Pausing finasteride for 6-8 weeks - I have some questions!

[Danaru]

Hello, I am taking Finasterid (Propecia) for over 4 years now.
For health related reasons, I would like to take a break for 6-8 weeks and see, if some issues I am having are related to finasteride and if they pass after stopping taking finasteride.

Here are my questions:

- Are 6 weeks enough for the body to recover and get rid of occuring side effects?
- When I start finasteride again, does shedding occur again, as it did (for me) when I first started using it?!
- Do I have to expect losing hair when I stop using Propecia for 6 weeks?

 

[Fanjeera]

My doctor said that the body recovers 84 weeks from finasteride. That's a long time to lose from your life :/. But there are a lot people who don't even recover with that time.

 

[timbo]

6-8 weeks is plenty of time for your body to recover from side effects. However, you will certainly lose most of the hair that finasteride has retained. I would advise against it if you care about your hair. I was on finasteride for 5 months and lost a lot of hair about a month after I stopped. I'm sure that you will experience what is known as "catch-up" hair loss after 4 years of propecia.

What are the side effects? Are they anything that might show up on a blood test (i.e. low testosterone/libido)?

 

[Mew]

6-8 weeks is plenty of time for your body to recover from side effects. However, you will certainly lose most of the hair that finasteride has retained.

Not true, hair retained by Finasteride is lost over 6-12 MONTHS after ceasing treatment, not 6-8 WEEKS.

 

[Danaru]

Hey there and thank you guys for your answers.

About my side effects:
My libido is just FINE! No problems there, nothing that shows up in blood work / blood tests either.
My problems are dark circles around my eyes, dry eyes and sometimes problem with my eye sight... Also very very dry skin and lately mood swings..
I want to see, if this is indeed due to Finasterid and if it goes away, once I stop taking it.


Question
If I resume taking finasteride again after 8 weeks, can I expect shedding again, like I did when I started 4 years ago?

Question
If I resume after 8 weeks, do I still lose the hair after 6-12 months due to the 8 weeks pause?


@Timbo: I don't think you can make a correct assumption when you stopped taking finasteride after just 5months. Your hairloss might have been a shedding and not a reaction to stoping taking Finasterid.
I shed after a few months as well..

 

[timbo]

6-8 weeks is plenty of time for your body to recover from side effects. However, you will certainly lose most of the hair that finasteride has retained.

Not true, hair retained by Finasteride is lost over 6-12 MONTHS after ceasing treatment, not 6-8 WEEKS.

Not True: All of the finasteride hair is lost after a 12 month period. But most of the hair gained or preserved will be lost in the first 2 months. You can take that to the bank

 

[GeminiX]

6-8 weeks is plenty of time for your body to recover from side effects. However, you will certainly lose most of the hair that finasteride has retained.

Not true, hair retained by Finasteride is lost over 6-12 MONTHS after ceasing treatment, not 6-8 WEEKS.

Not True: All of the finasteride hair is lost after a 12 month period. But most of the hair gained or preserved will be lost in the first 2 months. You can take that to the bank

I have to disagree here I'm afraid.

Over the last 6 years, I have had to cease all my medication for periods of over two months on two seperate occasions and I was not aware of any significant hair loss during those times. Crazy mood swings for sure, but no hairloss that I was able to notice.

Of course, it's likely to be different for different people, but from my own 1st hand experience it would appear to take as long to lose as it did the first time around.

 

[timbo]

Was finasteride the only thing you were taking? Last time I checked, you were taking dutasteride and other extreme hormone blockers that take much longer to leave the system.

Propecia.com: PROPECIA can only work over the long term if you continue taking it. If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose any hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.

...This does not mean that you get to keep the finasteride hair for 12 months after you discontinue. Come on people.

 

[timbo]

Of course, it's likely to be different for different people, but from my own 1st hand experience it would appear to take as long to lose as it did the first time around.

I'm sure it took you more than 12 months to lose your hair the first time around?

 

[GeminiX]

Was finasteride the only thing you were taking? Last time I checked, you were taking dutasteride and other extreme hormone blockers that take much longer to leave the system.

Propecia.com: PROPECIA can only work over the long term if you continue taking it. If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose any hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.

...This does not mean that you get to keep the finasteride hair for 12 months after you discontinue. Come on people.

Funnily enough, I was just checking my diary about this to make sure I'm getting my own facts stright. On the second occasion, I was in fact Dutasteride, but on the first occasion it was jut Finasteride and Ovysmen (Ovysmen is a female hormone, you feel the effects of stopping that *very* quickly ).

I'm not saying that anyone will keep their hair indefinately after stopping treatment, but certainly in my case I did not notice any loss within two months.

 

[GeminiX]

Of course, it's likely to be different for different people, but from my own 1st hand experience it would appear to take as long to lose as it did the first time around.

I'm sure it took you more than 12 months to lose your hair the first time around?

It did, that was my point

 

[Fanjeera]

Hey there and thank you guys for your answers.

About my side effects:
My libido is just FINE! No problems there, nothing that shows up in blood work / blood tests either.
My problems are dark circles around my eyes, dry eyes and sometimes problem with my eye sight... Also very very dry skin and lately mood swings..
I want to see, if this is indeed due to Finasterid and if it goes away, once I stop taking it.


Question
If I resume taking finasteride again after 8 weeks, can I expect shedding again, like I did when I started 4 years ago?

Question
If I resume after 8 weeks, do I still lose the hair after 6-12 months due to the 8 weeks pause?


@Timbo: I don't think you can make a correct assumption when you stopped taking finasteride after just 5months. Your hairloss might have been a shedding and not a reaction to stoping taking Finasterid.
I shed after a few months as well..

Go for it then! You can live a few months with shorter hair, if the shedding really occurs that fast. Most likely you will feel much healthier and happier. I'm not familiar with your Norwood, but unless you've grown long gorgeous hair with the help of finasteride only I doubt you will be living through very dramatic changes in your looks.
And remember to keep us updated!