Experiencing Finasteride Sides After 1 Dose

[Luke.]

Hey fellas,

Very recently I thought it was about time to finally do something about my hairloss. So I went to a local urologist to talk about finasteride as I wanted to hear the opinion of a doctor who is actually familiar with hormones which is why I didn't go to a derm for my initial consultation regarding finasteride. Long story short, he prescribed me finasteride.

Next thing I did was going to a local pharmacy to buy Proscar since I wanted the original tablet from MSD (reason is the same as for Mr Rolandas). Then I divided the first pill into parts which should contain about 0.5 mg of finasteride (if the ingredient is equally distributed).

On Monday I took my first 0.5 mg of finasteride at around 6 pm. The first night it hit me quite hard, the feeling "down there" was a bit strange/numb (also on Tuesday) and I didn't get my usual erections at night and in the morning. I also felt some slight testicular pain on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday my erections also seemed to be weaker than usual. The testicular pain has subsided since Thursday, but I do have watery semen now. My libido is unaffected, as far as I can tell and I still have the same sex drive as before taking finasteride. Same goes for my mental health. Since Thursday I would say my erections are back to their usual strength. I also do get morning wood again but far weaker than before taking fin.

 

So to sum it up for you guys:

Monday: Took my first 0.5 mg of Finasteride around 6pm; strange/numb feeling "down there" at night; no erections during the night; no morning wood

Tuesday: Weaker erections; testicular pain; strange/numb feeling "down there"; no erections during the night; no morning wood

Wednesday: Weaker erections; testicular pain; weak erections during the night; weak morning wood

Thursday: Normal erections; weak morning wood; weak erections at night; watery semen

Friday: Normal erections; weak morning wood; weak erections at night; watery semen

Libido and mental health unaffected.

 

Since the sides I'm experiencing (especially no/weak morning wood and no/weak erections at night) are unlikely to be nocebo, I'm unsure how to proceed from now on. It seems like my body is quite sensitive to the initial changes caused by finasteride. Nevertheless, I would like to continue to take it if I can find a way for my body to tolerate it.

I would greatly appreciate any input from you guys.

[Eugenix Hair Sciences]

Greetings of the day @Luke.

 

Finasteride side effects topic is always a topic of debate, but generally it has been seen in many studies that only 2-3% people face side effects, they do suffer short term side effects which improve without treatment. There may become men who very rarely suffer longer term or unexpected side effects. Most reported cases of sexual dysfunction occurred soon after starting the medication. Not to worry at all, as the sexual side effects can be reversed if you discontinued taking finasteride. 

Looking at your case, its good that you don't have any testicular pain and decrease in libido but considering the fact that erections are weak at night and semen is watery, the best suitable advice will be consult a good dermatologist/doctor. Taking low dose of Finasteride (on alternative days or twice a week) or topical Finasteride preparation. However, the efficacy of both these is yet to be proven.

I hope it helps

Regards,

Eugenix Hair Science 

 

[Ryan Daniel]

I never heard of someone getting side affects after just 1 pill/dosage.  I'm completely shocked 

[SoSoz]

This is placebo most likely

[THE TRUTH]

This is a typical case of "nocebo" effect. 

No panic. Just get off the drug. 

So you got 2 options

You could use 0.25mg of Finasteride daily or use 1mg  3 times a week. 

That is still pretty effective at lowering follicular DHT levels and hence slowing down hairloss. 

Also if you don't want to use oral form, you could try to use topical finasteride/dutasteride  which have shown less systemic absportion. The dowside side is that it's a lot more expensive and less convinient to use. But it's a decent alternative. 

Edited July 16, 2022 by Legal action and refund

[Gatsby]

1 hour ago, Luke. said:

Monday: Took my first 0.5 mg of Finasteride around 6pm; strange/numb feeling "down there" at night; no erections during the night; no morning wood

Wow I don't doubt your experience but I would imagine that you are incredibly sensitive to the drug. I would have thought that it would still be working it's way through your liver within this short time frame. All the best!

[follically challenged]

3 hours ago, Gatsby said:

Wow I don't doubt your experience but I would imagine that you are incredibly sensitive to the drug. I would have thought that it would still be working it's way through your liver within this short time frame. All the best!

Any updates on your fin regime, Gatsby..? I seem to remember you scaled it back a bit, right?

[Melvin- Admin]

I experienced side effects after taking finasteride. But honestly, this sounds like nocebo. 

Morning wood isn’t an indicator of anything. If you don’t sleep well, no morning wood. The side effects usually present after a week or so. In my experience, after a month. Instant sides are almost always nocebo. 

That said, I don’t personally see any benefit in taking oral fin. If you can afford high quality topical fin, it’s much safer.

[sukh123]

Sorry but “weaker erections at night” you talking about erections while your sleeping lol. 

[didu911]

7 hours ago, Ryan Daniel said:

I never heard of someone getting side affects after just 1 pill/dosage.  I'm completely shocked 

I had massive testicle pain on the following day. 

[Ryan Daniel]

54 minutes ago, didu911 said:

I had massive testicle pain on the following day. 

I've been taking 1mg everyday since last 65 days. nothing yet. I hope I'm a responder because I'm new to it 

[pkipling]

I also don't doubt your experience, and you know your own body - and at the same time, it would be wild to me that you would experience such drastic side effects after taking one single dose. While we wanna be sure to consider the possibility that the sides are directly caused by the medication, the reality is that you then also have to consider the possibility that they're caused by the mind (aka the nocebo effect).

For what it's worth, I'm speaking as someone who also believe I experienced side effects with finasteride and ultimately stopped taking it. However, I also know that some of what I experienced was likely generated by me being extra vigilant and concerned about experiencing side effects. We often tiptoe around the reality of "placebo/nocebo effects" when it comes to medications because we don't want to accuse anyone of "making things up" - but the reality is that it's an undeniable reality and possibility, proven time and again in study after study. 

All of that said, I would first and foremost communicate these things with your doctor. And second, know that you have to make the decision that is best for you - and only you will know what that is. I gave finasteride several attempts and tried all different methods before ultimately deciding that it wasn't for me longterm. If you feel comfortable trying out different doses, frequencies, etc., then it would be worth it to give it some more tries. However, if you are going to try and make it work, I do think it's important to at least acknowledge the possibility of the nocebo effect so that you can be present with your mind and body in a more neutral way as you navigate it. 

Best of luck! 

[Luke.]

Hey guys,

I really appreciate all of your answers. 

I genuinely hope that the sides I experienced were due to the nocebo effect although I am not sure how watery semen can be nocebo. However, I think nocebo would definitely possible since I never heard of someone getting sides after just 1 dose as low as 0.5 mg of finasteride. 

For now, I decided to continue with my original plan which was taking 0.5 mg on Monday of the first week, 0.5 mg on Monday and Thursday the second week and then working my way up to 0.5 mg MWF. If the sides come back and stay present, I will definitely consult with my prescribing doctor again and maybe try a different approach with lower doses or even topical finasteride.

Edited July 17, 2022 by Luke.

[Gatsby]

On 7/16/2022 at 10:53 PM, follically challenged said:

Any updates on your fin regime, Gatsby..? I seem to remember you scaled it back a bit, right?

I ceased the drug sadly about three months ago due to sides again. I have been on topical minoxidil for the past two months and will stay with this until I can source topical finasteride.

[Johnny129]

On 7/18/2022 at 1:33 AM, Gatsby said:

I ceased the drug sadly about three months ago due to sides again. I have been on topical minoxidil for the past two months and will stay with this until I can source topical finasteride.

When you say source topical fin, is there anything in particular you're looking for from the ones available on the market? Dosage/price? Just curious as Im looking around myself

[Gatsby]

1 hour ago, Johnny129 said:

When you say source topical fin, is there anything in particular you're looking for from the ones available on the market? Dosage/price? Just curious as Im looking around myself

Yes I’m looking at Victor Hasson’s topical version. 

[Luke.]

Hello everyone,

thought I'd give you guys a quick update.

Just been through my first 4 weeks of taking finasteride. As I mentioned in my last post, I planned to stick with it for at least a month to see how my body reacts. This week will be the second week for me taking 0.5 mg MWF. I took 0.5 mg the first week and then went up to 0.5 mg on Monday and Friday for the following two weeks. Last week was the first week I dosed 0.5 mg MWF.

As you all know the first week was quite hard for me and I still don't know if I was giving myself a nocebo effect or if it was just the fact that my body was incredibly sensitive to the initial reduction in DHT and needed some time to adapt properly. All I can say for now is that the sides I had during the first week completely ceased and I haven't been experiencing any more sides or whatsoever after the first week. So far I feel pretty much the same way as I did before taking finasteride. My semen is not watery anymore (has just been like that for two days during the first week), I have morning wood again and almost every day (a bit weaker than before taking fin but still not soft/weak at all) and I have random erections during the day and at night (maybe a slight decrease in frequency here in comparison to baseline). I would also consider my erection quality the same as before taking fin. My libido and mental health are still unaffected. I even feel that my mental health has been better than before since I'm not as stressed about my hair loss anymore. Please keep in mind that the description of any effects a drug can have on one's body is highly subjective and that even I can't say if the erection frequency for example has changed in comparison to baseline since I don't have data about that. It's just my subjective feeling.

For now, I plan to stick with my 0.5 mg MWF protocol and see how my body tolerates it. 

What do you guys think about taking 0.5 mg MWF? Would you consider it a sufficient amount?

[pkipling]

On 8/8/2022 at 8:56 AM, Luke. said:

What do you guys think about taking 0.5 mg MWF? Would you consider it a sufficient amount?

Hi Luke! I'm glad you're keeping a level head about the potential sides and are able it navigate it with such a neutral mindset.

Most of the studies I'm aware of report that optimal finasteride dosage/frequency is 1mg/daily. However, that's not to say that .5mg/MWF wouldn't be affective - but you are taking substantially less of the drug. 

I found one study that said 1mg/every other day is comparable to 1mg/daily - so you one option to consider would be to slowly increase to this level and see how your body responds. That might be the best option based on the data.

[Gatsby]

On 8/9/2022 at 1:56 AM, Luke. said:

Hello everyone,

thought I'd give you guys a quick update.

Just been through my first 4 weeks of taking finasteride. As I mentioned in my last post, I planned to stick with it for at least a month to see how my body reacts. This week will be the second week for me taking 0.5 mg MWF. I took 0.5 mg the first week and then went up to 0.5 mg on Monday and Friday for the following two weeks. Last week was the first week I dosed 0.5 mg MWF.

As you all know the first week was quite hard for me and I still don't know if I was giving myself a nocebo effect or if it was just the fact that my body was incredibly sensitive to the initial reduction in DHT and needed some time to adapt properly. All I can say for now is that the sides I had during the first week completely ceased and I haven't been experiencing any more sides or whatsoever after the first week. So far I feel pretty much the same way as I did before taking finasteride. My semen is not watery anymore (has just been like that for two days during the first week), I have morning wood again and almost every day (a bit weaker than before taking fin but still not soft/weak at all) and I have random erections during the day and at night (maybe a slight decrease in frequency here in comparison to baseline). I would also consider my erection quality the same as before taking fin. My libido and mental health are still unaffected. I even feel that my mental health has been better than before since I'm not as stressed about my hair loss anymore. Please keep in mind that the description of any effects a drug can have on one's body is highly subjective and that even I can't say if the erection frequency for example has changed in comparison to baseline since I don't have data about that. It's just my subjective feeling.

For now, I plan to stick with my 0.5 mg MWF protocol and see how my body tolerates it. 

What do you guys think about taking 0.5 mg MWF? Would you consider it a sufficient amount?

I would definitely stay on this dosage for a while so that you can 'psychologically' wean off the fear of the drug. Yes 0.5mg is definitely effective. I have a personal friend who takes 0.5mg M,W,F and he has shown me before and after pics after six months on the drug at this dose. The results are incredible. After a year he slowly titrated up to where he is now on 1mg M,W,F. His hair has stabalized and his crown has regrown. Now having said that everyone is different in there response. Some people don't respond even on 1mg a day. Wishing you all the best!

[Vann]

On 8/8/2022 at 11:56 AM, Luke. said:

Hello everyone,

thought I'd give you guys a quick update.

Just been through my first 4 weeks of taking finasteride. As I mentioned in my last post, I planned to stick with it for at least a month to see how my body reacts. This week will be the second week for me taking 0.5 mg MWF. I took 0.5 mg the first week and then went up to 0.5 mg on Monday and Friday for the following two weeks. Last week was the first week I dosed 0.5 mg MWF.

As you all know the first week was quite hard for me and I still don't know if I was giving myself a nocebo effect or if it was just the fact that my body was incredibly sensitive to the initial reduction in DHT and needed some time to adapt properly. All I can say for now is that the sides I had during the first week completely ceased and I haven't been experiencing any more sides or whatsoever after the first week. So far I feel pretty much the same way as I did before taking finasteride. My semen is not watery anymore (has just been like that for two days during the first week), I have morning wood again and almost every day (a bit weaker than before taking fin but still not soft/weak at all) and I have random erections during the day and at night (maybe a slight decrease in frequency here in comparison to baseline). I would also consider my erection quality the same as before taking fin. My libido and mental health are still unaffected. I even feel that my mental health has been better than before since I'm not as stressed about my hair loss anymore. Please keep in mind that the description of any effects a drug can have on one's body is highly subjective and that even I can't say if the erection frequency for example has changed in comparison to baseline since I don't have data about that. It's just my subjective feeling.

For now, I plan to stick with my 0.5 mg MWF protocol and see how my body tolerates it. 

What do you guys think about taking 0.5 mg MWF? Would you consider it a sufficient amount?

For the groin pains. It’s very common to feel that for about a week… idk about it being day 1 but perhaps the half life of the drug and your bodys ability to respond to it quickly just worked in sync. (I had that very few times, on dutateride 0.5mg, but it goes away and is only temporary or at least in my case)

you might be a hyper responder with the way your ‘reacting’ to the drug. Hopefully it plays well for you. Try upping the dose into 3rds if you’re comfortable and then up to 1 mg daily or however your doctor prescribes. 

[jr1986]

Took my first ever dose of finasteride this morning. Cut a 1mg in half then cut the half in 3 so less tha 0.2mg.

Wasn't sure what to expect, but felt no sides at all. So seems I didn't imagine any either. Ended up having sex tonight and I reckon I was actually harder than normal and seemed to hold onto it easier which was very much a surprise.

I'll try more tomorrow, but honestly not sure if I can cope with the whole idea of taking it forever. Although they say you should research and make an informed decision  there's so much pro and anti argumenylts and unknowns it seems like it's just a gamble rather than informed decision 

[jr1986]

Day 3 on the same small dose of fin. Think I experienced very slight ball pain and a bit of numbness on my groin area today and yesterday. This seemed to last for 2 or 3 hours after taking and then went away. Penis seemed a bit shriveled and cold at one point but might not be related.

They say thays common but also need to be careful. 

On the plus side zero scalp pain or itching for most of the day. Otherwise feel fine

[Zoobz]

Just to give my experience. I had side effects on 0.25mg after just a single dose. 

I've since had this confirmed by a doctor so it's definitely possible and have tried fin multiple times at different doses, brands and topical. Same with all, although topical take upto 4-5days before I get side effects

 

Might be in your head, but listen to your body and go from their

[jr1986]

7 hours ago, Zoobz said:

Just to give my experience. I had side effects on 0.25mg after just a single dose. 

I've since had this confirmed by a doctor so it's definitely possible and have tried fin multiple times at different doses, brands and topical. Same with all, although topical take upto 4-5days before I get side effects

 

Might be in your head, but listen to your body and go from their

What did you experience?