anyone worried by this video?

[level]

These types of videos/people scared me away from the drug for months. My hair got worse, looked extremely bad and I just thought I had no choice. I cannot live a life with worse hair... It is/was already devastating enough. It changes your WHOLE appearance. It chances how people perceive you, how they treat how and how much they respect you. This is very real and not just in my head. I don't want to be the inferior guy that everyone makes bald jokes about.

Euuughhhhhh. This is all quite disgusting.


I am in a much better mood today, thankfully. But it is only because I am having a good hair day! It seems the better my hair the better my mood!

I can't help that... Just the way it is.


Propecia definitely is worth taking for me. I have no other choice. I could scare myself a lot more with a hair loss video than a propecia side effect video. So there you have it...

I get what you're saying and I'm sorry that "these type of videos" scared you away, but I did a little research on this guy-John Crisler-and he is arguably the leader in testosterone replacement therapy. He seems to know a lot about hormonal imbalances.

Think about it... Dr. Crisler-and people in his industry-would benefit from an extra pool of hormonally messed up people, which they could extract revenue from. So why would he speak out against Propecia? He has nothing to gain from it.

I'm not trying to make people shy away from their regiment. I, myself, am considering taking fin, due to the increase in shedding I have recently experienced. However, I think to simply overlook something because it doesn't coincide with your views is a bit of a mistake. One should be fully informed and aware of the product they're ingesting. At the very minimum, it lets you know what to expect, if you happen to experience side effects.

Like thejdizzle, I'm giving PRP a try soon; I made an appointment for June. I started a thread a couple of weeks ago and I'll be posting my bi-weekly progress. I haven't updated it with pics because of work and stuff, but I will be doing so soon.

Although my expectations are modest, I hope PRP produces good results. Hopefully I can use the treatment as an alternative to fin. If PRP fails, I'll be forced to get on fin-hopefully with no side effects-until a real solution for hair loss comes out (if it ever does...).

[thejdizzle]

Another point, if propecia side-effects were permanent, then surely its benefits will also be.

the drug could have multiple mechanisms therefore that comment is a loose assumption

[Mane Man]

Ok damn it I watched that stupid video and now it has me all worried. I started the Fin on May 21st and have experienced no side effects. How can I not be worried though? As much as I enjoyed having hair, I don't want to mess with my hormones on a long term basis. I don't like the sounds of these possible side effects at all and would rather live my life with a shaved head. I started to let my hair grow back in and my wife told me she prefers my hair cut short (buzzed) anyway.

My plan was to stay on the prescribed fin and keep my hair short until a better alternative came about. Ahhhh! Now I have to make a decision whether or not is is worth it to me to stay on the fin. I really don't want to mess with my hormones and my ability to perform athletically and sexually. At the same time, of course I'd like to keep the remaining hair I have. Not sure what to do.

[rtpatter]

Mane Man

I will be interested in your progress on propecia as I have been on the fence about it as well and I'm close to your age. The sides have keep me away up to this point and I don't see taking it for life so from one married man to another. I have a hard time justifying the risk of the sides when at best it seems to only delay the inevitable?

[Mane Man]

Yeah- ok it would be one thing if I were 20 and wanted to hold onto my hair through college and dating. I can totally empathize with some of the younger members here as being young and in the dating world can be intimidating even when you are confident in the way you look. To them, the risks of keeping hair through medication might seem worth it. Everybody has to weigh out the pros and cons of the options and ultimately decide for themselves.

I was not expecting any miracles with propecia/fin anyway. I'm 34, and have been married for eight years. My wife is very nice about my hair loss, considering she met me before I showed any signs. What is the point of me risking my sexual health and possibly other sides if the fin loses its effectiveness and people stop taking it after five years?

I'm on the fence, but I'm already on the pill. It felt good to finally do something about the hair loss, but I'm not sure about my decision now. I don't want to constantly be worrying about this. I'm going to make a decision in the next day or two.

[whyyyyyyyyyyy]

I watched the first couple seconds of the video and turned it off. We already know what the side effects are. The last thing I need is another person freaking me out about something I'm doing to improve the quality of my life. If I wanted that, I'd spend all day reading the posts at Propeciahelp.com going hysterical at all the crazy stories going on over there.

The simple fact of the matter is that the drug works for people. If you're someone like me who's just starting to notice their hairloss, you've got two options:

1) Do nothing and see how long it takes for your hair to fall out, or
2) Take action, see if it works, and risk getting side effects

It's not hard to find people who've used it for years and haven't experienced any sides (they're higher in number on sites that don't specialize in hair loss), and that's enough peace of mind for me to go ahead and start using it myself. Maybe I'll be lucky, maybe I won't. Those odds are much better than being just plain unlucky.

[Buckerine11]

Finasteride caused me to have painful nipples. I was scared, so I quit. I was on it for about 7 months, but didn't see any regrowth. It really varies by the person.

[Mane Man]

So I woke up this morning and had no problem taking another 1/4 pill of fin. I got myself all in a panic yesterday (because of the negative talk of propecia) and was checking threads on here for a few hours. I decided that it was too early to pull the plug on a pill that can help me out with something that bothers me- hair loss. I also did something else. I went to the barber and got my hair taken down short to a 1 1/2. Part of me is accepting my balding and is willing to rock the bald look. The other part of me wants to believe that I can keep the hair I have, and maybe even someday regrow the hair I have lost. For me, stoping the fin is giving up the hope of keeping hair. I'm not quite ready to give up that hope. I'll continue to take the fin and will try not to worry so much about sides, but will see what happens. I'm two weeks in with no issues other than being a chicken little .

I wanted to thank the level headed people on here that spoke to me more than the negative people who post here.

[William Reed, MD]

Long Term Side Effects of Finaseride Video

This is a very disturbing video. Unfortunately, it makes many generalizations and accusations that are not referenced to allow examination of its claims. I would hope that the authors of this video would supply their references.

I will be posting a poll I am conducting of fellow hair transplant surgeons. I will post the final tabulation but at the moment, I have estimates totaling 20,000 patients from 12 surgeons who have been prescribing finasteride since it received approval in the late 90s. At the moment, THERE ARE NO REPORTED SIDE EFFECTS reported that persisted after the patients stopped the medication. Very strange, indeed, that these findings are at such odds with the video. I will be sure that the reporting physicians do not sell finasteride in their practices or have any other bias motivating distortion of their data.

[KeepTheHair]

This is a very disturbing video. Unfortunately, it makes many generalizations and accusations that are not referenced to allow examination of its claims. I would hope that the authors of this video would supply their references.

I will be posting a poll I am conducting of fellow hair transplant surgeons. I will post the final tabulation but at the moment, I have estimates totaling 20,000 patients from 12 surgeons who have been prescribing finasteride since it received approval in the late 90s. At the moment, THERE ARE NO REPORTED SIDE EFFECTS reported that persisted after the patients stopped the medication. Very strange, indeed, that these findings are at such odds with the video. I will be sure that the reporting physicians do not sell finasteride in their practices or have any other bias motivating distortion of their data.

This makes me feel better about the whole thing.

[Winston]

This is a great idea Dr. Reed! Thanks for doing this. These videos are really disturbing and I think they provide bogus claims that are unnecessarily frightening all of us who take Propecia and those who would like to start.

[mlao]

I agree with Winston there is too much fear mongering on the web that is never properly back up by reputable, experienced doctors.

[William Reed, MD]

Finaseride Video: Long Term Side Effects

An update on the informal survey that I have been doing regarding the frequency of long term side effects even after the discontinuation of finasteride: None of the 17 surgeons reporting on over an estimated 30,000 patients begun on finasteride report having received feedback that the medicine has ever created long term, irreversible side effects of any sort.

A healthy discussion is always beneficial. I would encourage the authors of this very disturbing film to respond to this data that could not be further from supporting their contention of irreversible dangers from taking finasteride. A good start would be for them to publish their references that they feel support their positions. I shall try to tract down the physician who is shown on the video and will get back to you about his response.

[tbtadmin]

Propecia Long Term Side Effects | Interview With William Reed, M.D.

IAHRS accepted member William H. Reed, M.D. discusses his findings of an informal study in which he polled 17 hair restoration practices that have treated more than 30,0000 patients with Propecia.

[EDVictim]

Mr. Reed,

With all due respect sir, you are providing false information to the public. There are many doctors who are aware of the permanent side effects that finasteride(5 alph reductase II inhibitor) has caused to many individuals.

As you may know(since you went to medical school), finasteride blocks DHT(5 alpha reductsase II receptor *70% of DHT*), and also lowers allopregnolone levels along with inhibiting a very important neurosteroid called "GABA". TSH,T4, Free T3, Reverse T3 have come back abnormal after discontinuing the drug.

Putting that aside, I truely question your ethics on this board. Well reknowned doctors such as Dr. Goldstein, Dr. Jacob, Dr. Crisler, Dr. Irwig and some others acknowledges the long term permanent side effects this drug has caused. Many of these doctors have seens 100's of sufferers*including me* who discontinuted the drug and have not recovered from these side effects which include: (Hypothyroidsm, Erectile Dysfunction, Watery Ejaculate, Depressed Testosterone levels: Depressed LH & FSH, High Estrogen, and Gynocomestia.

You can also find videos on youtube, and blogs regarding these side effects. YES, they are very real..

In conlusion, I must say I'm completely shocked along with many other who are suffering side effects with your post. We are losing extreme faith in the U.S. medical system due unethical and dishonest actions.

Regards,

Steve