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Log: Just took my first dose of Finasteride
I'm almost 21. Just two months ago I discovered my hairline has minor recession. It's nothing I can't live with at the moment, but I know it's a sign of things to come. Every male on my mother's side of the family suffers from significant MPB. My father's side is pretty good, however. But, unfortunately, it looks like I will suffer from MPB in my lifetime.
Anyways, I took my first 1 mg does of Finasteride tonight. I'll be keeping a careful watch for sexual side effects. I hope to God there won't be any significant ones, because there don't seem to be any alternative treatments to Finasteride that have comparable effectiveness.
Here we go. Good luck to all.
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Originally Posted by sighsigh
I'm almost 21. Just two months ago I discovered my hairline had underwent minor recession. It's nothing I can't live with at the moment, but I know it's a sign of things to come. Every male on my mother's side of the family suffers from significant MPB. My father's side is pretty good, however. But, unfortunately, it looks like I will suffer from MPB in my lifetime.
Anyways, I took my first 1 mg does of Finasteride tonight. I'll be keeping a careful watch for sexual side effects. I hope to God there won't be any significant ones, because there don't seem to be any alternative treatments to Finasteride that have comparable effectiveness.
Here we go. Good luck to all.
Get away from forums. Some sides are psychosomatic. Don't even think about sides. Only come back if something serious happens.
Good luck bro.
That was my mistake with fin, too much forum browsing.
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I actually wanted to say something about all the talk about finasteride's potential for permanent sexual side effects.
Every year, tens of millions of people in the US take SSRIs. The rate of sexual side effects for SSRIs are not a measly ~2%, but rather 20% to 40%. The potential for these side effects to be permanent is significant enough that there is even a Wikipedia page devoted to the issue. It seems that tens of millions of people, and all their doctors, decided it was worth the risk to take a medication that has a SIGNIFICANTLY higher chance of harm than finasteride.
This is not an argument against those who tout the harm finasteride can cause. It is simply an observation. It may help to put things in perspective.
I myself once had to take SSRIs for a few months due to an anxiety issue. And yes, I got a bad sexual side effect on them (significant delayed ejaculation). But, for me, the side effect went away as quickly as it came when I stopped the medication.
Perhaps it is because of my experience with SSRIs that the fear-mongering of 2% potential for sexual sides of finasteride (which means, what... like 0.1% for permanent sexual sides?) doesn't really worry me in the way it worries other people on this board. I am not worried about the side effects being permanent. I AM, however, worried about the side effects forcing me to stop taking finasteride, which would mean I could be a very bald man in several years to come.
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It would have been better to start at a lower dose in my opinion. You got this far in life without taking even 0mg, and 0.25mg is close to being as effective as 1mg.
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Originally Posted by chrisis
It would have been better to start at a lower dose in my opinion. You got this far in life without taking even 0mg, and 0.25mg is close to being as effective as 1mg.
This something I also wanted to ask.... to perhaps start with really small dose and then increase?
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Originally Posted by iHope
This something I also wanted to ask.... to perhaps start with really small dose and then increase?
Absolutely yes. It's simply being cautious. Given the publicised side effects, which I've personally experienced, why jump in with two feet? I'd go with 0.25mg for a considerable time before thinking of upping. Some people stay on 0.25mg indefinitely, especially if they have reason to believe they will get sides or perhaps they want the benefits of Propecia, but while limiting the risk of side effects as much as possible.
I honestly don't know why people do it any other way.
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Originally Posted by chrisis
Absolutely yes. It's simply being cautious. Given the publicised side effects, which I've personally experienced, why jump in with two feet? I'd go with 0.25mg for a considerable time before thinking of upping. Some people stay on 0.25mg indefinitely, especially if they have reason to believe they will get sides or perhaps they want the benefits of Propecia, but while limiting the risk of side effects as much as possible.
I honestly don't know why people do it any other way.
Thank you for your answer! One more question...
What would you suggest us on for how long should we stay on 0.25...and perhaps later 0.5....?
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Originally Posted by chrisis
It would have been better to start at a lower dose in my opinion. You got this far in life without taking even 0mg, and 0.25mg is close to being as effective as 1mg.
This is good advice. After a few months at .25 try .5 and leave it there.
It will save you money too.
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Originally Posted by sighsigh
I actually wanted to say something about all the talk about finasteride's potential for permanent sexual side effects.
Every year, tens of millions of people in the US take SSRIs. The rate of sexual side effects for SSRIs are not a measly ~2%, but rather 20% to 40%. The potential for these side effects to be permanent is significant enough that there is even a Wikipedia page devoted to the issue. It seems that tens of millions of people, and all their doctors, decided it was worth the risk to take a medication that has a SIGNIFICANTLY higher chance of harm than finasteride.
This is not an argument against those who tout the harm finasteride can cause. It is simply an observation. It may help to put things in perspective.
I myself once had to take SSRIs for a few months due to an anxiety issue. And yes, I got a bad sexual side effect on them (significant delayed ejaculation). But, for me, the side effect went away as quickly as it came when I stopped the medication.
Perhaps it is because of my experience with SSRIs that the fear-mongering of 2% potential for sexual sides of finasteride (which means, what... like 0.1% for permanent sexual sides?) doesn't really worry me in the way it worries other people on this board. I am not worried about the side effects being permanent. I AM, however, worried about the side effects forcing me to stop taking finasteride, which would mean I could be a very bald man in several years to come.
That's all well & good, but taking something that prevents the formation of one of the most powerful mammalian androgens for the rest of your life is something I am personally not prepared to do. I have talked to people who have had their entire endocrine system wiped way out of balance thanks to this drug and believe me, they laugh when they compare their previous worries about hair loss compared to the worry of never being able to have children or perform adequately for their partner.
We need better treatments.
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