Who has had to quit Propecia because of side effects?

[Rick055]

And what were they?

 

Lots of talk on other boards (propeciahelp.com) makes you wonder if the people are having a psychosomatic reaction or are really suffering because of propecia.

[Rick055]

And what were they?

 

Lots of talk on other boards (propeciahelp.com) makes you wonder if the people are having a psychosomatic reaction or are really suffering because of propecia.

[psychojr]

I just got a thorough physical and blood test (approximately 12 vials were drawn). I think they tested everyting that could be tested. They also put me on the treadmill for VO2 testing, antiooxidant tests, cognitative tests, fat/lean rtatio tests - you get the picture. I told the doctor that my libido (among other things) had gone to nil over the previous year. My DHT was very low as a result of the Propecia, as it is supposed to do. The only thing we could target is that I had started Propecia exactly 1 year earlier. The doc said low DHT can result in no libido, so it was my choice - sex or hair. I have dumped Propecia and hope the libido comes back, but the doc says sometimes it doesn't. If I were doing this over again, I would say the heck with Propecia. I was not warned of the possible severity of the side effects.

[Guest]

I just quit yesterday after a 2nd attempt. The first time I quit after 8 months using 1/4 Proscar tabs daily. I had mild sexual side effects (I'm glad I'm married otherwise embarassing), weird dreams, but the worst side effect was the dizziness. I could bend over and my head would pound. I had scheduled a HT for March so I figured I would give it another go with Propecia. I quit after 3 weeks. I split it in half and took it every other day. I coupled it with 5% Rogaine foam which I didn't do the last time. Same result except the dizziness is worse. For the past 3 days, I have been out of it to the point where I can hardly keep my balance. I don't take ANY other meds, workout almost daily and maintain a good diet. I am considering canceling the HT b/c there is no way I can take this stuff one day longer and I know the results won't be as good.

[Guest]

Well I wouldn't really worry about the side effects unless you are experiencing them. For the most part these side effects are not too common, but everybody is different and some people do experience them. If the side effects were very common I dont think the drug would be FDA approved.

 

It is very unfortunate that it did not work out well for the two previous posters, but I wouldn't really recommend not trying the drug if you have not already. It has worked for many people without any side effects. I think it is worth a try. Also, might want to try using rogaine and maybe a shampoo like Revita or Niz to help compliment the propecia.

 

If you are taking Propecia already and having those problems, it might be best to dump it and try out some of the other products.

[Rick055]

Originally posted by jsam72:

I am considering canceling the HT b/c there is no way I can take this stuff one day longer and I know the results won't be as good.

 

This is the part that really pisses me off. I look at all these guys getting HTs, and everybody's on propecia.

 

I feel like you can't even get an HT without taking it. But what if you have intolerable sides? Should you forego the HT?!?

 

I mean, what is a NW6 really going to accomplish by using fin?

 

I am thinking about trying 1 pill EOD. My DHT is high, so I don't think fin will kill it all, and as I understand it, that's what causes sides.

[notgoing2gobald]

I see plenty of guys who have ht's after they are already totally bald and look great. Jotronic, Bobman, Futzy, London Lad, Shuffle, etc, etc...

 

So, I wonder why anyone would assume the outcome of a ht would not be as good if they were on meds? Typically the best expectations are to halt future loss. Could some of these guys mentioned above have further loss if they don't use meds? Possibly. But worst case scenario they will still have a great head of hair for many years to come.

Also, its been posted by one of the docs on here (not sure if it was Mejia or Bheener) that propecia begins to lose its efficacy after 10 years. So at best it is only a temporary solution anyway. I don't see why it would make or break a ht...

[hairdude83]

hey guys, i know the side effects as well..

 

Try taking half a tablet a day its much better.

 

I took 1 tablet a day for 3 weeks started seeing decrease in sex drive. Now i take a half a tablet back to normal.

 

give it a shot nothing to loose!

[hairdude83]

and btw is there any other drugs we can try apart from propecia or prscar?

 

and also can we get out DHT check via blood? how does that work, is it a special test or does it come in normal blood test report.

 

ok cheers

[Rick055]

Originally posted by notgoing2gobald:

I see plenty of guys who have ht's after they are already totally bald and look great. Jotronic, Bobman, Futzy, London Lad, Shuffle, etc, etc...

 

So, I wonder why anyone would assume the outcome of a ht would not be as good if they were on meds? Typically the best expectations are to halt future loss. Could some of these guys mentioned above have further loss if they don't use meds? Possibly. But worst case scenario they will still have a great head of hair for many years to come.

Also, its been posted by one of the docs on here (not sure if it was Mejia or Bheener) that propecia begins to lose its efficacy after 10 years. So at best it is only a temporary solution anyway. I don't see why it would make or break a ht...

 

This is the part that stymies me - I think all of those you mentioned STILL take finasteride!

[Rick055]

Originally posted by hairdude83:

and btw is there any other drugs we can try apart from propecia or prscar?

 

and also can we get out DHT check via blood? how does that work, is it a special test or does it come in normal blood test report.

 

ok cheers

 

Yes, you can check DHT with a blood test. Although from a prostate POV it may not correlate well, I think there is a direct correlation between serum DHT and hairloss.

[deano]

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the body's natural defence against its opposite counterpart, Estrogen (E). While Testosterone (T) does go up in males when DHT is inhibited, this leaves the door open for E to increase to variable extents. E is responsible for the sexual side effects in men, which is the female sex hormone secreted by the ovary and responsible for typical female sexual characteristics. Both men and women can produce these two potent hormones, although E is kept low in men and DHT/T is kept likewise in women. DHT of course is responsible for the initial development of sexual characteristics from the day the male fetus is created and is required for body and facial hair right up to the complete development of a male at the age of 18-22. T is responsible for the development of male secondary sexual characteristics like sex drive and muscle development; however DHT does make T available at the receptor level in the muscle.

 

Suppressing DHT between the ages of 18-22 doesn't seem to have a drastic effect, as DHT has fulfilled its primary role in the body, however, as stated above, some men may experience an increase in E. Although T always increases at the beginning of treatment by about 10-15%, it can go down again, even below the baseline, if more T is being converted to E. Now the main thing is that every-body is different. Some men may experience an increase in their sex drive when their T levels go up and their E levels stay relatively the same and most men will notice no difference in their sex drive or other sexual characteristic side effects at all.

 

Some men will notice slight to severe sexual side effects, and after discontinuation of treatment, will soon notice everything going back to normal as the hormonal system, (DHT, T, and E) readjust to pre-treatment levels. The problem is, in a true minority of men, they may not recover at all. Their hormonal system has been thrown out of balance like the average user experiencing sexual side effects; however, their system cannot readjust itself to pre-treatment state, thus impairing the hormonal system permanently. This can also happen when coming off the drugs despite having not experienced any side effects while administering them. The dutasteride half-life is 5 weeks, but stays present in the body's serum for up to 4 to 6 months, meaning side effects may not subside for this length of time. Any side effects associated with finasteride which has a half life of only 6-15hrs, and may stay present in the body's serum for up to 4 weeks, should subside after a month. Remember that extremely rarely, perhaps 1 in 20,000 men, will be unable to readjust to pre-treatment condition due to genetics or a predisposition. Coming on and off the drugs, changes in doses, and missing doses, can all increase the chance of side effects.

[Guest]

Could it be the shifting of T and E that is causing my dizziness? I was experiencing the dizziness as far out as 8 months when I took 1/4 Proscar tabs daily. I was surprised this time around only .5mg of Propecia EOD could cause it as well. I wonder if the 5% Rogaine foam added to it? It states that dizziness and headaches can be side effects.