Senior Member MyNameIsRich Posted July 4, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted July 4, 2013 Hey everybody, Just wanted to check in and see what was going on , but also figured I should post update as I feel it could help benefit quite a few people, and wish I had known this from day 1. Apologies if some of this isn't worded too well, I'm tired as hell and feel a bit under the weather today. I first started taking Finpecia (generic propecia brand) in October 2011, And within days I was getting the dreaded side effects, so I stopped taking it a few weeks later. Within an few weeks, my sexual function had returned to normal and I just stuck to using Rogaine foam for a while. Over the course of the next 6 months or so, I experimented with different dosages, but still kept the mindset that "I'm just not suited for this drug" because of the sides, but after more research, and the realisation that "A tiny bit of finasteride is better than no finasteride at all", I started taking the drug again, and have since not stopped. This was early August 2012, so basically a year ago. I stated my dosage off at something like 1/3 of a 1mg pill, every 3 days, and with this, I was experiencing side effects, but, they were a lot less troublesome and worrying for me, and having been in somewhat of a sexual relationship at the time, it was the perfect test to see just how much it would affect me, if at all. I definitely found that, in a 'bedroom situation', there really was no problem. As time went on, understandably, I wanted to increase my dosage, just to see if the side effects would worsen. I wanted to find the highest possible dosage I could get on to, before it became too much to deal with. I experimented with 1/2 mg every 3 days for a while, and with this the side effects did seem amplified, so I would switch back and forth every few days and take 1/3 mg if I felt I needed less of the drug in my system. Over the course of many months, i'd grown used to the regime, and it didn't bother me as much - I wasn't worrying about the what ifs, I'd just grown to accept that this was probably doing some good for me, and I could still have sex, so why complain? I also have been somewhat depressed over the last few years, and I really believe that this, paired with the anxiety of propecia has made it harder to become aroused, and to accept that I probably won't be as sexually promiscuous as the 16 year old version of myself who didn't have a care in the world. More months passed, and I had just started watching Spencer Kobren's 'The Bald Truth' show, as well as reading his book. This really helped me, as it made me realise that even if I was part of the small percentage getting side effects; I was very much aware of them before ever taking the drug, and was no doubt expecting them to occur. Research of Propecia scares a LOT of people off ever looking at the drug again, but I'm part of the mindset that would take it, and tolerate some side effects, rather than suffering with hairloss. By very gradually (I'm talking months at a time, and without any planning other than 'When it feels safe to do so') increasing my dosage, I am now at 1/2 a mg every day. Yes, I am still getting some side effects (mainly reduced ejaculate, not a lot else going wrong now) but I'm sure that with time this will become less of an issue, and within another year I should be on 1mg daily. My advice to anybody who feels they can't take Propecia, is to just start off on a really small dosage. DON'T have a plan, of a few weeks/months to get upto 1mg, this can cause you more harm than good, and it isn't a race. if it takes you two years to get to 1mg, that's better than never at all, right? I'm not a doctor, and I don't take 'bro-science' too seriously myself, but surely a bit of Proecia every 3 or so days is better than nothing at all, considering it can stay in your system for up to a week, or so. I'd also recommend people spend less time on forums, because it can be a breeding ground for unintentional negativity, the negativity that will probably make a worrying users side effects much worse. The best advice I ever got was from Spex, and Spencer Kobren's show. Go read his book, go watch his show, and I'm sure that you can change your underlying worries about taking this drug. Peace Click to check my hair blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Calgacus Posted July 4, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted July 4, 2013 Thanks for sharing. I started out cutting up a generic 5mg finasteride into sixths, but I found it difficult to chop it up accurately. After only about a week or so of doing that, I decided to quarter it and take a quarter every M-W-F. Finally, I settled on a quarter a day. That was 5 months ago. I was, like most, well aware of the sexual disfunction scare stories associated with this drug, ....and for that reason, I cannot definitely attribute any 'sides' to my finasteride use. Side effects, if any, could well have been psychosomatic. Regimen: Finasteride (1.25mg): Daily. Minoxidil (5%): Twice Daily. Super Biotin (5000mcg) Vitamin Supplement; Daily Silica Complex; Daily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member 1978matt Posted July 4, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted July 4, 2013 Good post. As you can see below, my dose is ridiculously small but I'm sure it has improved my hair. 4,312 FUT grafts (7,676 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2013 1,145 FUE grafts (3,152 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2018 763 FUE grafts (2,094 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - January 2020 Proscar 1.25mg every 3rd day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member KO Posted July 4, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted July 4, 2013 Just so you know, reduced ejaculate is not exactly a side effect, rather a consequence of a shrinking prostate, I believe, something that the drug was designed to do! Have you had other sides? 3382 FUE Lupanzula http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185463-3382-grafts-lupanzula.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member MyNameIsRich Posted July 4, 2013 Author Senior Member Share Posted July 4, 2013 Just so you know, reduced ejaculate is not exactly a side effect, rather a consequence of a shrinking prostate, I believe, something that the drug was designed to do! Have you had other sides? Wouldn't reduced ejaculate mean less chances of getting somebody pregnant, though? Other sides I've had have just been with erections, but this is much less of a problem now. Click to check my hair blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member KO Posted July 4, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted July 4, 2013 Wouldn't reduced ejaculate mean less chances of getting somebody pregnant, though? That has more to do with sperm count rather than seminal fluid volume. (AFAIK) 3382 FUE Lupanzula http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185463-3382-grafts-lupanzula.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Torip Posted July 5, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted July 5, 2013 Hey MyNameIsRich, Your experience with with Finasteride seems like mine. I tried taking Finax made by Dr. Reddy labs in India over the past 3 years. I tried in different doses like 0.5 mg every 3 days etc. I was having severe "brain fog" which I could not tolerate. But things changed completely when I started taking Propecia instead of Finax. I recently visited a HT doctor and he gave me a sample of Propecia. I tried it and there were no side affects at all. I have been on Propecia for the past 1.5 months, 1mg/day. No brain fog, not much depression (only for few hours after taking a pill), and not much sexual side affects. All this time I was thinking Finasteride is same every where. But does not seem so from my experience. I lost 3 precious years, loosing a lot more hair. I see that you are taking Finpecia, made by a company called Cipla in India. My advice is to switch to Propecia or Proscar. I doubt the quality standards in making Finpecia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member MyNameIsRich Posted July 6, 2013 Author Senior Member Share Posted July 6, 2013 Hey MyNameIsRich, Your experience with with Finasteride seems like mine. I tried taking Finax made by Dr. Reddy labs in India over the past 3 years. I tried in different doses like 0.5 mg every 3 days etc. I was having severe "brain fog" which I could not tolerate. But things changed completely when I started taking Propecia instead of Finax. I recently visited a HT doctor and he gave me a sample of Propecia. I tried it and there were no side affects at all. I have been on Propecia for the past 1.5 months, 1mg/day. No brain fog, not much depression (only for few hours after taking a pill), and not much sexual side affects. All this time I was thinking Finasteride is same every where. But does not seem so from my experience. I lost 3 precious years, loosing a lot more hair. I see that you are taking Finpecia, made by a company called Cipla in India. My advice is to switch to Propecia or Proscar. I doubt the quality standards in making Finpecia. I can't afford to switch to Propecia, it's far too expensive if I'm getting towards the 1mg daily dosage. Maybe Proscar in the future, but for now, as i'm cutting under 1mg, I'll stick with Finpecia. You could be right, but I don't want to be sceptical about something that seems to be working. Click to check my hair blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member KO Posted July 6, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted July 6, 2013 According to Jotronic, finpecia is made by Cipla under license from Merck, verify it, but it has given good results in the past. Or that means that the Indian guys who take fin are all getting screwed... 3382 FUE Lupanzula http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185463-3382-grafts-lupanzula.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member MyNameIsRich Posted July 7, 2013 Author Senior Member Share Posted July 7, 2013 According to Jotronic, finpecia is made by Cipla under license from Merck, verify it, but it has given good results in the past. Or that means that the Indian guys who take fin are all getting screwed... Think I should switch to Proscar then? That's made my Merck, right? Click to check my hair blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member KO Posted July 7, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted July 7, 2013 I think Cipla should be ok, but you can do whatever makes you comfortable. 3382 FUE Lupanzula http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185463-3382-grafts-lupanzula.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bargario Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 everyone is different i don't believe in a one dosage fits all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member MyNameIsRich Posted July 7, 2013 Author Senior Member Share Posted July 7, 2013 everyone is different i don't believe in a one dosage fits all I agree, but the higher the dosage, the better chances you have of fighting DHT at the source. Click to check my hair blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Rothki Posted July 7, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted July 7, 2013 i take 1/8 of proscar tablet each day, pretty hard to cut up but i manage to cut it up into roughly 8th's i havent noticed any sides from this dosage, not too sure if it is doing anything for my hair but im sure it must be doing something My Hair Transplant Blog! My Hair Transplant Thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teebon Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 I think Cipla should be ok, but you can do whatever makes you comfortable. isn't cipla brand only called "finpecia" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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