Stopping Propecia?

[markhenry]

I've been using Propecia since 1999, and with great results, I would say my hair looks almost exactly as it did when I started. Now I did start early, after I first detected the hair loss in the shower at age 22.

 

I've started to get increasingly paranoid about all of the side effects being reported, and I would like to stop using Propecia. I'm not sure if I've had any side effects, but there have definitely been a few things that may have been related.

 

Since I started so early, I wonder how much hair I really would have lost, I'm definitely afraid to find out. I feel lucky to have had my hair this long, and I would like to preserve it as long as possible. Given that I'm now 34, with basically a full head of hair, what would everyone recommend I do to maintain it?

 

Do the genetic tests do anything?

 

Yesterday was the first day I stopped Propecia. Today I bought 5% Rogaine, and now I'm looking at the laser comb and various shampoos. Should I use the Rogaine? I'm not really sure what to do first. I'm in Los Angeles, is there someone I should see. Since I get to start with a lot of hair, I want to be proactive about taking care of it.

[TakingThePlunge]

Mar,

 

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. To some degree you may be able to predict how much hair loss you are in store for by looking at your family history. But, hair loss is a wild card and anything is possible.

 

One thing we do know is that Propecia is a DHT inhibitor and works very differently than does Rogaine. Thus, they do not typically act upon the same hairs. Rogaine will not maintain hair growth from Propecia and vice versa.

 

Only time will tell how your hair will react to stopping finasteride but it is common to experience catch up hair loss within the first two months of discontinuation. Your hair may rapidly take on the balding pattern it would have had if you had never started the drug in the first place. Of course, you may be lucky and for you that may not be much. In fact, I stopped taking finasteride around 5 months ago or so and have not yet seen increased shedding.

 

Here is a list of the hair restoration physicians we recommend in California. I know that Dr. Rassman performs miniaturization examinations and you may find that informative.

 

Personally, I do recommend starting minoxidil as a precaution.

 

Best of luck!

[HARIRI]

Congratulation...Stay away from this poison... Stick to anything that can help your hair loss defence.. Minoxidil, Azelaic acid, saw palmetto..etc. In the internet forums and medical ask help websites, there are loads of complaints about this irritating drug that turns you for a real man to a p**** (you know what I mean). A libido killer in short words, maybe most of the users of the drug started using some viagra or cialis for covering its sides. There are many cases against Propecia and Merck recently from different countries if you browse the net well. They are just like Marlboro, smoking kills but people love it.

[gasto]

There have been many reported suicides from the depression that the prolonged usage of Finasteride may induce. In fact, I had suicidal thoughts when in treatment with Propecia.

 

I take a lot of natural suplements, they seem to help at maintaining the hairs that are not sensible to DHT, which is great if you want a hair transplant in the future.

 

Angelica(Dong Quai) and Biotion, to mention a few, are very helpful at healthy hair growth.

[Rockstar]

Why so negativity about Finasteride all of a sudden?

Started using it 20days back.

Should i stop using it now??

[Blake Bloxham]

Mark,

 

As you've seen, continual Propecia (finasteride) usage truly helps patients maintain hair and halt progressive hair loss. However, the "downside" of the treatment is that if you stop the medication, you'll lose any stabilized and new growth, and the hair loss process will resume.

 

Altogether, the sexual side effects are (officially) reported in 0.2 to 3% of individuals, and allegedly reverse after stopping the medication. However, as I'm sure you're aware, several organizations are starting to reevaluate Propecia and careful examine the potential for sexual dysfunction.

 

If you've been on the drug without noticeable side effects for over a decade, it's difficult to recommend quitting, but as long as you're aware that the hair thinning process will resume, the decision is ultimately up to you.

 

Feel free to ask any additional questions!

[zenmunk]

markhenry,

 

I, too, am a long-term finasteride user (started a year before you). If you do indeed stay off of propecia, I'd really appreciate periodic updates regarding:

 

1) your physical and psycho-emotional states - Any side-effects after stopping? If so, how long before they went away? - questions like that.

 

2) how much hair loss you experience (if any), and when?

 

I've also become somewhat paranoid about continuing finasteride use despite having a battery of tests done to determine if I'm OK. So far, so good (I guess ), but who really knows for sure? I sometimes wonder how stopping the meds would affect my overall sense of well-being (maybe improve it?). I've been on it for so long I can't remember how I felt before starting. I also wonder if I'd experience side effects after stopping, because my body has become dependent on the meds to whatever degree.

 

Anyway, I hope to hear how you're feeling post-finasteride in the months ahead. Thanks a lot, and good luck.

 

z

[gasto]

I felt very sensible to any emotional situation, seldom very simple problems would make me want to cry, I'd take everything in the negative meaning, I'd exert a huge effort to stay neutral(not even mildly delighted), and as I wrote before, I had suicidal thoughts. I had no idea it had such huge impact until I read it and quit the medication.

 

After stopping the medication of finasteride, the depression receded.

[trapps99]

have been off propecia for about a year now......and would never go back for the sake of some hairs...I have been through 4 p[rocedures so if happens to thin a little in the back i would rather wear a small piece......My sexual drive has finally gotten back to normal after all those years and personally i dont thi its worth taking for a bit of hair.....( uinless you have no side effects then thats a bonus )

Just my two cents...the stuff has some nasty sides and youll see for yourself once your off.......too bad it didnt INCREASE your libido.....

[Shampoo]

Future_HT_Doc

 

what are your thoughts on Propecia vs Avodart?

[zenmunk]

trapps99,

 

- how long were you on propecia before you quit?

 

- was decreased libido the only side effect you experienced?

 

- did any of your sides increase after discontinuation?

 

- have all of your sides resolved now after one year?

 

- have you lost any hair since stopping propecia?

 

Thanks,

 

z

[trapps99]

Zenmunk,,,

was on for about 6 years.....

sexual sides were the only effect i could think of, but im sure that alone would cased mild depression ( which thinking back might have had )

About a year after stopping it just gradualy got back to normal, no more effects whatsoever....

My hair loss has stabilized, and since i had my 4th surgery its alot fuller anyways.....

 

i also did a few months on effexor, which kills sex drive as well but you feel so great you dont care...

with propecia your sex drive dies but you worry and are deflated about it...hence causing depression in some....

[zenmunk]

Thank you for your reply, trapps99. Glad to hear all of your sides eventually resolved.

 

I've been on propecia so long that I can't remember what I felt like before starting it (13+ years). If I have sides, they are so minor that they don't register after such a long time. If they exist, they've become my "new normal."

 

However, I often wonder what I'd feel like if I stop. I wonder if my overall quality of life or sense of well-being would improve. That, plus staying on meds for non-medical reasons never sit too well with me, and the recent attention to finasteride side effects leaves one feeling unnerved. Lastly, I'd save a lot of money if I quit.

 

Propecia has been quite successful for me and the detectable sides (if any) are very minor, so it's a very hard decision. When I think about losing all of the hair I've preserved it really disturbs me, but it also disturbs me to think of what the meds may be doing to my body on levels that are not easily detectable.

[trapps99]

no problem...

its a tough call....i was in your same shoes and was getting used to the sides as the new normal way of life....i didnt realize how much it effected me until i actually did stop......

Have you cansidered using Rogaine to see if that works just as well?????

[zenmunk]

trapps99,

 

Wow, hearing how much of a positive difference discontinuation made for you, especially since you didn't experience major sides, is really food for thought. It's encouraging to know all of your sides eventually cleared up, too.

 

I tried Rogaine long ago for a short time. I really didn't like the process and how it felt, but if I decide to get off the propecia, then I'll probably give it another try. Although I have a feeling it won't work nearly as well as the propecia has.

 

Decisions, decisions... All I can say is hair loss really sucks!

 

z

[hsrp10]

I stopped taking finasteride around 5 months ago or so and have not yet seen increased shedding.

 

David, did you stay off of Fin?

I would like to know how your current status is if you are taking or not.

 

I have been off for 6 months now, after having been on it for about 2 years or more.

I saw progressive loss while on Fin in the front, even after a great frontal HT.

 

Recently have seen some hairloss, which I am trying to determine if it is post HT#2 shockloss or slowly shedding from being off Fin. Have not had anything major, so am really on the fence about restarting Fin.

thanks.

[TakingThePlunge]

I never resumed taking finasteride although I have considered it. I'm 45 and my daughter was born this past August. I have no plans for more kids but one of the odd things that happened to me shortly after starting finasteride was the appearance of cystic acne which continues to plague me off and on to this day. I have no idea it they are related but I'm concerned about about exacerbating it

 

I last updated the status of my hair loss last May. You can read it here. I haven't taken any recent pics but I'm sure this is still representative. Hope this helps.

 

Stopping Finasteride for Now

Edited June 24, 2014 by David - TakingThePlunge

[hsrp10]

thanks for your update and the link David, I think you did the right thing in stopping.

I had my kids before taking Propecia and another one is on the way and thank god I had stopped when we conceived. No matter what they say, it may be safer to stop when having kids.

 

I was plagued by sebum plugs and greasy scalp in my case.

[markhenry]

Sorry for the long delay in update...

 

It's now been over 2 years since I've stopped (I'm now 36), and my hair has definitely thinned quite a bit and receded some. If it stopped today, I wouldn't complain, but I've said that every week for a long time and the march continues. In the right lighting (overhead bathroom usually) you can see most of my scalp now, and the difference in my hairline has started to become visible in pictures. I have not taken minoxidil or pursued any other treatments.

 

I want to go see a doctor about this before it gets worse, from the way my hair has thinned, I'm pretty sure I will be completely bald within a few years. I'm going through this list now (I'm in Los Angeles):

California Hair Transplant Clinics

 

As far as propecia, I would say I had 4 side effects I didn't realize until I went off the drug (even when I posted to the forum) - keep in mind, it did work amazing for my hair...

 

1. Depression - 6 months after starting propecia I developed a panic/anxiety disorder. I didn't realize there could be a connection until after I stopped the propecia. I took anti-anxiety drugs (which are the same as anti-depressant drugs) for many years alongside the propecia. After 7-8 years on the propecia I had terrible depression - even as the anxiety was managed by the other medication. Honestly, the only thing that kept me going was knowing what it would do to my family. When I look back on this now (2 years off of propecia) I can barely recognize myself.

 

2. Sexual - No problems with arousal, just difficult to finish. I won't say there weren't times this was beneficial, but for the most part sex could be very frustrating. Sex is MUCH better now...

 

3. Testosterone Levels - Not as certain about this, as I never had my levels tested, but the physical differences in me (musculature, body fat) during the times I was on and off propecia are huge, and very noticeable. (I did not have gynocomastia, but higher fat, lower muscle, lower strength) A doctor friend of mine who treats many transgender patients mentioned this drug is commonly used to help them along. I didn't get into dosages or anything, and I didn't undergo any transformation, but there was definitely a difference for me.

 

4. Alcohol (started year 13) - this is actually what got me to the doctor, keeping in mind I was not aware of #1-3 while on propecia. At first I was just getting unusually bad hangovers, then I would wake up early in the night with my skin burning and my head exploding, then I would have hangovers within an hour of drinking. My GP told me it was the propecia, the dermatologist said it wasn't, but 6 months after quitting I could drink normally again. And I'm talking about a couple drinks, not anything crazy.

 

Anyway - when I look back at it all, I lost many years to severe depression and anxiety, almost certainly wasn't worth it - but you can't look at life that way, and who knows what propecia was responsible for and what it wasn't.

 

Hope this is helpful, I'm looking for transplants now, and feel mentally and physically better than I have since 1999.

[hsrp10]

I want to go see a doctor about this before it gets worse, from the way my hair has thinned, I'm pretty sure I will be completely bald within a few years. I'm going through this list now (I'm in Los Angeles):

California Hair Transplant Clinics

 

Sorry to hear about your continued loss. I believe it can affect us in different ways, and actually I've reluctantly restarted at 2x week on Mondays and Fridays as a maintenance

(had already been through the long-term usage of ED and EOD for close to three years)

I feel it does affect my sleep negatively.

 

Anyway, I wanted to mention to not limit yourself to CA doctors only, the overwhelming consensus is to not be afraid to travel for the best results. Try to go with the very best doctor instead of the closest one. Good luck

[london81]

Personally I think if you've been on Propecia for so long and had good results it would be wise to stay on if you still wanted to maintain your hair. I don't think Propecia or any shampoos will do what Propecia does. It's down to personal choice of course to weigh up the options....

[markhenry]

If it weren't for all the side effects, I would love to be back on it. But definitely not worth it for me anymore.

 

Although with all that, the reason I quit was because of the threat of permanent ED. Not that I had any ED on this drug, but the idea...so not worth it.

[london81]

I'm glad you have had no sides such as ED BUT I have heard of cases of people quitting fin and then developing this so called 'Post Finasteride Syndrome' which only seems to hit them AFTER quitting fin and from what they tell me these side effects haven't gone away after they quit. It may not happen to you and I don't think anyone really knows about it but a couple of guys have had this recently when stopping fin.