My Finasteride Story so far...

[BigThinker]

Hey guys,

Today is exactly 12 MONTHS since I started taking Finasteride TWICE A WEEK

First off, ALL my sides have now disappeared! My Libido is now back to pre-fin which is truly unexpected...I think powering through the sides for 1 year may be the key for those of us that may experience minor sides! (Please note, if you suffer from gynecomastia on fin, don't power through it! That will only make things worse)....

Secondly, My hair loss has completely halted and I have had some regrowth in my temples!

__________________________________________________ _______________

This was a great learning curve for me. Guys if you really want to HALT your hairloss until we have better solutions, take 0.25 mg TWICE A WEEK and allow 12 months for the minor sides to disappear!

The lower dosing doesn't completely remove all of your DHT and your body can adjust much better in my opinion!

All the best guys and let me know if you need any advice

Cheers,

- Des

It's great to hear that, 1, you halted your hairloss and, 2, you were able to eradicate all your sides. I have a bit of fatigue and I'm not quite as horny. Can't decide if I should cut back on fin for a short period of time or not. My head still itches from time to time which is highly concerning.

My sides, if they're from fin, are minor at best. I'm not sure what is warranted here. I'm afraid to allow *any* DHT to flow.

[Desmond84]

Hey guys,

Today is exactly 12 MONTHS since I started taking 0.25 mg of Finasteride TWICE A WEEK

First off, ALL my sides have now disappeared! My Libido is now back to pre-fin which is truly unexpected and I have my morning wood again ...I think powering through the sides for 1 year may be the key for those of us that may experience minor sides! (Please note, if you suffer from gynecomastia on fin, don't power through it! That will only make things worse)....

Secondly, My hair loss has completely halted and I have had some regrowth in my temples!

__________________________________________________ _______________

This was a great learning curve for me. Guys if you really want to HALT your hairloss until we have better solutions, take 0.25 mg TWICE A WEEK and allow 12 months for the minor sides to disappear!

The lower dosing doesn't completely remove all of your DHT and your body can adjust much better in my opinion!

All the best guys and let me know if you need any advice

Cheers,

- Des

[mpb47]

Thanks, how come you had to stop fin first time? Did the sides get too much? Seems a shame since you got positive results.

Yes though I am not 100% it was what caused the sides.

You are right ..had pretty good results and after about 2 years, it was like I did not have mpb anymore, so it was kinda hard watching it come back. But hey that is why I am back on it and will be happy if I can just stop it.

[DanWS]

That is great news about your hairline and FWIW that is where I first noticed propecia working the first time around, though it was around the 4th month.

I have just started 2nd month (.25 @ 2x week) and have started to notice shedding..plenty of it in the sink this am. But not sure it's the propecia at this point as I also had crown itch to go along with it.

Yesterday morning I noticed a small ache down on my left one, but again not sure if it's propecia as I have this before in the past when I was not on even on it. Even if it was, I am not concerned as it went away after about 4 hours or so and today it's gone although I do still feel a bit sensitive. This could all be coincidental and even if it's not it's not anything I am worried about.

Thanks, how come you had to stop fin first time? Did the sides get too much? Seems a shame since you got positive results.

[mpb47]

That is great news about your hairline and FWIW that is where I first noticed propecia working the first time around, though it was around the 4th month.

I have just started 2nd month (.25 @ 2x week) and have started to notice shedding..plenty of it in the sink this am. But not sure it's the propecia at this point as I also had crown itch to go along with it.

Yesterday morning I noticed a small ache down on my left one, but again not sure if it's propecia as I have this before in the past when I was not on even on it. Even if it was, I am not concerned as it went away after about 4 hours or so and today it's gone although I do still feel a bit sensitive. This could all be coincidental and even if it's not it's not anything I am worried about.

[DanWS]

So I'm onto my second month of Propecia 0.25mg daily. Here's my experience so far:

Month 1: I initially started on the recommended 1mg daily dose and started to notice sides on the 4th day. They were very minor and barely noticeable at first but by day 12 it was starting to become uncomfortable. The sides included short periods of achey ball (yes just the one) and short periods of general discomfort/increased sensitivity in the prostate region. My scalp also started tingling on the 4th day, mainly around the crown but also general spots on the top of my head. I can't say that I've consciously noticed a shed, but I wouldn't be surprised if the tingling indicates it's happening.

I decided to lower my daily dosage. I didnt take any fin on days 13-15 as I wanted the increasingly irritable sides to go away, which fortunately they did. From day 16 onwards I have been taking 0.25mg every day and I'm pleased to say that the sides have stopped. I still get occasional tingles on my scalp, but this causes me no discomfort and actually feels rather nice and soothing. I'm hoping it's a sign the drug is working in some way. Absolutely no lowering of libido or any sexual sides thus far (thank God).

Month 2: Tingling on scalp is still happening, but it has moved a little from my crown to the front/top of my head and my hairline. I'm still on 0.25mg daily and have had no side effects on this dosage. Libido is great and I'm still tugging it like a horny 14yr old who's just discovered RedTube. Semen consistency is also the same and I'm getting no other sides. Towards the second half of the month the tingling/itching periods on my scalp have lessened and are becoming less frequent.

And I'm not 100% sure if I'm just imagining this, but I'm seeing new, small, dark hairs appear in front of the the middle part of my hairline - i.e. where I'm not receding, which I'm finding pretty damn strange! I've noticed it more and more over the last 2 weeks from just glancing in the mirror and being drawn to it as it's becoming more obvious. They're just smaller, dark hairs growing in front of my regular hairline that seem to be becoming more consistent. However, as I said, it's happening at the very front where my hairline is best, so I'm really not sure what to make of it! I'm also not convinced 2 months is long enough to see any type of positive results, but I also can't ignore what I'm seeing, so I'm really unsure. I know that my hair absolutely does grow considerably faster than the average (half an inch per month) so who knows... Apart from that, the top of my head looks thinner than ever, so I'm guessing the tingling I've been getting is an indicator that I've been shedding, and to be fair I have been finding more shedded hair than usual... although this, like the tingling/itching, appears to have begun subsiding during the second half of the month.

Hopefully month 3 will bring continued progress.

[Notcoolanymore]

It's funny that a few people on here mentioned that their doctors didn't want to help them treat their hair loss. I had the same experience. I was in my mid 20's at the time he was in his 50's. He told me that balding is a normal part of aging. He told me to look at him even he was losing hair. Eff that piece of garbage. If I would have gotten the help I needed then, who know's where I would be today.

[ccmethinning]

My almost 3 week update. Sensitivity is back to almost original. Libido has leveled out and is almost back down to original. Ejaculate fluid is almost back to up to normal levels.

My scalp is "at peace" for the first time since I was 14 years old (I'm 21 now). It was in a perpetual state of mild inflammation before fin. Redness is down significantly. Dandruff persists though. My scalp is soft and malleable now too. I can "squish" the skin on my scalp together in ways that were not possible before fin.

I'm NW2 and now I'm just awaiting the dreaded shed. I'm just hoping it's not catastrophic.

[ccmethinning]

Great to hear everyone is doing OK with micro-dosing

My libido is still @ about 90%, which I couldn't complain about. Has anyone started shedding yet?

Nope no shed yet.

[Desmond84]

Great to hear everyone is doing OK with micro-dosing

My libido is still @ about 90%, which I couldn't complain about. Has anyone started shedding yet?

[mpb47]

Update: 1 month today that I started back on propecia. I wanted to take it safe and slow so I was at only .25 once a week.

So far everything just fine so now going to 2x a week at .25

How is everyone else doing?

[ccmethinning]

Update 2 and a half weeks in. Thinking about moving to .25 EOD rather than just 2x a week, as I have been noticing that the day of and day after I take the dose, my scalp is white as snow with no itch, however on the 3rd and 4th day my scalp is redder, itchier, and oilier. Basically since I was 14 my scalp has been in a persistent mildly irritated state, constantly pink and irritated, with mild-moderate dandruff. I can barely feel my scalp right after I take propecia and it is such a great feeling. Hopefully taking EOD can help stop the DHT rebound.

My libido is still elevated. Also, my erections are less frequent now, but when I do get them, they are stronger. Also, my ejaculate is definitley much less than before I started. Probably about 50% in volume. Sensitivity is still less as well.

[mpb47]

Hey guys, I just got back from the doctor and he got me to do some blood tests and I am still waiting for results to see if my hair lost is anything unrelated to MPB. I doubt it though but he was leaning more towards telling me I should just accept the hair loss. He was bald too and hesitantly recommended rogaine but it was like he was trying to avoid talking about propecia, probably didn't want me to go on it. I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to.

Do you guys think I should just jump the gun and use the finpecia that I have already ordered from the online pharmacy?

I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to.

I went through the same thing myself about 10 years ago. Honestly I was embarrassed to even mention it and then only to be told by her that there was nothing wrong with my hair. I would try to do it the right way but if they won't help you then you have to decide for yourself what to do. I did have good luck with inhouse and as far as I know , they are still good to deal with.

I just went back on propecia and debating about telling my current dr about it. She is far more responsive than my old dr about helping me. Just plain embarrassing for me to mention it as silly as that sounds...

[25 going on 65]

Hey guys, I just got back from the doctor and he got me to do some blood tests and I am still waiting for results to see if my hair lost is anything unrelated to MPB. I doubt it though but he was leaning more towards telling me I should just accept the hair loss. He was bald too and hesitantly recommended rogaine but it was like he was trying to avoid talking about propecia, probably didn't want me to go on it. I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to.

Do you guys think I should just jump the gun and use the finpecia that I have already ordered from the online pharmacy?

I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to.

Forget him, he failed his own hair and now has no stake in seeing others fight the good fight

You got what you needed from him (blood tests). Just go to a different doc for the fin rx.

[BigThinker]

Tell him to give you one good reason. If he doesn't, tell him you're just going to order it online and self-medicate.