decrease of libido / ability to keep erection

[MaverickCrypt]

Hello,

 

I started 2 and half weeks ago Propecia, and I noticed lately that I have decrease in libido and in keep erection,

I've heard that these side effects can't stop after a while?

my question is should I stop now using propecia, or maybe giving it few more weeks to see if things get better?

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[Markee]

It's hard to know whats best might subside it may get worse  everyone is affected differently and it's also about  whats more  important to you having hair or getting hard 

Messed me up permanently 

Edited May 14, 2019 by Markee

[Melvin- Admin]

I’ve heard propecia side effects subside with time, but I personally didn’t want to risk it. 

 

[Lennney]

Hey @Tsimo,

I can only speak from experience so please don't take this as anything else. 

I took finpecia (generic fin) 1mg (5mg cut into 1/5s) for about 2 months and noticed some similar effects with libido. I wasn't sure what was going on but I kept taking it and had only occasional issues. It seemed like it was mostly okay, but I was still nervous.

After two months of this, I realized that I was not taking finpecia, but I was actually taking Tinfal, a biotin pill. I was a little embarrassed that I mistook the two medications, but I did unintentionally prove my hypothesis: Most of the ED is in your head. 

I've had some issues with ED even before the HT, but it was related to my personal life, and was completely under control. I think that reverting back into the "something wrong with me" mindset created and fueled the issues. 

I've been on finasteride for about a month now. I used finpecia 1mg for 15 days, and about another 15 days on a generic Mexican 5mg cut into 1/4s. I've not had any ill effects that I notice, but I do take supplements just in case.

I've done a bit of searching, and I've found the two active ingredients in libido boosters are Fenugreek and Tribulus. The research supports increased libido after 4 months of Tribulus, and similar effects for Fenugreek. I take 625mg Fenugreek once in morning and again at night, and same with 1000mg of Tribulus. The I can already feel some effects now after (*again) starting this regiment for 2 weeks. If nothing else, fenugreek makes your sweat (and natural body odor) smell like maple syrup, which my SO finds attractive, asking if I'm wearing a cologne/ "who am I hugging" to get that smell on me. Anyway, I think its very possible that the solution and problem lie in paranoia - the placebo effect. 

* (I used for about 2-4 months while I worked on my issues, and basically stopped once I was back to normal. I was completely fine, but obviously kept the leftover pills. I was fine for over 6 months after (and then got the HT))

The only magic bullet I've used has been Cialis - Tadalafil. If I'm feeling off, a ~2mg dose is more than enough to snap me back. You get control back, not a raging boner you can't control. It takes effect in ~20 minutes and lasts for many hours. I also read that the chemical action of tadalafil isn't thought to cause dependency, which I think is important for a "band-aid" fix that I don't intend to fall dependent on. I also find that "getting a win" with ED helps put you at ease that there's nothing wrong with your dick, and that you should not think about it. The times I was most nervous about it not working was the times it didn't work. Like animals, your dick can sense when you're afraid.

Hope this helps give you a perspective. I don't think it's an "either/ or" question of hair v dick. Could it be you experience issues, sure, but it's not mathematically likely. Are you taking care of yourself? Working out? Engaging your mind? Watching too much porn? I've made lots of progress by reducing porn. Becoming desensitized is a real thing.

Best of luck with whatever you choose to do going forward. 

 

 

[MaverickCrypt]

Ok so it's been like month and half i guess, and the situation is stable, and i mean it's okay even though the decrease.

 

now my question is: i dont yet see result, i still losing hair, maybe A LITTLE less but yet, losing hair

 

i also use rogaine because the minoxidil made me itching,

 

what else can i use?

the minoxidil 10% will made me itching too?

 

or maybe to move to Dutasteride?

[Markee]

With Propecia you need to be committed and just stay on the stuff for it to do its work 

I my case Propecia works very slowly seeing most of the noticeable results after a year and continued seeing even more benefits at the 2 year mark  

As far as the itching goes Minoxidil solution is well known to cause allergies due to an added ingredient called Propylene Glycol. So just use the foam as it  don't  contain that ingredient 

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by Markee

[MaverickCrypt]

Another update: so the side effects are decreasing fortunately, but I don't see any results in less-hair-loss,

how long does it take until i will see at least stop in hair loss? it's been like 2 months almost.

 

maybe i should consider dutasteride?

and what about 10% mixonidil will cause allergies as well?

 

i use right now the foam minoxidil but i don't see any results

[Lennney]

3 hours ago, Tsimo said:

Another update: so the side effects are decreasing fortunately, but I don't see any results in less-hair-loss,

how long does it take until i will see at least stop in hair loss? it's been like 2 months almost.

 

maybe i should consider dutasteride?

and what about 10% mixonidil will cause allergies as well?

 

i use right now the foam minoxidil but i don't see any results

Hang in there and stick to it. Remember that the hair has growth cycles, and I would expect all medicines to follow similar patterns. There's a member who documented his fin 6 month journey: https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/53087-finasteride-results-6-months/?tab=comments#comment-491749

I would say at least 6month is when I would expect some results, but I would take another set of pics at the 1year mark to fully compare the effect of fin.

[Melvin- Admin]

If you had side effects from finasteride I don't think going to dutasteride is a smart idea, unless your sexual health doesn't matter at all.

[Greg_Swanson]

I've been on it for about 2.5 years.

I initially had some sides, but they legitimately lasted about a week, and I attribute that to my mental preparedness to experience them - not the drug itself. 

Oddly enough, about a month ago I experienced some minor sexual sides, for the first time ever.

Needless to say I was worried. This may have been due to the drug, or a host of other possible causes. 

In the end, I actually got some Fenugreek tablets. As Lenney said, concerning natural supplements for libido, fenugreek is virtually the only one that experienced significant results in actual research.

As of now, I'm back to normal. Weird. Is this the fenugreek? Maybe. Maybe my hormones were just a bit out of wack briefly which hurt my libido.

[Lennney]

18 minutes ago, Greg_Swanson said:

I've been on it for about 2.5 years.

I initially had some sides, but they legitimately lasted about a week, and I attribute that to my mental preparedness to experience them - not the drug itself. 

Oddly enough, about a month ago I experienced some minor sexual sides, for the first time ever.

Needless to say I was worried. This may have been due to the drug, or a host of other possible causes. 

In the end, I actually got some Fenugreek tablets. As Lenney said, concerning natural supplements for libido, fenugreek is virtually the only one that experienced significant results in actual research.

As of now, I'm back to normal. Weird. Is this the fenugreek? Maybe. Maybe my hormones were just a bit out of wack briefly which hurt my libido.

Prepare to have your sweat smell like maple syrup! I haven't said anything to my SO, but the SO does like the smell! I take 670mg once in morning and evening. I also take tribulus. 1000mg morning and evening. Everything seems to be fine with my mental state as well, so I haven't had any issues. I don't mind taking these supplements since I'm already in the routine with my fin (daily) and these supplements run me something like $10 a month. 

I heard a few months ago that the best advice for a dead bedroom is sleeping naked together. I don't have a dead bedroom, but I wanted to try it anyway this last weekend to see if it helps with performance. I will also say this: it is critical to stop worrying about performance to get good performance. I sometimes catch myself doubting or thinking about it and switch the subject or DO something immediately. Not thinking about it has been the single best thing I've done to combat ED.

With sleeping naked, long story short, everything worked and my refractory period which is normally 6+ hours (urge for sex gone til next day, but ability maybe 8 hours or so) turned to 30 minutes. Everything else being the same, I was roaring to go 30 minutes later. I thought this ability was gone for last 3 years. It was nice because my SO was down to sleep naked, and there were no sexual connotations, just seeing how we liked it. 

I read the advice on Reddit, and decided to just give it a try for fun. I can vouch first hand.

 

[MaverickCrypt]

Another update: it's been 3 months and 1 week, the side-effects are stable I guess, but I don't see any improvement in the shedding ( not even thinking about re-cover hear that already shedded )

I also take rogain that doesn't seem to help either.

 

what are my options now?

 

Maybe I should try dutastreid?

Edited August 14, 2019 by Tsimo

[MaverickCrypt]

It's been 5 months and I still see shedding hair, any suggestions?

[DupeDupex]

I had the same problem a year ago but it disappeared, maybe after using viagra.

[Lennney]

On 3/29/2020 at 5:50 AM, heavens said:

That is a very common problem which people who are taking Propecia face. You can just wait until your organism will get used to it, or to speak with a doctor maybe he will help you and give something that will treat your libido and sex drive. When I was using antidepressants my doctor said to me that most probably I will have to use viagra or cialis https://oesterreichischeapotheke.com while I take antidepressants, because I will lose, my sex drive, and that is exactly what I was doing.

I agree with the point on anti depressants. I was on a couple for a while and both made it where not only did I not want to have sex, but when I did, I couldn't cum and had 80% of my normal firmness. I've heard there are similar side effects for women too, so it's not just a male issue.

On a related update to this thread; A full year later on fin, I am still functioning normally. Everything works. 

[DupeDupex]

How it is going on with libido? Could you find the solution?

[Gatsby]

On 9/27/2019 at 5:06 AM, Tsimo said:

It's been 5 months and I still see shedding hair, any suggestions?

Yes. Stay on the medication. It can take up to two years to see the full benefits. But I would wait for at least another four or five months. If you are not experiencing any side effects then I would hate for you to discontinue the drug now if the drug required a few more months to work. This is a drug for life (or for as long as you want to stabilize hair loss). So in the big picture it's not really a long period of time to wait. The other reason I suggest you wait longer is that some people don't experience side effects for several months so you still want to rule that out. All the best!

[Popot]

On 9/17/2021 at 6:34 AM, DupeDupex said:

How it is going on with libido? Could you find the solution?

no update, so I think he found it
but I'm curious to know what it is
When I started doing Propecia I had a similar problem, but I also couldn't have an erection, so in my case, I heard people using viagra. I'm of course not a doctor, but that's what helped me with both libido and erection. Yeah, that's strange but it worked. Also, the site I used to buy it I'll link here. 🙂

Edited October 13, 2021 by Popot