Propecia and its effects.

[chrisis]

Replicel will have some results of their research next month and if their news is positive I won't be getting a hair transplant.

Yeah I'm definitely keen to hear what they have to say. If it's positive it might change my mind about having a hair transplant, but that said it would still take up to 3-4 years to come to market. Can you wait that long? If I was 20, I'd say yes. At 28, I'm not so sure.

[sausage]

Yeah I'm definitely keen to hear what they have to say. If it's positive it might change my mind about having a hair transplant, but that said it would still take up to 3-4 years to come to market. Can you wait that long? If I was 20, I'd say yes. At 28, I'm not so sure.

Umm thats a tough decision to make, I am 27 so am in a similar position to you.

If it was pretty much guaranteed to come out in 3-4 years from now then I would wait. But even if the results are very positive I doubt we will have a solid date for when the cure could come to market.

I have just started taking Propecia and I will see how that goes as well.

So at the moment I am waiting on Propecia to work its magic on me and also Replicel to give the balding world some good news.

[captainmoon]

As for anxiety/stress about hair loss causing an impairment to my sexual health: doubtful. As I've repeated on the forum several times, I didn't experience any problems until 2-3 months after starting finasteride. It's not like my stress suddenly heightened at that time. Makes no sense.

Just curious -- what were the circumstances of your "crash"? Were you just unable to achieve an erection one day and concluded that it was related to your finasteride use?

How much anxiety do you experience today over your sides? Is it something that you think about and stress over regularly throughout the day? Do finasteride-related thoughts/stress come to your mind while you attempt to masturbate or have sex now?

I think these are details that should be addressed. No normal person can be expected to have a functional sex life unless their minds are clear and free from distractions. Hell, I know I can barely get it up on days when I'm tired/stressed/annoyed/have a lot on my mind/etc. and I'm not even on finasteride.

I'm not trying to diagnose you, just want to know the details of your situation. These are questions I wish I could ask some of the members on the Propecia Help site. I've been on there quite a bit recently and I'm honestly appalled by it. So many young men who have absolutely nothing wrong with them (took finasteride for 2 days, claim their erections are "not at 100% anymore" ) and truly feel like their lives are over. They read about a certain side effect on there and suddenly realized they have it too, so on and so forth.

I've said it before, but I'm very confident that a portion of men who experience sides do so because they begin the drug expecting to. Having one bad day where they can't get it up throws them into a frenzy that they can't seem to recover from. It's like a domino-effect, and websites like Propecia Help do nothing but feed the fear and keep people like this sick.

[chrisis]

Just curious -- what were the circumstances of your "crash"? Were you just unable to achieve an erection one day and concluded that it was related to your finasteride use?

For the first month or so I actually experienced higher libido than usual and everything was fine. Side effects gradually creeped up on me. It may have been a few weeks of lower than usual libido before I was consciously even aware of it. This is graphic (but has to be to), the moment of realisation was one day when I hadn't came in awhile and my load was a pathetic drool and not very pleasurable. I realised my dick was starting to feel numb and libido was through the floor. I'd apparently been either ignoring it or denying it, but the lack of cum was a very real manifestation and sign that something wasn't right. I've been a heavy cummer ever since puberty.

I discontinued taking finasteride and more than a month later I know things still aren't right.

How much anxiety do you experience today over your sides? Is it something that you think about and stress over regularly throughout the day? Do finasteride-related thoughts/stress come to your mind while you attempt to masturbate or have sex now?

It's on my mind for sure. If I go to jerk off and my dick feels less sensitive than usual then how can it not be? I might even use vaseline or something to help it along. Then when my load is pathetic I realise I'm still stuck with these side effects. I don't actually feel stressed to be honest, just aware. I'm unhappy that things aren't how they were, but I can still function and I'm optimistic/hopeful that things will return to normal in time.

I've said it before, but I'm very confident that a portion of men who experience sides do so because they begin the drug expecting to.

This might be so if we're talking about the inability to pop a boner now and then or libido taking a bit of a dive, but how do you explain that pre-finasteride I had loads of precum and came loads, then post-finasteride, I get no precum, and a watery, pathetic dribble of a load. Yes I can still cum, but not gonna lie that I miss the explosive orgasms I used to have. You can't explain these physical changes saying I'm stressed and such. I've been through much more stress in my life before and never experienced such crazy problems.

I hope this clarifies things for you. Wish I was making it up.

[NotBelievingIt]

TMI Chris, TMI!! LOL

[clandestine]

I'm unhappy that things aren't how they were, but I can still function and I'm optimistic/hopeful that things will return to normal in time.

This is the right attitude.

@NotBelievingIt; I disagree. I think chrisis' post accurately demonstrates how finasteride has the potential to seriously impair sexual function in ways which are clearly in no way psychosomatic.

[chrisis]

Thanks, clandestine. I felt a bit awkward writing it, but **** it, it's an important topic and the only way I can relay the experience is to provide all of the info. Ultimately the details about the physical changes are what made me realise something had gone wrong, therefore describing it is crucial.

I think people need to ask themselves, if I wasn't sure that finasteride messed my sexual health up, why is it I've abandoned my remaining 2 months supply? If I had any doubts about my experience, I'd take the risk for sure, but I've got none. I still apply the minoxidil twice a day religiously, so it's not about lack of effort or discipline either.

Bottom line is, until this entire topic is cleared up we only have other people's experiences to rely on. The studies can't be trusted because the figures are all over the place, and you should definitely not trust people who pluck figures out the air or suggest that a drug that inherently disrupts the male hormonal system probably just causes side effects in a minority of men with over-active imaginations. Bullshit.

[NotBelievingIt]

Oh I'm fine with it...it was just written so frankly and unexpected to read, casually, about another mans...ya know haha

[Daneeka]

Heyup Chrisis, I chimed in on one of your threads a while back. What you said definitely rings true. Been off the Propecia for probably a while before you. Thought I'd unlurk to offer a word of encouragement. My sides have pretty much subsided, are you exercising, eating right, etc?

My hairlines receding faster, but I think that's down to the Minoxidil. Mixed feelings about the stuff for for now!

[chrisis]

Heyup Chrisis, I chimed in on one of your threads a while back. What you said definitely rings true. Been off the Propecia for probably a while before you. Thought I'd unlurk to offer a word of encouragement. My sides have pretty much subsided, are you exercising, eating right, etc?

My hairlines receding faster, but I think that's down to the Minoxidil. Mixed feelings about the stuff for for now!

That's good to hear Daneeka. How long did it take to return to normal? Did you have the same sides I've explained in graphic details?

I sometimes run but I'm currently transitioning between gyms and waiting for my new one to open in May, so neglecting that aspect a little. I eat relatively well. I wouldn't expect either exercise or diet to have an impact on me though, because I've been fairly consistent before, during and after taking finasteride. The prime suspect is the drug itself, so I guess it's just a case of waiting.

Why do you think your hair is receding due to the minoxidil? I notice a bit of shed but feel it's coming back now. I've been on it since January.