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  1. #1
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    Default Finasteride Worries

    Hey everyone, I am writing in the hopes of getting some reassurance in regards to Finasteride use. I've been on Propecia for over 5 years now and feel I have responded positively to it. I have not suffered any noticeable sides.

    I'm just starting to find it hard to keep reading negative info regarding the drug. It's not the individuals like those from Propecia Help etc. but it's the news paper articles and studies that are really starting to worry me. Looking on Dr. Rassman's Balding Blog website yesterday I found the first two posts to be this:

    96 Percent of Men on Propecia Have Persistent Side Effects?!
    July 13 2012, 2:50 pm PT | Posted in: Drugs
    Hello Doc,

    Please go through this ridiculous article in Yahoo.

    Link: For Some Men, Propecia’s Sexual Side Effects May Be Long-lasting

    Please tell me what you think.

    Thanks

    There are a great deal of claims that may accurately reflect the patient example, however, the documentation and balance of the presentation is poor and heavily biased. Read it accordingly.

    It’s worth pointing out that this recent hysteria is just based on interviews with 54 men, where the participants reported their own issues after stopping the medication. Even more important is to note that these men were recruited from PropeciaHelp.com, an anonymous web forum where men post about problems (real or otherwise) they have from the medication.

    The surprising 96% figure gives the media a good, scary headline to get people interested in watching or reading their report. For example, I just saw a quick 20 second segment on my local morning news that said “96% of men have persistent side effects”, but provided nothing else beyond that. It’s very alarmist and misleading.

    And this:

    In the News - Finasteride and Dutasteride Don’t Decrease Cancer Risks
    July 13 2012, 12:46 pm PT | Posted in: Drugs

    Snippet from the article published online June 20, 2012:

    Finasteride use marginally increased the incidence of prostate and overall cancer at a level of statistical significance. Dutasteride use significantly increased kidney cancer risk. Dosage analysis showed that lower doses of finasteride were associated with higher overall and prostate cancer risks.
    The major limitation is the lack of important data in the NHIRD, such as prostate cancer histologic grades, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, body mass index, socioeconomic status, and family history of cancer.

    Read the rest at The Oncologist — A Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study in Taiwan: Use of 5α-Reductase Inhibitors Did Not Decrease Prostate Cancer Risk in Patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia

    This study seems to go against the grain of some of the original studies which showed some protective effect of finasteride in the overall population, however, the original study used the 5mg dose. This article suggests that the results of lower doses might be a problem.

    I know I’m going to get a bunch of questions about this one, but I can not comment beyond what is in the article. I’m just presenting it so you’re informed.

    Now the first doesn't really bother me, Dr. Rassman points out the article is inaccurate etc. but the second which is results of an actual study, well Dr. Rassman seems to have no answer to, and that's what scares me. I'm now starting to worry that I'm stupid to have ever taken Propecia and that I'm gonna get cancer from having taken it.

    But what really pisses me off is how all this bad finasteride news has really built up in momentum over the last 2 years or so, why was the drug fine for treating MPB for like 20 years and BPH for longer and then all of a sudden they're finding that the drug causes all this trouble. I mean isn't this the whole purpose of the extensive clinical trials, to make sure that the drug isn't gonna give people cancer etc!?

    It just annoys me even more that we're waiting all this time for Histogen etc. to get through clinical trials to make sure it's safe and effective but then there's drugs that went through all these trials to make sure they're safe and effective, that have been signed off on and sold and now people are saying they're not safe and effective. If the same thing could end up being true for the treatments in development now I wish they'd just let us take our chances and have a new treatment straight away!

    Anywayz like I said in the first paragraph, I'm looking for some kind of reassurance, in the past Spencer's take on these things has really helped so if you're reading this Spencer I'd appreciate some feedback. Otherwise just helpful stuff from all you guys. No Propecia bashers though, I can understand your hurt if Finasteride give you ED, low sperm count etc. but I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about this new element of it causing cancer and that's all I want feedback on.

  2. #2
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by UK Boy View Post
    Hey everyone, I am writing in the hopes of getting some reassurance in regards to Finasteride use. I've been on Propecia for over 5 years now and feel I have responded positively to it. I have not suffered any noticeable sides.
    If you have been using this medication for five years and you have not experienced any of the possible side effects, it is not at all likely that you are going to.



    Quote Originally Posted by UK Boy View Post
    I'm just starting to find it hard to keep reading negative info regarding the drug. It's not the individuals like those from Propecia Help etc. but it's the news paper articles and studies that are really starting to worry me.
    Stop reading it. If you are not experiencing the possible side effects, ignore those articles. Don't read them. They are doing far more harm than good.

    It's called yellow journalism - and it sells stories really well. "News" people are hurting for good juicy stories and they don't care if the information the are selling you is true, balanced or even ethical.

  3. #3
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    Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tracy C View Post
    "News" people are hurting for good juicy stories and they don't care if the information the are selling you is true, balanced or even ethical.
    Unlike publically listed pharmaceutical companies, who of course have our best interests at heart!

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