Finasteride has destroyed my life

[Mens Rea]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

[youtube:3m0696v3]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEGCTMtlgoc[/youtube:3m0696v3]

Says a 50 something guy who is a NW0....

What does that pertain to the serious side effects of finasteride?

You really cant see past your hair. I bet you would change your tune if finasteride fucked you up or you had some other illness. You'd be glad of the little things in life that you currently completely dont apprechate

 

[mpbsux20]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

You low life piece of garbage! How could you wish something like that to a person who is just stating his opinions ? If you dont like my posts,just ignore me.I have enough problems going on in my life other than hairloss...The likes of which a person like you would never be able to understand.

Seriously you took it a little too far and personal with your post.

Oh BTW I would never want anybody to go through what I am going through but unfortunately someone as self-centred as you would never be able to think along those lines.

Your only defence would be "I wish you suffered the same as me".What a bitter a**h** !!!

 

[mpbsux20]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Please read his post again and tell me whether it was necessary.

Anyway writing something like that to someone who in no way hurts you even though he is fighting depression,a fractured hand is quite hurtful.I would not have reacted that way if he had taken a jab at me in a different way but posting something like that was a little out of line.

I mean I never denied that people who suffer sides from finasteride have genuine problems to deal with.I just found the statement made by the guy in that video a little exaggerated.

 

[mpbsux20]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

You really cant see past your hair. I bet you would change your tune if finasteride f***ed you up or you had some other illness. You'd be glad of the little things in life that you currently completely dont apprechate

I felt all that hatred was directed at me for no reason.I don't deserve it and I am not in the mood to take that quietly....

 

[mpbsux20]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Did I really overreact :dunno: ? Who would want someone else to suffer all the sides finasteride could cause ? The only reason why I take finasteride is because,I have lost pretty much everything I can in life and my hair and my self-respect are the only things that I could possibly save.

 

[Ende]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Monty is right mpbsux20. Anyway, trading no further hair loss for permanent symptoms of hypogonadism is certainly not worth it, but if it's secondary hypogonadism - which I believe it is, it means that it's reversible, and the side effects from finasteride are managable. I'm with you there. I think Dr. Crisler would have another view if he was suffering from androgenic alopecia, and understood the significance of hair, regarding self esteem and women.

 

[Mens Rea]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Did I really overreact :dunno: ? Who would want someone else to suffer all the sides finasteride could cause ? The only reason why I take finasteride is because,I have lost pretty much everything I can in life and my hair and my self-respect are the only things that I could possibly save.

Mate i didn't wish any sides on you, why would i do that?


what i DID say:

You really cant see past your hair. I bet you would change your tune if finasteride f***ed you up or you had some other illness. You'd be glad of the little things in life that you currently completely dont apprechate

Not once did i wish anything on you. I was simply making a hypothetical statement. Dont think that makes me a "lowlife piece of garbage"...

No hatred involved just a little frustration as i think many people her have lost perspective.

As much as hair loss sucks, real health issues (i do include mental health here) often put things in perspective. male pattern baldness is natural, its not an illness even if it does feel like a handicap.

 

[mpbsux20]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

I take back everything I said,maybe I was overreacting.Peace out.

 

[Nene]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Yes mpbsux, he wasn't wishing anything on you. But anyway, that Dr. Crisler guy is a JOKE. I'm not saying there is no such thing as sides on finasteride, but the guy obviously has an agenda. If you watch the entire clip, he goes on to say he sells his own product which "stops" hair loss. Well sh*t, if he had the cure this whole time why are any of us on this site? Because he doesn't have a cure, he's selling a snake oil, and he's trying to scare you from using a medication that might actually work. Also, he has no scientific studies to back up his statements. Describing a few of his patients' experiences is anecdotal evidence and means nothing, a doctor should know that.

 

[Ende]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Also, he has no scientific studies to back up his statements. Describing a few of his patients' experiences is anecdotal evidence and means nothing, a doctor should know that.

f*** scientific studies. They're no guarantee. They're not always complete, or even right anyway. It depends on how they interpret and presents the results. An opinion from someone with experience is good enough for me, to take things into consideration. I don't know much about Crisler, but he and Shippen seems to be the only ones who acknowledge that something is going on with Propecia. They should both be respected for that.

 

[Nene]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Also, he has no scientific studies to back up his statements. Describing a few of his patients' experiences is anecdotal evidence and means nothing, a doctor should know that.

f*ck scientific studies. They're no guarantee. They're not always complete, or even right anyway. It depends on how they interpret and presents the results. An opinion from someone with experience is good enough for me, to take things into consideration. I don't know much about Crisler, but he and Shippen seems to be the only ones who acknowledge that something is going on with Propecia. They should both be respected for that.

Are you kidding? Scientific studies aren't perfect, but a double blind randomized study is about the best we've got. Anecdotal evidence is always worthless especially from a quack like this dude. He even cites yahoo! forums, if you take that as scientifically valid evidence, you need to take some science and statistics courses.

 

[Ende]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

No, I'm serious. I assume that you've heard of Vioxx. It was backed up by scientific studies and approved by the FDA too. Of course, scientific studies should weigh more when making a decision, but don't base everything on them.

 

[Prop]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Are you kidding? Scientific studies aren't perfect, but a double blind randomized study is about the best we've got.

did you hear about Lipobay/Baycol?
if studies are made by the product's owners, things can't be so nice

 

[Nene]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Are you kidding? Scientific studies aren't perfect, but a double blind randomized study is about the best we've got.

did you hear about Lipobay/Baycol?
if studies are made by the product's owners, things can't be so nice

So we should go by the yahoo! forums instead?

 

[Mens Rea]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Are you kidding? Scientific studies aren't perfect, but a double blind randomized study is about the best we've got.

did you hear about Lipobay/Baycol?
if studies are made by the product's owners, things can't be so nice

So we should go by the yahoo! forums instead?

Impartial individuals? Why not?


Its good to be cyncial but sometimes you should accept people have problems with drugs even if they didn't show up in the focus groups in studies.. Not really that hard to imagine.

 

[Chris87]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

It seems to me there really needs to be another study done on finasteride and side effects that is done independently, not by a company that stands to make billions of dollars on a good outcome.

I really think side effect occurances are higher than merck claims. I just dont think its possible that they are THAT low. I mean they say its around 1.8%....thats a tiny number....and it would be an even TINIER number that had the mind to find a forum like this and report their sides...so i dont think we'd be seeing as many people on these forums complaining of sides if the number was really THAT low.

Has anyone ever actually read the merck study? What are your opinions on it?

The problem is that, an independent study will probably never be done unless somehow in the future it is ordered by the FDA because I would assume it is very expensive to do a study like that...and i dont know who would shell out that kind of money just for the heck of it.


I'm not an anti-finasteride person btw..im taking it right now myself...i just think this hasnt been studied as thoroughly as it should...and you hear a lot of hair loss docs tell you that you'll be completely fine and theres nothing to worry about and anyone who complains about serious long lasting sides are full of sh*t...I mean I went and saw one of the most reputable hair transplant surgeons in beverly hills (Dr Paul McAndrews) and he seemed almost annoyed that i would question the frequency and severity of these sides..... but its hard to completely trust people who stand to make ALOT of money by perpetuating these low statistics.

 

[Mens Rea]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

okay. I need some help propably. It's a typical in a way that i haven't done hormone level tests.

The hair started to withdraw from the sides/crown?! of the front rather than from the top or top-front. it clearly makes a curve toward the center of the head so yikes i'm propably going to have bald demon horns at the age of 25.

About a month ago, i started taking Gefina 1/4 split tab for hair loss. you propably know this already but it's just a cheaper alternative to prospecia (it's finasterid) that you have to cut in 4 pieces with a tab/drug cutter. it has propably helped me but i can't be sure since i cut my head bald for whatever reasons.

about week ago, i noticed that perhaps the quality of my semen has indeed got worse?! but i thought this is fine since the consensus on several finnish forums say that this happens to lot of people and it goes away within few weeks or so.
last weekend my uh little fellow, which usually gets you know ROCK HARD, was soft during the erection and this was completely new to me! a new side-effect. i kind of expected this but i deciced to check around here.

--

The point is that i can actually deal with baldness, especially now that i'm used to being bald and that my head shape is good for it.
The question is about the problem Enden talks about and i want answers.

1. i got side effects within a month from the use so shouldn't this mean i'm sensitive to DHT? and ergo to estrogen level.
2a.if i stop using finasterid say, tomorrow, then would i return back to normal in time? or would the side effects be permanent and would they get worse.
2b.should i start using zinc (the one Enden mentions) when i quit this? Could it have bad side effects on me if i did?
3.You mention BRAINFOG, uh do you mean that the finasterid affects your thyroid hormone levels too?! because the symptons sound like the ones you get from athydroidism.
4.Finally, if there is no way to stop things getting worse from now on with uh quitting gefina and eg. starting zinc then WHAT THEN. what are the hormone treatments you need to secondary

i mean i do understand that some of the users here are exceptions paranoid anti-drugs whatever but the opinions/info here are contradictory regardless! what gives. gimme a good sum-up, is the current recommendations out on line and is this sh*t actually harmful to most of people... even though lots of people say that it helps them and has helped them for a long time!

i'm sayign this last bit in case some other users are reading about my propblems and start to panic.

1) It means you are sensitive to the LACK of DHT in your body. finasteride has reduced the DHT by as much as 70%. This can cause havoc with your hormones if you're sensitive which you appear to be considering you had strongish sides so quickly. It took me over a year to get those sides and now im struggling to reverse AFTER going off it.

2) Zinc is a smart option regardless of sides of now. 50mg a day. Maybe take weekends off just to avoid overdose as such.

3) Some people on propeciahelp are convinced (by their own experience) that finasteride messed up their thyroids and induced hypothroidism. It appears that this is definately possible to certain people. Brainfog isn't necessarily linked to this though, there are other reasons (via finasteride) why people get it.

4) You see....the thing you need to be careful with is that your body has already been disrupted by finasteride. Stopping it now could crash your system. I stopped finasteride after 13 months because of poor erections; since i stopped my sides GOT WORSE. Alot of people report this with finasteride. There is good reasons why this happens.

The above doesn't mean you should stay on it because imo people like you have shown a propensity to sides. SOme people's sides clear up with continued use, but this is a dangerous premise to work on. Firstly because, who knows what your body is doing in the background. Secondly because you risk things going from bad to worse.


As for zinc, its not exactly a mircle drug its pretty weak and did/does me very limited noticable use.


Ultimately, things are contradictory because everyone's bodies are different. Be aware of this. You should tell if "things dont feel right". I certainly dont feel right, just got my bloods back and my estrogen levels are SKYHIGH.

You're rolling a dice if you continue finasteride after sides like you've had mate. I reckon you can reverse yours if you stop hopefully without the need for any real drugs.

 

[Mens Rea]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

It seems to me there really needs to be another study done on finasteride and side effects that is done independently, not by a company that stands to make billions of dollars on a good outcome.

I really think side effect occurances are higher than merck claims. I just dont think its possible that they are THAT low. I mean they say its around 1.8%....thats a tiny number....and it would be an even TINIER number that had the mind to find a forum like this and report their sides...so i dont think we'd be seeing as many people on these forums complaining of sides if the number was really THAT low.

Has anyone ever actually read the merck study? What are your opinions on it?

The problem is that, an independent study will probably never be done unless somehow in the future it is ordered by the FDA because I would assume it is very expensive to do a study like that...and i dont know who would shell out that kind of money just for the heck of it.


I'm not an anti-finasteride person btw..im taking it right now myself...i just think this hasnt been studied as thoroughly as it should...and you hear a lot of hair loss docs tell you that you'll be completely fine and theres nothing to worry about and anyone who complains about serious long lasting sides are full of sh*t...I mean I went and saw one of the most reputable hair transplant surgeons in beverly hills (Dr Paul McAndrews) and he seemed almost annoyed that i would question the frequency and severity of these sides..... but its hard to completely trust people who stand to make ALOT of money by perpetuating these low statistics.

That's the most annoying thing. As a result of their lies and they are lies a normal person can't go to his gp and be taken seriously when he asks for help. I mean it may never come to light the effects of this drug because the changes that some experience, although they may be observed by friends, family etc can not be pinpointed to the drug. There will always be the arguement that the hair loss itself caused social problems which caused physical problems etc etc.
It's so tough. It doesn't matter what you say. I mean yeah I was deeply effected by hair loss, yeah I wasn't happy, yeah there were god knows how many socio psycho issues going on at the time, during and after taking the drug but ultimately right up until the point I started taking 5ar inhibitors I wanted a good shag every day and had never had any type of ED other than extremely drunk ED then bang.... and who can I go to that will understand this, my GP? Like f**k, he/she reads the literature and sees <2% suffer REVERSIBLE sides and immediately writes me off as a nut job.

********** is all I have to say. If you believe those stats then you probably believe that there are WMDs hidden up a camels *** somewhere in Iraq.

Nothing but big business

Yep. But i think most decent endo's should be coming aware of things.

My endo was able to call it "finasteride syndrome" himself which said alot!!

 

[Ende]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

Has anyone ever actually read the merck study? What are your opinions on it?

No, but I've read the product leaflet. It seems like Merck has been omitting certain details. Let me explain; during the trail, no significant changes were noted to any other hormones (besides DHT) than testosterone and estrogen, which increased by 15%, but still remained within the normal range. They didn't even note any change to LH, but still they noted SEVERE side effects like gynecomastia and impotence. They're both symptoms of severly elevated estrogen level, and thereby reduced testosterone level. Their bullshit conclusion is simply NOT possible due to the bodys negative feedback mechanism.

What's more interresting, is that they've updated the product leaflet within the past two years. They now state that you should contact your doctor IMMEDIATELY if you notice any changes to the breast tissue. Before that, they stated that side effects went away in most men who continued to take the drug, and in all cases, when they quit the drug. Clearly they're aware of that something is going on. Elevated estrogen level is known to induce secondary hypogonadism, but nowhere do they mention that, despite of every poor soul that has been damaged by Propecia, and are struggling to get professional help, and instead are just being defined as headcases because Merck states that every side effect is reversible by quitting the drug. Let me tell you, there is no f*****g way the FDA would have approved finasteride for a cosmetic reason, if they knew that it was possible that it could induce hypogonadism. I think Merck knew this, but the numbers of people experiencing severe side effects were too small to be any significant threat. It's all about making money.

 

[Ende]

Re: Is there anyone here who took months/ years to recover?

I know some people are having issues with their thyriod hormones, but my levels are fine. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but be careful. Messing with sex hormones are one thing, thyriod is something else. Hormones are about balance. By overdosing one, you affect others as well.