Does 'the fog' subside?

[Hugo le Grande]

I started on 1.25mg finasteride daily and suffered severe brain fog about a week in. On advice, I cut down to 1mg daily but this had no impact on the fog.

It got to a point that I could barely function at work so decided to stop finasteride for a couple of weeks. Everything returned to normal and so I decided to try .25mg daily but about 4 days in the fog returned. I don't know whether I can stick with it and hope it finally subsides.

Has the fog subsided for others over time?

 

[Mane Man]

Hey dude, you have DHT in your body for a reason. Disrupt your bodys natural hormonal balance with a potent synthetic drug and you are asking for trouble. You do seem to have a high sensitivity to reduced DHT, so i would try something else ie. topical spironolactone, shaved head.

BTW did you actually have your DHT levels checked before starting finasteride?

 

[Hugo le Grande]

The doctor didn't check my dht levels when he prescribed Proscar. I've got a follow-up appointment soon so perhaps I will ask about having getting tested then.

Might give a topical spironolactone a go too. What would you suggest?

 

[Fanjeera]

It may subside for the lucky ones, if they quit the drug.

 

[question7]

It may subside for the lucky ones, if they quit the drug.

All of your posts follow the same format. Every time I read one of your posts I disregard it as a piece of cognitive bias.

Not only do you fear monger in regards to finasteride usage but you rarely, if ever, give any kind of argument to back up your claims.

Everyone is willing to discuss the side effects/health impact that taking any kind of kind of medication, in this boards case finasteride, can have on an individual. Statements like these are unproductive in helping people make an educated and informed choice about taking a drug or not.

In regards to OP, I had really bad brain fog when I started finasteride (right at the same time as mid terms!), that was 4 weeks ago. Although its to early to tell what side effects I will/wont suffer from that particular one seems to have subsided for the time being.

I found that the more I looked for brain fog the more I experienced it as well. Once mid terms passed, my sleeping patterns got better, and my stress levels reduced I felt less "foggy".

With that being said... brain fog is, as I'm sure you know, a side effect occasionally reported on hair loss forums by finasteride which could lead one to think that perhaps it is a legitimate side effect, although I have never read any studies that tested such a thing. If anyone knows any I would really like to read them.

 

[vauxall]

Alteration of neurosteroids by chronic finasteride use

Prague Med Rep. 2009;110(3):222-30. Related Articles, LinkOut

Finasteride treatment and neuroactive steroid formation.
Duskova M, Hill M, Hanus M, Matouskova M, Starka L.
Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czech Republic.

Finasteride is the 5alpha-reductase inhibitor that received clinical
approval for the treatment of human benign prostate hyperplasia and
androgenetic alopecia. The 5alpha-reductase is enzyme responsible for
the reduction of testosterone to dihydrostestosterone, progesterone to
dihydroprogesterone and deoxycorticosterone to
dihydrodeoxycorticosterone, steroids modulating the action of
gamma-aminobutyric acid on GABA receptors. These neuroactive steroids
possess anticonvulsant, antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. The
objective of the study was to determine the effect of finasteride
therapy on a broad steroid spectrum in men with benign prostate
hyperplasia. A group of 20 men with benign prostate hyperplasia was
involved in the present study. Finasteride in the daily dose of 5 mg/
day was administrated for 4 months. In all individuals, their hormonal
profile of steroid hormones was determined before and after 4 months
lasting finasteride treatment. Finasteride treatment resulted in a
significant decrease all alpha-reduced and increase of most
5beta-reduced metabolites of testosterone and progesterone as well as
in an increase of 7alpha-hydoxyderivatives, which are known as
neuroactive steroids acting by modulation of GABAA and NMAD receptors in the
brain.
In the course of finasteride treatment the decrease of the
concentration of circulating steroids with known inhibitory activity on GABA-ergic
excitation in the brain is very probably an important factors
contributing to the development of the symptoms of depression seen in
some isolated cases of finasteride administration.

Publication Types:
* Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 19655698

 

[Timi]

what for a fog??

i had never a fog from finasteride
i have take 2x2,5mg
today 2x1,25mg

i had a big fog from minoxidil
it was the biggest sh*t for me

Timi

 

[Fanjeera]

Alteration of neurosteroids by chronic finasteride use

Prague Med Rep. 2009;110(3):222-30. Related Articles, LinkOut

Finasteride treatment and neuroactive steroid formation.
Duskova M, Hill M, Hanus M, Matouskova M, Starka L.
Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czech Republic.

Finasteride is the 5alpha-reductase inhibitor that received clinical
approval for the treatment of human benign prostate hyperplasia and
androgenetic alopecia. The 5alpha-reductase is enzyme responsible for
the reduction of testosterone to dihydrostestosterone, progesterone to
dihydroprogesterone and deoxycorticosterone to
dihydrodeoxycorticosterone, steroids modulating the action of
gamma-aminobutyric acid on GABA receptors. These neuroactive steroids
possess anticonvulsant, antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. The
objective of the study was to determine the effect of finasteride
therapy on a broad steroid spectrum in men with benign prostate
hyperplasia. A group of 20 men with benign prostate hyperplasia was
involved in the present study. Finasteride in the daily dose of 5 mg/
day was administrated for 4 months. In all individuals, their hormonal
profile of steroid hormones was determined before and after 4 months
lasting finasteride treatment. Finasteride treatment resulted in a
significant decrease all alpha-reduced and increase of most
5beta-reduced metabolites of testosterone and progesterone as well as
in an increase of 7alpha-hydoxyderivatives, which are known as
neuroactive steroids acting by modulation of GABAA and NMAD receptors in the
brain.
In the course of finasteride treatment the decrease of the
concentration of circulating steroids with known inhibitory activity on GABA-ergic
excitation in the brain is very probably an important factors
contributing to the development of the symptoms of depression seen in
some isolated cases of finasteride administration.

Publication Types:
* Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 19655698

How can I prove someone that this is a scientific and official study? Is it written on a more trustworthy site too?

 

[vauxall]

How can I prove someone that this is a scientific and official study? Is it written on a more trustworthy site too?

See the PMID: 19655698 ?

It means it has been archived by U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

http://pmid.us/19655698

 

[Jack82]

Alteration of neurosteroids by chronic finasteride use

Prague Med Rep. 2009;110(3):222-30. Related Articles, LinkOut

Finasteride treatment and neuroactive steroid formation.
Duskova M, Hill M, Hanus M, Matouskova M, Starka L.
Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czech Republic.

Finasteride is the 5alpha-reductase inhibitor that received clinical
approval for the treatment of human benign prostate hyperplasia and
androgenetic alopecia. The 5alpha-reductase is enzyme responsible for
the reduction of testosterone to dihydrostestosterone, progesterone to
dihydroprogesterone and deoxycorticosterone to
dihydrodeoxycorticosterone, steroids modulating the action of
gamma-aminobutyric acid on GABA receptors. These neuroactive steroids
possess anticonvulsant, antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. The
objective of the study was to determine the effect of finasteride
therapy on a broad steroid spectrum in men with benign prostate
hyperplasia. A group of 20 men with benign prostate hyperplasia was
involved in the present study. Finasteride in the daily dose of 5 mg/
day was administrated for 4 months. In all individuals, their hormonal
profile of steroid hormones was determined before and after 4 months
lasting finasteride treatment. Finasteride treatment resulted in a
significant decrease all alpha-reduced and increase of most
5beta-reduced metabolites of testosterone and progesterone as well as
in an increase of 7alpha-hydoxyderivatives, which are known as
neuroactive steroids acting by modulation of GABAA and NMAD receptors in the
brain.
In the course of finasteride treatment the decrease of the
concentration of circulating steroids with known inhibitory activity on GABA-ergic
excitation in the brain is very probably an important factors
contributing to the development of the symptoms of depression seen in
some isolated cases of finasteride administration.

Publication Types:
* Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 19655698

How can I prove someone that this is a scientific and official study? Is it written on a more trustworthy site too?

It says 5mg per day smartass.

 

[Mew]

It says 5mg per day smartass.

Except you forget that finasteride has a near-flat dose response such that 1mg and 5mg inhibit nearly same amount of DHT, and thus likely neurosteroids as well.

http://www.physics.upenn.edu/facultyinf ... peciafda2/

 

[Jack82]

It says 5mg per day smartass.

Except you forget that finasteride has a near-flat dose response such that 1mg and 5mg inhibit nearly same amount of DHT, and thus likely neurosteroids as well.

http://www.physics.upenn.edu/facultyinf ... peciafda2/

So you think 1mg per day has the same effectiveness in the treatment of prostate enlargment as the proven 5mg? If it was a flat response thing the doctors should prescribe 1mg for prostate enlargment.

There is no way to have the same sides when you take 1mg with 5mg. PERIOD.

 

[amsch]

It says 5mg per day smartass.

Except you forget that finasteride has a near-flat dose response such that 1mg and 5mg inhibit nearly same amount of DHT, and thus likely neurosteroids as well.

http://www.physics.upenn.edu/facultyinf ... peciafda2/

So you think 1mg per day has the same effectiveness in the treatment of prostate enlargment as the proven 5mg? If it was a flat response thing the doctors should prescribe 1mg for prostate enlargment.

There is no way to have the same sides when you take 1mg with 5mg. PERIOD.

YOU, my friend, have absolutely no idea. It IS the same drug, and 5mg will have the same effect to your body like 1 mg. Finasteride is a prostate health drug. They just created a new product with a different dosage for hairloss, but it does absolutely the same, dosage unrelated.

 

[Jack82]

YOU, my friend, have absolutely no idea. It IS the same drug, and 5mg will have the same effect to your body like 1 mg. Finasteride is a prostate health drug. They just created a new product with a different dosage for hairloss, but it does absolutely the same, dosage unrelated.

0.25mg 1mg and 5mg have nearly the same effect on HAIRCOUNTS or dht presence but that doesn't mean that these doses give you the same sides when taken. Even if it looks small there is a difference in serum and scalp DHT between those doses, after approx 70% less DHT (1mg dose) than normal, even 1% more DHT suppressed might cause many many more sides than the first 70%. How can you prove i'm wrong? You are just speculating. As the hair growth results are non linear with the dose, maybe the sides are non linear too, and increase dramatically after a certain point.

Don't forget that there are people without dht in their bodies, do they have mental fog all the time? :whistle:

 

[amsch]

YOU, my friend, have absolutely no idea. It IS the same drug, and 5mg will have the same effect to your body like 1 mg. Finasteride is a prostate health drug. They just created a new product with a different dosage for hairloss, but it does absolutely the same, dosage unrelated.

0.25mg 1mg and 5mg have nearly the same effect on HAIRCOUNTS or dht presence but that doesn't mean that these doses give you the same sides when taken. Even if it looks small there is a difference in serum and scalp DHT between those doses, after approx 70% less DHT (1mg dose) than normal, even 1% more DHT suppressed might cause many many more sides than the first 70%. How can you prove i'm wrong? You are just speculating. As the hair growth results are non linear with the dose, maybe the sides are non linear too, and increase dramatically after a certain point.

Oh god. 1mg and 5mg have almost the same impact on serum DHT levels. The side effect come from the lower DHT/higher Estrogene, not from the drug substance itself. And you seriously think that 1% more can cause "many many more side effects"? Why shall I prove you're wrong, you're writing bull and you say I'M the one speculating. :whistle:.

You'll have the same benefits on hair growth with 5 and with 1mg. If you can prove the BS you wrote, go ahead.

Don't forget that there are people without dht in their bodies, do they have mental fog all the time? :whistle:

who have no DHT in their bodies? Do you even know what DHT is?

 

[vauxall]

Don't forget that there are people without dht in their bodies, do they have mental fog all the time? :whistle:

It's not about having or not having DHT in your body, it's about GABA inhibition.

finasteride is a powerful mono amine oxidizer. This is the main problem.