Don't completely blame finasteride for your ED/Libido issues - here's why

[Hurts]

Want to keep this brief so excuse the lack of detail in this post:

2.5 years ago I took 0.5mg of finasteride every other day for 5 months. Stopped taking it by the 5th month because I started getting sexual side effects (dick wasn't as hard, libido was slightly reduced).

I was well aware of the possible sexual sides prior to taking my first pill.

Before and after quitting fin, I always had a thought in the back of my mind that the side effects were caused by my knowledge that I might get side effects from taking it.

Often when I thought about these side effects during sex or masturbation, it caused me to not be as hard.

After coming off fin, I recovered 98% of my libido and hardness.

Around 6 months ago (~2 years after stopping the drug), I thought i'd try to trick my mind into believing I was taking finasteride again. Low and behold, my sexual sides slowly returned! My dick isn't as hard as 6 months ago and my libido is very low (rarely think of sex). What a coincidence! Literally the day I started thinking about finasteride side effects again, I got side effects.

So the point of this thread is to tell people of my experience and my belief that a big proponent (90%+) to this finasteride side effects shit is in the mind.

Any healthy adult can give themselves ED or low libido if they think hard enough and are able to successfully coerce the mind into believing made up scenarios, as I was able to. I now have worse sides than I did when I was taking the drug, but I'm not worried because I believe it's in my mind and it'll take time to train the mind to get it back to normal. It's all about belief.

Hope this helps some of you with sides!

[Jazz1]

Your bang on right, 3 years back I had major sides now 3 years later I'm on 1mg propecia . I dealt with the sides with mind control, it's hard I know but I'd your willing it's easy to kick start the brain.

[OrdinaryUser]

Yes, there is a huge element of priming here: if one primes themselves with information that contradicts something they are doing, then often it can manifest itself. For me, I did not participate on forums until a month or so ago. Before this, I read no information on propecia. I did this intentionally because I did not want to fulfill any prophecy my mind conceived while reading on people's experience etc. So after joining the forum, I read experiences on ED etc as a result of fin. I then started to experience weakened erections after this, where I previously never experienced it. This does not necessarily mean that it universally is the cause to everyone's ED, but ED and other sexual problems do have a huge mental elements to them that people sometimes discount. Also, depression can mimic some of these symptoms, and finasteride can cause depression in those predisposed to it. I have experienced such depression.

I really try to limit my time on this site because of the above.

[Aonyx262]

Started fin yesterday...with 2X1mg. Had a great load today. That's my n=1.

[dueza]

Your bang on right, 3 years back I had major sides now 3 years later I'm on 1mg propecia . I dealt with the sides with mind control, it's hard I know but I'd your willing it's easy to kick start the brain.

Good thread this is making me reconsider what I've heard

[billybong]

The worst thing is anxiety/panic attacks, because this kind of stuff is all in the mind anyway. It's almost like an obsessive/compulsive belief, once you "know" you've taken the pill, the paranoid fantasy roller coaster can begin....

[burtandernie]

There is a strong placebo effect. That being said there is no doubt this happens to people taking the drug in some cases. Not everyone is lying or imagining it.

[Justinian]

There is a strong placebo effect. That being said there is no doubt this happens to people taking the drug in some cases. Not everyone is lying or imagining it.

I get your point, but because it's in the mind doesn't mean you're lying or imagining it. Several months ago I was getting heart PVCs( premature ventricular contractions) when I had caffeine. Basically your hearts beats slightly early so there is a pause before the next beat and you feel a dropping feeling in your stomach.Then I started worrying about them and got them daily. I then saw a cardiologist and had tests done which confirmed what they were. Since then I barely have any since I know they are harmless and don't worry about them (and almost everybody has them, you just don't notice). But when I do, I almost always am thinking about it before it happens. And if one happens, more are likely to follow until I get my mind off it. I'm not imagining it, my brain literally causes it to happen.

[ge77inhigh]

Well to say it is all in your head would be an absurd statement. Finasteride blocks production of DHT in your body. DHT is a sex hormone, it is responsibly for numerous functions in your body. It can effect your estrogen levels, 5 Ar receptors in your brain and the list goes on and on. People really need to do their research before they want to use any drug. If people are not having side effects, it is great they should keep using. If you are having side effects i recommend you to stop or reduce your dosage not because it in all your head. There is a forum dedicated to people recovery from side effects of finasteride. I won't label their side effects in "their heads".

I been on propecia for 1 year. I took about 2mg a day. I experienced extreme side effects such as brain fog, insomnia, loss of penis size, fatigue and chronic joint pain. I stopped taking propecia i recovered from everything except the chronic depression. Finasteride really helped out my hair a lot, but i never get back on it. The side effects were not worth for me to keep my hair. I won't recommend people using RU58441 or CB. They both are not safe in my opinion. Not enough trials on them.

The main point of this is that it is not in your head. I have taken Advil or tylenol before. They list numerous side effects on their commercial. Why i haven't experienced any of them? It is not a head thing. I am not against finasteride, but it is not for everyone. Here is the forum i am talking about. It has a lot of members. http://www.propeciahelp.com/

[burtandernie]

Things dont happen to you physically that simply because you think it unless your talking more abstract vague problems like depression. If your heart is beating differently than normal its because there is some problem physically. Your brain doesnt voluntarily tell your heart to beat each second.
Fin can cause sides some known and some less known I mean its an internal drug what would you expect to happen? A small amount of cases sure but its silly to say people imagine it all the time. Obvious physical problems are hard to mix up with imagination