Propecia and ED

[philippe]

I've been on Propecia now for 14 months--lowered my dosage at the half year mark to .05mg because my libido was non existent and I was having difficulty getting and maintaining an erection.

While I can get an erection, it is (for a lack of a better word) no where near as "hard" as it was before beginning Propecia. I am not looking to start a war of side effects vs no side effects. I can only speak for myself and my experience, and as someone who knows his body well I absolutely believe Propecia is the cause.

So, the good news is I can still get an erection--the bad news is it's barely getting the job done with my girlfriend and this is just not normal for a fit 30 year old who never had prior issues in this department. I am not opposed, at this point, to quitting Propecia. What I was hoping to hear from some of you is what (if any) my options are at getting my erections back (vitamins, supplements, etc) and how should I taper off of Propecia?

Also, any other Propecia users out there in this boat, i.e., still getting an erection but it being pretty soft and lackluster??

[SoothSayer]

Did you mean to say you had cut the dose to 0.5mg (50% of the recommended dose). If you are 0.05mg you are already at such a minimal level that you probably couldn't taper off any more gradually.

[philippe]

hi soothsayer, thanks for your reply--yes, i have been on 0.5mg for a little more than half a year now. i am already in the process of taking that every couple of days at this point. i have heard many different opinions about finasteride's half life in the body and its lingering effects to the body--i happen to think that men's tolerance to inhibiting dht varies across the board as some men have less dht in their systems to begin with, but have a higher sensitivity to it. my point being that i think 0.5mg for me was quite a lot.


i have to say i am disappointed to see that, at present, 65 people have read this post and only one has replied. this site is not for voyeurs--this site is a tool for those of us with real issues to be able to exchange information. if you have suffered side effects please share that and please share exactly what they were and if they persisted even when/if you quit Propecia. the more we each know about what others have experienced on finasteride, the better each one of us can make educated decisions about taking this drug and how to help our bodies if they react in the form of sexual side effects.

[FlightTL]

I think I suffered some sides from Rogaine...sounds crazy I know, but then I started reading forums on 5% minox, and others say the same...I guess minox somehow also reduces body dht too.

[SoothSayer]

The truth is that modern science does not yet know too much about finasteride-induced side effects. Most men see the side effects, decide they would rather keep their sexuality than their hair, and quit immediately. It might make sense to taper off to avoid inducing too much change in your body very quickly but we don't know if this is actually helpful.

The good news is that since you haven't stopped taking the drug, the lingering side effects may be caused by your continued usage. For most men (we do not know exactly what percent) the side effects disappear upon discontinuation.

My advice to you is to taper off as quickly as you feel comfortable and not get too worried since you will probably be OK. At a certain point, it gets difficult to cut the pill into smaller and smaller pieces.

Good luck.

[philippe]

i agree that there is too little info out there about what finasteride and continued dht suppression does to the body long term and whether the side effects are irreversible or not. i will continue taking .05mg every couple of days for another month before stopping altogether.

on another note, anyone reading this have any tips about how to get the libido/erections back to normal through natural herbs/supplements, etc??

[deep84]

Hey Philippe, I've been taking proscar for only three weeks now so I can't say I'm in the same boat but I was told by my prescribing physician that if side effects do occur, it's best to try to wait them out for six weeks as for many people they go away in that time period. 0.5Mg seems like such a small dose already I don't think there is room to taper off.

[Dan26]

Hey dude, first of all sorry that my reply may not be useful to you, but something you said sparked a question for me, and maybe someone here can help answer it.

You said,

"i happen to think that men's tolerance to inhibiting dht varies across the board as some men have less dht in their systems to begin with, but have a higher sensitivity to it. my point being that i think 0.5mg for me was quite a lot."

Is this something a doctor can test for? Are there good candidates and bad candidates for Propecia?

Sorry again that I am not really contributing, but the way the body/hormones/genes work really sparks a lot of interest and questions for me. I noticed my facial hair starting to come in a bit better soon after i noticed i am losing my hair. Also noticed in the last year or so I pee extremely frequently. Just wierd how the body works. Also my bro started balding the exact same time as me, yet he had a full beardway before he startin balding (i dont have close to what he does), and is generally more hairy, yet im more muscular. It's messed man! I don't understand! Do these doctors even have a clue! Sorry im goin off here lol, I sincerely hope your health and situation improves.

Hopefully the future is bright with some of these bio-tecnology companies. I way rather be noticable bald and get "the cure" when it comes out, then mess with my hormones and risk my health, while holding on to some hair that will eventually fall out and need to be repaired/replaced anyway.

[philippe]

hey dan, while i am no expert, yes, the amount of dht in the male body, as well as the body's tolerance to dht, varies. an endocrinologist would be the doctor to speak to with regards to getting your hormone levels checked.