Anyone who had eliminated side effects of finasteride with lower dose

[25 going on 65]

You're welcome.
There's no scientific evidence concluding that finasteride causes any kind of irreversible damage.
There is evidence that a small percentage of men take months to recover from side effects after quitting (although this study was performed on older men using 5 mg tablets instead of 1 mg). Some of them had not recovered at the six month mark (although this was true of some men in the placebo group also).
There are anecdotal reports of side effects lasting many years for an extreme minority of past users (after quitting), but there's no way to tell if finasteride caused this. I'm guessing it will be studied more over time.

Almost nothing is 100% certain with pharmaceuticals, but the answer to your question is most likely, "no."

[superdudeo]

Thanks for the prompt reply.

If I gamble on waiting a year to see if they subside could this damage me more in the long term if they don't subside?

[25 going on 65]

Hi.

I also started in November like chrisis and noticed lack of libido almost straight away but have persisted to see if they subside. Unfortunately they haven't and I think I will stop taking it now.

How long do you think you should persevere for before calling it a day?

Thanks

According to the PLESS study we were discussing, it seems that the rate of side effects drops to near-placebo levels during the second year. I don't know how long between the end of year 1 and the end of year 2 it would take.
There is a chance that you will have side effects for as long as you take the drug, and there is also a chance that the sides may resolve before the end of year 1. Everyone is different. In the end, the choice to quit or continue the drug is up to you.
You might consider speaking to a doctor about your decreased libido in the meantime. Good luck.

[superdudeo]

Hi.

I also started in November like chrisis and noticed lack of libido almost straight away but have persisted to see if they subside. Unfortunately they haven't and I think I will stop taking it now.

How long do you think you should persevere for before calling it a day?

Thanks

[25 going on 65]

The full study should mention any participants it lost track of before the 4-year mark. I would read it myself but I'm being a lazy bastard.

But you're right, the full text will have relevant details we can't see from the table.

And we know you aren't trolling. Believe me, the last couple weeks have given us a heavy dose of what actual forum trolling looks like.

[chrisis]

I'm not sure we know enough about these studies.

What if the people who took the finasteride and experienced lower libido withdrew from the study? That would lower the % after 2 year. Heck, some may have withdrawn before the first year.

Not trolling. Serious questions...

[25 going on 65]

The study indicates that in years 2-4, the rate of side effects between the control and finasteride groups became extremely similar (not quite equal).
I haven't read the complete study, so there are probably factors we're not considering.
This doesn't mean that your sides were unrelated to finasteride or that they were psychosomatic. But it does seem to suggest that they have a high chance of resolving themselves if you continue on the medication. (Consider the side effect rates of year 1 vs. years 2-4 in that study).

That said, I don't see anything wrong with lowering your dose for the short term and seeing how you feel.

[chrisis]

How does someone who has suffered side effects interpret this study? I assume it means they may as well have been given sugar pills and the probability of having side effects would have been virtually the same.

Correct?

[25 going on 65]

Yeah that's what I meant. After year 1 the rates get very similar (even identical for some sides) in the PLESS study.

Just to be clear, these studies are for 5 mg finasteride tablets (Proscar) and not 1 mg Propecia tablets.

[2020]

The results I posted were for the MTOPS study. I'm now noticing that other 5 mg studies are showing much lower rates of side effects and I'm not sure why (maybe has to do with the patient samples used).

http://www.drugs.com/pro/proscar.html

The PLESS study shows no difference between the control and finasteride groups RE: impotence (and some other sides) after year 1. Hmm.

It also shows that people on placebo got the same side effects at almost the same rate as people on Propecia....

[25 going on 65]

The results I posted were for the MTOPS study. I'm now noticing that other 5 mg studies are showing much lower rates of side effects and I'm not sure why (maybe has to do with the patient samples used).

http://www.drugs.com/pro/proscar.html

The PLESS study shows no difference between the control and finasteride groups RE: impotence (and some other sides) after year 1. Hmm.

[2020]

Just to correct something I wrote in this thread, the rate of reduced libido for 5 mg finasteride users was actually 10%. The 18% (18.5 to be exact) was for impotence.
But, I also see that all participants in the 5 mg study were over 55 years old (compared to the study for 1 mg finasteride, which used men 18-41), so at least part of the higher rate of impotence was for that reason. In fact 12.2% of the control group (taking only placebo) in the 5 mg study also reported impotence.

That does still suggests 5.3% of cases resulted from finasteride, compared to less than 1% who experienced E.D. in 1 mg trials (using the same formula of subtracting the control group from the finasteride group). So there is still definitely correlation between dosage and the rate of (at least some) side effects.

Hopefully that all makes sense to somebody besides myself.

which study was that? Post the link

[25 going on 65]

Just to correct something I wrote in this thread, the rate of reduced libido for 5 mg finasteride users was actually 10%. The 18% (18.5 to be exact) was for impotence.
But, I also see that all participants in the 5 mg study were over 55 years old (compared to the study for 1 mg finasteride, which used men 18-41), so at least part of the higher rate of impotence was for that reason. In fact 12.2% of the control group (taking only placebo) in the 5 mg study also reported impotence.

That does still suggests 5.3% of cases resulted from finasteride, compared to less than 1% who experienced E.D. in 1 mg trials (using the same formula of subtracting the control group from the finasteride group). So there is still definitely correlation between dosage and the rate of (at least some) side effects.

Hopefully that all makes sense to somebody besides myself.

[2020]

Hey Chrisis I know what you mean. When you ask a simple question around here you get bombarded with everything but a simple answer to you question.

Dude I gave him advice - go see a doctor. Don't expect your side effects to go away once you discontinue Propecia because those "side effects" may not even be from Propecia!

PS: it seems to me that a lot more than 2% of men get side effects from Fin. Let the smart-ass useless comments begin!!

it seems?? Of course it SEEMS that way because only those who DO get side effects post on the Internet... that's just how it is.

[ryan555]

Willy -

Please take my advice and be VERY careful with the clonazepam. It is the hellish withdrawal from that drug and the resultant neurological damage that forced me to quit taking fin and all other meds. It has been over two years since I stopped and I am still not well. Trust me, benzodiazepine withdrawal is far more hellish than any side effect fin could ever cause.

2020 -

I was on fin for 14 years and maintained ALL of my hair, even regrew my juvenile hairline. I stopped almost two years ago and the hairline has been slowly creeping up.