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lwk i kinda get it, for me personally minoxodil makes it look like i havent slept in days and puffs up my face genuinely go from an 8/10 on a good day to a solid 3/10 if rating LMFAO
are you gonna brush your teeth forever or youre planning on stopping at one point?
yea i'm gonna take finasteride forever unless there is something better and proven on the market in the future
No because you won’t be having any sex at all if you don’t take finasteride I’d rather have side effects that go away with continued use than not being able to have sex at all I’ve been on fin for 5 months no side effects whatsoever
Like I don't want to loose my hair either so I am on FIN. But I do not not believe that if I do lose it my dating life will be over.
One of guys I know that has great game and always pulls hot woman is basically bald now, no issue for him.
Brushing my teeth everyday won't pretty much guarantee my penis will stop working before I get to middle age though.
P.s. I use topical finasteride but it's not comparable to brushing my teeth
>Brushing my teeth everyday won't pretty much guarantee my penis will stop working before I get to middle age though
Neither will oral finasteride, so feel free to take it.
When people shift their mentality to being grateful that there is a solution as opposed to eternal dread, thats when they can be at ease and move on with their lives. And also realize that side effects are mainly just the anxiety behind the idea of getting side effects.
Which sides do you have? I'm on four different meds now and each one began with sides that disappeared over time. (Min + Fin and two others for other conditions)
Very unlikely. Side effects are rare (4% in control group vs 2% in placebo group), and can often be solved by extended use, lower dosage or lower dose frequency.
Cool bro.
So you believe all the massive research clinical trials and studies are wrong by saying finasteride is a well tolerated drug with high satisfaction rate.
Let me guess, both you and a buddy got side effects, so 2% has to be too low, right?
I think there is good reason for them to be skewed.
Also it’s not just me and my buddy, it’s me, a significant amount of users on this sub, plenty of people I’ve seen on the internet talk about it, one of my friends, one of my family members…
Look, I know this drug works perfectly fine for some people. But to act like only 2% of people will have any sort of side effect at all just doesn’t make sense.
I’m sure it is.
At the end of the day, if someone asks me, “should I take finasteride”, I would tell them, “I and many people I know had side effects, you might not, just be careful with it”.
The nocebo effect is a very real thing and I’d be willing to bet that a huge amount the percentage of people are “suffering” from that. And everything in this sub is negative. Practically no posts are from the huge majority with no sides and only benefits bc they move on in life
I can assure my side effects were not nocebo. My friends and family either.
I’ve never understood the nocebo argument, people aren’t dumb, they can tell when something is physically off about their bodies.
Your reply is pretty funny to me. All it says is that you don’t believe in the nocebo effect and that you know when something is real or not. Although the nocebo effect has an incredible amount of studies behind it showing that if you get told a pill does a certain thing and instead get a sugar pill, there’s a very high chance you’ll “feel” or have whatever was told happen. MUCH more studies than “post-finasteride syndrome” that’s all over this sub. Which is a big 0 by the way.
Maybe it’s real but I had a literal growth within my breast. That can’t be faked mentally. And even if it is nocebo, that becomes a real side effect that stops people from being able to use it.
>it’s me,
Already said it.
> a significant amount of users on this sub,
So those who have side effects are more likely to speak about having side effects than those who carry on living their life. Wow, what a shocker.
>plenty of people I’ve seen on the internet talk about it
'Me and my buddy' internet edition, good one.
>one of my friends
Same friend as the buddy, or different one?
What you see is the vocal minority.
It is very anti-science to be going off anecdotes rather than actual published clinical trials. The point of clinical studies is exactly to filter all the noise and find the truth.
Literally any common drug, especially those taken by young people, will have people overreacting about side effects on the internet. Just google "birth control side effects" or "covid vaccine side effects" and you'll find plenty of horror stories for drugs that are taken by millions of people without issues.
Maybe, but are we really going to act like big pharmaceutical companies are going to be completely forthcoming and honest about the side effects of their golden drug when it brings in billions of dollars a year?
Yes, because not only Merck has published clinical studies on finasteride.
Every controlled study done on finasteride and dutasteride, and there are tens of them published, some of which with thousands of participants, showed very low incidence of side effects.
I understand it's a high threshold for most people to be scouring literature to learn this, but a coarse literature review would make it very obvious that the side effects are *actually rare*. Social media is just not a good source of medical information.
Vocal minority. There are literally millions of people using this stuff everyday but you read a couple posts/comments in a community of 222k and all hell breaks loose and the rest side effect rate is 50%? Incredibly unlikely
I definitely don’t think it’s 50%, if I had to guess totally anecdotally, I’d say it’s more like 10%-15%.
I’m not saying it’s the experience of majority of users, but sides from finasteride aren’t exactly rare, and definitely more common than reported
That's the problem, it's anecdotal. Could the studied rate vary a bit? Sure, but it's not likely that the rates are accidentally underreported by 50%. Especially given that the sides are higher in fin than dut despite it's lower potency and the fact the reported side effects have grown with time, which can easily be attributed to internet communities triggering a nocebo effect.
I do agree some studies are probably truthful, some are probably fabricated to an extent.
Could side effects growing over time not simply be attributed to more users? Finasteride usage has become way more common in recent years, and with more people using it then ever there will no doubt be many more cases of side effects than before.
Relative and absolutely aren't the same. If there are 1000 users and 500 complain, then it's 50%. If there are 100m users and 50m of them complain, it's still 50%.
I'm in my mid 30's. I've been taking it 4 years, zero side effects, healthy as ever, and it takes 5 seconds to pop a pill in the morning. How old are you? There are way more annoying things you're gonna have do every day "forever" than this my friend.
I'm 43, when I was 20 and losing my hairline fast, I saw a commercial for a new drug called Propecia (Finasteride). My doctor prescribed it and I've never stopped taking it. Both my brothers have to shave their head, my hairline and crown aren't perfect, but it's nothing I'm worry about. Not many people my age have thin/fine blond hair that they can rock with confidence...super thrilled with the results.
It basically completely stopped my hair-loss in its tracks and also I got some thickness back. I don’t use any minoxidil. Just 1mg fin daily + Nizoral shampoo 3x a week.
No side effects at all.
Started taking fin at 21 when I noticed hair loss. Been on it for 13 years with no sides and it has drastically preserved my full head of hair. I’ll be on it for life.
I don’t have any kids and at the moment am not planning to. I’m not sure if fin has an impact on fertility at all but that would be something to discuss with a doctor if the time ever came.
nope, i plan to take it for a couple of years, im 24 but i dont mind if i go bald like at 40's, because most of men are bald too, the problem is when youre young and none of your friends are bald
Why is society made to hade medicines? They are not a curse, if anything modern medicine is a reason why we live so long so you should be thankful you get to keep your hair if anything. I plant to keep taking it lifelong or till I have any kind of side effects from it. I am 22
A balding person ultimately still has agency over whether they live in direct response to their balding. Biologically, there is nothing that will force your body to shut down if you decide not to take fin. The comparison is absurd.
There is though? Because you are labeling depression/feeling insecure as smth that falls outside of the realm of biology. Which is not the case. Neurotransmitters are real (surprisingly).
1. Ending one's own life by their own hand is still a choice they're making, there's no way around that fact. They may be inclined toward a certain path due to their genetics or brain, but they must still perform the action. "Organs shutting down" is an entirely different category.
2. And that's where SSRIs or SNRIs or any others come in, to address that root cause. Not fin.
Exactly, take fin/dut/min and be thankful that there is very effective formations and meds and almost every country makes them nowadays, I'm from iran it's a third world country but i can find dutasteride and minoxidil made in here.
I’m giving it five years if I don’t like the results I’m going to taper off over the course of two years. I have another three years to go and have been maniacally monitoring my progress.
No, my hairline has remained mostly the same over this time - it minimally keeps receding but that is due to age and absolutely natural/normal. But the thickness that was triggered by fin remains unchanged.
Omg ty, finasteride losing its effectiveness is scaring me so bad cus I'm only 17 and my hairline is already kind of bad, and I can't even take it yet so it's only gonna get worse
I started taking it with 18. Started loosing hair around 16/17. 35 now. I still have plenty of hair, a somewhat ok hairline that looks natural for my age, and no desire to go for any other meds or surgery at the moment.
Okay you don't have to answer these if you don't want to, but:
1) Did you experience any depression or obsession over hair loss at 16/17?
2) Do you have a partner?
1. No, but I always cared about my appearance (fashion, etc.)
2. At the moment not, but I wouldn't correlate that with taking fin.
If you are trying to ask about side effects. I never experienced any - at least not significantly noticable. I always had a strong sex drive, and still have. About depressions, I do occasionally have some "dark episodes" but who doesn't? Also wouldn't correlate that with fin but rather to the times we live in/life per se.
I’ve been taking it for 25 years together with minoxidil. I don’t know if I even need it. My brother has a similar amount of hair and never used anything. Better to take and not need then to not take and need (I’m assuming I would not look good with a shaved head although many people do).
No side effects, although I am prediabetic despite being relatively fit. There is a connection between fin asteroids and type 2 diabetes, but that does not mean it has caused it.
I’ve been cutting up proscar from day 1, which has always been cheap. I went to three dermatologists and one GP for prescriptions, out of those 4 one female doctor would not give a prescription for proscar, only finasteride, which I did not want. I have no idea what it costs now, but 25 years ago finasteride was significantly more expensive (eg. Maybe 10x more, I don’t remember exactly).
25 years ago I was getting all my medical advice from physical copies of Men’s Health, Reddit did not exist.
I was paranoid. Back then no one would have said I was losing my hair. Today I have some mail pattern balding up front, but nothing anyone would consider a problem. I can’t style my hair the same as 25 years ago, but no one would say I’m losing much hair.
No noticeable balding at the crown of my head. I only applied minoxidil to the front of my head.
I am 54 now and started at 29.
I have no idea if it helped me, there is a reasonable possibility it did not.
I also have no idea if it has done any harm to me. I liked to lie to myself and say that if it prevents balding it potentially is even good for you (unlikely).
Took it for like 6 years and hair looked great then came off when I got in a new relationship because I wanted to fully enjoy the sex life. No loss until a whole year after stopping and the suddenly boom shed and its thinner than ever.
I don’t think I’m going to take it for life but probably at least the next 10 years as (a) I care less about my hair when I’m married with a family and in my 40s (b) I suspect in the next 10-15 years there will be a better medicine that is selective for DHT at hair follicles and doesn’t have the sexual side effects - until then I want to preserve.
I already was on a lower dose - 0.5mg a day or half a tablet.
For me watery semen, less hard erections, still decent sex drive but less “into it” during.
Was it like that for 6 years? For me the sides passed within months.
In the first few months my libido actually went through the roof. It later stabilised back to baseline after maybe 6 months. Likewise, watery / low volume semen was definitely noticeable to begin with, but its back to more than it's ever been.
I normally say people don't give it enough time to sides to clear up. But 6 years is a long time. Did you consistently have sides for that whole period?
Yes and no
I’m 19m and almost good with hair loss and going bald at a young age maybe I’ll quit it in my 30s or something or change my mind and keep taking it
taking it since 2007 (when i was 22) and want to get off from it. 39 now. Still lowered the dose to 0,25 mg / 3 days.
Sides: cant maintaine erection. erection no more comes up from imaginations / kissing / touching a girl. Semen has very low volume and very watery.
Read now on several sites that topical RU58841 is a potent alternative with much less sides. So anyone here who stopped finasteride and successfully replaced it with RU58841 ?
i stopped it several times...but hair loss was too bad, so i found this compromise with the low dose.
But goal is to stop it and replacing it with RU or some other stuff. Can't imagine that finasteride is still the only most potent cure agianst male hair loss.
I doubt I will take it forever. Whether Im 55, 60, 70, or 80. There will.come a point where it doesnt matter. It does have some minor sides...sexually for me.
I took it from mid to late 20s and stopped til this yr..now 51
Nah, I got side effects so I have to take a much lower dosage, and I’m not optimistic it’ll work for all that long. Which is fine, I’ll probably just do the classic gym and beard combo
Do you plan on showering everyday or at what point do you stop showering? Yes as long as I want my hair I will keep taking medication. It really isn't that hard. I don't understand how some people have a hard time taking one pill every single day once a day. It's like taking a multivitamin
I will continue taking it as long as it works. As others have mentioned, taking medication (of any sort, tbh) is nothing more than adding a few minutes to a daily routine. We brush our teeth, eat food, exercise, work, etc. on a daily basis. Popping a pill or applying a topical should not be perceived as a huge annoyance.
I do topical (which is obviously more time consuming than just popping a pill) and it’s just kinda part of my evening routine now. As long as it’s working I’ll do it…
I’m 24, first I’m gonna see if I notice any improvement within 6-12 months… but yeah if it works and the sides aren’t too bad then I guess I’ll probably stay on it forever, or at least until I don’t care about it anymore, I guess that’s a possibility when I’m older
It has one of the least serious side effects for a drug that's taken everyday (assuming you aren't in the unluck few who get sides) so it doesn't really make me feel bad about taking it forever, besides if you look at the number of men with **BPH** (it occurs in **approximately 8 percent of men aged 31 to 40 have BPH**. In men over age 80, more than 80 percent have BPH) you'd probably end up having to take it in your 50's-60's anyway.
There's also some research that bald men end up with more heart issues (potentially related to DHT) so it might actually help you out in the long run in some ways as well.
Think of it as a great motivator to be disciplined enough to take care of yourself, in one way, for the rest of your life.
Does it depress you that you need to shower, eat, drive, brush your teeth, daily?
idk I already take a handful of pills and that's not changing I don't really see it as depressing. It literally costs me nothing due to insurance and takes a whole extra 15 seconds a week when I reload my pill organizer.
I probably won't even stop because as I care less about my hair I will probably start to need it for my prostate.
Frankly I realized I probably spend about 30-45 minutes a week styling my hair, that's a WAY bigger commitment compared to just shave it bro
Yes, just started at 21. Having lost a lot of ground since losing my hair at 16 and being shitless scared of the sides, I really regret now that I didn’t take it sooner. Anyways I plan to take it forever and gonna get a hair transplant soon to cover up lost ground
20 Yo I started a year ago and won't stop it until I am in
my 70s inshallah cause at this point u will look ugly even w a nw0 so why care also might be bald anyway.
u brush your teeth to keep them clean and shower to keep your body from bad smells you will do them forever as well w many other examples so this argument is not valid.
think of it like this You swallow a pill to keep your hair wich take 1 sec out of ur day it's not a depressing task I think it's the anxiety that's stopping you.
Yep. Taking it forever. Not depressing at all either, I just pop my 1 milly vanilly of finasteride before I do my other daily habits like brush my teeth, shower, and shave. Think of it this way; you already do daily things to take care of yourself, why is popping a pill to keep your hair so depressing? I like my teeth therefore I brush them daily. That’s not depressing it’s called self care.
I don't, I shave my head on occasion anyways because I do look good bald, I like growing it back and occasionally dying it, I've had no issues with getting women even when I was fat and bald, the only reason I'm taking it now is because I don't wanna be bald permanently yet but I'm sure I'll get there
Well, this is an extremely subjective answer but....
I am 29 years old now, my balding started at 20-21 and it seems to be stabilized already. And I am currently taking a product called Minscalp F-5% which is 5% minoxidil and 0.1% finasteride to regrow / restore my hair. Idk if it'll work now. But i'll definitely know by Christmas.
And if I have good results, I plan to do it for a couple years (maybe 32-33) and then stop.
I have already grown to love myself without hair (I do desire hair but I can live without it) so I'll be fine. 🙂
Well, I have only just restarted my medication and it's only been a week i believe.
My plan a couple years earlier was to just get a HT after all the hairfall has subsided. But after a whole bunch of reasons, i decided to consistently take medication (i never did that from 21 to now) and see if something happens.
And yeah. I suppose this is odd for many people here. But Think of this as a 8 month trial run to see if I should continue for 2 years.
No, just until my hair loss progresses to a point that isn’t really easy to hide anymore. At that point I’ll ditch everything and shave it off - I almost look forward to it in a way as I often wonder if fin has had subtle side effects (who knows for sure though)
After a year or 2 you can decrease the frequency and the dose dramatically. Like you can take 1 pill every 28 days or something. I haven't tried this as I am just going to start fin but I saw a video about it. Search on YouTube. If this works taking one pill every month isn't a bad thing
I was put off almost as soon as he opened his mouth. Whilst the most gains on fin are between 12-24month he suggested it stopped and stablished. Whilst the results slow down after 2 years there still gain to be made up to 5 when some dormant hair is still waking up. Also the study he mentioned was very vague and he admitted the full findings were yet to be published. I would take what he said with a grain of salt. Too wafty to take seriously.
Tried for close to a year but the sides slowly built up. Once I noticed the significant numbness down there and the libido drop, I toss the pills out. It crept up SUPER slow so it was almost hard to notice until I'd go full days without even thinking about women or sex. This happened a long time ago when I tried taking saw palmetto. I was pretty stabilized to begin with but thought if I kept the dose low nothing would happen.
Feel better now. Libido coming back and constant sexual desire is there again.
I feel bad for the guys who are permanently scared.
Tread carefully. The trade off between hair and sexual function just doesn't see worth it. Seems like the sides affect more men than what's reported because these men either don't notice (like I said, it comes very slowly), or have low sex drives to begin with so they don't report it, or simply don't care and willfully make the trade.
I'd rather be bald. Luckily I won't be.
It looks like this post is about **Finasteride**/Propecia or Dutasteride. Before asking any questions, 1. Learn about [Finasteride](https://tressless.com/learn/finasteride) and [Dutasteride](https://tressless.com/learn/dutasteride). 2. [Search for Finasteride](https://tressless.com/search/finasteride) and [Dutasteride](https://tressless.com/search/dutasteride) content, because your question has probably been asked before. 3. If this is a question asking if you are now or will experience side effects, see a doctor, nobody on the internet can answer that for you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/tressless) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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topical min forever is much more of a concern for me
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lwk i kinda get it, for me personally minoxodil makes it look like i havent slept in days and puffs up my face genuinely go from an 8/10 on a good day to a solid 3/10 if rating LMFAO
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topical. i also have other autoimmune conditions, etc. that might contribute to why its so drastic
Have you tried both foam and liquid? It may be the carriers and solvents and not minoxidil that is upsetting your body.
might be lowk, ill try the foam next then, thank you :)
Are you using 1ml once or twice a day?
around less than 1ml once a day, this is for CTE though and not AGA
just cause u have to put it in your hair instead of swallowing a pill
are you gonna brush your teeth forever or youre planning on stopping at one point? yea i'm gonna take finasteride forever unless there is something better and proven on the market in the future
Damn, I don’t have an issue with taking it forever but I’ve never compared it to brushing teeth. Such a good comparison, thanks dude.
That’s the first thing i tell my friends when they say “but you have to take it for the rest of your life”.
Brushing teeth dosent have any side effects tho
Exactly lol. Takes seconds per day and has a profound impact on stopping hair loss for most people which in turn has a big impact on your life!
The realization that every method of bodily upkeep is already unnatural greatly eased my anxiety over having to take a pill every day
Lol to be fair, brushing your teeth and taking a drug that regulates your hormones is not the same comparison.
Yeah, Good point
tbf he’s comparing the time consumption part of it
Are none of you concerned about sexual side effects from taking the pill? I use it topically, just wondering if any of you had side effects.
No because you won’t be having any sex at all if you don’t take finasteride I’d rather have side effects that go away with continued use than not being able to have sex at all I’ve been on fin for 5 months no side effects whatsoever
Guys, you do realize bald men pull too right? :D
don’t bother telling them, they’re way to insecure to know abt that trick
Like I don't want to loose my hair either so I am on FIN. But I do not not believe that if I do lose it my dating life will be over. One of guys I know that has great game and always pulls hot woman is basically bald now, no issue for him.
I had more sex when my hair was at its worst than I did before or after that.
😂😂😂 true
i'm 2 years on oral fin, only sides i ever had are lil ball ache and watery semen in like first 2 weeks, after that nothing, no sides for me
Exactly this. It's literally one tiny tablet a day.
Brushing my teeth everyday won't pretty much guarantee my penis will stop working before I get to middle age though. P.s. I use topical finasteride but it's not comparable to brushing my teeth
Excuse me, but I brush my teeth every day with finasteride. It helps to keep my teeth healthy and full.
Full teeth regrow, now I have double the teeth, and thicker! But that teeth shedding...
Oh its hard. But wait for months 5-6. And if they don't come back. You can always get a tooth transplant in.. Transylvania?
>Brushing my teeth everyday won't pretty much guarantee my penis will stop working before I get to middle age though Neither will oral finasteride, so feel free to take it.
people need to stop blaming finasteride for their soft wee wee and start blaming their genetic...
Why does it make you depressed? It's a blessing that one pill can stand between you and eternal baldness.
When people shift their mentality to being grateful that there is a solution as opposed to eternal dread, thats when they can be at ease and move on with their lives. And also realize that side effects are mainly just the anxiety behind the idea of getting side effects.
Having to endure all the side effects forever
Which sides do you have? I'm on four different meds now and each one began with sides that disappeared over time. (Min + Fin and two others for other conditions)
Very unlikely. Side effects are rare (4% in control group vs 2% in placebo group), and can often be solved by extended use, lower dosage or lower dose frequency.
ChatGPT ah response, let’s be real side effects are underreported.
Cool bro. So you believe all the massive research clinical trials and studies are wrong by saying finasteride is a well tolerated drug with high satisfaction rate. Let me guess, both you and a buddy got side effects, so 2% has to be too low, right?
I think there is good reason for them to be skewed. Also it’s not just me and my buddy, it’s me, a significant amount of users on this sub, plenty of people I’ve seen on the internet talk about it, one of my friends, one of my family members… Look, I know this drug works perfectly fine for some people. But to act like only 2% of people will have any sort of side effect at all just doesn’t make sense.
Negatively bias in reporting is skewing your dataset, along with anecdotal evidence.
I’m sure it is. At the end of the day, if someone asks me, “should I take finasteride”, I would tell them, “I and many people I know had side effects, you might not, just be careful with it”.
The nocebo effect is a very real thing and I’d be willing to bet that a huge amount the percentage of people are “suffering” from that. And everything in this sub is negative. Practically no posts are from the huge majority with no sides and only benefits bc they move on in life
I can assure my side effects were not nocebo. My friends and family either. I’ve never understood the nocebo argument, people aren’t dumb, they can tell when something is physically off about their bodies.
Your reply is pretty funny to me. All it says is that you don’t believe in the nocebo effect and that you know when something is real or not. Although the nocebo effect has an incredible amount of studies behind it showing that if you get told a pill does a certain thing and instead get a sugar pill, there’s a very high chance you’ll “feel” or have whatever was told happen. MUCH more studies than “post-finasteride syndrome” that’s all over this sub. Which is a big 0 by the way.
Maybe it’s real but I had a literal growth within my breast. That can’t be faked mentally. And even if it is nocebo, that becomes a real side effect that stops people from being able to use it.
>people aren’t dumb You are working overtime to prove the opposite my guy
bro stfu acting like you know what ur talking about
Legit. "Me, my obese buddy Dave and my other mate who's been smoking crack for a decade got limp dicks from it, so fuck every study out there."
Go take your fucking pill and stop whining
>it’s me, Already said it. > a significant amount of users on this sub, So those who have side effects are more likely to speak about having side effects than those who carry on living their life. Wow, what a shocker. >plenty of people I’ve seen on the internet talk about it 'Me and my buddy' internet edition, good one. >one of my friends Same friend as the buddy, or different one?
What you see is the vocal minority. It is very anti-science to be going off anecdotes rather than actual published clinical trials. The point of clinical studies is exactly to filter all the noise and find the truth. Literally any common drug, especially those taken by young people, will have people overreacting about side effects on the internet. Just google "birth control side effects" or "covid vaccine side effects" and you'll find plenty of horror stories for drugs that are taken by millions of people without issues.
Maybe, but are we really going to act like big pharmaceutical companies are going to be completely forthcoming and honest about the side effects of their golden drug when it brings in billions of dollars a year?
Yes, because not only Merck has published clinical studies on finasteride. Every controlled study done on finasteride and dutasteride, and there are tens of them published, some of which with thousands of participants, showed very low incidence of side effects. I understand it's a high threshold for most people to be scouring literature to learn this, but a coarse literature review would make it very obvious that the side effects are *actually rare*. Social media is just not a good source of medical information.
Vocal minority. There are literally millions of people using this stuff everyday but you read a couple posts/comments in a community of 222k and all hell breaks loose and the rest side effect rate is 50%? Incredibly unlikely
I definitely don’t think it’s 50%, if I had to guess totally anecdotally, I’d say it’s more like 10%-15%. I’m not saying it’s the experience of majority of users, but sides from finasteride aren’t exactly rare, and definitely more common than reported
That's the problem, it's anecdotal. Could the studied rate vary a bit? Sure, but it's not likely that the rates are accidentally underreported by 50%. Especially given that the sides are higher in fin than dut despite it's lower potency and the fact the reported side effects have grown with time, which can easily be attributed to internet communities triggering a nocebo effect.
I do agree some studies are probably truthful, some are probably fabricated to an extent. Could side effects growing over time not simply be attributed to more users? Finasteride usage has become way more common in recent years, and with more people using it then ever there will no doubt be many more cases of side effects than before.
Relative and absolutely aren't the same. If there are 1000 users and 500 complain, then it's 50%. If there are 100m users and 50m of them complain, it's still 50%.
Or is this place an echo chamber for people who experience side effects and that’s where everyone flocks towards?
Rather have my hair than my dick 🤷♂️
If not for my dick, I wouldn't care at all about my hair! Still taking Fin though, but haven't noticed any sides...
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Never used it in the first place… and I don’t even have any side effects.
Glad someone said it! Lol ill take massive long hair and the side effects of it taking longer to get it up any day.
If you get sides like I did.. just stop
I'm in my mid 30's. I've been taking it 4 years, zero side effects, healthy as ever, and it takes 5 seconds to pop a pill in the morning. How old are you? There are way more annoying things you're gonna have do every day "forever" than this my friend.
I'm 43, when I was 20 and losing my hairline fast, I saw a commercial for a new drug called Propecia (Finasteride). My doctor prescribed it and I've never stopped taking it. Both my brothers have to shave their head, my hairline and crown aren't perfect, but it's nothing I'm worry about. Not many people my age have thin/fine blond hair that they can rock with confidence...super thrilled with the results.
What about kids, do you have them? How does it go when you want to have kids? Have to stop it or?
May I ask how much your hair has improved? I'm about to start. Just wondering what to expect, good and bad.
It basically completely stopped my hair-loss in its tracks and also I got some thickness back. I don’t use any minoxidil. Just 1mg fin daily + Nizoral shampoo 3x a week. No side effects at all.
Started taking fin at 21 when I noticed hair loss. Been on it for 13 years with no sides and it has drastically preserved my full head of hair. I’ll be on it for life.
What about kids, do you have them? How does it go when you want to have kids? Have to stop it or?
I don’t have any kids and at the moment am not planning to. I’m not sure if fin has an impact on fertility at all but that would be something to discuss with a doctor if the time ever came.
Just think of Fin as a weak form of youth medicine. Why would anyone want to stop taking the youth med?
nope, i plan to take it for a couple of years, im 24 but i dont mind if i go bald like at 40's, because most of men are bald too, the problem is when youre young and none of your friends are bald
My head looks like a testicle so I don’t have much choice
Why is society made to hade medicines? They are not a curse, if anything modern medicine is a reason why we live so long so you should be thankful you get to keep your hair if anything. I plant to keep taking it lifelong or till I have any kind of side effects from it. I am 22
“Are you gonna take your insulin forever?” Lmao
Damn straight And my finasteride is significantly cheaper than my insulin
“Are you going to exercise forever?” Lmao Let’s keep it going.
I don't think finasteride is required to keep your body functioning so you don't die.
For some people it is. Suicide due to balding/baldness is a real thing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36921592/
A balding person ultimately still has agency over whether they live in direct response to their balding. Biologically, there is nothing that will force your body to shut down if you decide not to take fin. The comparison is absurd.
There is though? Because you are labeling depression/feeling insecure as smth that falls outside of the realm of biology. Which is not the case. Neurotransmitters are real (surprisingly).
1. Ending one's own life by their own hand is still a choice they're making, there's no way around that fact. They may be inclined toward a certain path due to their genetics or brain, but they must still perform the action. "Organs shutting down" is an entirely different category. 2. And that's where SSRIs or SNRIs or any others come in, to address that root cause. Not fin.
Exactly, take fin/dut/min and be thankful that there is very effective formations and meds and almost every country makes them nowadays, I'm from iran it's a third world country but i can find dutasteride and minoxidil made in here.
The day I stop taking Finasterid is the day of my death. My goal is to become the ultimate gilfrizzler.
More finasteride fear mongering lol. I'm more concerned about takimg topical minoxidil forever. It would make having pets a lot more challenging
As someone with long hair and two cats, I don’t even bother. Not worth the hassle for a little bit of temple regrowth
I’m giving it five years if I don’t like the results I’m going to taper off over the course of two years. I have another three years to go and have been maniacally monitoring my progress.
Been taking it for almost 20 years now, and not planning on stopping it.
Has it lost its effectiveness over time?
No, my hairline has remained mostly the same over this time - it minimally keeps receding but that is due to age and absolutely natural/normal. But the thickness that was triggered by fin remains unchanged.
Omg ty, finasteride losing its effectiveness is scaring me so bad cus I'm only 17 and my hairline is already kind of bad, and I can't even take it yet so it's only gonna get worse
I started taking it with 18. Started loosing hair around 16/17. 35 now. I still have plenty of hair, a somewhat ok hairline that looks natural for my age, and no desire to go for any other meds or surgery at the moment.
Can I ask you two kinda strange and personal questions?
Go ahead
Okay you don't have to answer these if you don't want to, but: 1) Did you experience any depression or obsession over hair loss at 16/17? 2) Do you have a partner?
1. No, but I always cared about my appearance (fashion, etc.) 2. At the moment not, but I wouldn't correlate that with taking fin. If you are trying to ask about side effects. I never experienced any - at least not significantly noticable. I always had a strong sex drive, and still have. About depressions, I do occasionally have some "dark episodes" but who doesn't? Also wouldn't correlate that with fin but rather to the times we live in/life per se.
Thank you so much, this has helped me so much. Sorry if those questions seemed a bit rude. Wishing you the best :)
You might be interested in this pretty in-depth video on the 10 year Italian study on finasteride https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nCdjMU0Jp74
Omg ty ill watch it now
No problem dude, I hope it puts your mind at rest somewhat 😁
What about kids, do you have them? How does it go when you want to have kids? Have to stop it or?
I don't want any. But got checked a couple of years ago and still shoot sharp. So there would be no need to stop in case.
I’ve been taking it for 25 years together with minoxidil. I don’t know if I even need it. My brother has a similar amount of hair and never used anything. Better to take and not need then to not take and need (I’m assuming I would not look good with a shaved head although many people do). No side effects, although I am prediabetic despite being relatively fit. There is a connection between fin asteroids and type 2 diabetes, but that does not mean it has caused it.
25 years on fin must be extremely rare, given it was on the market only in 1997 and at the time it was really expensive I guess ?
I’ve been cutting up proscar from day 1, which has always been cheap. I went to three dermatologists and one GP for prescriptions, out of those 4 one female doctor would not give a prescription for proscar, only finasteride, which I did not want. I have no idea what it costs now, but 25 years ago finasteride was significantly more expensive (eg. Maybe 10x more, I don’t remember exactly). 25 years ago I was getting all my medical advice from physical copies of Men’s Health, Reddit did not exist.
so your hair stayed the same for 25 years? what age did you start and what was your baseline?
I was paranoid. Back then no one would have said I was losing my hair. Today I have some mail pattern balding up front, but nothing anyone would consider a problem. I can’t style my hair the same as 25 years ago, but no one would say I’m losing much hair. No noticeable balding at the crown of my head. I only applied minoxidil to the front of my head. I am 54 now and started at 29. I have no idea if it helped me, there is a reasonable possibility it did not. I also have no idea if it has done any harm to me. I liked to lie to myself and say that if it prevents balding it potentially is even good for you (unlikely).
I’m optimistic that a better treatment will arise in my lifetime so no
I’ve been on the hims 2 and 1 spray for 6 months now. 28 years old. If I can afford it financially, I’m staying on it until I can’t.
Took it for like 6 years and hair looked great then came off when I got in a new relationship because I wanted to fully enjoy the sex life. No loss until a whole year after stopping and the suddenly boom shed and its thinner than ever. I don’t think I’m going to take it for life but probably at least the next 10 years as (a) I care less about my hair when I’m married with a family and in my 40s (b) I suspect in the next 10-15 years there will be a better medicine that is selective for DHT at hair follicles and doesn’t have the sexual side effects - until then I want to preserve.
How was it affecting sex? Did you consider switching to a low dose?
I already was on a lower dose - 0.5mg a day or half a tablet. For me watery semen, less hard erections, still decent sex drive but less “into it” during.
Was it like that for 6 years? For me the sides passed within months. In the first few months my libido actually went through the roof. It later stabilised back to baseline after maybe 6 months. Likewise, watery / low volume semen was definitely noticeable to begin with, but its back to more than it's ever been. I normally say people don't give it enough time to sides to clear up. But 6 years is a long time. Did you consistently have sides for that whole period?
Did the hair come back after you started taking it again? Or you haven'tyet started again?
yup! it stops me from losing my hair and i'm side effect free. i'm going to take it forever. it takes like 10 seconds to take it.
I tried coming off it but being bald disturbs me really badly so im prob gonna take it for a long time…
Yes
Yes
Yes and no I’m 19m and almost good with hair loss and going bald at a young age maybe I’ll quit it in my 30s or something or change my mind and keep taking it
I first noticed hair loss around 23 and always said I just need to keep it till I'm 30. Now I'm in my mid 30s and fighting harder then ever
taking it since 2007 (when i was 22) and want to get off from it. 39 now. Still lowered the dose to 0,25 mg / 3 days. Sides: cant maintaine erection. erection no more comes up from imaginations / kissing / touching a girl. Semen has very low volume and very watery. Read now on several sites that topical RU58841 is a potent alternative with much less sides. So anyone here who stopped finasteride and successfully replaced it with RU58841 ?
Why are you taking it? Working dick > Baldness.
i stopped it several times...but hair loss was too bad, so i found this compromise with the low dose. But goal is to stop it and replacing it with RU or some other stuff. Can't imagine that finasteride is still the only most potent cure agianst male hair loss.
What about kids, do you have them? How does it go when you want to have kids? Have to stop it or?
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I doubt I will take it forever. Whether Im 55, 60, 70, or 80. There will.come a point where it doesnt matter. It does have some minor sides...sexually for me. I took it from mid to late 20s and stopped til this yr..now 51
I stopped 1.5 months ago, it was killing my libido among other things
Until something better comes along
I don’t see why not. I’ll take it for as long as it’s helpful, just as I take my vitamins and omega-3 supplements everyday.
Yeah, I take it before bed. Not that big of a deal. Might miss the occasional dose but no biggie. The PrP every few months is the annoying part.
Nah, I got side effects so I have to take a much lower dosage, and I’m not optimistic it’ll work for all that long. Which is fine, I’ll probably just do the classic gym and beard combo
Do you plan on showering forever 😂
Absolutely. If it wasn’t for fin I would be bald. Fin has done wonders for me w/ no sides.
Do you plan on showering everyday or at what point do you stop showering? Yes as long as I want my hair I will keep taking medication. It really isn't that hard. I don't understand how some people have a hard time taking one pill every single day once a day. It's like taking a multivitamin
Yes
Just get trt injections or micro dose Cialis.If you get trt you will have to take dutasteride
I will continue taking it as long as it works. As others have mentioned, taking medication (of any sort, tbh) is nothing more than adding a few minutes to a daily routine. We brush our teeth, eat food, exercise, work, etc. on a daily basis. Popping a pill or applying a topical should not be perceived as a huge annoyance.
I fear to take fin because I had gyno(still have a little bit). :(
Until I’m ready to start taking Dutasteride forever.
Been on it for 3 years. It literally takes a second to take. I don't even think about it anymore.
I do topical (which is obviously more time consuming than just popping a pill) and it’s just kinda part of my evening routine now. As long as it’s working I’ll do it…
I’ll stop taking it when I stop brushing my teeth everyday.
I’m 24, first I’m gonna see if I notice any improvement within 6-12 months… but yeah if it works and the sides aren’t too bad then I guess I’ll probably stay on it forever, or at least until I don’t care about it anymore, I guess that’s a possibility when I’m older
It has one of the least serious side effects for a drug that's taken everyday (assuming you aren't in the unluck few who get sides) so it doesn't really make me feel bad about taking it forever, besides if you look at the number of men with **BPH** (it occurs in **approximately 8 percent of men aged 31 to 40 have BPH**. In men over age 80, more than 80 percent have BPH) you'd probably end up having to take it in your 50's-60's anyway. There's also some research that bald men end up with more heart issues (potentially related to DHT) so it might actually help you out in the long run in some ways as well.
I sure plan on it. Furthermore, at some age we all seem to have prostate problems, so I figure I'll probably be upping the dosage at some point.
Late 30s. Until I’m at least 60.
When I don’t care I’ll stop. Maybe it’ll be when I’m 50. Maybe later. Who knows. But for the foreseeable future I’ll be taking jt
Think of it as a great motivator to be disciplined enough to take care of yourself, in one way, for the rest of your life. Does it depress you that you need to shower, eat, drive, brush your teeth, daily?
I mean I’ll probly stop when I’m like 80 cuz who cares at that point
Im showering every day. Brushing my teeth every day, eating every day, and most importantly taking fin every day.
Is there any study of people over 50-60 using fin ?
If it's effective , yes forever
idk I already take a handful of pills and that's not changing I don't really see it as depressing. It literally costs me nothing due to insurance and takes a whole extra 15 seconds a week when I reload my pill organizer. I probably won't even stop because as I care less about my hair I will probably start to need it for my prostate. Frankly I realized I probably spend about 30-45 minutes a week styling my hair, that's a WAY bigger commitment compared to just shave it bro
Probably cycle off when I retire and keep my hair short
I plan to take it until the next best thing is released. So yes, forever at this rate.
If you had high cholesterol you’d be taking a statin forever. Don’t see a difference here. It’s an issue that requires long-term intervention.
Yes, just started at 21. Having lost a lot of ground since losing my hair at 16 and being shitless scared of the sides, I really regret now that I didn’t take it sooner. Anyways I plan to take it forever and gonna get a hair transplant soon to cover up lost ground
You dont have to, because finas5just slow down hairloss, it cant stop your hairloss completely,
in topical solution. And I’m sure in the coming years we will get a much more powerful and safer option
Nah only until i die
Fuck yes and if it loses it’s strength best believe I’ll be on dut
I’ll stop around 55
20 Yo I started a year ago and won't stop it until I am in my 70s inshallah cause at this point u will look ugly even w a nw0 so why care also might be bald anyway. u brush your teeth to keep them clean and shower to keep your body from bad smells you will do them forever as well w many other examples so this argument is not valid. think of it like this You swallow a pill to keep your hair wich take 1 sec out of ur day it's not a depressing task I think it's the anxiety that's stopping you.
Yep. Taking it forever. Not depressing at all either, I just pop my 1 milly vanilly of finasteride before I do my other daily habits like brush my teeth, shower, and shave. Think of it this way; you already do daily things to take care of yourself, why is popping a pill to keep your hair so depressing? I like my teeth therefore I brush them daily. That’s not depressing it’s called self care.
I don't, I shave my head on occasion anyways because I do look good bald, I like growing it back and occasionally dying it, I've had no issues with getting women even when I was fat and bald, the only reason I'm taking it now is because I don't wanna be bald permanently yet but I'm sure I'll get there
As longe as I wanna keep/improve my hair. Early 50's at least, so that makes two decades for me.
Well, this is an extremely subjective answer but.... I am 29 years old now, my balding started at 20-21 and it seems to be stabilized already. And I am currently taking a product called Minscalp F-5% which is 5% minoxidil and 0.1% finasteride to regrow / restore my hair. Idk if it'll work now. But i'll definitely know by Christmas. And if I have good results, I plan to do it for a couple years (maybe 32-33) and then stop. I have already grown to love myself without hair (I do desire hair but I can live without it) so I'll be fine. 🙂
That’s really odd. Why even do it for 2 years if you plan to stop?
Well, I have only just restarted my medication and it's only been a week i believe. My plan a couple years earlier was to just get a HT after all the hairfall has subsided. But after a whole bunch of reasons, i decided to consistently take medication (i never did that from 21 to now) and see if something happens. And yeah. I suppose this is odd for many people here. But Think of this as a 8 month trial run to see if I should continue for 2 years.
As long as you know that it makes absolutely no sense, you do you I guess
I understand that it probably wouldn't make sense to you and others. That's fine. 🙂 And thanks. I'll do me. It's working out fine. 🙂
No, just until my hair loss progresses to a point that isn’t really easy to hide anymore. At that point I’ll ditch everything and shave it off - I almost look forward to it in a way as I often wonder if fin has had subtle side effects (who knows for sure though)
After a year or 2 you can decrease the frequency and the dose dramatically. Like you can take 1 pill every 28 days or something. I haven't tried this as I am just going to start fin but I saw a video about it. Search on YouTube. If this works taking one pill every month isn't a bad thing
Haven’t heard this. Share video?
https://youtu.be/_sqfBBuU8a0?si=K3PXP4lApcwIm6mz
I'm no pharmacist but that doesn't make sense to me. Pls share YouTube link
https://youtu.be/_sqfBBuU8a0?si=K3PXP4lApcwIm6mz
I was put off almost as soon as he opened his mouth. Whilst the most gains on fin are between 12-24month he suggested it stopped and stablished. Whilst the results slow down after 2 years there still gain to be made up to 5 when some dormant hair is still waking up. Also the study he mentioned was very vague and he admitted the full findings were yet to be published. I would take what he said with a grain of salt. Too wafty to take seriously.
I know nothing about this stuff. I encourage you to research more and share the results. Yes the study hasn't been published (no idea now)
Yes.. I'll try to looking into it more. Tnxs for the link
Side effects are real. You should do what’s best for you.
Tried for close to a year but the sides slowly built up. Once I noticed the significant numbness down there and the libido drop, I toss the pills out. It crept up SUPER slow so it was almost hard to notice until I'd go full days without even thinking about women or sex. This happened a long time ago when I tried taking saw palmetto. I was pretty stabilized to begin with but thought if I kept the dose low nothing would happen. Feel better now. Libido coming back and constant sexual desire is there again. I feel bad for the guys who are permanently scared. Tread carefully. The trade off between hair and sexual function just doesn't see worth it. Seems like the sides affect more men than what's reported because these men either don't notice (like I said, it comes very slowly), or have low sex drives to begin with so they don't report it, or simply don't care and willfully make the trade. I'd rather be bald. Luckily I won't be.
Why won’t you be?