Regular Member Nounours Posted March 30, 2020 Regular Member Share Posted March 30, 2020 Hey everyone! I'm a new poster on here, having followed this forum for quite some time! Before I start, I just want to give my thanks to Melvin and all the regular posters who continuously work to make this into a valuable and informative network for all of us! It has certainly been of great help to me. So I recently contacted a doctor recommended by the ISHRS about my hair situation. Having looked at my photos, they suggested I get on finasteride for a year before looking to operated. I was previously hesitant on starting it but its now getting to a point of now-or-never, and the doctor assured me that overall the drug is safe the reported side-effects only effect a small percentage, and even then he has never seen any permanent side effects. He also mentioned that the nocebo rate associated with the drug. Today I started on 1mg finasteride daily. I was quite excited to get started as I was starting to see quite a few small hairs growing along my hairline and in my temples from just under two months of minoxidil 5% foam (twice daily). However, I can't helped get concerned about people online saying stuff like "finasteride ruined my libido", "I wish I'd never started" and everything concerning fertility issues (probably what I'm most concerned about), etc. My question to the forum is, based on your experiences with finasteride, what should I expect in terms of side-effects and hair growth? Please let me know if I need to elaborate on something or give more details. Thank you in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted March 30, 2020 Administrators Share Posted March 30, 2020 I believe the majority should expect to halt their hair loss, meaning you will remain the same. Some fortunate users report regrowth, but this occurs mostly in the crown and the midscalp, not really in the hairline. I will say that I believe most men do not suffer side effects, but the 1% nonsense told by Merck is a total fallacy. That said, keep a clear head, and remember that the mind is a powerful thing, some people are reporting COVID symptoms, even though they haven't even left the house. That's how powerful the mind is, so keep an open mind and hopefully you notice nothing in terms adverse reactions. I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Lohvisa Posted March 30, 2020 Regular Member Share Posted March 30, 2020 (edited) Side effects are over-exaggerated. People with prostate problems take 5mg daily with no side effects, while some idiots write about terrible side effects while taking 1mg 3x a week, which is totally not true, and even if it is, it's due to their psyche, and not the actual drug istelf. I mean the people that take it for prostate problems ingest 35mg a week while for hair loss it's recommended to take 3-7mg per week, so talking about side effects due to drug concentration in serum is preposterous. So the dosage is quite low to actually have any side effects, and in terms of hair growth, you should expect to stop losing your current hair, and maybe for it to thicken a bit where miniaturized. Edited March 30, 2020 by Lohvisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Nounours Posted March 30, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 30, 2020 Thank you both for your replies! Much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member LaserCap Posted March 30, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted March 30, 2020 I'll share my approach with you given I've been on the medication for more than 20 years. It's always been my understanding there is more testosterone under the medication than without. So I actually think I am going to perform better. I've experienced retention. I would not have the hair I have had it not been for the med. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TorontoMan Posted March 30, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted March 30, 2020 I think the most important thing to note is that any potential sides you may experience, will subside with discontinuation. That should give anyone the piece of mind to try the medication and see how it works for them. Regardless its tolerated well by the majority of men. Give yourself a timeframe and honestly assess how its working for you. And as mentioned above, don't allow yourself to worry and make things up in your head as I'm sure a lot of guys do senselessly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member lovinitl9 Posted April 1, 2020 Regular Member Share Posted April 1, 2020 killed my libido amongst many other side effects. be careful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Nounours Posted April 1, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 1, 2020 On 3/30/2020 at 11:55 PM, LaserCap said: I'll share my approach with you given I've been on the medication for more than 20 years. It's always been my understanding there is more testosterone under the medication than without. So I actually think I am going to perform better. I've experienced retention. I would not have the hair I have had it not been for the med. Thank you for sharing your experience, I really appreciate it, especially considering the amount of time you've been on the medication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Nounours Posted April 1, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 1, 2020 On 3/31/2020 at 1:39 AM, TorontoMan said: I think the most important thing to note is that any potential sides you may experience, will subside with discontinuation. That should give anyone the piece of mind to try the medication and see how it works for them. Regardless its tolerated well by the majority of men. Give yourself a timeframe and honestly assess how its working for you. And as mentioned above, don't allow yourself to worry and make things up in your head as I'm sure a lot of guys do senselessly. Thank you! Your advice has definitely given me some peace of mind which will certainly help going forward on the medication! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Nounours Posted April 1, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 1, 2020 3 hours ago, lovinitl9 said: killed my libido amongst many other side effects. be careful! Thank you for sharing. I'll be careful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Min12 Posted April 2, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted April 2, 2020 Taking it 3x a week at 1mg as recommended by the hairloss show. Initially took it for a month nearly 2 years ago and noticed sides within a month. I’m on month 2 and no sides. Fin stays in the body tissue for a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Friedman Posted April 22, 2020 Regular Member Share Posted April 22, 2020 Why not do topical fin instead? And add in microneedling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Nounours Posted May 1, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 1, 2020 (edited) Quote Why not do topical fin instead? And add in microneedling? Although I have read about the merits of topical finasteride compared to oral finasteride, I don't know of any legitimate ways of buying it in Europe. I was heavily considering microneedling but I'm concerned that I may be doing my scalp more harm than good given that I am not trained in the practice. I would consider both in the future though, thanks! Edited May 1, 2020 by Nounours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Nounours Posted May 1, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 1, 2020 (edited) So I have now been on oral finasteride (1mg every morning) for a month now. Happy to say I haven't noticed any of the side effects I was previously concerned about. Just a question on shedding. From the 3rd week on finasteride I started noticing that I was shedding what looked like miniaturized hairs. I'm not finding it to be excessive but it is noticeable. Can I interpret this as a positive sign that the drug is working? Edited May 1, 2020 by Nounours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member BaldingEagle1 Posted May 4, 2020 Regular Member Share Posted May 4, 2020 On 5/1/2020 at 8:50 AM, Nounours said: So I have now been on oral finasteride (1mg every morning) for a month now. Happy to say I haven't noticed any of the side effects I was previously concerned about. Just a question on shedding. From the 3rd week on finasteride I started noticing that I was shedding what looked like miniaturized hairs. I'm not finding it to be excessive but it is noticeable. Can I interpret this as a positive sign that the drug is working? Please update us every so often.. hard to trust what some random posters on here say when they claim they have side effects yet they only have 1 post.. Follow my Hair Transplant experience with Eugenix! Nov 16, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Fahri Posted July 17, 2020 Regular Member Share Posted July 17, 2020 Thanks for your post, Im keen to know how you're getting on? Im at this very point myself. I need a good 6 to 9 months medication (advised my the clinic) before I can sort my hairline. I am considering the topical version though, this looks on the outset a sensible alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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