+ Reply to Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 1 2
Results 11 to 18 of 18
  1. #11
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    27

    Default

    6/11

    Update: So it's been 10 days, here's what I noticed so far:

    Gym: Lifts have improved, but I find myself struggling to maintain the volume that I was finishing effortlessly before fin. In some cases, I'm cutting back a whole set, but I still feel strong, and no negative changes to my physique that I can see (the last time I tried fin, I noticed increased lower belly fat accumulation, but that doesn't seem to be a problem while I'm intermittent fasting)

    Sexual function: Immediate sexual side effects (low libido, difficulty maintaining erections, they are much softer). No improvement so far.

    Mood/Well-being/Cognitive: My pregnenolone came, and I can safely safe it's cleared up any brain fog I may have been having. As far as my mood goes, I've been much more mellow (for better and worse). Things don't seem to affect me as much, which is nice to an extent. The one big drawback of course is that I haven't experienced any of those really good days, where I felt high on life pre-fin (and yes, despite dealing with the reality of hair loss). I'm going to try and monitor that closely, because for me personally, that would impact my quality of life more than saving my hair, so hopefully it clears up.



    Hair: Feels great. I know it's only been 10 days, but I have no further scalp itch, and the shedding has almost come to a complete halt already. Before fin, rubbing my hands through my head when applying minoxidil, I'd notice 10-15 hairs depending on how rough I was. Just today, to give you an idea, both in the shower and when applying my topicals, I only noticed 3 strands of hair in total. Crazy eh? It also feels like it lays nicer, but that could just be the regenpure shampoo / conditioner.


    All in all, I am happy to know that I can beat my hair loss, provided I stick with the treatment. The question for me is going to be whether or not I can deal with the side effects, here's to hoping they resolve in time!

  2. #12
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    27

    Default

    I decided to stop all treatment and just accept my hair loss. My reason is that I have no patience to wait for finasteride side effects to wear off (no telling if they even will), and without inhibiting DHT, other treatment is just a losing battle. The biggest problem for me was that it just made me feel like a completely different person, the lack of energy / strength / mental clarity was worse for me than the sexual side effects.

    GL to the rest of you!

  3. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    1,486

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by irishpotatoes322 View Post
    I decided to stop all treatment and just accept my hair loss. My reason is that I have no patience to wait for finasteride side effects to wear off (no telling if they even will), and without inhibiting DHT, other treatment is just a losing battle. The biggest problem for me was that it just made me feel like a completely different person, the lack of energy / strength / mental clarity was worse for me than the sexual side effects.

    GL to the rest of you!
    Sorry to hear that, man. Gotta do what's best for you and be true to yourself.

    Hope all goes well with ya.

  4. #14
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    2,627

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by irishpotatoes322 View Post
    I decided to stop all treatment and just accept my hair loss. reason is that I have no patience to wait for the finasteride side effects you're ear off (no telling if they even will), and without inhibiting DHT, other treatment is just a losing battle. The biggest problem for me was that it just made me feel like a completely different person, the lack of energy / strength / mental clarity was worse for me than the sexual side effects.

    GL to the rest of you!
    Sorry to hear of your fin experience. What dosage were you on, did you taper on to it at all? I'm thinking about embarking on the treatment myself, but post like yours really make me think twice. Good luck to you.

  5. #15
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    876

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by irishpotatoes322 View Post
    I decided to stop all treatment and just accept my hair loss. My reason is that I have no patience to wait for finasteride side effects to wear off (no telling if they even will), and without inhibiting DHT, other treatment is just a losing battle. The biggest problem for me was that it just made me feel like a completely different person, the lack of energy / strength / mental clarity was worse for me than the sexual side effects.

    GL to the rest of you!
    I totally hear you. I've been on finasteride for 3 years and I'm experiencing some of the side effects that you mentioned: sexual dysfunction, loss of muscle mass, etc. I've actually been thinking of getting off of the medication for almost 2 years now, but I stay on it because I am so scared to death of losing my hair. My idols are some of my rock musicians and every time I see those guys with full heads of hair, I am given that extra motivation to stay on finasteride despite the side effects. But these side effects have really been pissing me off lately and I'm certainly not committed to monkeying around with my hormonal levels for the rest of my life. I know that it's not healthy, despite what some supposedly-reputable studies might say.

    It always angers me because hair loss is something that affects people so greatly, yet we are given such limited options to treat it. This is an "epidemic of Biblical proportions" as Spencer so accurately puts it, and are given options that are fraught with setbacks and are just minimally effective. I always get a kick out of how some people come on here and claim that "most men aren't bothered by their hair loss and therefore don't do anything to treat it". That is such utter bulls**t. Most men are in fact deeply disturbed, if not devastated by their hair loss. They only do not seek out treatments because these treatments are either minimally-effective or whose setbacks outweigh the prospect of getting on these treatments.

  6. #16
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    2,744

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by irishpotatoes322 View Post
    I decided to stop all treatment and just accept my hair loss. My reason is that I have no patience to wait for finasteride side effects to wear off (no telling if they even will), and without inhibiting DHT, other treatment is just a losing battle. The biggest problem for me was that it just made me feel like a completely different person, the lack of energy / strength / mental clarity was worse for me than the sexual side effects.

    GL to the rest of you!
    Man thats tough, hope all goes well and you recover - do post back and let us know how you get on.

  7. #17
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    876

    Default

    Irishpotatoes: Lasty, you said that with all of the side effects you experienced with finasteride, you felt like you were a completely different person. I feel that way too, but unfortunately I'd also feel that way if I was forced to live life as a bald man. So I'm forced choose between bad (living a life with side effects of finasteride) and awful (living life as a bald man).

  8. #18
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jcm800 View Post
    Sorry to hear of your fin experience. What dosage were you on, did you taper on to it at all? I'm thinking about embarking on the treatment myself, but post like yours really make me think twice. Good luck to you.
    Heya, I've got two experiences with finasteride, and they happened as follows:

    First experience, start of last summer: 1.25mg proscar every day, I noticed intense sexual side effects on the 9th day. Immediately tapered down to 1.25mg every other day for about a month. Sides improved a miniscule amount, so I followed up with a last attempt at .625mg every third day for another 4 months, where I felt about 70% of my old self. My hair was improving for sure, but I wouldn't even trade being completely cured of MPB for what honestly felt like losing nearly a third of my charisma, energy, wit, strength, and sexual function.

    Being off finasteride:
    4 days off: morning erections
    6-7 days off: this new "calm," what is this mood? I loved it, did I really feel this good pre-fin, even when I was losing my hair? (the answer, of course, is yes)
    2 weeks off: hard-ons like gaaaaaahd damn,immense strength gains in the gym (DHT, baby), started adding lean muscle while abdominal fat melted off (keep in mind nothing about my nutrition / training changed in any drastic wa whether I was on fin or off, I think my recovering and calorie partitioning is just so much better with more DHT for a few reasons), and I felt a little like Bradley Cooper in limitless in terms of mental sharpness and just this sense of intuition and self-confidence, even when out in public with thinning, shitty hair.

    My second experience, start of June (this month):

    Chronicled at the start of this thread, noticed side effects 2 days into taking my first pill. Since then I've been tapering off with .31mg every third day, overall in general I'd say I feel about 80% of my old self on this dose, which isn't that bad guys don't get me wrong. I'm still trying to figure out if I should stick with .31mg every third day or second day for the rest of the summer to see if my body completely adjusts, or if its not worth it and I should just not take another dose and move on. What I can say is, even at .31mg every third day, with the exception of maybe a tad extra few hairs in the shower than .625mg every other day, I'm still not shedding so the drug is still working., Even when applying minoxidil liquid with a thorough scalp rub yields the same couple of strands of hair as when I was on .625mg (anywhere between only like 2 or 3), oh and still no scalp itch. But honestly, after being off fin compared to now, I know there is still a good 20% of the old me missing, I set a goal that if I didn't feel at least 90% of my old self, I would not stay on fin. It sucks because I know I am a good responder to the drug in terms of stopping further hair loss, thickening up what I have, and regrowth (I saw signs of all 3 last year when I was on for a while), but yeah, dem sides man, I still don't have my pre-fin "edge" that made me spring up every morning with a lot of energy and drive.






    Quote Originally Posted by BigThinker View Post
    Sorry to hear that, man. Gotta do what's best for you and be true to yourself.

    Hope all goes well with ya.
    Thanks man.

    Quote Originally Posted by DepressedByHairLoss View Post
    I totally hear you. I've been on finasteride for 3 years and I'm experiencing some of the side effects that you mentioned: sexual dysfunction, loss of muscle mass, etc. I've actually been thinking of getting off of the medication for almost 2 years now, but I stay on it because I am so scared to death of losing my hair. My idols are some of my rock musicians and every time I see those guys with full heads of hair, I am given that extra motivation to stay on finasteride despite the side effects. But these side effects have really been pissing me off lately and I'm certainly not committed to monkeying around with my hormonal levels for the rest of my life. I know that it's not healthy, despite what some supposedly-reputable studies might say.

    It always angers me because hair loss is something that affects people so greatly, yet we are given such limited options to treat it. This is an "epidemic of Biblical proportions" as Spencer so accurately puts it, and are given options that are fraught with setbacks and are just minimally effective. I always get a kick out of how some people come on here and claim that "most men aren't bothered by their hair loss and therefore don't do anything to treat it". That is such utter bulls**t. Most men are in fact deeply disturbed, if not devastated by their hair loss. They only do not seek out treatments because these treatments are either minimally-effective or whose setbacks outweigh the prospect of getting on these treatments.
    I hear you bro, and agree with your sentiment, although I will say if you ever happen to actually, genuinely, fully accept your hair loss, I am willing to bet that 5 years into being bald (agan, provided you truly accepted it), you'd be fine.The question of whether or not you become something bigger than fine, you know, the best version of yourself, really succeed, would depend entirely on your attitude. This is a fact, we know bald people can still be successful and happy, even if its more challenging from the onset.


    Quote Originally Posted by UK_ View Post
    Man thats tough, hope all goes well and you recover - do post back and let us know how you get on.
    Thankyuh!

    Quote Originally Posted by DepressedByHairLoss View Post
    Irishpotatoes: Lasty, you said that with all of the side effects you experienced with finasteride, you felt like you were a completely different person. I feel that way too, but unfortunately I'd also feel that way if I was forced to live life as a bald man. So I'm forced choose between bad (living a life with side effects of finasteride) and awful (living life as a bald man).
    Lol, yeah I hear you, but again I'm willing to bet if any of us actually "really" accepted our hair loss and moved on, we would be fine. It's the emotional torment from the arduous task of keeping hair that makes us feel like we are left with two shitty options.

Similar Threads

  1. Testosterone Treatment - Up the Finasteride?
    By Johnny_B in forum Hair Loss Treatments
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 10-31-2013, 05:43 AM
  2. Listening to and watching Spencer's weekly US Broadcasts live
    By Gandolf in forum Men's Hair Loss: Start Your Own Topic
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 01-30-2013, 10:02 PM
  3. Hi, looking for treatment advice, pictures included, think I am a Norwood 2??
    By BigJay in forum Introduce Yourself & Share Your Story
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 12-19-2012, 04:33 PM
  4. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 12-16-2012, 04:45 AM
  5. Finasteride and Minoxidil
    By jpm in forum Hair Loss Treatments
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 02-09-2012, 10:18 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts

» IAHRS

hair transplant surgeons

» The Bald Truth

» Recent Threads

1800 graft repair case results by Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Last Post By Dr. Lindsey
Yesterday 08:38 AM
Navigating the German Job Market as a Kenyan Citizen
11-04-2023 06:31 AM
Last Post By Keegan212
Yesterday 03:51 AM
DR HAKAN DOGANAY/ 4500 GRAFTS / Implanter Pen+FUE
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
Last Post By Hakan Doganay, MD
03-26-2024 04:15 PM
The Mane Event for Thursday, June 15th, 2023
06-15-2023 02:59 PM
Last Post By gisecit34
03-26-2024 08:05 AM
Sun Exposure after Hair Transplant
02-26-2009 02:36 PM
Last Post By gisecit34
03-25-2024 08:24 PM