People who decided to give in to baldness... how do you feel now?

[Cr779]

Notcoolanymore most of us aren't saying anything about removing propecia from the market or even that people should never try it just that the sides are very real and shouldn't be downplayed and those who have experienced them should not be dismissed. A lot of the advocated for propecia on this board get overly sensitive when anyone mentions the sides and will either attack the poster calling them a fear monger, hypochondriac or flat out a liar.

A lot of us post to warn people of the negative side of fin because we wish we had listened to those posts more ourselves. I for one wish I listened to stories like Chrisis and never took the drug. So all I do is tell my story and warn people that sides are real and can be very life changing.

Yeah it's only "harmed a few thousand people" it's easy to say that like it's no big deal when you haven't been harmed or know someone who has. Try spending 3 months with no erections and thinking that you may never recover. It was the worst 3 months of my life and I never want anyone to have to deal with that so I advise people to really really think about it and be careful if they chose to start propecia, not just hop on like its the risk free wonder drug that many claim it is.

[Notcoolanymore]

Notcoolanymore most of us aren't saying anything about removing propecia from the market or even that people should never try it just that the sides are very real and shouldn't be downplayed and those who have experienced them should not be dismissed. A lot of the advocated for propecia on this board get overly sensitive when anyone mentions the sides and will either attack the poster calling them a fear monger, hypochondriac or flat out a liar.

A lot of us post to warn people of the negative side of fin because we wish we had listened to those posts more ourselves. I for one wish I listened to stories like Chrisis and never took the drug. So all I do is tell my story and warn people that sides are real and can be very life changing.

Yeah it's only "harmed a few thousand people" it's easy to say that like it's no big deal when you haven't been harmed or know someone who has. Try spending 3 months with no erections and thinking that you may never recover. It was the worst 3 months of my life and I never want anyone to have to deal with that so I advise people to really really think about it and be careful if they chose to start propecia, not just hop on like its the risk free wonder drug that many claim it is.

I don't have a problem with anything you said here. I have been on fin 6 months side free. If I get sides, I will tell my story also. I have no problem with people sharing their experience. That's what this place is for. But you and I both know that there are people that go overboard and take things too far. I am talking about the "fin is poison" people. The respect goes both ways. People should not be dismissed if they talk about getting sides. People having success on fin shouldn't get the "it's only a matter of time before you get sides" certain ED speech either.

[Dav7]

I don't have a problem with anything you said here. I have been on fin 6 months side free. If I get sides, I will tell my story also. I have no problem with people sharing their experience. That's what this place is for. But you and I both know that there are people that go overboard and take things too far. I am talking about the "fin is poison" people. The respect goes both ways. People should not be dismissed if they talk about getting sides. People having success on fin shouldn't get the "it's only a matter of time before you get sides" certain ED speech either.

Well put Notcoolanymore. It should be pointed out that forums like this or propeciahelp.com are naturally going to attract a much larger and disproportionate volume of users complaining of the side effects in comparative terms to real life users, who for the most part never encounter any problems, and even Spencer has pointed this out in his show on propecia.

However, I agree that for some users that propecia will have side effects and that that should be respected and understood, and that the drug should be avoided by certain individuals. However, we also cannot let scare tactics put off potential users to what is (along with dut, but I won't go there as it's not approved yet for hair loss) the most important tool in preventing further hair loss. Yes, for some unfortunate individuals it will have side effects, and these are very real.

However, this can be said for any medication/ drug out there regarding side effects. Propecia like any drug will have side effects, and like any drug certain users would be best advised to avoid it. However for the vast majority, propecia is not only life changing, but a generally safe drug for most of it's users.

[Cr779]

I don't have a problem with anything you said here. I have been on fin 6 months side free. If I get sides, I will tell my story also. I have no problem with people sharing their experience. That's what this place is for. But you and I both know that there are people that go overboard and take things too far. I am talking about the "fin is poison" people. The respect goes both ways. People should not be dismissed if they talk about getting sides. People having success on fin shouldn't get the "it's only a matter of time before you get sides" certain ED speech either.

Agreed.

[vcity]

Yeah seriously some of the Propecia advocates are assholes who like to ignore the suffering of others.

I won't argue the stats either it's rare, really rare for bad shit to happen but don't discredit the pain of suffering of those few it does happen to.

You say "virgin porn addicts" but when I was quitting and my T levels took a noise dive by 50% I don't think that was due to a porn addiction.

And I got better, slowly over a few months, so no I'm not saying propecia broke my dick but it came damn close and left me without erections and messed up testosterone for a while. Which is something people here claim is "impossible" despite the blood tests I have to prove it.

I made a post similar to this already, but how are you so certain that finasteride caused your testosterone levels to drop?

In fact, the opposite is supposed to happen. In short - Finasteride inhibits an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT thus increasing the amount of testosterone circulating in your blood.

What is known to reduce serum testosterone, however, is high levels of stress and anxiety- coincidently, both are known to decrease libido as well.

[Cr779]

I made a post similar to this already, but how are you so certain that finasteride caused your testosterone levels to drop?

In fact, the opposite is supposed to happen. In short - Finasteride inhibits an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT thus increasing the amount of testosterone circulating in your blood.

What is known to reduce serum testosterone, however, is high levels of stress and anxiety- coincidently, both are known to decrease libido as well.

Propecia didn't cause my testosterone to drop while i was taking the drug, it may have even increased it a bit like you said, only while quitting did it cause problems. The theory that gets the most support behind why that happens is that once you stop inhibiting DHT and it all rushes back to your system some guy's endocrine systems can't handle it and go a little nuts.

The reason I know it was fin that did this is I had blood levels taken before starting fin, you know just to make sure everything was in working order before getting on a hormone affecting drug. Not a good idea to start if you already have really low T or DHT. Everything was normal, though my DHT was almost as high as the accepted level for normal gets, which is why I''m going bald no doubt. And at this point I was under a shit load of stress, I had just noticed I was going bald I was losing my damn mind over it.

Now fast forward to when I decided to quit fin almost a year later, I'm healthier that i was before since i had been eating really well, running and working out. Stressed, yes of course, but not stressed enough to make my body drop it's T levels by over 50%, cause slight loss of sensation in my genitals, prostate and testicle ache and complete lack of morning wood or any other kind of erection. Quitting fin is the only thing that could have caused this. Sure it might not be 100% undeniable evidence but yeah no duh I wasn't being monitored in a lab or anything but seriously when the two options are I somehow stressed myself into this happening even though my stress levels weren't much different than before or the effects of quitting finasteride did to me what many many other people have reported it doing to them. I just got lucky and recovered fine.

[Notcoolanymore]

This thread got derailed with all of the fin talk, but to respond to the original topic of this thread, like UK I feel like shit. I started balding in my early 20's and pretty much gave in to baldness believing the treatments we had were garbage, and having doctors tell me there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. I feel like crap about many things: the condition of my hair, how long I waited to start treatment, etc.

[Dav7]

This thread got derailed with all of the fin talk, but to respond to the original topic of this thread, like UK I feel like shit. I started balding in my early 20's and pretty much gave in to baldness believing the treatments we had were garbage, and having doctors tell me there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. I feel like crap about many things: the condition of my hair, how long I waited to start treatment, etc.

Sorry to hear that Notcoolanymore. What age are you and whereabouts are you on the Norwood scale by the way?

[Notcoolanymore]

Sorry to hear that Notcoolanymore. What age are you and whereabouts are you on the Norwood scale by the way?

I am 37, I just posted some updated pics, if you want to check those out in my intro thread. When I first started treatment, I would say I was running top speed toward being a NW6. But I was probably a VERY diffuse NW3 with severe crown loss. Maybe you can check my pics and tell me what I am?

[Dav7]

I am 37, I just posted some updated pics, if you want to check those out in my intro thread. When I first started treatment, I would say I was running top speed toward being a NW6. But I was probably a VERY diffuse NW3 with severe crown loss. Maybe you can check my pics and tell me what I am?

Very interesting post Notcoolanymore............I've actually been considered a NW3v by a top global HT surgeon, somewhat similar to yourself, and I'm 27, though with probably further loss. I reckon that the Big 3 (which I've just started) could reverse me to a NW3 by filling in some of the crown and (hopefully) most of the forelock, if I do things properly, and when I have a HT on top of that - then voila, at least I'll be a NW2 (if for real, or merely in appearance, but who cares)

Have you ever had a transplant btw? I think I am similar to you, though much a bit more recession and a good bit younger. My current plan is given that I've 7000 grafts about, is to just throw 4,000 FUE grafts at the problem to bring me down a NW2 - and I've had this confirmed that this is possible, and to preserve the rest for donor regeneration, pilofocus, histogen, aderns .....and god knows what else in future.

Then again, at this stage it feels like I'll be a NW1 by summer at rate I'm responding to the big 3 after a mere month lol . Ah wishful thinking.

However, while I realise that the Holy grail of baldness treatment is to get even a NW7 down to a NW1.............I think us NW3/ NW3v/ NW4 types who can still get down to a full appearance NW2 should stick together and see where we get.

Keep up the treatments and best of luck with your future HT/ Future treatment plans.............first we'll get to NW2, then NW1 in 5 years "after a cure is found"