Finasteride Damages Your Brain Over Time

[Afro_Vacancy]

Rat models are informative.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

take ssri-s then. they enhance neurogenesis

I know some people on propeciahelp forums do prozac microdosing, but I'm not exactly sure what the reasoning is or the level of success from testimonials.

 

[WangMQ]

I always think it's just a matter of time before the mental sides of finasteride kick in. We're talking about 5 years+.

But of course, a healthier body/lifestyle can always buy you time.

And you guys are definitely luckier than we finasteride veterans who've come to the point of no choice but to drop it

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

I always think it's just a matter of time before the mental sides of finasteride kick in. We're talking about 5 years+.

But of course, a healthier body/lifestyle can always buy you time.

And you guys are definitely luckier than we finasteride veterans who've come to the point of no choice but to drop it

I don't know if eating more vegetables will do anything to help with Allopregnanolone depletion.

 

[Joe1191]

I already experience degrees of brain fog, bouts of anxiety and depression, fairly low libido, and sometimes ed...but wait.

Here's the catch: I'm not even on finasteride!!!

Maybe I'm a little crazy for planning to start it.

 

[Raz]

It's kind of funny, reading anything like this. Hair vs. potential side effects? I'll take my chances. Having been on the both sides of the fence: full head of hair, to bald, to (nearly) full head of hair after the meds kicked in - I know just how bad it was for me to be bald(ing). It's literally night and day.

Feeling like an invisible 5 and a creepy dude when attending a youthful rock/metal gig due to hair loss adding 10-15 years, on top of looking weird and sickly due to having a mixture of youthful features and a chemo patient -look, etc. That's just crippling. Then, there's having hair and feeling (and being) attractive, not feeling out of place, etc., at least for someone like me, it's literally like being a different person, and I've been both a NW4v and a NW1.5 in my 20s so far. I literally feel like I am a different person.

So if, for example (arbitrarily), someone were to tell me there's a 50% chance that being on finasteride would cut the tail end of my lifespan by 20 years, would I continue being on the drug? Absolutely, you bet your *** I would. What good is it being alive if I can't at least enjoy my time to the fullest? Of course this is not to say I am gonna go at things with a suicidal YOLO-attitude, but I would rather live my prime (20 to 40 years old, IMO) actually feeling like I am alive. Hair is that one center piece at least to me. It affects everything, internally and externally.

So, here's to another year on Finasteride and having hair. Let's see if the sides kick in at some point. I'll deal with it as it happens. But there's no way I am ever losing this battle to hair loss. Here's hoping better treatments are on the way, but for now I am happy to have hair. Cheers, gents.

 

[mitch1211]

It's kind of funny, reading anything like this. Hair vs. potential side effects? I'll take my chances. Having been on the both sides of the fence: full head of hair, to bald, to (nearly) full head of hair after the meds kicked in - I know just how bad it was for me to be bald(ing). It's literally night and day.

Feeling like an invisible 5 and a creepy dude when attending a youthful rock/metal gig due to hair loss adding 10-15 years, on top of looking weird and sickly due to having a mixture of youthful features and a chemo patient -look, etc. That's just crippling. Then, there's having hair and feeling (and being) attractive, not feeling out of place, etc., at least for someone like me, it's literally like being a different person, and I've been both a NW4v and a NW1.5 in my 20s so far. I literally feel like I am a different person.

So if, for example (arbitrarily), someone were to tell me there's a 50% chance that being on finasteride would cut the tail end of my lifespan by 20 years, would I continue being on the drug? Absolutely, you bet your *** I would. What good is it being alive if I can't at least enjoy my time to the fullest? Of course this is not to say I am gonna go at things with a suicidal YOLO-attitude, but I would rather live my prime (20 to 40 years old, IMO) actually feeling like I am alive. Hair is that one center piece at least to me. It affects everything, internally and externally.

So, here's to another year on Finasteride and having hair. Let's see if the sides kick in at some point. I'll deal with it as it happens. But there's no way I am ever losing this battle to hair loss. Here's hoping better treatments are on the way, but for now I am happy to have hair. Cheers, gents.

Some people are willing to risk the side effects and some aren't. To me, it's not worth it at this point. I don't like the fact of messing with the chemicals in my brain potentially 'damaging' it and/or hindering my mental capacity. It's all about priorities and what you're willing to risk. That's life.

Whatever makes you happy. Happiness is, after all, what we all strive for in the end, right?

I could handle low libido and weaker erections. But the mental side effects are the turn off for me.

 

[youngster]

Currently I'm just sticking with a very small dose of Finasteride (.1% topical). What I've had, which was probably a side effect of something in one of my generics (solid Finasteride) was extreme itching, all over my body. I didn't get that with one generic propecia (solid 1mg brand).

Finasteride is such a mystery, because I really don't have faith in any hair medications at this
point in my life.

Just a remark on you 'sticking to a very small dose, 0.1% topical': there has actually been a study which showed that serum DHT levels decreased just as much by 0.1% topical finasteride daily as 1 mg oral daily. So you're most likely getting the same results and possible sides as you would had you taken the pill. Anyway, good luck with your journey!

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

Just a remark on you 'sticking to a very small dose, 0.1% topical': there has actually been a study which showed that serum DHT levels decreased just as much by 0.1% topical finasteride daily as 1 mg oral daily. So you're most likely getting the same results and possible sides as you would had you taken the pill. Anyway, good luck with your journey!

Note that percentage of finasteride is irrelevant. What matters is dose.

 

[Faith11]

Note that percentage of finasteride is irrelevant. What matters is dose.

So which Oral microdose of finasteride won't harm you or give the lowest side effect and at the same time, can inhibit DHT effectively?

I started finasteride 0.25 7 days before but to my greatest surprise, on the 6th day, I felt clear Depression symptoms. My mood was completely changed and it is even till now.

I am not worried about physical side effects but if it starts giving me mental side effects, then I have to rethink.

Any advice would be highly appreciable.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

So which Oral microdose of finasteride won't harm you or give the lowest side effect and at the same time, can inhibit DHT effectively?

I started finasteride 0.25 7 days before but to my greatest surprise, on the 6th day, I felt clear Depression symptoms. My mood was completely changed and it is even till now.

I am not worried about physical side effects but if it starts giving me mental side effects, then I have to rethink.

Any advice would be highly appreciable.

@NormanNorwood has a thread experimenting with ~0.03 mg/day, which I think is the right idea.

I expect him to get ~50% reduced effectiveness and ~80% reduced side effects, but we'll see.

At 0.25 mg/day I would expect you to get 100% effectiveness and 100% side effects. It's a full dose, it's above the saturation point.

 

[Faith11]

@NormanNorwood has a thread experimenting with ~0.03 mg/day, which I think is the right idea.

I expect him to get ~50% reduced effectiveness and ~80% reduced side effects, but we'll see.

At 0.25 mg/day I would expect you to get 100% effectiveness and 100% side effects. It's a full dose, it's above the saturation point.

Oh ok. Thanks for the clarification. So what do you suggest?

If I take 0.25 mg twice a week, will it be effective in inhibiting DHT, to say at least 70%?

Problem is I can't cut the pill beyond 1/4th as it's very difficult and neither can I make a liquid solution as I never ever take alcohol in any form whatsoever.

Therefore, only option left with me is to take 1/4th of the 1 mg. I just need to decide how many times a week will it be effective and free from side effects.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

Oh ok. Thanks for the clarification. So what do you suggest?

If I take 0.25 mg twice a week, will it be effective in inhibiting DHT, to say at least 70%?

Problem is I can't cut the pill beyond 1/4th as it's very difficult and neither can I make a liquid solution as I never ever take alcohol in any form whatsoever.

Therefore, only option left with me is to take 1/4th of the 1 mg. I just need to decide how many times a week will it be effective and free from side effects.

NormanNorwood, in his thread, explains how to get to 0.03 mg/day:
https://www.hairlosstalk.com/intera...teride-test-commence-contains-pictures.99873/
I also helped develop the idea, it's just math. To microdose, you want to dissolve your pills into booze and take something like a teaspoon at a time.

I don't remember dosing once a week. It will lead to significant hormonal variations in your blood that you might not want. Further, though it's known that 5-alpha-reductase takes a few weeks to replenish in the blood, we don't know that this is the case in the skin.

 

[youngster]

Note that percentage of finasteride is irrelevant. What matters is dose.

Should've been clearer: I mean't 0.1% and using 1 ml, which is the most common dose to apply.

 

[Alk]

5 ar does not only inhibit the change of testosterone to dht but also progesterone to dhp and Deoxycorticosterone to dhc. 5ar 1 when inhibited would effect the brain as dhc is converted in the brain into a nuerosteriod. Fortunetly finestrade does not inhibit 5ar1. Where the problem may occur is ithe spinal cord where 5 ar2 converts dhp into Allopregnanolone another nueroseteriod. Although not in the brain its still effecting your central nervous system most likey causing fog symptoms and maybe even sexual symptoms.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

How long does it take the spinal cord to replenish its reserves of 5ar?

 

[mitch1211]

How long does it take the spinal cord to replenish its reserves of 5ar?

No idea. It sucks because I could deal with lowered libido, but brain side effects is where I draw the line. I see myself on finasteride as being as zombie with a head of hair.

Finasteride really zaps my personality, drive, and vigor. It's frightening.

 

[radroon]

I'm sorry to bump this old post, but since it's high on Google, I thought there's a need to clarify the following. How is a rat model valid in the case of brain damage caused by finasteride if in rats finasteride inhibits both 5AR-I and 5AR-II, while in humans it does not inhibit 5AR-II which is the main type of AR found in the brain?

 

[g.i joey]

I'm sorry to bump this old post, but since it's high on Google, I thought there's a need to clarify the following. How is a rat model valid in the case of brain damage caused by finasteride if in rats finasteride inhibits both 5AR-I and 5AR-II, while in humans it does not inhibit 5AR-II which is the main type of AR found in the brain?

I agree with what you said, but you seem to have it a little mixed up, Finasteride blocks 5ar2, which is alot less used in the brain and 5ar1 is still available when on finasteride, which is the main type of AR found in the brain tissue.

 

[Razzabo]

5ar2 is also found in your spinal cord motor neurons.