      #11
                      I want to start FIN this January 1, 2011. This is to give time for answers on my posts here. My Dad has MPB. But I noticed a while ago that his vertex is now thinning. I am afraid I might reach this point as well. I am thinking on FIN seriously now. I am quite convinced from the heart. Just need a little motivations from others. Just hoping the sides are really not permanent and tolerable. To go or not to go?


                      thanks

                      Comment

                      • Jcm800
                        Senior Member
                        • Jan 2011
                        • 2614

                        #12
                        Originally posted by norc
                        I want to start FIN this January 1, 2011. This is to give time for answers on my posts here. My Dad has MPB. But I noticed a while ago that his vertex is now thinning. I am afraid I might reach this point as well. I am thinking on FIN seriously now. I am quite convinced from the heart. Just need a little motivations from others. Just hoping the sides are really not permanent and tolerable. To go or not to go?


                        thanks
                        Hi, did you decide to give it a go afterall?

                        Comment

                        • bluewater
                          Member
                          • Nov 2010
                          • 72

                          #13
                          Side Effects

                          I am 61. Not certain how long I was on Prop. I wasn't keeping track of the time since I wasn't concerned about the side effects. It has been 3-5 years. I was taking 5mg every other day, skipping the weekends. This is what the doc said to do and told me that he was doing this as well. It did a great job of maintaining the hair that I had, then again as far as I know it might have stayed that way anyway. I noticed a decrease in volume relatively soon after starting. Since I was in my 50's and not wanting any additional kids I didn't think anything of it. My drive stayed strong. Opportunities for sex were infrequent due to my wifes disinterest. Over time, years, I noticed my erections were weaker and my spontaneous erections went away. I thought it was due to age.

                          I stumbled upon this site about a month ago and started to really get educated about the side effects. My doctor low balled them. I don't believe he was being deceptive. I think he was just repeating what he knew and what information was available. I stopped using a month ago. It took a couple of weeks and I sweated those out, but now everything appears to be normal. Volume, spontaneous erections through out the day and early morning have returned. Still not as hard, but that could be age related.

                          I was amazed at how much had changed and how little I noticed it or mistook it as part of the aging process. I have read here that the changes can be subtle and take time to materielize. I would have to agree that that was my experience. My dilemma now is what to do with the treatment. I have cut the 5mg pills in half and have considered taking that 3x's a week, which is slightly above the 1mg per day dose that is recommended. Are there any recommendations for me from the physicians and contributors to this site for me?

                          I am a little leery about starting again. However I am relieved knowing that the side effects took years to show up enough for me to notice them and they reversed fairly quickly.

                          I workout regularly. I ran 808 miles in 2010 and visit the gym several times a week. I eat smart and try to take the best care of myself I can. My hair , while not perfect is important to me. I feel for each and every one of you out there having to cope with hair loss. I hope my experience with Prop can help someone.


                          Thanks

                          Comment

                          • Spex
                            Dr Representative
                            • Nov 2008
                            • 4217

                            #14
                            Try not get scared off the drug - millions use it with no issue. Try it and see if you have any issues short term - However if you expect to get sides YOU WILL.

                            The mind is a powerful tool
                            Visit my website: SPEXHAIR

                            Watch regular segments and interviews on The Bald Truth UK show

                            View Media interviews www.spexhair.media

                            Subscribe to my YouTube Channel : SpexHair Youtube

                            I am not a doctor or medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions expressed are my own unless stated otherwise. Always consult with your own family doctor prior to embarking on any form of hair loss treatment or surgery.

                            Comment

                            • Jcm800
                              Senior Member
                              • Jan 2011
                              • 2614

                              #15
                              The dilemma for me personally is place my trust in Propecia or Trx2?- can only afford one

                              Comment

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