Fin users - How did you get past your fear?

[ryan555]

Thanks for your informative posts guys. I really enjoyed reading them all, especially yours Ryan. Very detailed and definitely calmed my nerves down.

I planned on doing only .25 mg maybe 2 times a week, 3 times max. I figured such a low amount a few times a week should really cut down on any possible sides?

I'm fortunate that at 33, I still have a good amount of hair. My big problem is my hairline and I think it's gotten worse from wearing my hair longer and pulling it back the last few years, it's especially getting bad on the right side. Also, I have some thinning in my crown, on the left side, which has been there for a few years now.

I've been on Spencer's show a few times, he even did an interview with me about a year ago, because I had a bad hair transplant 4 years ago next month, and it left me with terrible head pains for quite awhile. He actually got me a full refund for that bad surgery. Some of you may recognize my story from the show.

Hardly any of the hair from the surgery regrew, the only noticeable ones that did was on the right side of my hairline and I'm 99.9% sure that hair is falling out now too.

As far as sexual sides go, I don't have high sexual desire anyway. I have a very bad back, where my injury is kinda connected to "down there" and it's not uncommon for me to get in the mood so to speak, once to twice a week only. So, because of that, I'm not sure that I could gauge any sexual sides?

My big worry is I know that Fin has openly said that it can cause depression and I'm currently dealing with that. About a month ago, my doctor told me I have major/severe depression, and while I'm not taking anything for it, even though he wants me to, I'm concerned the fin could make it worse.

It's just quite intimidating to know that if you start a drug, you gotta do it for the rest of your life. Say I'd start tomorrow and live to be 80, I'd have to take a pill a few times a week for around 50 years. That's a tough commitment to make. However with that being said, mentally/emotionally and physically I'm having a very hard time seeing my hair fall out and I need to stop it.

So, that's why I decided to make this post and see how you all coped with getting past that big mental hurdle of starting it.

Two points:

1) Nothing will lessen depression in a hair loss sufferer more than having their hair loss stop and even reverse.

2) no one plans to take propecia for the next 50 years. You have to take it for the foreseeable future, but I would be shocked if treatments have not advanced significantly over the next 10 to 20 years (and certainly 50). The trick is to save as much of what you have now until something better comes along.

[25 going on 65]

This is for Fin users. How did you get over your fears of side effects, life long commitment, etc to start taking it?

I've had some since last October, but I haven't been able to bring myself to take them yet. Meanwhile, I'm watching my hairline continue to go, and it's really torturing me mentally/emotionally.

I'm to the point where I want to start it, but I can't bring myself to open the bottle.

How did you guys do it?

5% chance of sides vs. 100% chance of balding. Obvious choice for me.
Some would say the % chance of sides is higher than studies have found & I think they might be right. However if there was a 50% chance of sides I would still take DHT inhibitors.
Actually if I experienced sides I would probably still take them.

Also, if you did take it, do you regret it, or was it a great decision?

It worked well for me

[Jcm800]

Two points:

1) Nothing will lessen depression in a hair loss sufferer more than having their hair loss stop and even reverse.

2) no one plans to take propecia for the next 50 years. You have to take it for the foreseeable future, but I would be shocked if treatments have not advanced significantly over the next 10 to 20 years (and certainly 50). The trick is to save as much of what you have now until something better comes along.

I agree, hairloss actually causes depression. But regarding finasteride, actually ceasing the treatment causes problems for many men? According to propeciahelp.com anyway. Pfs?

[ryan555]

I agree, hairloss actually causes depression. But regarding finasteride, actually ceasing the treatment causes problems for many men? According to propeciahelp.com anyway. Pfs?

There are forums on the Internet claiming that birth control pills cause long term problems, but the vast majority of women who take them are fine. Do "many" men have problems with finasteride? I don't think so.

[Jcm800]

There are forums on the Internet claiming that birth control pills cause long term problems, but the vast majority of women who take them are fine. Do "many" men have problems with finasteride? I don't think so.

Whatever mate, I wish you well on it, thinking about it myself, just read all that stuff and visited propeciahelp.com to often for my own good perhaps.

[Superstar]

Those are good points 25 going on 65. Some of the things you said made great sense to me, because I've been really thinking lately, am I going to worry more about the sides and let them discourage me from taking them, & always wonder what would've happened to my hair if I did take fin?

Or, should I just take it now and see what happens. I guess that's what my confusion has been the last few months.

Ryan, I never planned on taking it that long either. However, in Spencer's last show, he said that if something does come out, he's sticking with fin for the rest of his life so he doesn't lose what he's kept because of fin. He even said something to the effect of, when he's in a nursing home, they'll have to give it to him. It got me to thinking, and I really don't want to have to do that...so, that's what made me think about having to be on it for the rest of my life..

Dan, you're right about what you said. Fin is unpredictable about how it will effect you. As far as my situation goes, I'm not sure if my depression is something I'm genetically prone to deal with, as other members of my family have dealt with it, or is it mostly because of certain situations that's currently on going in my life. That's why I haven't taken the depression meds the dr wants me to take. I've told him that it's just a mask, because even if I take the meds, the things that bother me in my life will still be there.

I think maybe my biggest fear is, reading on here how guys have said fin has actually made their hair worse I don't see how that's possible, but apparently it is. Also, if I'd take it awhile, and stop, would the hair I have now get worse?

It's the fear of the unknown because I do still have a good bit of hair left *knock on wood*

[25 going on 65]

As far as my situation goes, I'm not sure if my depression is something I'm genetically prone to deal with, as other members of my family have dealt with it, or is it mostly because of certain situations that's currently on going in my life. That's why I haven't taken the depression meds the dr wants me to take. I've told him that it's just a mask, because even if I take the meds, the things that bother me in my life will still be there.

I took 2 different kinds of antidepressants and fin worked better than both because it actually did something about my biggest source of depression. ryan's comments applied to me definitely.
However I can see meds, also therapy, being useful if you are using them while addressing hair loss (if hair loss is the cause of your depression). I sometimes consider them as I still have pretty bad spells of depression, mostly due to my BDD I think

I think maybe my biggest fear is, reading on here how guys have said fin has actually made their hair worse I don't see how that's possible, but apparently it is. Also, if I'd take it awhile, and stop, would the hair I have now get worse?

It's the fear of the unknown because I do still have a good bit of hair left *knock on wood*

I know this feeling, I was very worried about shedding when starting dutasteride as well.
However there is no hair on your head that fin can harm, that would be left untouched by MPB

[ryan555]

Ryan, I never planned on taking it that long either. However, in Spencer's last show, he said that if something does come out, he's sticking with fin for the rest of his life so he doesn't lose what he's kept because of fin. He even said something to the effect of, when he's in a nursing home, they'll have to give it to him. It got me to thinking, and I really don't want to have to do that...so, that's what made me think about having to be on it for the rest of my life..

Well at the very least, I am sure they will perfect or greatly improve hair multiplication and we can just let our hair fall out and get a great HT in our 50's.

[BigThinker]

This is for Fin users. How did you get over your fears of side effects, life long commitment, etc to start taking it?

Because my hair continued to deteriorate, and I couldn't stomach the idea of going bald. Also, the odds are in my favor, so I rolled the dice.

Also, if you did take it, do you regret it, or was it a great decision?

I don't regret it. I'm only 3.5 months in, and if at 12 months it hasn't worked then I'm out $60 -- whoopy doo. I'm glad I didn't wait any longer. though; no way I could stand just starting now, my hair where it is.

[akai]

To be honest I didn't research the drug that much before I took it. Was recommended to me by friend I lift with who takes it. That was two years ago. Didn't know about sides until I looked at my first hairloss forum a year ago. None of my friends who take it have sides. The majority of people who rail against finasteride on this site have never taken it, which is odd.

Like whoever posted above: 5% chance of sides (even if it was higher I'd still give it a shot) vs 100% chance of going bald. Easy decision in my opinion.