hair mchair
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Since there has been so much talk lately on long-term/"permanent" side effects from finasteride use, I'd thought I'd chime in with some of my most recent observations.
Based on the experiences of most of the people I've talked to (but not all), it seems that the majority of people with long-term side effects after stopping finasteride had pretty serious side effects but continued using the drug for months hoping that their bodies would adjust and the side effects would go away. In most of these cases, side effects appeared very shortly after starting finasteride.
These people based their decision to stick with the drug on Merck's statistic that approximately 60% of the men in their clinical trials who developed side effects but stuck with the drug eventually adjusted to the drug and their side effects disappeared.
I really think this is misleading information. I've thought about the mindset of the people in these clinical trials. I would imagine that anyone who had severe side effects would have stopped right away, afraid of what might happen. Those people who kept taking Propecia probably only had very mild side effects. After all, who would stay on a drug if they were having really serious problems? So I think that your side effects will not go away with continued use of Propecia unless your side effects are very mild and don't really have much of an effect on your life.
Unfortunately, many people are under the impression that ANY side effects, mild or otherwise, will likely go away if you stick with the drug. I really think that's what hurting most people. If you have a bad reaction to a drug, you must stop right away. Taking a drug for months at a time when you are having serious libido and erection issues, or severe chest pains, is just going to make things much worse.
So my advice if you're just starting Propecia. Keep a close eye on things. If your side effects are mild, you MIGHT want to keep using Propecia to see if those side effects go away. But if they are of serious concern, stop right away. Don't think that your body will adjust, because I don't think that it will. I also think it's a good idea for everyone to check their baseline hormone levels - especially free testosterone and estrogen - and then check their hormone levels a couple of months later for comparison. If any problems arise, get your hormone levels checked again to see if you can pinpoint the problem (low testosterone, high estrogen, etc.). If you're getting Propecia from your doctor, I'm sure your insurance company will cover any blood tests.
Based on the experiences of most of the people I've talked to (but not all), it seems that the majority of people with long-term side effects after stopping finasteride had pretty serious side effects but continued using the drug for months hoping that their bodies would adjust and the side effects would go away. In most of these cases, side effects appeared very shortly after starting finasteride.
These people based their decision to stick with the drug on Merck's statistic that approximately 60% of the men in their clinical trials who developed side effects but stuck with the drug eventually adjusted to the drug and their side effects disappeared.
I really think this is misleading information. I've thought about the mindset of the people in these clinical trials. I would imagine that anyone who had severe side effects would have stopped right away, afraid of what might happen. Those people who kept taking Propecia probably only had very mild side effects. After all, who would stay on a drug if they were having really serious problems? So I think that your side effects will not go away with continued use of Propecia unless your side effects are very mild and don't really have much of an effect on your life.
Unfortunately, many people are under the impression that ANY side effects, mild or otherwise, will likely go away if you stick with the drug. I really think that's what hurting most people. If you have a bad reaction to a drug, you must stop right away. Taking a drug for months at a time when you are having serious libido and erection issues, or severe chest pains, is just going to make things much worse.
So my advice if you're just starting Propecia. Keep a close eye on things. If your side effects are mild, you MIGHT want to keep using Propecia to see if those side effects go away. But if they are of serious concern, stop right away. Don't think that your body will adjust, because I don't think that it will. I also think it's a good idea for everyone to check their baseline hormone levels - especially free testosterone and estrogen - and then check their hormone levels a couple of months later for comparison. If any problems arise, get your hormone levels checked again to see if you can pinpoint the problem (low testosterone, high estrogen, etc.). If you're getting Propecia from your doctor, I'm sure your insurance company will cover any blood tests.