finasteride and your immunity

[Schiller]

After a recent shingles episode, I got to wondering about what might be compromising my immunity. I am 62, and shingles has appeared in the family, but I'm also very healthy and just came through a physical with no problems.

 

I ran across this recent study that shows finasteride can act as an immunosuppressant. I've been on this med for far more than a decade.

 

Finasteride Enhances the Generation of Human Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells by Up-Regulating the COX2/PGE2 Pathway

 

Finasteride has been effective for me, and caused me no problems so far as I know. And I'm not going off finasteride tomorrow, but I am now seriously thinking about alternatives. I'm putting this out there for anyone who might be interested.

Edited December 7, 2017 by Schiller

[Bill - Seemiller]

Schiller,

 

Interesting article, which truthfully, is the first I've read about anything like this. As far as I know I didn't have any problems when I was on finasteride for the 7 plus years I used it. But I did decide to come off of it about 4 years ago or so just because I believed it wasn't really doing anything for me. It seems I was right as I haven't lost any additional hair. But I haven't noticed any physical changes.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[mikeyhwk]

It is an interesting article but I find that whenever guys get sick they start looking for scapegoats when sometimes its just a case of being unlucky. My friend just got shingles himself at 40 and he was the same way, suddenly researching everything in his life to see what compromised his immune system enough for shingles to manifest...turned out everything compromises his immune system lol...stress, getting older, almost every med to a degree...i get the urge to want to find the answer but it could just be a perfect storm of everything, at 60 + the odds of you getting shingles goes up anyway so fin mightve played a small part, or none at all...its hard to know for sure but if it is making a difference in your hair id be loathe to stop it unless I knew for sure it was the culprit. Have you checked your dht levels lately, at your age fin may no longer be necessary or you may be able to step down its usage.

[Schiller]

Thanks for the comments. Good points. I didn't want to make this so much about me, however. My intention was mostly to add this information to the site.