35 yr old Finasteride user for 15 years. Fertility analysis shows I have a low sperm count.

[Cam71101]

Hi all,

I've been on 1mg finasteride for a while (15 years) and have been seriously considering a transplant. However, a recent fertility test revealed that I have a low sperm count, poor motility, and a high number of abnormal forms.  I was aware that finasteride can affect fertility so I wasn't surprised by the results.  My concern, is the possibility that these effects could be permanent, so I paused the medication. It's been 3 weeks since I stopped and I'm contemplating a 60-day break followed by another fertility test. 

Am I correct in saying that hair loss will effectively start to some degree within a few days of stopping but it is unlikely I will notice any changes until somewhere between 6-12 months?
Is this statement wrong and I will not experience hair loss after stopping for 60 days?
Am I doing the right thing or should I try lowering the dose to .25mg instead of completely stopping? 

Would appreciate anyone's thoughts/advice. 
 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Cam71101

[A_4_Archan]

@Cam71101

Imho you should not do this on your own or with some radom advice on forums and specially when you have seen the side effects...so just consult a good doctor and set a specific dosage which can help your hairloss but cut down the side effects as well..so look for that sweet spot and follow a personalised approach...there are other non surgical therapies like prp and mesotherapy which you can try..few doctors are doing dutasteride mesotherapy which is showing good result on some patient..

So consult a good doctor who has more experience with hairs and make a long term sustainable plan...

[Berba11]

Had you done a fertility test *prior* to starting on finasteride 15 years ago? It might not necessarily be the finasteride that has cause that issue for you, though you'll only know once you've been off of it for a while.

As above, this is an area where the advice of a medical professional would be much more beneficial but coming off the drug and regularly monitoring your fertility would be a good idea generally. I assume you're planning to have a child at some point?

As for the hair loss after coming off finasteride... Very hard to say what will happen. You're in your mid 30's so you're not in the most aggressive hair loss age group anymore but you're still not out of the wood yet, either. You may very well be able to come off the drug for quite a while before noticing additional hair loss. Or you might see a rapid decline (or anything in between). Impossible to say what will happen.

What is the current extent of your hair loss? You've been on finasteride since 20 years old I assume you'd had some early loss and sought early intervention.

[Melvin- Admin]

If you take a break from finasteride, it typically takes a few months to see a difference. It could be that you had these issues before finasteride. But you're doing the right thing by stopping. I don't believe any fertility issues would be permanent.

[Joseph James]

4 hours ago, Cam71101 said:

Hi all,

I've been on 1mg finasteride for a while (15 years) and have been seriously considering a transplant. However, a recent fertility test revealed that I have a low sperm count, poor motility, and a high number of abnormal forms.  I was aware that finasteride can affect fertility so I wasn't surprised by the results.  My concern, is the possibility that these effects could be permanent, so I paused the medication. It's been 3 weeks since I stopped and I'm contemplating a 60-day break followed by another fertility test. 

Am I correct in saying that hair loss will effectively start to some degree within a few days of stopping but it is unlikely I will notice any changes until somewhere between 6-12 months?
Is this statement wrong and I will not experience hair loss after stopping for 60 days?
Am I doing the right thing or should I try lowering the dose to .25mg instead of completely stopping? 

Would appreciate anyone's thoughts/advice. 
 

Are you trying to have a kid?

[baldfighter]

I would stop fin and take the fertility test again in 6 months to see if that makes a difference.

[Emiry]

10 hours ago, Cam71101 said:

Hi all,

I've been on 1mg finasteride for a while (15 years) and have been seriously considering a transplant. However, a recent fertility test revealed that I have a low sperm count, poor motility, and a high number of abnormal forms.  I was aware that finasteride can affect fertility so I wasn't surprised by the results.  My concern, is the possibility that these effects could be permanent, so I paused the medication. It's been 3 weeks since I stopped and I'm contemplating a 60-day break followed by another fertility test. 

Am I correct in saying that hair loss will effectively start to some degree within a few days of stopping but it is unlikely I will notice any changes until somewhere between 6-12 months?
Is this statement wrong and I will not experience hair loss after stopping for 60 days?
Am I doing the right thing or should I try lowering the dose to .25mg instead of completely stopping? 

Would appreciate anyone's thoughts/advice. 
 

It’s a sacrifice. You can’t father a child while on fin and yes you will lose hairs if you stop finasteride.

Finasteride lingers in scalp for a month but you will get a shed after 2 weeks of stopping finasteride. Stopping finasteride for 1-2 months will not make you lose a Norwood level but your hairs will definitely miniaturise.

The good news is when you start finasteride back again, you will get a shed and regrow and see thickening of the miniaturised hairs. 

I know this because I have taken 2 months break from finasteride. 6 months is really long and there will be serious damage to your hairs that probably won’t be recovered. Sorry it is just what it is.

You can try minoxidil if you can tolerate it and this should offset any damage stopping fin will cause. Min also doesn’t cause any fertility issues I think. 

[Cam71101]

12 hours ago, A_4_Archan said:

@Cam71101

Imho you should not do this on your own or with some radom advice on forums and specially when you have seen the side effects...so just consult a good doctor and set a specific dosage which can help your hairloss but cut down the side effects as well..so look for that sweet spot and follow a personalised approach...there are other non surgical therapies like prp and mesotherapy which you can try..few doctors are doing dutasteride mesotherapy which is showing good result on some patient..

So consult a good doctor who has more experience with hairs and make a long term sustainable plan...

Finding a good doctor seems to be quite difficult here in London, UK. I've spoken to a couple of NHS doctors, and they don't seem to be well-informed about finasteride or hair loss in general. One doctor even said, "Just shave it, bro." I did have a consultation at a medical dermatology clinic a couple of days ago, but I don't feel confident in the person with whom I consulted. I would be really grateful if anyone can recommend a doctor in the UK or perhaps even internationally.

[Cam71101]

10 hours ago, Berba11 said:

Had you done a fertility test *prior* to starting on finasteride 15 years ago? It might not necessarily be the finasteride that has cause that issue for you, though you'll only know once you've been off of it for a while.

As above, this is an area where the advice of a medical professional would be much more beneficial but coming off the drug and regularly monitoring your fertility would be a good idea generally. I assume you're planning to have a child at some point?

As for the hair loss after coming off finasteride... Very hard to say what will happen. You're in your mid 30's so you're not in the most aggressive hair loss age group anymore but you're still not out of the wood yet, either. You may very well be able to come off the drug for quite a while before noticing additional hair loss. Or you might see a rapid decline (or anything in between). Impossible to say what will happen.

What is the current extent of your hair loss? You've been on finasteride since 20 years old I assume you'd had some early loss and sought early intervention.

No, I didn't have a fertility test. I was 20, and all I wanted to do was save my hair; I didn't care about the side effects.

I'm not in a relationship at the moment, but I would like to have the option of having a child in the future.

I started losing my hair when I was 14. I may have started taking finasteride when I was 18, but I just can't remember. You can see photos of my hair with the link attached. While finasteride has not stopped the hair loss completely, it has definitely slowed it down. I'm pretty sure I would be completely bald if I hadn't started the medication.

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Cam71101

[Cam71101]

9 hours ago, Joseph James said:

Are you trying to have a kid?

Not at the moment.

[Chrisno]

3 hours ago, Emiry said:

It’s a sacrifice. You can’t father a child while on fin and yes you will lose hairs if you stop finasteride.

That is not true.

[Cam71101]

10 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

If you take a break from finasteride, it typically takes a few months to see a difference. It could be that you had these issues before finasteride. But you're doing the right thing by stopping. I don't believe any fertility issues would be permanent.

Thanks for this. Plan to do some blood tests before and after re-starting any medication to see how it's affecting me. I do worry that my fertility won't have improved after 60 days. Other sides have disappeared after 3 weeks. Getting morning wood more frequently and erections feel a bit harder. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Cam71101

[Cam71101]

3 hours ago, Emiry said:

It’s a sacrifice. You can’t father a child while on fin and yes you will lose hairs if you stop finasteride.

Finasteride lingers in scalp for a month but you will get a shed after 2 weeks of stopping finasteride. Stopping finasteride for 1-2 months will not make you lose a Norwood level but your hairs will definitely miniaturise.

The good news is when you start finasteride back again, you will get a shed and regrow and see thickening of the miniaturised hairs. 

I know this because I have taken 2 months break from finasteride. 6 months is really long and there will be serious damage to your hairs that probably won’t be recovered. Sorry it is just what it is.

You can try minoxidil if you can tolerate it and this should offset any damage stopping fin will cause. Min also doesn’t cause any fertility issues I think. 

I stopped taking finasteride in my early twenties for 6 months when I was at University. I noticed a shed not long after and that's when I lost some ground at the crown. Went straight back on the medication.

I have yet to experience a shed since I stopped finasteride. 

I've used minoxidil foam in the past for like 5+ years. Didn't see any re-growth so I stopped during the pandemic. However, I've been taking 2.5mg oral minoxidil since the beginning of April with no sides. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Cam71101

[Joseph James]

23 minutes ago, Cam71101 said:

Not at the moment.

Ok. If you were trying to have a kid, I would say stop cold turkey. If you're not, maybe cut down and retest and see if that helps. Is there a way for men to "freeze" their sperm like women freeze their eggs?

[Berba11]

1 hour ago, Cam71101 said:

Finding a good doctor seems to be quite difficult here in London, UK. I've spoken to a couple of NHS doctors, and they don't seem to be well-informed about finasteride or hair loss in general. One doctor even said, "Just shave it, bro." I did have a consultation at a medical dermatology clinic a couple of days ago, but I don't feel confident in the person with whom I consulted. I would be really grateful if anyone can recommend a doctor in the UK or perhaps even internationally.

Reading your other thread you said you’d consulted with the Maitland Clinic. Might be worth revisiting that option as I believe that Dr Ball is himself a former GP. I’d imagine he’d be ideally placed to have some understanding of the fertility side of things as well as obviously knowing about the hair loss side of things. 

[Cam71101]

9 minutes ago, Berba11 said:

Reading your other thread you said you’d consulted with the Maitland Clinic. Might be worth revisiting that option as I believe that Dr Ball is himself a former GP. I’d imagine he’d be ideally placed to have some understanding of the fertility side of things as well as obviously knowing about the hair loss side of things. 

That sounds like a good idea! Just reached out to the clinic. Thanks. 

[BackFromTheBrink]

From what I remember, there was a study in rats on much higher doses of finesteride which resulted in androgynous offspring.

However, there hasn't been a case reported where the lower doses we take for hair loss have had a negative impact in humans. There have been many children conceived when taking the medication without issue.

That said, I can completely understand people not wanting to take any risks in that regard. Psychologically, most parents would prefer to know they did everything they could to prevent any issues with their children, and would prefer to know that if they had a child suffering from a genetic disorder that it was not due to anything within their control.

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by BackFromTheBrink

[shiba1985]

53 minutes ago, BackFromTheBrink said:

From what I remember, there was a study in rats on much higher doses of finesteride which resulted in androgynous offspring.

However, there hasn't been a case reported where the lower doses we take for hair loss have had a negative impact in humans. There have been many children conceived when taking the medication without issue.

That said, I can completely understand people not wanting to take any risks in that regard. Psychologically, most parents would prefer to know they did everything they could to prevent any issues with their children, and would prefer to know that if they had a child suffering from a genetic disorder that it was not due to anything within their control.

 

absolutely, I agree not wanting to take any risks. But inhibiting dht can do a lot of things effecting your genes it doesn’t . 
 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by shiba1985

[Melvin- Admin]

There have been some disgusting comments I’ve had to delete. I also banned the person who made them permanently. This community is not about this at all.
 

Onwards and upwards, 

[BackFromTheBrink]

2 hours ago, shiba1985 said:

absolutely, I agree not wanting to take any risks. But inhibiting dht can do a lot of things effecting your genes it doesn’t . 
 

 

 

Agreed. I think the concern was the unborn child being exposed to finesteride more directly and that exposure inhibiting normal development for male children.

[John1991]

I don't think it's crazy to stop finasteride when you're trying to conceive a child, but I think the comment by @Emiry that you can't have a child while on finasteride is untrue.