Need help. Long time finasteride user. Developed side effects with 1 mg a day….

[Affectionatefail25]

Hello, hope you guys can help me out. 37 year old single man. Using finasteride, 1 mg since 2017. Finally started noticing side effects in 2022. Low libido, poor erections, no morning wood, fatigue.  Initially thought it was due to life stresses. Finally in 2023 took a 3 week break. Erection quality came back to 100 percent, libido was through the roof in 3 weeks, however hair loss started again. Waited for a week more and restarted fin on 0.50 eod. Lost libido in a week and then morning wood. 5 months later took another break. This time, erections came back quickly however libido took 4 weeks to return; so took longer.  The sides come on quicker with any dose or frequency. Currently I have taken a break from fin again. Been over 2 weeks, erections are back, no libido. Thinking of quitting finasteride. Feel depressed due to this. My hair looks great, worse than last year but still pretty good. Please help. Even if i wait for a hair transplant later on, i will continue needing finasteride. So even the transplant will be useless. I have currently contacted xyon. I don’t know what more to do. 

[Berba11]

1 hour ago, Affectionatefail25 said:

I don’t know what more to do. 

You can try topical solutions (fin or dutasteride), or try micro-dosing. There’s also oral minoxidil to consider. 
 

But I wouldn’t over think it. Come off the meds and see what happens. You could choose to bald gracefully and move on with life or you can seek surgery (as long as you’re prepared to potentially need multiple surgeries if hair loss continues). 
 

You clearly have time on your side given how much hair you currently have, so no reason to panic. At the end of the day, it’s just hair. You have plenty of options - none of which are worth stressing over. 

[Affectionatefail25]

 @Berba11Thanks for replying. Would you recommend any topical solution. I have contacted xyon. Waiting for some people who have tried it to tell me if it’s a viable solution. Are multiple hair transplants possible? 

[Berba11]

15 minutes ago, Affectionatefail25 said:

 @Berba11Thanks for replying. Would you recommend any topical solution. I have contacted xyon. Waiting for some people who have tried it to tell me if it’s a viable solution. Are multiple hair transplants possible? 

Don’t know how good Xyon is. I do know it’s expensive!

Most people will have a minimum of two HT’s. This forum is littered with people who have had multiple surgeries. I’ve had two and will likely have a third within the next two years. 

[Affectionatefail25]

@Berba11 and  you don’t take any finasteride? Could you a share a pic of your hair if possible? Thank You!

[Berba11]

4 minutes ago, Affectionatefail25 said:

@Berba11 and  you don’t take any finasteride? Could you a share a pic of your hair if possible? Thank You!

I do take finasteride, albeit at a very low dose. I have a HT journey thread on here, though I’m not sure how useful it will be for you!

[12345]

i think for some of us,  as we get older we respond to anti-androgens differently, meaning the side effects become more apparent as our hormones naturally change with age.

i think youre done with fin forever whether its topical or oral.

some on here will say try xyon dut topical because its the site sponsor, and they push it heavy on this forum. my only hesitation with this is that more than likely, if you experience side effects with Fin, you will experience side effects with Dut, and xyon dut is like $300 for a 3 months supply(u have to buy a 3 month subscription min) and if you have side effects they will last months. so you risk longer term sides and $300 bucks down the drain if it fails. 

you have good set of hair now and hopefully in the next few years there may be a better antiandrogen product with a diff mechanism u can try. maybe do pumpkin seed oil topical for now, and def get on min

[Affectionatefail25]

@12345 thanks for the wonderful reply. That’s what I have been wondering. As we age our free t and total t decreases. I wonder how everyone does not get sideeffects then, or is sex on a back burner. Are you taking fin currently? Also I wonder why they heavily push for xyon even though this HRN network is supposed to help us and not follow their agenda. I’ll try the topical version and see if it helps. Wont try dut though. Thanks again!

[12345]

30 minutes ago, Affectionatefail25 said:

@12345 thanks for the wonderful reply. That’s what I have been wondering. As we age our free t and total t decreases. I wonder how everyone does not get sideeffects then, or is sex on a back burner. Are you taking fin currently? Also I wonder why they heavily push for xyon even though this HRN network is supposed to help us and not follow their agenda. I’ll try the topical version and see if it helps. Wont try dut though. Thanks again!

Xyon is the site sponsor, and although the mods try to appear unbiased they do a poor job of it. Xyon puts money in their pockets and they are puppets. The only person on this forum documenting success with xyon dut is a mod. Apart from them, maybe 1 other person on this forum had some success, maybe? its like the #1 recc for anyone who has sides from fin on this site

I am not on fin. I took it for a year at age 27. I only noticed sides when I ejaculated (decreased force, volume, satisfaction) or had sex (ED). Eventually had to go on ED drugs. During the year I did not see any improvement in my hairloss. I was not gaining anything from it so i quit. It took years for me to return to more natural function, but i still feel lingering effects of it like decreased ejaculation and force. so i am a believer in long term side effects.  I tried it again via topical fin a decade later, and with a few application would have headaches, and testicular pain. Also tried other anti-androgens that also had sexual side effects. Dut and cb-301 beings the worst side effects of them all.

I think a lot guys have side effects with fin but do not want to talk about it be it embarrassment, and also because the people using fin without sides  on different forums including the moderators here  like to project this lie thats sexual side effects from a known anti-androgen drug is "nocebo" or "all in your head", which is utter rubbish. It makes people think thats theres something wrong with them, when its just a drug messing with their reproductive organs.

Topical fin will not help you. many have tried to play that game and ultimately failed with it.  it may takes days, week, or even months, but the sides always come back Fin is just not in your regimen anymore.

 

 

 

 

[Gatsby]

@Affectionatefail25 I also had the same experience with Finasteride. I have tried micro dosing and took a topical version by my dermatologist at 0.25ml. Perhaps I could have taken a lower dose topically but after a couple of years of trying different modalities I gave up. I do take 5mg of oral minoxidil and although it’s not the same as a 5ari it does help thicken my hair. I totally understand how you feel. All the best.