Post SSRI syndrome vs. post Finasteride syndrome

[Quantum Cat]

well I can't comment on all the technical stuff, but I think it would be very unwise to take an SSRI purely because it might make finasteride work better! You hear all these theories on the internet, many of them conflicting, by people who are only armchair scientists. The only people you should really take hard advice from are qualified doctors.

I'm stopping Prozac because I want to see if I can cope OK without it and I think it might be having subtle long term effects on things like energy levels and libido. Since Propecia also apparently can have those effects, being on both meds seems like potentially too much - and like I said, if it's a choice I'd rather take finasteride than antidepressants.

I'm going to go off slowly like the doctor advises - you should never stop cold turkey

 

[WhereDaHair]

Hey Quantum..

well I can't comment on all the technical stuff, but I think it would be very unwise to take an SSRI purely because it might make finasteride work better!

No, I don't mean to say it would make finasteride work better... I'm saying that SSRI's (unless I'm reading these wrong) upregulate progesterone, allopregnanalone..
And are agonists for the uptake of GABA. I'm not pretending I completely understand what being being said but it does seem to imply that SSRI's might actually help to combat side effects from finasteride. It's just what the study says. In that last post the PMID #'s are the Pub Med numbers if you wanted to look them up.

I'm not suggesting you do anything differently on that account but it may be something to consider. Maybe someone with more knowledge can confirm or set it straight.

I know I would never recommend taking an SSRI generally, that was until I found this and it makes me consider if taking an SSRI could offset some of the side effects of finasteride.

It just occured to me when I read that that I didn't have any of the neurological - brain fog type symptoms when I was taking finasteride and I was also on an SSRI. Probably just a shot in the dark.

You hear all these theories on the internet, many of them conflicting, by people who are only armchair scientists. The only people you should really take hard advice from are qualified doctors.

I'm stopping Prozac because I want to see if I can cope OK without it and I think it might be having subtle long term effects on things like energy levels and libido. Since Propecia also apparently can have those effects, being on both meds seems like potentially too much - and like I said, if it's a choice I'd rather take finasteride than antidepressants.

I'm going to go off slowly like the doctor advises - you should never stop cold turkey

Good luck man. You're definitely right about not stopping cold turkey. I regret that immensely.

 

[crispy15]

Good luck

I came across something called post SSRI (antidepressants) syndrome - the wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-SSRI_sexual_dysfunction

it's supposedly causes permanent sexual side effects once stopping, like some people claim Finasteride does. This is slightly worrying for me as I take an SSRI

what struck me is that the reported chance of getting sides from SSRIs - possibly 60% - is way higher than finasteride's 2%, even if you believe the 2% figure to be conservative. Plus the number of people who take antidepressants dwarfs the number who take finasteride/propecia - there are millions worldwide who take SSRIs and doctors seem to have very few qualms about prescribing them to people. Even a general practioner can prescribe them without seeking a pysychiatrist's opinion.

yet it's the post-Finasteride syndrome that the media and people across the internet are whipping themselves up into a hysteria over, and drawing up lawsuits over - not the incredibly commonly prescribed SSRIs.

:dunno: kind of odd? And puts it into perspective

Good luck