Finasteride: long term users / quitters

[Diffuser44]

I started propecia when I was 18 years old. I took it for 7.5 years. I quit in October of 2011 due to the scare stories of Pfs that surfaced online. I've been off the drug now for 2.5 years.

When I quit I noticed the return of morning erections and that my erections seem to be stronger. I didn't notice the change so it must have happened over time while taking fin.

I'm wondering are there any other users who had taken it long term. Quit for a couple years, then started taking it again? I'm wondering if it would be a good idea or not given the sides I had

I'm thinking I did my time on fin, however still want to keep my hair. I have retried taking it 3 times since i quit. The first I stopped because of ball pain. The 2nd I freaked out over Ed issues. And the 3rd I was worried i would get gyno. Everytime I want to retake it I freak out and convince myself to stop. Is it time for me to just go bald?

I currently take niz and min.

[Diffuser44]

No one out there?

[Mribby1]

I've only been using for about a year but to me I can't even fathom you stopped taking it after you read scare stories online paticularly after 7 years. Are you sure you're erections were 'stronger'. I'm not doubting you it could have been psychological. If you're side effects were bad I doubt you would have continued to take it after the first few months. Just jump back on it it seems it didn't do you any harm. Some guys have gotten really bad side effects I don't think you're one of those guys. It seems like you're overly concerned with side effects and in my opinion if you cannot get yourself to calm down about it then you shouldn't be on it. I feel like I've been overly critical I'm sure you're a solid guy but remember fin is the only real option you have or dutasteride. Eventually minoxidil will stop working and you won't have anything else except for RU or other grey marker rubbish. And you don't sound like a gentleman who would consider that. My 19 year old ass advises you sir to get back on it unless you feel like you're getting those sides constantly. If you do either transplant or gracefully bald or not so gracefully.

[Diffuser44]

I've only been using for about a year but to me I can't even fathom you stopped taking it after you read scare stories online paticularly after 7 years. Are you sure you're erections were 'stronger'. I'm not doubting you it could have been psychological. If you're side effects were bad I doubt you would have continued to take it after the first few months. Just jump back on it it seems it didn't do you any harm. Some guys have gotten really bad side effects I don't think you're one of those guys. It seems like you're overly concerned with side effects and in my opinion if you cannot get yourself to calm down about it then you shouldn't be on it. I feel like I've been overly critical I'm sure you're a solid guy but remember fin is the only real option you have or dutasteride. Eventually minoxidil will stop working and you won't have anything else except for RU or other grey marker rubbish. And you don't sound like a gentleman who would consider that. My 19 year old ass advises you sir to get back on it unless you feel like you're getting those sides constantly. If you do either transplant or gracefully bald or not so gracefully.

I perceived my erections to get stronger. I always had issues with spontaneous erections while on finasteride. I would even look at porn with out touching my self to try and get an erection and often couldn't. Once I quit finasteride I started getting spontaneous erections a lot including morning wood. I can't make a decision to go back on the drug. When reading studies done in the early 80s that talk about how dht is the most important hormone in our brains why would I want to significantly reduce it to save something like hair? Or how about decreased neurotransmitters and other motor functions in the brain. I could care less about what happens to my ****. I want to know what the **** does finasteride due to the brain. I'm no longer comfortable decreasing dht by so much. Especially with all of this contradicting data out there. You've only taken the drug for 1 year. I think and hypothesize that in some men like me the drug will decrease your erections over time and that you won't notice it until you quit. I wish someone could convince me that taking finasteride is harmless and safe with no negative side effects whether noticeable or not. It's what the drug is doing silently that I'm concerned about. I am a man. Finasteride is an antiandrogen that reduces the most potent hormone that makes me man. It just doesn't seem like a good idea to me anymore. Yeah it saves hair. That's a tiny little worry compared to something like my brain.

[Mribby1]

I get what you're saying but numbers don't lie. Most men don't get side effects I'm not sure about the number. And the concern what it could be doing to your brain is unfounded. I haven't seen or heard anyone report an issue with their brains or motor functions. Did you feel like it was affecting your motor functions. If you really did then off the drug stay off it for good. You're health is the most important thing. But in my opinion all the scary stories seem to be out there because it's almost eye catching and attention grabbing when a guy says I've had no side effects. Most people don't bat an eye. But when he says oh its ruined my life I'm now deaf and blind obviously that's going to resignate with your mind more. There are more then a few guys who've been on the drug a long while and most of those guys I imagine are no longer on the forums either doing well on the drug or just moved on with their lives. I can't imagine being on here for 7 years. No drug is harmless. There are side effects with every drug you take. You could be that anomaly who has an awful reaction from taking I don't know penicillin. There's a reason why it's fda approved extensive testing has been done and at least for now there's no evidence in relation to the fear of it messing with your brain. Honestly you know what you should be worried about is the air you breathe and how that dirty air messes with your brain/lungs and the chemicals which preserve your fruit in super markets paticularly in the USA. My point is its a pretty safe drug. Of course we truly don't know what's been done to our bodies by it but so far there's nothing to support your fears of what it's silently doing.

[Diffuser44]

I get what you're saying but numbers don't lie. Most men don't get side effects I'm not sure about the number. And the concern what it could be doing to your brain is unfounded. I haven't seen or heard anyone report an issue with their brains or motor functions. Did you feel like it was affecting your motor functions. If you really did then off the drug stay off it for good. You're health is the most important thing. But in my opinion all the scary stories seem to be out there because it's almost eye catching and attention grabbing when a guy says I've had no side effects. Most people don't bat an eye. But when he says oh its ruined my life I'm now deaf and blind obviously that's going to resignate with your mind more. There are more then a few guys who've been on the drug a long while and most of those guys I imagine are no longer on the forums either doing well on the drug or just moved on with their lives. I can't imagine being on here for 7 years. No drug is harmless. There are side effects with every drug you take. You could be that anomaly who has an awful reaction from taking I don't know penicillin. There's a reason why it's fda approved extensive testing has been done and at least for now there's no evidence in relation to the fear of it messing with your brain. Honestly you know what you should be worried about is the air you breathe and how that dirty air messes with your brain/lungs and the chemicals which preserve your fruit in super markets paticularly in the USA. My point is its a pretty safe drug. Of course we truly don't know what's been done to our bodies by it but so far there's nothing to support your fears of what it's silently doing.

Well you are new to the drug. When I started I would have contested to anyone that my erections were fine. I would have defend them with honor and probably rightfully so. All I'm saying is that after you take the drug 5+ years and it has had a chance to actually make some long-term changes to you that's when I would be questioning erections. You might think, I'm getting older so I'm just getting less erections then i use to. Or something along those lines. Well you'd be wrong. When and if you decide to quit fin someday you may understand the difference. Two weeks - 1 month after quitting fin is when you will notice the change. Someone that's taken the drug for 2 days like yourself is not going to be able to persuade me to take it again. Now if you have someone that's taken it 5 years, quit for a couple years, and then went back on it, I'm all ears. But there isn't anyone like that out there. My theory is that these men notice the change when they quit and realize that taking the drug long-term is not that smart of an idea. If they do go back on it they are probably going to go at a much lower dose or some weird shit like that. Plus I've heard stories of men who take it a 2nd time run into troubles that weren't there the first time around.

[Mribby1]

Well you are new to the drug. When I started I would have contested to anyone that my erections were fine. I would have defend them with honor and probably rightfully so. All I'm saying is that after you take the drug 5+ years and it has had a chance to actually make some long-term changes to you that's when I would be questioning erections. You might think, I'm getting older so I'm just getting less erections then i use to. Or something along those lines. Well you'd be wrong. When and if you decide to quit fin someday you may understand the difference. Two weeks - 1 month after quitting fin is when you will notice the change. Someone that's taken the drug for 2 days like yourself is not going to be able to persuade me to take it again. Now if you have someone that's taken it 5 years, quit for a couple years, and then went back on it, I'm all ears. But there isn't anyone like that out there. My theory is that these men notice the change when they quit and realize that taking the drug long-term is not that smart of an idea. If they do go back on it they are probably going to go at a much lower dose or some weird shit like that. Plus I've heard stories of men who take it a 2nd time run into troubles that weren't there the first time around.

Of course. What I said was if you are getting sides don't touch it. I just didn't agree with the claims about what it does to your brain etc. The Internet is loaded with everyone throwing out health advice and theories. Giving misinformation and diagnosing everyone with cancer. Okay maybe that's going far. But what I my point was is that fin is a lot more safer then most things you're willing to put in your body. You're intial post was asking whether it's a good idea to get back on it. If you are actually concerned get an informed opinion from a doctor not guys on an Internet forum. Whenever i read something here I take it with a grain of salt. I'm not trying to down your opinion but what I did was counter point to a claim you made.. Look I'm not here to defend the drug I'm not a spokesperson for the company. But there still is no evidence to support your claims and sometimes people need that you'd be surprised how many people take most of the stuff on here as gospel.

[Notcoolanymore]

Strong posts mribby, Agree 100%.

[Mribby1]

Strong posts mribby, Agree 100%.

I'm glad I was concerned I sounded a bit crazy paticularly since I'm fairly new on the drug and I'm debating this experienced gentleman who probably knows a lot more than myself

[Diffuser44]

I'm glad I was concerned I sounded a bit crazy paticularly since I'm fairly new on the drug and I'm debating this experienced gentleman who probably knows a lot more than myself

How are things going for you Mribby1? I still haven't started taking finasteride yet. I'm strongly considering taking it again. Just not ready yet.

[Mribby1]

Pretty much the same, side effects wise nothing. hair looks amazing. I've gone from a norwood 2 to a 1.5 in a year or so. I only was really receding but my hair quality has gone up i'm sure. I have some stubborn miniaturisation on the hairline towards the left temple which is evident in the second photo. Although it's nothing i've been using that tiny bit of miniaturization almost as a vantage point. I've watched it sort of slowly gain back some life and i just have been using that to measure the progress. of my reversing some of the thinning. When i started fin my hairline was covered with these scraggly miniaturized hair but now it's all pretty much thickened up. I try not to post too many pictures of my hair in order to avoid the "Oh you're not even balding conversation". In regards to starting again, it's you're choice and it probably won't hurt to have a doctor monitor you. Since you had side effects. A lower dosage may help, however you don't need my advice you've been a long term user, much longer than me i'm sure you know the drill.

[Age30 NW3]

As a 19 year old, your testosterone levels are raging. Hence, you have a lot of leeway as far as reducing serum DHT (which is the most potent sex hormone in the male body) without experiencing a reduction in expression of androgenic attributes.

The fact is, finastride reduces serum DHT levels by up to 60percent. That is simply unnatural. The only reason some men don't go bald is that their scalp lacks DHT receptors. They still will have roughly the same serum DHT levels as a bald man. If someone took finastride for ten years, it is absolutely reasonable to believe there would be an effect on androgenic attributes, especially when considering natural declines in testosterone production as a part of the aging process.

Also, what are you even doing here, mribby1? Your hair is completely solid. There are people here who are actually balding.

[Mribby1]

Thank you I'm glad you think that, to me it shows that being on fin/niz for a year is working, regained temple hair etc. I only come back here because the topic of hair loss is interesting and i like to see what's going on in this world. Baldness does run on both sides of my family and my hairline slowly eroded from 16. I was a solid nw2 last June currently i'm well above baseline i actually wish i could show you but i had my phone stolen a few months back hence baseline pictures were lost .

[hdude46]

As a 19 year old, your testosterone levels are raging. Hence, you have a lot of leeway as far as reducing serum DHT (which is the most potent sex hormone in the male body) without experiencing a reduction in expression of androgenic attributes.

The fact is, finastride reduces serum DHT levels by up to 60percent. That is simply unnatural. The only reason some men don't go bald is that their scalp lacks DHT receptors. They still will have roughly the same serum DHT levels as a bald man. If someone took finastride for ten years, it is absolutely reasonable to believe there would be an effect on androgenic attributes, especially when considering natural declines in testosterone production as a part of the aging process.

Also, what are you even doing here, mribby1? Your hair is completely solid. There are people here who are actually balding.

Sorry but you aren't a doctor and there are plenty of people who have been on fin a long time and doing well on it.

Honestly getting quite of sick of the "internet doctors" on this board and elsewhere scaring people into stopping the only fda approved drug for hair loss.

Insanity at it's finest.

Good posts ribby. I have stopped reading hair loss forums for the most part because of all the crap that gets spewed on them by people who have no frigging clue what they are talking about.

It used to be a great tool for research and now it's just filled with a bunch of crap. The brain is a powerful tool and people now blame everything wrong with their life on fin. It's crazy.

[Age30 NW3]

The brain is a powerful tool and people now blame everything wrong with their life on fin. It's crazy.

Kinda like blaming all your problems on baldness?

You don't have to be a doctor to put 2 and 2 together. Why would you want to cut your DHT levels in half? It's like chemotherapy for your follicles. Have fun!