Finasteride?

[Eric5]

So yes I know all the sides that come along with the deadly pill known as propecia or finasteride. What I don't understand is that why do these side effects happen. I read repeatedly that finasteride actually increases serum testosterone so wouldn't that mean that you should have increased libido and ect? I am thinking of trying .5 fin daily but I'm just trying to understand every little detail of this apocalyptic little pill and if someone could enlighten me, that would be very much appreciated.

Thank you, Eric

[Johny41]

hmm, very interesting question. I tried to understand the connection and here is what I found. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2840927/

[Illusion]

You don't need to understand every little detail of finasteride to take it for your hair loss. Just take it for a few weeks and see what happens. If you get sides and you think those sides are severe enough for you to discontinue finasteride then you can stop taking it. Easy right?

If you're severely paranoid about what finasteride will do to your body then measure things like T, DHT, E, etc. That way when shit hits the fan and you would still not feel normal after a long time (which is veeeeeeery rare) then you can act accordingly because you have baseline values of your hormone profile.

[Notcoolanymore]

You don't need to understand every little detail of finasteride to take it for your hair loss. Just take it for a few weeks and see what happens. If you get sides and you think those sides are severe enough for you to discontinue finasteride then you can stop taking it. Easy right?

Another one of these threads. It's no mystery why everybody is deathly afraid of this drug. If anybody does a search they find a million of these types of threads.

Before anybody jumps down my throat, I know there are many that are getting real sides from finasteride. But many that over think the sides are setting themselves up for failure.

[Eric5]

Hey thanks guys,
Yeah before I take it I'm gonna get some blood work done and check up on my testosterone DHT and estrogen levels. And I'm gonna take the pill and not worry about all these possible sides because I know if I do then it'll all be in my head that I'm actually experiencing them haha and then I'll get more blood work done and see how things are going.

[Notcoolanymore]

I would say if you decide to take the pill don't even read any of the threads about possible sides. Educate yourself on the potential sides and just monitor your body and don't overreact to anything. The only side I got early on was ball ache. That went away within a few weeks of taking the pill. Since then nothing but positive results.

[RanDave]

I know it is now too late to tell you not to read about side effects, as you've already read them. I understand that all men read about possible adverse effects of Propecia before trying the medicine and this is the most common mistake we all do. As it is known self-suggestion is a strong thing, however its principle is very simple: a positive attitude creates positive circumstances, negative thoughts lead to negative results. Just try not think about the side effects you've read and try the medication by yourself. Create your own independent opinion based on your experience. I'm sure it will be a positive one.

[Johny41]

I know it is now too late to tell you not to read about side effects, as you've already read them. I understand that all men read about possible adverse effects of Propecia before trying the medicine and this is the most common mistake we all do. As it is known self-suggestion is a strong thing, however its principle is very simple: a positive attitude creates positive circumstances, negative thoughts lead to negative results. Just try not think about the side effects you've read and try the medication by yourself. Create your own independent opinion based on your experience. I'm sure it will be a positive one.

You are right about self-suggestion, however I think that it is better to read about side effects and to be ready for any surprises like those that can expect you in your bed.

[RanDave]

Ok, Johny, I agree, to be ready is a normal thing. As you may know, almost all medications cause different side effects and sexual side effects can be caused by antihypertensive drugs, antidepressants etc, however people take them. Just interesting, would you reconsider the use of medication for high blood pressure if you know about its sexual side effects?

[Artista]

Hello Eric5 !
Welcome to our forum!
The advice given to you by 'Notcoolanymore' is very good!
Eric5, I have been on Finasteride since August 2013.
I have NOT experienced any major bad side-effects from using that med.
The only difference I have experienced is a reduction of semen but thats it.
As I have learned, your sperm count doesn't necessarily get reduced due to that.
In other words,,it is A-OK. It all still feels good-lol.

The way to take Finasteride would be just as you would be taking multivitamins every day...
Take it and FORGET about it!
Do not focus on it.

My doctor had also recommended its use,,he has over 100 patients on Finasteride.
NONE have experienced bad sides from it! THAT'S THE TRUTH
Some have experienced the lessening of their semen counts but thats it.
Now, ALL of his patients have experienced POSITIVE results. Including me.
Now of course, those positive results VARY from person to person.
Some very minimal and some very major!
My doctor would not lie about that of course.
The most important thing to remember is that you must be and stay REALISTIC about what to expect with your possible hair improvements.
I feel that if I had begun using Finasteride a few years earlier that my hairs improvement may have been much better .
But realistically , thats A-OK with me...I like what Fin' is doing for me currently.
Eric, check out my thread on this~ "Artista and Finasteride"( I posted pics and will post more recent ones soon )

https://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?13550-Artista-and-Finasteride&highlight=

Good job Notcool' (actually COOL)

[RanDave]

There are less evidences that generic propecia or finasteride have any side effects. You can use generic propecia 5mg along with minoxidil lotion for 2 to 3 months to regrow your hair.

Actually it could take a little bit more than 2-3 months to see the results, however it is worth trying.

[Artista]

RanDave , good response here.

I started using GENERIC Finasteride (Dr Reddys) back in August 2013.
Approx 3-4 months after beginning it, my wife and I could see a change starting to happen.
As i have said many times now, I am experiencing NO major bad side-effects from its use to this day
(now 19 months on it)

[receding87]

HI Guys im new here. basically i have been on 1.25mg daily finasteride for 12 months and without a doubt in the past 2 months my receding hairline has gotten thinner and further up. My crown and middle head hair is very thick aleways has been. Just wondering could i possibly be going through a shed at 11-12months. the weird thing is i am not finding many hairs when i shower etc like i used to pre fin.

[robincurtz]

I am on dut with no side effect.

[Artista]

Hi Receding87 and WELCOME to our forum!
Stick around with us because there are plenty of members here that WILL give you the best advice.
I decided to do a little research so that my response to you would be complete along with my own personal ONGOING experience in using Finasteride.

Your hair is more than likely, undergoing a process called shedding and it is perfectly normal in the first few months of using Finasteride.
It does not mean that your body is not responding to Finasteride or that the medication is causing an opposite effect.
Shedding , for SOME, has to occur in order for your new hair to grow.
I personally did not notice any shedding but there may have been a % of shedding that I had not noticed.
The way Finasteride works, as I understand it to be, is that it stops your current growth cycle and starts a new healthier cycle.
Therefore, the hair strand that is in the middle of a growth cycle will fall out and will later be replaced by a new stronger hair strand.
The fact that your hair is actually shedding shows that your follicles are quite possibly responding to Finasteride.
A misconception about shedding is that you are losing more hair.
This is in fact not true in most cases.
Yes you are losing hair strands but they will soon be replaced by stronger, healthier hair strands.
There is no need to panic because this apparent "hair loss" will eventually be replaced.
Usually, shedding should stop after the first three months of treatment.
However, this can and DOES VARY from male to male as generic Finasteride or Propecia has different effects depending on the individual using it.
"By six months of treatment, shedding should have completely stopped".
If the shedding has not fully stopped after 6 months then feel free to consult your doctor RIGHT AWAY.
Usually you will need to wait at least a year to determine whether this type of treatment is working correctly.

Receding87, again, do not panic (dont know if you were) . Also when you take that medication take it as you would take your daily multivitamins, take it and do not think about it.

.