Anyone take Propecia Long Term & Quit w/out Problems

[blakes33]

I have never heard of anyone developing side effects after stopping when they had no side effects on the drug. I suppose anything is possible, but it is certainly not "many" men who experience this. I stopped almost 2 years ago after being on the drug for 12 years. All my hormone levels went back to where they are supposed to be as soon as I quit. A few days after I stopped the drug, I noticed slightly improved sexual performance and the return of morning erections. I guess I lost these while taking the pill and never even realized it.

As far as hair loss goes, I noticed some increased shedding starting a couple of months after I stopped and lasting several months. Nearly two years later, my hairline has thinned some, but I am certainly not bald as I thought I would be.

Thanks Ryan - great to hear from someone who took this longterm like me. I have been on since it was approved (~13 years). I'm like you for the most part - no problems at all really with the drug over that long period (dry skin and few other things at the end). Just curious, since you weren't having problems, why DID you decide to stop taking it?

Did you have ANY adjustment period at all when you quit? - after all, your body goes through a hormonal shift (good thing) when the DHT is no longer suppressed. For me, I have noticed some testicle pain (particularly after sex)that is troubling, but hopefully is just my body just re-adjusting.... Did you quit cold-turkey?

When you say your hormone levels went back to normal - did you check them or did you just know by the way you felt?

Thanks for your input. I am at week 7 now without and hoping I recovery well...

[ryan555]

That's my worry - there doesn't seem to be many men who have quit after longterm use with good results!!! Seems like people who have taken the drug for years and then quit suffer NEW sides... Some sort of hormonal shift!!!
I certainly hope this isn't the case - hopefully it's only a small minority of men who have permanent side effects that emerge only AFTER quitting (hopefully the majority do fine).

I hope that we can hear from several guys who took it for years, quit and are fine (healthy sexual functioning)!!


--thanks rave (sounds like YOU did fine stopping after 7 years) - let's hope there's more like you out there!!
--u said hairloss started right after, but that it was noticeabl at 2 yrs?

I have never heard of anyone developing side effects after stopping when they had no side effects on the drug. I suppose anything is possible, but it is certainly not "many" men who experience this. I stopped almost 2 years ago after being on the drug for 12 years. All my hormone levels went back to where they are supposed to be as soon as I quit. A few days after I stopped the drug, I noticed slightly improved sexual performance and the return of morning erections. I guess I lost these while taking the pill and never even realized it.

As far as hair loss goes, I noticed some increased shedding starting a couple of months after I stopped and lasting several months. Nearly two years later, my hairline has thinned some, but I am certainly not bald as I thought I would be.

[blakes33]

That's my worry - there doesn't seem to be many men who have quit after longterm use with good results!!! Seems like people who have taken the drug for years and then quit suffer NEW sides... Some sort of hormonal shift!!!
I certainly hope this isn't the case - hopefully it's only a small minority of men who have permanent side effects that emerge only AFTER quitting (hopefully the majority do fine).

I hope that we can hear from several guys who took it for years, quit and are fine (healthy sexual functioning)!!


--thanks rave (sounds like YOU did fine stopping after 7 years) - let's hope there's more like you out there!!
--u said hairloss started right after, but that it was noticeabl at 2 yrs?

[ravegrover]

Hi.. I was on Propecia for 7 years & then stopped. I did not experience anything. Hair started falling out pretty much right after and I had noticeable hair-loss in ~ 2 years.
That's when I re-started taking it everyday. Been on it again for ~ 5 years since. My advise - don't stop taking it!

[blakes33]

Just wondering if anyone can share experience with quitting propecia after many years of use and quit?

If so, how did your body recover? I have read about Post Finasteride Syndrome and after 13 years of being on and worried about potential hormone shift after quitting.

Lastly, after quitting how long was it before you started losing hair? My guess is hopefully it took several months?