Getting back on finasteride after a 9 year break?

[TonyTouch]

When I was in my early 20s (I am 44 now), I started to notice diffuse thinning. I got pretty worried, as both of my parents had hair loss. So I got on finasteride.

Things were great on finasteride, as I didn’t see any hair loss progression while taking it. I enjoyed my prime dating and partying years without any stress over hair loss. Everyone told me I looked young for my age, and even ended up marrying a woman 5 years younger than I was.

But then about 10 years after starting finasteride, I had some ED (weaker erections and often getting soft during sex). This was around the time finasteride was all over the major news media for side effects (I specifically remember Matt Lauer doing a story on finasteride sides during The Today Show). My wife and I were about to start trying for kids, so I got nervous and decided to get off of it. I also went to a Dr, and my tests came back with low T (don’t recall the exact number).

Fortunately, we were able to have 2 kids pretty easily. Perhaps I should have gotten back on finasteride after having kids, but I never did. A year after stopping, my wife noticed a small bald spot for the first time. It slowly started to progress, and now 8 yrs later I’m NW3 vertex with diffuse thinning. I have been on foam Min and Nizoral for about 3 yrs now, but haven’t seen good results in my opinion. In terms of erection quality, it didn’t really get much better after I stopped finasteride. I guess there is a chance this could be PFS? Or it could also just be lower T from getting old.

So anyway- I am considering getting back on finasteride after 9 years of being off it, as I find myself more and more self-conscious about balding. I don’t expect it to fill in my bald spot, but I’d love to at least get a slowdown in loss. However, assuming I still have low T, I understand I could be a prime candidate for getting gyno? I keep a healthy weight and work out often, so haven’t ever noticed an issue with getting moobs in the past.

Would you get back on finasteride in my situation? If it worked well for me in my 20s, should it work now in my mid 40s? Or has old age done my hairline in? I have my physical coming up, so I can ask my Dr about tests, etc. What blood work would you have done before getting back on finasteride?

Appreciate any insight.

 

[br1]

Hi. In your situation, why would you even bother? If you were off Fina for that long and you are "still" a NW3. I, personally, would not go back to finasteride.

On the other hand, if you really into getting back, you could try a lower dose. Say, 0.5mg per day. Or 1mg every other day.

I was on finasteride for 20+ years, then one day I quit cold turkey, started loosing ground came back to it, hairloss stopped but I started feeling the same as you: weaker erections and loss of libido (plus: I feel like I lost control of pelvic floor muscles and it is also hard to pee). Whenever I lower the dose, say to 0.5mg I almost immediately feel relief of the above symptoms (like, I feel an improvement on the same day). Now, I realize my hairloss is aggressive, as during the 20yrs period I lost ZERO ground - my hair even improved. And during my "break" of a few weeks, I lost ground and now I'm a diffuse NW3 (and I think I'm still loosing, even back on 1mg/day). - I'm 44yo now.

 

[TonyTouch]

Hi. In your situation, why would you even bother? If you were off Fina for that long and you are "still" a NW3. I, personally, would not go back to finasteride.

On the other hand, if you really into getting back, you could try a lower dose. Say, 0.5mg per day. Or 1mg every other day.

I was on finasteride for 20+ years, then one day I quit cold turkey, started loosing ground came back to it, hairloss stopped but I started feeling the same as you: weaker erections and loss of libido (plus: I feel like I lost control of pelvic floor muscles and it is also hard to pee). Whenever I lower the dose, say to 0.5mg I almost immediately feel relief of the above symptoms (like, I feel an improvement on the same day). Now, I realize my hairloss is aggressive, as during the 20yrs period I lost ZERO ground - my hair even improved. And during my "break" of a few weeks, I lost ground and now I'm a diffuse NW3 (and I think I'm still loosing, even back on 1mg/day). - I'm 44yo now.

Thanks for the reply. My front hairline is actually not bad at all, with only slight receding at the temples. My issues causing self-consciousness are:

1) fairly big bald spot at vertex (always paranoid that people standing behind me are staring at it)
2) diffuse thinning. It's hard to notice indoors or in darker settings, but it looks bad in direct sunlight. Also high quality smartphone cameras make it look bad.

I know at 44, these things should be expected. But if there are options to help, I feel like I want to try them.

I'd also be open to a transplant eventually, but I've heard many Docs will want you to be on finasteride for that.

 

[Manochoice]

Thanks for the reply. My front hairline is actually not bad at all, with only slight receding at the temples. My issues causing self-consciousness are:

1) fairly big bald spot at vertex (always paranoid that people standing behind me are staring at it)
2) diffuse thinning. It's hard to notice indoors or in darker settings, but it looks bad in direct sunlight. Also high quality smartphone cameras make it look bad.

I know at 44, these things should be expected. But if there are options to help, I feel like I want to try them.

I'd also be open to a transplant eventually, but I've heard many Docs will want you to be on finasteride for that.

What does the wife say? Is she ok with you being back on finasteride?

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

James Booker is the expert on hormonal hair therapies for men and he says, just man up. Me? I am no man like him so I use all hormonal remedies that work. I never had any dysfunction but I did use finasteride for 15 years and then upped the ante by adding dutasteride the last six. And now I am either an MtF or a guy claiming to be one to get the rest of my hair meds covered. Did finasteride make me a sissy or trans? Eh, I don't care either way cause I have my tresses back.

One is for my prostate and one is for my hair but I forget which one but I did have to tell my female doctor about male prostate cancer and hesitancy which she had not ever experienced apparently and she didn't want that for me, so I got finasteride covered and then I had another doctor who proscribed duta for my hair and feminization since they both purge most of DHT from a guy's body and are feminizing in that respect. Most men can still plow but for the ones who can't, I mean, eh, James says messing around with DHT or other male hormones is feminizing and that for at least some/a few it will make intercourse unpredictable without sex aids.

 

[Jeju]

Don’t be an idiot. It didn’t work well for you in your 20’s. It gave you erectile dysfunction which has persisted. You’ll get more sides which will probably be worse. Your wife will go looking for a dick her own age. That last bit was a joke, I know woman are more loyal than us guys(this is Janey’s moment to chime in with an essay that no one will read) but seriously, you can’t blame her if she did.

Look into zix for at least maintenance. It’s helping me.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Don’t be an idiot. It didn’t work well for you in your 20’s. It gave you erectile dysfunction which has persisted. You’ll get more sides which will probably be worse. Your wife will go looking for a dick her own age. That last bit was a joke, I know woman are more loyal than us guys(this is Janey’s moment to chime in with an essay that no one will read) but seriously, you can’t blame her if she did.

Look into zix for at least maintenance. It’s helping me.

You have to mix up Zix and that thread seems to be on it's last legs. I only recommend things that actually grow hair and that are no muss no fuss because mixing up stuff in the basement is just part of the life-long obsession and you don't want that. Polysorbates at least were known to work a little but mostly for maintenance like Keto and the FDA shut down all advertising but they were a huge deal in 1984 and I used them less and less frequently for years. You can't prove maintenance but just using something acts as a placebo for a while. I promised JeJu that I would get some sleep and so Good Night and Good Hair. I forgot to eat and I haven't finished my mini tin of tuna. I might take some castor for the calories so I get my money's worth out of it.

 

[Jeju]

You have to mix up Zix and that thread seems to be on it's last legs. I only recommend things that actually grow hair and that are no muss no fuss because mixing up stuff in the basement is just part of the life-long obsession and you don't want that. Polysorbates at least were known to work a little but mostly for maintenance like Keto and the FDA shut down all advertising but they were a huge deal in 1984 and I used them less and less frequently for years. You can't prove maintenance but just using something acts as a placebo for a while. I promised JeJu that I would get some sleep and so Good Night and Good Hair. I forgot to eat and I haven't finished my mini tin of tuna. I might take some castor for the calories so I get my money's worth out of it.

Okay, enjoy your tuna and castor oil, sounds delicious!

 

[TonyTouch]

What does the wife say? Is she ok with you being back on finasteride?

I told her I'm considering it and she is ok with it. I told her if I do go back on, I would monitor sides and get off of it as needed.

 

[debyne]

I'm 45 yo. I started finasteride at 1mg daily at age 32. I'm not an aggressive balder but I would be much thinner today if I didn't take finasteride. I had minor sides for the first 12 years but just got used to them...primarily some brain fog and less morning wood. Four months ago, I dropped my daily dosage to 0.5mg and noticed a big difference in both of those things...completely gone. I get morning wood almost every morning and my brain fog literally vanished. Try 0.5mg and you may notice the stark difference as I did.