Propecia and its effects.

[SoothSayer]

I'd say sensitivity is about 75% of how it should be but I'm still feeling other side effects that bother me. I don't have the same forceful orgasms and they're just harder to achieve with less pleasure.

How much time has elapsed since you quit taking Propecia? If it has been a significant amount of time, about 2 months or so, I must strongly advise you not to try taking the drug again. I typically feel its best to present the facts and let guys evaluate their own situations based off of their own ability to handle the risks but if you have very mild persisting effects I must strongly advise you against it.

Given you already know you are a guy who has developed side effects from the drug, you are at much higher risk than the average consumer who is not very likely to face an adverse experience. If my understanding of your situation is accurate, I feel strongly saying that you should be very thankful you dodged a bullet and can still function even if your capacity to enjoy sexual activity is slightly diminished.

That being said - if you care that much about hair loss, feel free to go ahead and give it another shot. But the challenge - rechallenge protocol for testing side effects of medications is very risky for people who already have mild persisting effects. There are always rogaine, hair transplantation, and other options available to you that are less invasive.

[bob13]

I have taken .5 mill for over 5 years. I quit for 6 months because I was
reading and hearing on tv so much negative info. I knew I had a few side effects but not enough to stop me from getting on it again.

So I believe it has helped me but I feel bad for those that have bad experience.

My hair loss wasn't that bad but I still wanted to maintain what I had left.
Call it vanity. Im a older guy , but still wanted to maintain.

My pharmacist says when he see's me even after I quit for the 6 months that he couldn't tell any difference when I went on it again.
I could tell though the hair got thinner looking and my crown was getting worse.

There's no doubt in my mind even the .5 mill of propecia works and maintains what you have.
If you were taking it and had no effects and it made your hair better than it's up
to you what you do. I wouldn't tell anyone to take anything. It's up to each person.
It feels good to know you are at least trying the best to help yourself everyday.
Good Luck

[sausage]

Nobody told you or made you take it.
Just roll of the dice. Im sorry for your problems.
Pills in general suck to take.

Good Luck

Many many many people said I should take it. Yes no1 made me take it.

I chose to go ahead and take it but have been put off by new worrying information.

Do you take Fin? hows it going for yourself?

[bob13]

A few people are like that on here, they are ignorant of side effects. I think they are in denial that they exist. They just don't want to think or worry about it so they get angry at people that post about them.

Nobody told you or made you take it.
Just roll of the dice. Im sorry for your problems.
Pills in general suck to take.

Good Luck

[sausage]

but I can't tolerate people implying that this might be in my head. They're so damn clueless and their "advice" is dangerous.

A few people are like that on here, they are ignorant of side effects. I think they are in denial that they exist. They just don't want to think or worry about it so they get angry at people that post about them.

[chrisis]

chrisis; How is your recovery coming along? Any noticeable returned sensitivity yet?

I'd say sensitivity is about 75% of how it should be but I'm still feeling other side effects that bother me. I don't have the same forceful orgasms and they're just harder to achieve with less pleasure. It's like just "getting there" is a battle and accomplishment. I used to be able to toy with reaching climax but now I just want to get over it. I know this is graphic but it needs to be for people to understand... I used to get a lot of precum and my load would sometimes shoot over my head if I was feeling really horny. Those days seem to be long gone and I blame finasteride entirely. I realise some of my posts on this topic have been on the angry side but I can't tolerate people implying that this might be in my head. They're so damn clueless and their "advice" is dangerous.

[clandestine]

chrisis; How is your recovery coming along? Any noticeable returned sensitivity yet?

[chrisis]

you may begin to experience them when they're not be there at all.

Actually this part is my favourite right here.

Let's examine some of the things I personally experienced 2 or 3 months after starting finasteride:

No more morning wood
No more spontaneous boners
10% of usual penis sensitivity
Much less cum
No precum at all
Much less interest in sex
Orgasms feeling like a chore rather than a pleasure

Two months later I'm still waiting for all the above to return to normal.

But I'll concede to you and your theories about this not actually happening to me. It was all in my head.

If eye rolling made a noise you'd be deafened right now.

[chrisis]

The way I see it is -- the mind is a very powerful tool. It can heal you or it can destroy you. If you are a worrisome person by nature (the hypochondriac type), and you begin taking a drug KNOWING it there are potential side effects, you may begin to experience them when they're not be there at all.

All well and good except not applicable in my case, and not applicable in the case of a friend. We took the drug thinking the side effects were negligible and still experienced them.

In my case it took 2-3 months before I noticed any changes. At the beginning I actually had a higher than usual libido.

Kinda blows a big gaping hole through your entire argument.

[sausage]

I will await the FDA's review of the safety of the drug before popping anymore.

In terms of dosage I am sure Spencer Kobren said 1mg a week could be enough.

[Jcm800]

Well I should have left it a few more days before I made my decision to purchase the pills.

I would not have bought them having read what I have the past 2 days.....

As I have said The FDA who approved the product years ago have now had to review its safety because of the huge number of complaints of serious side effects.

Risking irreversible impotence, sexual pain and sexual dysfunction its not something I want to be taking. I think I will stop taking the stuff until the FDA make a decision on this and even then I think I will keep well away from it.

Did you purchase some of that Toco-8 stuff?

No I haven't got any yet, shall look into it.

Also, why don't you just take 0.5 Fin and introduce it to your system? Hell I don't know, but I read other men do that with some success. I wouldn't be popping 1mg straight away.

[NotBelievingIt]

People love to embelish in order to gain some advantage. Since basically 99% of those guys will never have to prove or be used to prove in a study - there is no way to validate their claims.

That is the powerful ugly side of the Internet and its free and open exchange.

[captainmoon]

I recently stumbled upon the Propecia Help forums myself. I'm really trying to figure out if these claims of "permanent side effects" have any validity to them. The way I see it is -- the mind is a very powerful tool. It can heal you or it can destroy you. If you are a worrisome person by nature (the hypochondriac type), and you begin taking a drug KNOWING it there are potential side effects, you may begin to experience them when they're not be there at all.

This is especially true when these side effects are sex-related. Sex and the brain are closely tied. I always say that sex is mental -- if you are stressed and have anxiety over a drug that may affect your sex drive, then naturally you'd have trouble achieving and maintaing erections. If you're not there mentally, of course sex will be terrible.

This happened to me a couple years back when I was taking a different medication. A couple of weeks into it, I began experiencing some chest discomfort, and I was convinced that it was heart-related. I became so stressed out over the possibility that I was having heart issues. The "pain" became progressively worse, and I began to develop other "side effects" (all imagined) -- long story short, I ended up in the emergency room. Many tests were done including a chest x-ray, which all came back clear. Even after I was sent home, I was convinced something was wrong with me that the doctors overlooked. Needless to say, there was nothing wrong with me, and it took some time before I accepted that all of this was in my head.

This is similar to a lot of what I'm reading on the Propecia Help website. There are many claims of men spending thousands of dollars on all sorts of tests, only for them to all come back clear. There is a sub-forum titled "Recovery Stories" which I think speaks for itself. I've read more than one person on there say their libido and erections magically returned after a period of time. What's worse is that there is a LOT of fear mongering on there. One poor guy claimed he began to experience a tingling sensation in his testicles ONLY AFTER he had read about it on the website. Instead of telling him that it's most likely in his head, one poster responded with "hell has only begun for you..."

Then you have guys who make some pretty outrageous claims, such as their penis has shrunk, they've lost muscle mass, and they "feel like a woman." I have a hard time believing any of this, and frankly need to see it for myself.

[Jcm800]

**** that - lose your **** for limited hair re-growth that's not even guaranteed, and most likely won't even benefit your hairline/temples?

The stakes are damn high. Just wish we could tell in advance if we'd be susceptible to these adverse side effects..

[khan]

I would probably take propecia if the potential sides wern't so bad.

I mean...Penis shrinkage, what the hell?

Hairloss is so frustrating.

Yes penis shrinkage is a possible side effect IN RATS, that were given MUCH more Fin per body weight than that is ever recommended in humans.