Should i start taking proscar?

[grimes]

after reading some more here, it seems like a lot of those taking 'finasteride' experiences some form of side effects. massive hairloss after 3 months, reduced libido, aching here and there, mood swings etc.

i think i'll wait at least another 6-12 months to see how my hairloss continue. if doesn't accelerate, i don't think i'll start just yet. i am very skeptical of messing with the hormone balance this early in my life.

 

[bubka]

hey man, its your "loss"

 

[joseph49853]

after reading some more here, it seems like a lot of those taking 'finasteride' experiences some form of side effects. massive hairloss after 3 months, reduced libido, aching here and there, mood swings etc.

i think i'll wait at least another 6-12 months to see how my hairloss continue. if doesn't accelerate, i don't think i'll start just yet. i am very skeptical of messing with the hormone balance this early in my life.

I sometimes wonder if finasteride doesn't exacerbate hairloss for some at first, by furthering a hormonal imbalance. But I personally don't blame you for not wanting to mess with finasteride. While I don't believe such small dosages could make permanent changes, it can alter the quality of life for some. Even if it's only for a few months, it kinda' sucks.

 

[MPBWarrior]

granted finasteride has decreased my libido, but i never get acne anymore and now i have to shave twice a week whereas before i had to every day. so there's pros and cons. and of course, it's giving time to my hair!

 

[IBM]

Finally my order arrived today. I bought Elitenet Generic Finasteride 5mg (not Fincar). I cut in quarters i took a quarter. I felt the brain fog.

I think minoxidil is not good for people that have some scalp conditions like seborraique dermatitis. But i'll stay on minoxidil 5% 1ml once a day.

 

[joseph49853]

granted finasteride has decreased my libido, but i never get acne anymore and now i have to shave twice a week whereas before i had to every day. so there's pros and cons. and of course, it's giving time to my hair!

I agree. There are definitely pros and cons for each person to weigh. For me personally, I found a great deal more energy upon first taking finasteride. Probably relates to higher levels of free testosterone. Of course, my scalp hair was also a fairly good responder to finasteride.

The sexual sides sucked though. A young person doesn't know enough from psychological impairments or performance anxieties. All I knew is my erect penis felt as if it were weighted down by a brick.

 

[MPBWarrior]

I found a great deal more energy upon first taking finasteride. Probably relates to higher levels of free testosterone. Of course, my scalp hair was also a fairly good responder to finasteride.

same for me. i feel i have more energy too.
[quote:73998]The sexual sides sucked though. A young person doesn't know enough from psychological impairments or performance anxieties. All I knew is my erect penis felt as if it were weighted down by a brick

[/quote:73998]
same for me again. but im not that bothered about that as much. i suppose it helps that i have a gf and we can laugh about this stuff. and of course, we still do it (this morning in fact :agree: . just once or twice a week now whereas before it was probably every day.

 

[bubka]

Finally my order arrived today. I bought Elitenet Generic Finasteride 5mg (not Fincar). I cut in quarters i took a quarter. I felt the brain fog.

I think minoxidil is not good for people that have some scalp conditions like seborraique dermatitis. But i'll stay on minoxidil 5% 1ml once a day.

lol, and i am sure you would have feld the "brain fog" if you read about it beforehand too... :roll:

 

[IBM]

Finally my order arrived today. I bought Elitenet Generic Finasteride 5mg (not Fincar). I cut in quarters i took a quarter. I felt the brain fog.

I think minoxidil is not good for people that have some scalp conditions like seborraique dermatitis. But i'll stay on minoxidil 5% 1ml once a day.

lol, and i am sure you would have feld the "brain fog" if you read about it beforehand too... :roll:

What's exactly the "brain fog".

 

[MPBWarrior]

i guess its just feeling a bit not with it.

 

[balderbeware]

ConPecia

I am STAUNCHLY against propecia and the sheer potency of the drug. If there were an experimental drug on the market for men that WANTED to be impotent then this would without a doubt be it. All the sides FAR outweigh the pros. For the promise of maybe (maybe!) a little hair growth in the back and not so maybe in the front but DEFINITELY sexual side effects all around. Hmmm??? Let me see.........NOT!!! This drug should only be targeted towards men over 45 that have gotten a good amount of use out of their penis(or is that pen(i)) not young virile boys and men that are still at "batting practice" and have no clue as to what exactly they are doing to their male hormones at the sake of, MAYBE, vellus hairs that will never go terminal and you have to keep pill popping forever, forever ever ever ever, just to keep them stimulated. The drug companies do not give a SH*T and are basically using us as guinea pigs but were even worse off cuz we have to pay to be tested on. This is not fear mongering but FACT PONDERING. Balderbeware and do your research before diving into the propecia pool headfirst. But bear in mind that no matter how much research you do it all boils down to pros and cons, risks and results. I opted for the propecia route this past summer when the "pain" of hairloss just became too unbearable for me and I became desperate and was willing to do ANYTHING to address the problem. Afer a couple of weeks daily dosage at 1.25 mg and running into some serious sides and some that I had never even read about before I just felt that it wasnt worth it. This is a very powerful drug that is relatively new that there is insufficient data about and I just dont feel that its worth it for a few vellus hairs and maintenance and moreso because there are FAR more safer alternatives out there that do the same thing and in some cases even more to help you maintain and regain while we wait for the future and better solutions to this problem of hairloss. I am and will never tell anyone NOT to use this drug because I know the feeling and sheer pain and sense of isolation that hairloss can induce and at times you are willing to do just about anything. All that I am saying is that there are quite a few "anythings" available to us hairloss sufferers now and propecia should NOT be your first line of defense against hair loss but your LAST alternative to addressing hair loss.

 

[MPBWarrior]

Re: ConPecia

All the sides FAR outweigh the pros.

For you or for everyone?

For the promise of maybe (maybe!) a little hair growth in the back and not so maybe in the front but DEFINITELY sexual side effects all around.

the fact, not the promise, is that you're decreasing the main factor of DHT significantly and hairloss rate will always be much lower while on finasteride. and why are you saying everyone on finasteride has the sexual sides when it clearly isn't true?

This drug should only be targeted towards men over 45 that have gotten a good amount of use out of their penis(or is that pen(i)) not young virile boys and men that are still at "batting practice"

the old men are also the ones who care less about male pattern baldness

But bear in mind that no matter how much research you do it all boils down to pros and cons, risks and results.

Indeed, and for some, the pros outweigh the cons

This is a very powerful drug that is relatively new that there is insufficient data about

wrong, it is a relatively old drug with plenty of data and studies about it

there are FAR more safer alternatives out there that do the same thing and in some cases even more to help you maintain and regain

i don't know anything more effective than finasteride or dutasteride

 

[balderbeware]

"QUOTE"

I just felt the responsibility to put the word out there with the full knowledge that it would be picked apart and slammed. It doesnt matter to me what you think nor the opinions of any other loyal finasteride users out there. Putting chemicals and pharmaceutical pills in your body is serious business and before one does I believe they should arm themselves with as much information as possible. To me it just seems a bit like overkill, sort of like using a bazooka to kill a house fly(albeit an annoying one that eats your hair). You very well might kill the fly but may end up severely damaging your house in the process. What I am against mostly are those that say with full authority that Propecia/finasteride should be your first and best line of defense against hairloss. This drug carries sides that have not even been documented yet. Anything that turns your semen to watered down campbell soup and states that your pregnant wife/girlfriend/future babys momma should not come in contact with it for fear of genital birth defects is something that one should REALLY consider before downing. We're treating hairloss people not cancer for gods sake! Is it REALLY worth it? And obviously the answer to some or most hair loss sufferes seems to be, YES. My opinions are not for everyone and they are not meant to be, but they are for someone. Someone out there who is on the fence with this drug and not sure what action to take. I am only stating the other side of the argument. There are more than enough posts of "happy go hairys" who swear by propecia/finasteride and feel that its the messiah of hairloss if not its the next best thing until further notice. They stick it right at the top of their regimens and urge you to do the same. I am not a scientist nor would I get caught out there trying to speak in that vernacular. I am just a very average guy that is fighting and coping with hairloss but not willing to compromise my health or common sense in the process. There ARE other just as effective and in some ways more effective ways to reduce DHT levels IN THE SCALP where you need it the most. I am not a 100% sure what role DHT plays in the male body but I am pretty sure its there for a reason not just to attack your hair. Lowering those levels throughout the whole body is not the smartest thing for a man, who likes being a man, to do. You are losing the hair on your head not throughout your whole body so it only makes sense to treat it locally. The tests and clinical studies I have seen on propecia are nothing in my opinion to write home about. I am not saying that it doesnt do what it says it does only that it also does what it doesnt say. For the short time that I was on the drug almost immediately during the first week I started feeling the onset of the sides. Subsequently my semen got disgustingly watery, my penis lost a lot of thickness and size. My "balls" just hung between my legs like empty walnut shells and physically I felt weak. My voice also became slightly higher pitched, I just got the sense of not feeling very manly at all. I have never been a super macho man but I never knew how much my masculinity meant to me until I started feeling it slip away. After a couple of more weeks and a harrowing false alarm that the woman I am with thought that she was pregnant and that if the child would be a boy that he could, possibly, have a genital birth defect just because "Dad" wanted to thicken up his hairline. After that I started asking myself some really honest questions about whether it was worth it or not. I must state this disclaimer that I have no solid proof that finasteride is "dangerous" or that it may give your newborn sons vaginas but guess what, I am not willing to take that risk FOR ME its just not worth it. Hairloss is a problem that has to be tackled from many different angles over a period of time and consistently, you cant cure it you can only treat it. Nowadays you have a lot of treatments and options available to you, try to reach for the fly swatter, FIRST, before the bazooka. Give other options a truly fair try and if after you have exhausted all other possibilities then by all means run and get that script. Dont listen to all those panic driven red level terror alert fear mongeres out there screaming that everyday you are not on finasteride you are wasting precious time and losing more and more hair. I am against those that are too lazy and undisciplined to actually do the hard work of researching and trying other options first before taking the pill plunge then promote with all certainty that finasteride should be at the top of everyones regimen (if you are not one of those then you wont get offended by that, if you are offended then I guess the shoe fits). One of the most painful aspects about hairloss is that sense of loss of control and choice. The truth is that you do have a choice and nowadays you have a lot more than one just make the best and most educated one, for you.

(This will be my last response on this subject regarding propecia, I feel that I have more than stretched every penny of my five cents to the limit. My aim in writing this was not to have anyone agree or disagree, it was only to voice my opinion and weigh in on this very hot topic in the hopes of doing my part in helping to balance the argument)

 

[pt_ipor]

well.. balderbeware, what are the other options that work as good as finasteride? i dont think most people would maintain their hair without finasteride..

 

[UK1]

Re: "QUOTE"

I just felt the responsibility to put the word out there with the full knowledge that it would be picked apart and slammed. It doesnt matter to me what you think nor the opinions of any other loyal finasteride users out there. Putting chemicals and pharmaceutical pills in your body is serious business and before one does I believe they should arm themselves with as much information as possible. To me it just seems a bit like overkill, sort of like using a bazooka to kill a house fly(albeit an annoying one that eats your hair). You very well might kill the fly but may end up severely damaging your house in the process. What I am against mostly are those that say with full authority that Propecia/finasteride should be your first and best line of defense against hairloss. This drug carries sides that have not even been documented yet. Anything that turns your semen to watered down campbell soup and states that your pregnant wife/girlfriend/future babys momma should not come in contact with it for fear of genital birth defects is something that one should REALLY consider before downing. We're treating hairloss people not cancer for gods sake! Is it REALLY worth it? And obviously the answer to some or most hair loss sufferes seems to be, YES. My opinions are not for everyone and they are not meant to be, but they are for someone. Someone out there who is on the fence with this drug and not sure what action to take. I am only stating the other side of the argument. There are more than enough posts of "happy go hairys" who swear by propecia/finasteride and feel that its the messiah of hairloss if not its the next best thing until further notice. They stick it right at the top of their regimens and urge you to do the same. I am not a scientist nor would I get caught out there trying to speak in that vernacular. I am just a very average guy that is fighting and coping with hairloss but not willing to compromise my health or common sense in the process. There ARE other just as effective and in some ways more effective ways to reduce DHT levels IN THE SCALP where you need it the most. I am not a 100% sure what role DHT plays in the male body but I am pretty sure its there for a reason not just to attack your hair. Lowering those levels throughout the whole body is not the smartest thing for a man, who likes being a man, to do. You are losing the hair on your head not throughout your whole body so it only makes sense to treat it locally. The tests and clinical studies I have seen on propecia are nothing in my opinion to write home about. I am not saying that it doesnt do what it says it does only that it also does what it doesnt say. For the short time that I was on the drug almost immediately during the first week I started feeling the onset of the sides. Subsequently my semen got disgustingly watery, my penis lost a lot of thickness and size. My "balls" just hung between my legs like empty walnut shells and physically I felt weak. My voice also became slightly higher pitched, I just got the sense of not feeling very manly at all. I have never been a super macho man but I never knew how much my masculinity meant to me until I started feeling it slip away. After a couple of more weeks and a harrowing false alarm that the woman I am with thought that she was pregnant and that if the child would be a boy that he could, possibly, have a genital birth defect just because "Dad" wanted to thicken up his hairline. After that I started asking myself some really honest questions about whether it was worth it or not. I must state this disclaimer that I have no solid proof that finasteride is "dangerous" or that it may give your newborn sons vaginas but guess what, I am not willing to take that risk FOR ME its just not worth it. Hairloss is a problem that has to be tackled from many different angles over a period of time and consistently, you cant cure it you can only treat it. Nowadays you have a lot of treatments and options available to you, try to reach for the fly swatter, FIRST, before the bazooka. Give other options a truly fair try and if after you have exhausted all other possibilities then by all means run and get that script. Dont listen to all those panic driven red level terror alert fear mongeres out there screaming that everyday you are not on finasteride you are wasting precious time and losing more and more hair. I am against those that are too lazy and undisciplined to actually do the hard work of researching and trying other options first before taking the pill plunge then promote with all certainty that finasteride should be at the top of everyones regimen (if you are not one of those then you wont get offended by that, if you are offended then I guess the shoe fits). One of the most painful aspects about hairloss is that sense of loss of control and choice. The truth is that you do have a choice and nowadays you have a lot more than one just make the best and most educated one, for you.

(This will be my last response on this subject regarding propecia, I feel that I have more than stretched every penny of my five cents to the limit. My aim in writing this was not to have anyone agree or disagree, it was only to voice my opinion and weigh in on this very hot topic in the hopes of doing my part in helping to balance the argument)

I think your opinion is sensationalist rubbish based purely on the fact that it didn't benefit you personally, i experienced a few of the side effects you mentioned but didn't find them to be such a problem, each person needs to try it for themselves to assess it's individual benefits, far too many people like you come on here preaching and getting over exited whilst claiming that you're trying to save your fellow balding man.. You tried it and it didn't work.. don't try and freak out others that may respond perfectly well.

 

[Nick4441]

I think to go on big 3 your hairloss should be quite aggressive and it sounds like it isn't. Even if it works and you don't get sides it a financial and a regime you are then stuck with. Takes a lot of thinking about. Look at your family history.

I receded one side in my 20's and through my 30's things got a bit thinner but not much. Bad news though its become aggressive in my 43rd year and yes at any age you care about going bald..I hate it..we all want to stay younger and hair is the main thing....The Rolling stones even though wrinkly get away with it on stage because they have hair..so does Rod Stewart, Ozzy etc....Now its serious I have gone on big3 as many have suggested in this forum and there's some great experience in here so I trust it more than any manufactureres claims.

So as a few have said..just keep an eye on it and don't start any treatments unless you see it accelerate..by the time you see it I think HM will have long been out so you will never have to take meds.

 

[tylerg6]

okay, this is to balderbeware:

You are so way over the top with your assesment of the drug. ANY drug has pro and cons in relation to its intake. Taking a drug is not natural in any form so to make finasteride seem any worse than the really screwed up drugs that doctors pop in people like candy is rediculous. Take a look at A.D.D drugs, depression drugs, etc.

It's just that one is deemed more acceptable than others. The studies have been around since atleast the 80's at 5 times the dose with no known issues. Fact is, is all this crap is taking a risk. Down to taking an advil. It is altering chemicals and such with in the physiological system of the human body.

And quite frankly (although i know the sexual side effects of this drug) most of that crap is in your head. The mind can be a powerful thing. I swear to god my scalp did not itch until i read that as a "symptom" on this forum. That is why the placebo tests yielded somewhat similar results in this area during FDA testing. Because it was in peoples heads. Of course their are potential for sides, but i would not be on this forum if i didn't have a problem. And neither would any of you. If your hair was back to normal you wouldn't waste 1 minute on this thing.

 

[grimes]

I think to go on big 3 your hairloss should be quite aggressive and it sounds like it isn't. Even if it works and you don't get sides it a financial and a regime you are then stuck with. Takes a lot of thinking about. Look at your family history.

I receded one side in my 20's and through my 30's things got a bit thinner but not much. Bad news though its become aggressive in my 43rd year and yes at any age you care about going bald..I hate it..we all want to stay younger and hair is the main thing....The Rolling stones even though wrinkly get away with it on stage because they have hair..so does Rod Stewart, Ozzy etc....Now its serious I have gone on big3 as many have suggested in this forum and there's some great experience in here so I trust it more than any manufactureres claims.

So as a few have said..just keep an eye on it and don't start any treatments unless you see it accelerate..by the time you see it I think HM will have long been out so you will never have to take meds.

ok, thanks for all the replies. after my first post, i decided to really, really pay attention to my hair and hairloss. it's been about two months now and there is no change whatsoever. i have a small freckle just at the edge of my hairline and i've been watching that hairline like a hawk for the last two months. there has been no movement. i've also looked at older pictures and have come to the conclusion that i've lost all in all 1/2 inch in the last 5-6 years and maybe 1/10 inch in the last 1-2 years or so. all along the hairline.

furthermore, i went to see a dermatologist and he said that my hair, aside from the hairline, was fine and showed no sign of miniaturization.

so, i think i'll just keep an eye on it for now and put the whole drug thing on hold.

 

[grimes]

hi. i was a bit worried if i was losing ground or not, so today i went and got my hair cut(really, really short) and f*****g brilliant news. my hairline is damn near exactly like it was two years ago. no recession without use of any meds. f*** yeah!

 

[MPBWarrior]

awesome news dude