proscar & finasteride side effects

[sjul76]

Hello,

I take proscar (cut in 5) and I'm not sure if I have side effects (decrease of libido, somnolence...)

To test it, I want to stop taking pills during a certain time. But I don't want to lose benefits (saved or new hairs).

I want a testing time which is enough to test stop of side effects (if any) but not enough to lose benefits.

During how many time can I stop taking pills without risk of losing advantages ?
During this test, when possibles side effects will go ?

And if I want to continue taking it anyway, how can I remove these side effects ?

Thanks.

 

[medmax84]

Here's a short side effects questionaire:

1. Can you "get it up" with a significant other?

2. Do you still occasionally feel "horny" at random times (see a hot girl walking down the street)?

3. Do you still get morning erections?

4. Do you get nipple tenderness or puffiness?

5. Do you feel less able to concentrate or focus?

6. Do you get testicular pain or vague pain in your lower abdomen?

If yes, then weigh any benefits vs the costs of having the side effects. I had severe side effects, and they have subsided over time. They included 1, 2, 3, and 6.

My hair has been shedding but my scalp is slowly becoming less visible after even a month around the temples and if I tug on hairs that normally itched and fell out, they feel much more "anchored". For me, it has been worth reducing the dose and slowly increasing it. I currently take ~0.33 mg and am taking the jump to half a tab next week.

 

[sjul76]

Thanks for your message, here are my answers :
1. no significant other since a year but no "need" or persistent desire to have one
2. occasionally feel horny, but rarely and in a very soft way (no "very hard one")
3. no morning erection
4. no nipple tenderness
5. yes concentration difficulties, often
6. no pain

I take proscar since about 10 years and i can't remember when side effets appeared.

That's why I want to verify if proscar is directly responsible of these symptoms.
And if it is, I don't know yet, maybe reducing doses or even stop treatment (but I really don't want to lose all of my hair as you can imagine)

 

[medmax84]

Thanks for your message, here are my answers :
1. no significant other since a year but no "need" or persistent desire to have one
2. occasionally feel horny, but rarely and in a very soft way (no "very hard one")
3. no morning erection
4. no nipple tenderness
5. yes concentration difficulties, often
6. no pain

I take proscar since about 10 years and i can't remember when side effets appeared.

That's why I want to verify if proscar is directly responsible of these symptoms.
And if it is, I don't know yet, maybe reducing doses or even stop treatment (but I really don't want to lose all of my hair as you can imagine)

If you dont mind me asking, how old are you? It is natural to get less "horny" with age. This does not mean that you are potentially getting impotent or that you're going to have ED, but it is natural past the age of 35 or so to have your drive wind down to reasonable levels.

If you want my personal opinion, there is really no way to know if you have side effects until you're with a girl that you're attracted to. I think the sight of a sexy body in front of you is enough of a stimulus to really know if you're having problems or not and will (probably) shock you out of anything "in your head".

Another possibility is depression. Do you feel content and satisfied with your life in general? Do you have any history of mental or emotional problems?

 

[sjul76]

I'm just 30, but think I started to have these side effect since several years (don't know exactly how many) I started taking propecia/proscar about 10 years ago.
I had a girlfriend after starting taking meds (yes, I was attracted by her) and had already these libido problems.

I agree with you, sight of an attractive body might be a stimulus, but I keep thinking i'm a little young to lose morning erection and daily stimulation (also other effects, concentration and somnolence)

 

[fromchicago]

What can of gains have you had in the last 10 years from proscar?

 

[sjul76]

What can of gains have you had in the last 10 years from proscar?

Hairloss decreased a lot and maybe almost stopped.
I can't exactly know how it could be if I never taked it, but at the same age, my father and older brothers had very less hair.