Avoiding long-term side effects

hair mchair

Established Member
Reaction score
1
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.
 

Olorin

Established Member
Reaction score
0
I agree highly with checking blood levels. I believe everyone should do this regardless of finasteride.
 

richlocks

Established Member
Reaction score
1
I think that's a bit rash. I think there IS a way to rebalance your body to get it back to normal.

HairLossTalk.com himself was on the drug for a long with very heavy side effects and went back to normal in weeks i believe. Everyone is different.
 

hair mchair

Established Member
Reaction score
1
richlocks said:
I think that's a bit rash. I think there IS a way to rebalance your body to get it back to normal.

HairLossTalk.com himself was on the drug for a long with very heavy side effects and went back to normal in weeks i believe. Everyone is different.

You're right. Everyone IS different. But the people most at risk for long-term side effects, IMHO, are those who have really bad side effects and keep taking the drug - especially those who notice side effects right away. You COULD stay on the drug and then be fine when you stop, regardless of how long you try to tough it out. But do you really want to take that chance? In my opinion, if you notice something really wrong, get off the drug. Best not to risk it. If your side effects are more mild, then you might want to consider toughing it out.
 

richlocks

Established Member
Reaction score
1
My side effects are pretty hurrendous. i don't know what i'm going to do.. my hair is going to hell on it lately as well. Can't tell if it's a shed or not..
 

zaireeka

Member
Reaction score
1
what do you think of as really bad side effects out of interest though? i mean i am having some pain in my nuts and chest (but not really severe or constant) as well as some loss in libido. i feel like i should persist for at least a month (ive only been taking it for a week) just to see though. do you think it would make any difference cutting the propecia tablet in half?
 

hair mchair

Established Member
Reaction score
1
zaireeka said:
what do you think of as really bad side effects out of interest though? i mean i am having some pain in my nuts and chest (but not really severe or constant) as well as some loss in libido. i feel like i should persist for at least a month (ive only been taking it for a week) just to see though. do you think it would make any difference cutting the propecia tablet in half?

A slight loss in libido isn't a huge concern. A huge drop in libido is. Just keep an eye things and you should be fine.

As for cutting the pill in half, 0.5 mg SHOULD be as effective as 1 mg, with a lower rate of side effects. There is some evidence of this, although I don't know how conclusive it is.
 
Top