Finasteride Game Plan

[MayiraP0chu]

Hi again!

 

I have become like this vampire thats clung on to the back with never ending questions.

 

This one is the most important one of all so far. I need a game plan people.

 

I have been taking Finasteride 1 mg (Finpecia, manufactured by Cipla) for close to two months now. I started taking it from the 10 th day post my hair transplant, as advised by my doctor.

 

I was able to notice watery semen straight away. And also 'some' reduction in erection strength. As expected. And that was it. It settled down right there and it became the 'new normal'.

 

But, after nearly two months, this week I have had a sudden, considerable drop in erection strength (two occurrences). I am still able to get it up though. But, I am guessing its alarmingly close to trouble.

 

I am still continuing to take the tablet. I don't want to panic and stop it right way, unless it is the right thing to do.

 

I have read random posts here in HRN suggesting to continue and that it would be back to normal in a while. There are some about cutting down the dose working pretty well for them.

 

What's the game plan here for me? I haven't talked to my doctor yet. I am waiting to have a go at it after a few days and report it to her for her recommendation.

 

 

Things worth mentioning:

 

1. I have been sorta feeling feverish the whole week. With mucous formation etc etc. Haven't taken any medications for that yet as its still not a proper fever yet. (I don't know if being feverish will bring down erection drastically. Never really bothered to notice these before.)

2. In the beginning of the week, I bit the Fin pill accidentally while swallowing. (The broken pill is a 'no no' for the women folk is what is cautioned. So, don't think that is a problem.)

3. I have been eating the same and the days have been the same. Generally a healthy, adequately nutritious diet.

4. I never took tests or anything to test the testosterone levels before starting Fin.

5. Never have taken Fin before.

6. Have been taking it post breakfast everyday.

7. Its been 5 days since noticing the first sign of trouble.

8. Not just while trying, but feeling sober down there in general.

8. Absolutely no other side effects. At least nothing noticeable so far.

9. 33 years old.

10. And, no! Its not in my head. Its real!

Edited September 23, 2017 by MayiraP0chu

[Speegs]

I doubt you're experiencing sexual dysfunction from finasteride, but you could have self induced performance anxiety and have psyched yourself out with a sort of self fulfilling prophecy.

 

You need to give finasteride much more time than two months to see meaningful results.

 

Reality is the minority of finasteride users that experience sexual side effects are of an age group prone to sexual dysfunction that coincidentally coincides with their use of the drug and that they erroneously self diagnose as the product of taking finasteride.

 

A man in the prime of his life at 33 is doubtful to have his testosterone adversely effected to the point of erectile dysfunction by a 1mg finasteride tablet.

 

Just the same, only a clinical diagnosis can properly assess your concerns and I am not a medical professional.

[MayiraP0chu]

I doubt you're experiencing sexual dysfunction from finasteride, but you could have self induced performance anxiety and have psyched yourself out with a sort of self fulfilling prophecy.

 

Lol Speegs! Thanks for your input mate. But, no. I am meticulous, which can often be mistaken for anxiety. I am the last person to get anxious. You can only appreciate it if you know me. Anyways, if it was self induced anxiety or that I am indulging in any sorts of paranoia, I wouldn't be calm and continuing the drug. This is precisely why I included point number 10 in my original post. I knew people are going to say I am imagining it.

 

After noticing the mild effects like watery semen and embracing the 'new normal' in the first week, I had forgotten about Fin until I was reminded of it this week.

 

I hope it's obvious I want to continue taking it, as we all know, Fin is the only drug that's going to help. So, I am looking for a strategy on how to go from here.

Edited September 23, 2017 by MayiraP0chu

[Al - Moderator]

Sickness can certainly affect your erections, so it could be that. You may also want to try skipping taking it one day each week to get it out of your system without really hurting the effectiveness of it. You can experiment with it and try skipping a day once every 2 weeks if you like.

 

When I was taking it I didn't really have a certain time of day or schedule to take it and I skipped once in a while. I think that worked better for me than being so meticulous about how much to take and when.

[MayiraP0chu]

Thanks BeHappy!

 

I too have read in this forum about people experimenting with it and that helping them. One guy reported his side effects stopped after he started taking it every other day instead of everyday. That is precisely why I started the thread to ask the wise people in the forum for a plan on how to go about it rather than me doing some random experimentation.

[MayiraP0chu]

Had a talk with my doctor and she says there is no way I am going to experience side effects 2 months into Fin and that it generally takes about 6 months for any real side effects to show. So, I am recommended to do continue taking it. And I am going to do just that. She also said, fever could have been the cause for the change in performance.

 

I have a related question. Minoxidil solution gives me an itchy scalp. So my doctor asked me to use foam. Foam unfortunately in India is out of stock and is going to be restocked only by October end. So, I have not been using minoxidil since the operation which was two months ago. I have been on Fin though since the tenth day of operation. The absence of Min since the operation is going to be a problem or Fin alone would have taken care of most of the problem? I will be starting Min in a month once its restocked. Or should I just jump on to solution temporarily? The last solution I was using was not so bad. The itching it gave was bearable.

Edited September 24, 2017 by MayiraP0chu

[gillenator]

You may want to talk to your doctor about taking it every other day to see if that has any bearing on side-effects.

[MayiraP0chu]

Gill!

 

I am back to normal. Well, almost :D. Still on 1 mg everyday and will continue to be on it.

Looks like it was the sides of the fever than the Fin itself.

 

Thanks!

[MattyNJ1]

...I just slowly weened myself off Propecia after about 2.5 months....coming off is proving to have its own challenges as well. I started breaking out in itching fits, some kind of allergic reaction as soon as i switched from generic to Propecia (about 1 month in) ....hives etc. I took my last 1.25mg dose on 10/21 and started to get get what some would probably refer to as PFS....Slight anxiety and Im still getting hives/itchiness almost every nite, or at least random itchy skin (although im still on Minoxidil) . And have been experiencing some performance issues in regards to ED (erection quickly goes away seconds after stimulation stops) . That being said i think what people refer to as this dreaded permanent PFS is merely hormone levels trying to go back to normal, and a prostate gland that is now most likely swelling back up after being shrunk for almost 3 months...and really PFS should be expected!....Same as a bodybuilder coming off a testosterone cycle, there is absolutely a crash IMO. Honestly it has me concerned with all the horror stories ive read about "permanent ED" and "impotence", but i highly doubt once the bodies hormones level out and return to normal, so will everything else. (my theory hopefully) The itching still has me concerned as well as there are good days and bad...all in all from what ive read about allergic itching skin iam in the minority (lucky me) bc i had a great result with Fin. as you saw in my b4 & after post. So what i personally am doing, is putting myself on high Testosterone and hormone balancing supplement "post fin cycle" to hopefully get me back to normal. (Vitamin D, DHEA, Zinc MACA etc).

 

Hate to say it but i dont agree with what your Dr told you about side effects taking 6 months....although i didn't really get any sexual side effects DURING the use of fin (maybe very mildly i deff lost my "morning wood" yet had no problem with getting/keeping an erection) i deff had other side effects during, and now after. I find it very concerning that there is this sort of 'grey area" with the drug that absolutely exists, yet Dr's seem to know nothing about. Lets face it they arent taking the pill are they?...its like Area 51 shrouded in mystery lol....So for me after reluctantly using it for almost 3 months, i find although it deff grows hair back..that its just too unpredictable for me....just my .02$

Edited October 28, 2017 by MattyNJ1

[gillenator]

For those individuals who decide to stop taking it, it would IMHO be a good idea to wean off the medication rather than just stopping it cold.

 

And always best to get the advice of a reputable doctor regarding this.

[Speegs]

I've never heard of side effects from stopping (other than hair loss picking up where it left off), would be interested to study the effects of weaning a long term user off of it over a controlled group.