Importance of meds with transplant

[Maxxy]

had very little side effects except tectucular pain,penis curving to the left,shrinkage,wrinkling

 

Do you really feel that finasteride caused you to get wrinkles and yet caused the skin on you penis to become so tight, it made your penis smaller and curve?

 

Edit:

If only Merck could find a drug that had the opposite effect, there would be a lot of happy women/men. ;-)

 

If I'm reading it wrong, what do think the Finasteride is doing in order for it to cause the curve and shrinking?

[thanatopsis_awry]

LOL! That was surprisingly funny to read.

 

I agree w/ hairthere, though -- that's the route I'd ideally like to go, too.

[Bill - Seemiller]

I just want to add my two cents to this discussion.

 

Whereas I would never minimize the reality that Propecia comes with the possibility of side effects, quite possibly even more frequently then is reported by Merck - I'm a bit skeptical of some of the reports I've read over on Propeciahelp.com. I'm not suggesting that all people posting their experiences are lying about their conditions. However, I am suggesting that some of the ailments they are experiencing may have nothing to do with Propecia.

 

If indeed Propecia came with the risk of side effects not reported on Merck's website and this was proven, Merck would be required by law to report it.

 

Pale rider, you are reporting some of the known side effects of Propecia and several others that are not. For instance, how do you know that symptoms you are experiencing such as increased anger, loss of motivation, shortness of breath, and having a curved penis have anything to do with Propecia use?

 

Personally, I think anyone who is experiencing strange symptoms regardless of whether or not they suspect it's due to taking Propecia, should consult with a doctor for a check-up.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Severn]

Originally posted by thanatopsis_awry:

Sev, I also experienced that phenomina, and it thankfully subsided like yours.

 

When fin stopped working for you did it seem to stop altogether, or was it gradual and its potency just leveled off?

 

It was very gradual. I slowly lost all the hair I had gained on finisteride. I kept taking it for about a year longer out of fear that if I stopped, I would start losing even more but this did not happen. I watched my hairloss closely after I stopped taking it and nothing really changed for the next year. The drug had done all it could for me.

[thanatopsis_awry]

That sucks, Sev, and it's always troubling to hear that happen. I'm coming up on my fourth year right now....

 

If I could just squeeze another couple years before I have to carpetbomb myself in grafts I'd be so grateful.

 

In your experience or research into fin, have you found the losing of its efficacy to be very rare? I know some doctors who have been prescribing it for like a decade report but a handful of patients saying that it lost potency to an appreciable degree.

[Severn]

Originally posted by thanatopsis_awry:

That sucks, Sev, and it's always troubling to hear that happen. I'm coming up on my fourth year right now....

 

If I could just squeeze another couple years before I have to carpetbomb myself in grafts I'd be so grateful.

 

In your experience or research into fin, have you found the losing of its efficacy to be very rare? I know some doctors who have been prescribing it for like a decade report but a handful of patients saying that it lost potency to an appreciable degree.

 

From reading another forum ages ago that got me started on Fin, I thought finisteride losing its potency was the rule instead of the exception. Kind of like what happens with minox. But apparently most are still reaping the benefits a decade later. I guess I'm the exception in two ways. I was one of the rare cases where finisteride and minox both individually created a full restoration of my crown, but both stopped working completely after about 4 years.

 

I've read theories that in some men, the follicles actually slowly develop more DHT receptors to compensate for the blockage that finisteride causes. Hence why it ends up back where you started. And if you stop you now have a rush of DHT flooding follicles with twice the DHT receptors which leads to accelerated hair loss. I have no idea if this is theory or something back by fact though.

 

However, I don't mind that it doesn't work for me anymore. Dr. Shapiro heavily carpet bombed the entire problem area. In nine months, I should be able to put this behind me for life unless I want to do some hairline work in the future. So even if they discover some miracle genetic cure for hairloss tomorrow, it doesn't affect me. My hair loss journey has pretty much ended.

[thanatopsis_awry]

Interesting. Thx for the disclosure. I wonder if your extrordinary reaction to fin on the positive end is in any way tied to your ultimate end with it.

 

My friend who spoke with Dr. Hasson reported -- unequivocally -- that Hasson said they have had but a small handful of cases of people reporting appreciably weakened efficacy (and they've been prescribing since the beginning).

 

When I go see Dr. Feller I'll have to get his data-opinion.

 

Anyways, you indeed did get quite the carpetbombing so now you just have to assure balded bozos like myself still grappling with things like propecia.

[Severn]

Yep, when I consutled with I think Jo at H&W, he seemed surprised when I reported I stopped because it no longer did me any good. That's when I realized I was a rare case that responded so well, and a rare case where it later stopped working all together.

 

If it had continued to work for me I definitely would not have needed a transplant. I would say it restored all my crown hair from 5-10 FU/CM2 back up to 50+.

[pale rider]

BULLSH&*%$!All you guys want to do is down play the situation.This crap is poison.

 

I'll repeat it again for the thick headed~Do you think the corrupt FDA cares about U? Greed is everywhere pharmseutical companies especially.They pay off the doctors with kick backs & insentives.They are stuffing their pockets at your expense.Merk is a huge global company and their reps are on this site trying to convince you its safe~WRONG!!!!!!!!!

 

You guy are intelligent do your own research. I'm here to tell you the statitics are wrong it affects a vast majority of men.

 

Try weening of the drug for a few months and get some blood test while keeping a log or journal.Be your own best judge.This stuff affect your natural Test.

 

Go w/an HT but have a good course of action/strategy but putting irregular substance in your body is not healthy.

 

Bill~On a light note I have documented my progess or degress on a journal w/having blood test.Some symptons have stopped but many remain.Then I found propeciahelp.com and found many men suffer from post-fina symptons.

 

My quest is only to help you folks out~honorable intent but inevitably the choice is yours!

[Maxxy]

People aren't being thick-headed or trying to down-play the situation, it's just not everyone has experienced the same side effects as you have and the others on Propeciahelp... Others are asking questions and sharing their experience with Finasteride which is the whole point of the forum.

 

They pay off the doctors with kick backs & insentives.They are stuffing their pockets at your expense.Merk is a huge global company and their reps are on this site

 

Do you really think this is the case? What kick-backs are transplant doctors getting? Would it not be better financially for the doctors to recommend against Finasteride and thus performing more transplants? Most people won't even purchase Finasteride from a transplant clinic.

[mmhce]

What kick-backs are transplant doctors getting? Would it not be better financially for the doctors to recommend against Finasteride and thus performing more transplants? Most people won't even purchase Finasteride from a transplant clinic.

 

Makes sense, and it's true, most persons really don't buy finasteride from the clinic.

[Bill - Seemiller]

pale rider,

 

I think you need to relax a bit. Personal insults, obscenities, and hateful messages are in violation of our terms of service.

 

You are welcome to post here, but be respectful. Honestly, I don't think anyone (including me) is trying to downplay your experience. Members are simply responding based on their own experience. It's just odd that PropeciaHelp.com is full of members with problems while members of the largest hair restoration community on the web (ours) aren't reporting these types of extreme problems. I'm not insinuating anyone's lying here...only pointing out my observations.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Maxxy]

I believe the people on Propeciahelp are experiencing most if not all the problems they are stating. I don't think, however, that all the issues are a direct result of the drug itself and may be psychological or totally unrelated.

 

I think the reason for Propeciahelp being one-sided is that most users have found the site as a direct result of looking for information on side effects (being in doubt even before finding the site) - where as this site covers a whole range of subjects thus producing more objective opinions all round.

 

I went on Propeciahelp a long time ago but I wouldn't go on now. I honestly believe a lot of the side effects are psychological (or unrelated), especially the sexual ones - we all know impotence is a possible side effect when using Finasteride; You go on Propeciahelp... read the 100s of posts about guys not being to get it up and *bang!*, it's stuck in your head. The next time you're with a girl/guy and nervous enough as it is the dreaded thought comes "Finasteride is making me impotent". Next thing you know - no ones getting lucky.

 

I went through this some years ago, I was certain Fin was making me impotent or atleast difficult to get an erection, I even spoke to my doctor about it. He asked me a question that quickly proved it was all in my head. He asked "do you ever wake up with an erection?" (which I often do ).

 

This proved to me it was psychological and I honestly believe a result of reading countless posts regarding the subject on Propeciahelp and other sites.

 

People read something and think "hey that's happening to me!", pretty soon Finasteride is getting blamed for anything and everything that you experience, then even the side effects you aren't experiencing, you worry about so much - your mind makes happen.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I am in NO way suggesting this is always the case, I'm sure a lot of people are having some pretty nasty side effects but I honestly believe the above is the case for a lot of people's side effects. Of course a psychological side effect is still a side effect and hard to deal with but not one you can blame on Finastaride.

 

If people choose to keep reading Finasteride horror stories day in and day out, I'm sure these and new side effects will continue.

[mmhce]

I agree that erectile dysfunction may be largely psychological, but what I have always been concerned about, is possible fertility implications, and there are studies that indicate that spermatogenesis is affected by the consumption of finasteride(though it seems the side effects are reversible)