Is Propecia/Finasteride worth the risk?

Iwantcoffeenai

I'm lucky enough to be getting a hair transplant in 3 months time. The surgeon has recommended I take Finasteride. He considers it a safe drug. I am 30 years old and have been put off taking this drug for years as I have read terrible things about it online. Does anyone have any personal experience with it? Is it worth the risk? Are there any alternatives that work? I already use Regaine twice a day.

gizabeer

Hi , I started taking Finastride about 5 or 6 years ago and took it for about 3 years straight , It worked and I stopped shedding but my short term memory went to bits .
If I was having a conversation with someone I would forget the most basic things , good friends names places i was recently ect , really obvious stuff , I didn't put it down to Finastride at first but after a bit of googling I seen memory fog was one of the possible side effects .
I stopped taking it immediately and after a few months it started to improve . My hair didn't start shedding badly for about 6 or 7 months afterwards and I stayed of it for another 6 months or so and then ended up taking it again.
My memory was grand for a a couple of months then went to **** again so gave it up for good.
It wasn't just the brain fog that got me to stop it was other horror stories I had read online and while that might have been all the sides I was going to get I just wasn't willing to chance it anymore .
I have thought about getting a transplant and its cheap to do these days but I think your on Finastride for good (could be wrong) once you get one .

Iwantcoffeenai

gizabeer wrote: »

Hi , I started taking Finastride about 5 or 6 years ago and took it for about 3 years straight , It worked and I stopped shedding but my short term memory went to bits .
If I was having a conversation with someone I would forget the most basic things , good friends names places i was recently ect , really obvious stuff , I didn't put it down to Finastride at first but after a bit of googling I seen memory fog was one of the possible side effects .
I stopped taking it immediately and after a few months it started to improve . My hair didn't start shedding badly for about 6 or 7 months afterwards and I stayed of it for another 6 months or so and then ended up taking it again.
My memory was grand for a a couple of months then went to **** again so gave it up for good.
It wasn't just the brain fog that got me to stop it was other horror stories I had read online and while that might have been all the sides I was going to get I just wasn't willing to chance it anymore .
I have thought about getting a transplant and its cheap to do these days but I think your on Finastride for good (could be wrong) once you get one .

Did a doctor prescribe you it? The side effects are only supposed to affect 2% of people but if you looked online you would things it's more like 70%. Brian fog sounds terrible!

gizabeer

Yeah my GP gave it to me , his son uses it so it was no problem , I used to get 6 months prescription at a time , its only about 6 or 7 euro a month , I split the pills into 4 with a splitter . My memory is still bad , seems to be improving slowly . As possible side effects go , ill gladly take this Lol .

Newport81

gizabeer wrote: »

Yeah my GP gave it to me , his son uses it so it was no problem , I used to get 6 months prescription at a time , its only about 6 or 7 euro a month , I split the pills into 4 with a splitter . My memory is still bad , seems to be improving slowly . As possible side effects go , ill gladly take this Lol .

My GP gave me prescription for finasteride today. Scared to take it. How you getting on?

Jimmy Bottlehead

I got an online prescription a few years ago, but opted not to fill it after reading all the horror stories and side effects.

For me, it simply wasn't worth the risk. Sure enough, about a year ago I hit the point where I had to shave my head. Maybe fin would have staved that off for longer, but a full head of hair isn't worth the risk of memory or fertility issues for me. I'd prefer to be the bald guy can think straight and go in the sack, than be the guy with a full head of hair who can't remember squat and/or can't get it up.

everlast75

One taken it on and off for a while.

My hair was thicker for sure. I got the MOT done this year and 3 years ago and all is fine.

I'm probably going to go back on it. 1 tablet per week broken into 3.

Also thinking of getting the tattoo dots on the top to make the top look thicker. I've enough hair that it will work.

Tommy Pickle

I've been on the Finasteride for about 4 months now and have absolutely no side effects and my hair is thicker and way fuller already, you couldn't take it off me to be honest.

This is just my opinion:
If you look at the actual research, they gave Finestride and a placebo to 2 groups of men. The bad side effects were as prominent in the group of men that took the placebo as that took the Finesteride. 1-2% of men and probably way more will have sexual issues due to stress, anxiety and other factors, especially men worrying about their balding and appearance which are the ones who taking the Finasteride for hair treatment. If you think something is going to give you all these negative sexual side effects it could get into you head and the stress/worry can give you the same issues.

When you listen to the doctors that work with hair loss patients they all say that they very rarely see side effects and any side effects that they do see are reversed from stopping the Finasteride.

Also men taking the Finestride for treatment of enlarged prostate, they are taking quite a high dose, up to 5mg per day. When you are taking if for your hair, you split the 5mg tablet into 4 pieces, and you take a quarter of the tablet 3 times a week, so the dose that you are taking is very low, about 3.75mg a week.

Tommy Pickle

Iwantcoffeenai wrote: »

I'm lucky enough to be getting a hair transplant in 3 months time. The surgeon has recommended I take Finasteride. He considers it a safe drug. I am 30 years old and have been put off taking this drug for years as I have read terrible things about it online. Does anyone have any personal experience with it? Is it worth the risk? Are there any alternatives that work? I already use Regaine twice a day.

Just something to consider, you are getting a hair transplant due to your male pattern baldness. So presuming you didn't take finasteride and just got the transplant. The transplanted hair would last forever on your head which is great. But all of your own hair will continue to recede due to the continuation of the male pattern baldness, and you'll eventually have a gap between your transplanted hair and the rest of your hair.

Thats why they recommend the Finasteride, it stops the rest of your hair from receding, hence you have a desirable head of hair. If you don't take it, you may end up looking worse than you did before the transplant within a few years.

Rikand

If you really didnt want to take the finasteride, you could try Saw Palmetto

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/saw-palmetto-benefits

No known side effects but has other health benefits aside from reducing hair loss. Probably not as effective as finasteride which of course is chemical and specially designed for hair loss but you could do a lot worse than give it a go

HBC08

I took it for 8 years but stopped as was about to start a family.Never had any sides and will go back on it in the future.
Don't underestimate it,but at the same time know that the sides effects are only present in 1-2%.
My advise would be to try it and if if there are any problems then stop immediately.
There are lots of lotions,potions and pills out there for hair loss but the only ones that are proven to work are minoxidil and finisteride. They serve different purposes and ideally you should be on both.

WoolyJumper

I started taking it about 3 mouths ago. No sides or issues at all. It's too early to tell if its working though. I was an idiot and didn't take pictures before I started to process so im struggling to tell if the small hairs at my hairline is new growth or just signs of a receding hairline.

mrcheez

Why is Finasteride prescribed over Minoxidil tablets?

Tommy Pickle

mrcheez wrote: »

Why is Finasteride prescribed over Minoxidil tablets?

They do 2 totally different things

Finastride is used to stop the advancement of the male pattern baldness.

Minoxidil is to stimulate growth of your hair but wont stop the onset of male pattern baldness.

Best results will be achieved by using both.

Iwantcoffeenai

Newport81 wrote: »

My GP gave me prescription for finasteride today. Scared to take it. How you getting on?

I have decided not to take it as I struggle to find anyone say anything positive about it on the internet. The side effects terrify me. I use Regaine and Nizoral shampoo.

Has anyone tried Saw Palmetto as an alternative?

Has anyone tried PRP therapy treatment?

gizabeer

Newport81 wrote: »

My GP gave me prescription for finasteride today. Scared to take it. How you getting on?

Sorry , just seen this now , My memory isnt THAT bad , its just a bit of a pain sometimes but is getting better , It was about 2 1/2 years before I started noticing I was forgetting stuff and up to that was delighted with it .

Elemonator

There is a lot of hysteria online, and my doctor specifically warned me about the vocal minority. The place I went to has treated 80,000 people with surgical and non surgical means. In that profile, a few hundred developed side effects and four developed permanent side effects but all of those 4 had other things going on. That places it around the low incidence of side effects it claims to have. My doctor pointed out to me that patients would take it for years, become aware of the side effects, and then suddenly develop them. Reckoned that Paracetamol has a side effects incidence rate of 10% and if people read the label they would never take it again (liver scarring etc.)

In the end I never took it. My brother has taken it for two years with no problems. That's not to say you won't encounter side effects, but there is a lot of hype over them on the internet. Reading up side effects and suddenly developing them after taking the drug for years seems unrealistic. Most side effects listed on these labels seem to be put there purely because of legal liability, not because a significant amount of people developed them.

I also see it mentioned that it isn't licensed in Ireland. While it isn't licensed for hair loss, it is licensed for BPH at five times the dose. It was licensed in major jurisdictions such as the US FDA and the United Kingdom but its patent was nearly up when it came to being licensed in Ireland and the cost wasn't worth it, supposedly. It isn't a big earner since it went generic.

Iwantcoffeenai

I started taking it about a month ago and have had no negative side effects. In fact I think my sex drive has increased and am actually getting better results in the gym.

I take 1mg every other day which is similar to what you are taking. Do you think this is sufficient or should I move to 1mg a day?

What are your results like now? How long did it take for you to see visible results?

Tommy Pickle wrote: »

I've been on
the Finasteride for about 4 months now and have absolutely no side effects and my hair is thicker and way fuller already, you couldn't take it off me to be honest.

This is just my opinion:
If you look at the actual research, they gave Finestride and a placebo to 2 groups of men. The bad side effects were as prominent in the group of men that took the placebo as that took the Finesteride. 1-2% of men and probably way more will have sexual issues due to stress, anxiety and other factors, especially men worrying about their balding and appearance which are the ones who taking the Finasteride for hair treatment. If you think something is going to give you all these negative sexual side effects it could get into you head and the stress/worry can give you the same issues.

When you listen to the doctors that work with hair loss patients they all say that they very rarely see side effects and any side effects that they do see are reversed from stopping the Finasteride.

Also men taking the Finestride for treatment of enlarged prostate, they are taking quite a high dose, up to 5mg per day. When you are taking if for your hair, you split the 5mg tablet into 4 pieces, and you take a quarter of the tablet 3 times a week, so the dose that you are taking is very low, about 3.75mg a week.

Newport81

How you getting on any sides yet? We’re you told to take it every other day by your GP?

Iwantcoffeenai wrote: »

I started taking it about a month ago and have had no negative side effects. In fact I think my sex drive has increased and am actually getting better results in the gym.

I take 1mg every other day which is similar to what you are taking. Do you think this is sufficient or should I move to 1mg a day?

What are your results like now? How long did it take for you to see visible results?

LawBoy2018

I've taken it for like 5 years now w/o any side effects. The main reason why I began taking Finasteride was that I began losing my hair at 19 (hairline + crown) and felt very selfconcious about the whole situation. My friends would joke about it and that would bother me. Now that I'm a bit older, would I care as much? One would hope not. That being said, do I plan to stop taking it any time soon? No.

I did a tonne of research on the drug before ever I went near it though and I would advise anyone considering it to do the same. During my consultation with my doctor, he inspected my hair and felt as though what he saw was normal, but I knew, personally, that it had began to thin out and that sooner I got on the Finasteride, the better chance I had.

Overall, would I recommend to a friend? Absolutely. I take 1.25g/day (a quarter of a pill).

Newport81

I found this video of an Irish Guy when searching is it safe and it’s scared the beejesus out of me!

I get this sinking feeling every time I wash my hair and look in the mirror i think about starting the finasteride every day but am freaked out by the horror stories I’ve read online. It’s a roll of the dice you just don’t know how it will effect you

LawBoy2018 wrote: »

I've taken it for like 5 years now w/o any side effects. The main reason why I began taking Finasteride was that I began losing my hair at 19 (hairline + crown) and felt very selfconcious about the whole situation. My friends would joke about it and that would bother me. Now that I'm a bit older, would I care as much? One would hope not. That being said, do I plan to stop taking it any time soon? No.

I did a tonne of research on the drug before ever I went near it though and I would advise anyone considering it to do the same. During my consultation with my doctor, he inspected my hair and felt as though what he saw was normal, but I knew, personally, that it had began to thin out and that sooner I got on the Finasteride, the better chance I had.

Overall, would I recommend to a friend? Absolutely. I take 1.25g/day (a quarter of a pill).

Iwantcoffeenai

Newport81 wrote: »

How you getting on any sides yet? We’re you told to take it every other day by your GP?

I decided myself to take it eod first to see if I could tolerate it. After my hair transplant 3 weeks ago I have been taking 1.25mg a day. I have had no bad side effects yet. In fact I think my sex drive has actually increased!

Iwantcoffeenai

LawBoy2018 wrote: »

I've taken it for like 5 years now w/o any side effects. The main reason why I began taking Finasteride was that I began losing my hair at 19 (hairline + crown) and felt very selfconcious about the whole situation. My friends would joke about it and that would bother me. Now that I'm a bit older, would I care as much? One would hope not. That being said, do I plan to stop taking it any time soon? No.

I did a tonne of research on the drug before ever I went near it though and I would advise anyone considering it to do the same. During my consultation with my doctor, he inspected my hair and felt as though what he saw was normal, but I knew, personally, that it had began to thin out and that sooner I got on the Finasteride, the better chance I had.

Overall, would I recommend to a friend? Absolutely. I take 1.25g/day (a quarter of a pill).

What results have you got? Just maintaining or any regrowth or thickening? What were your results like in both crown and hairline and after how long did you notice results?

LawBoy2018

Newport81 wrote: »

I found this video of an Irish Guy when searching is it safe and it’s scared the beejesus out of me!

I get this sinking feeling every time I wash my hair and look in the mirror i think about starting the finasteride every day but am freaked out by the horror stories I’ve read online. It’s a roll of the dice you just don’t know how it will effect you

What happened to him? I would disagree with what you've said but I can see why you may be freaked. A 'roll of the dice' would imply that you have a 1/6 chance of seeing side effects when in reality, it's more like 1/100. Even then, you could simply stop taking it.

To live in fear of going bald is a terrible way to live, and life is too short imo. Just bite the bullet and go for it. (provided your doctor advises that it's safe for you to do so)

LawBoy2018

Iwantcoffeenai wrote: »

What results have you got? Just maintaining or any regrowth or thickening? What were your results like in both crown and hairline and after how long did you notice results?

My hairline thickened up again and my crown is perf. I saw results fairly quickly but I started at 19 when the whole process was beginning which is probably why I saw regrowth. If the hair follicle has shrunk fully, then obviously that will be more unlikely.

5 years later and I'm happy out with a great hairline and no signs of hair loss. I couldn't be happier. If it ever stops working, I will defo get a hair transplant.

Thierry12

LawBoy2018 wrote: »

What happened to him? I would disagree with what you've said but I can see why you may be freaked. A 'roll of the dice' would imply that you have a 1/6 chance of seeing side effects when in reality, it's more like 1/100. Even then, you could simply stop taking it.

To live in fear of going bald is a terrible way to live, and life is too short imo. Just bite the bullet and go for it. (provided your doctor advises that it's safe for you to do so)

Think alot of it coincidental as well

Lot of those guys were going to have side effects like erectile problems etc anyway, alot of male's not on fin suffer from it

They could always just down to 1/8 of a pill or even 1/16 of a 5mg pill

Fin is very diminishing returns as you go up dosages, 2.5mg doesn't work better than 1.25mg etc, some countries like South Korea prescribe .5mg for MPB.

Homelander

I have been on Fin for 8 years with zero side effects. Hairline hasn't changed at all in that time.

Iwantcoffeenai

Homelander wrote: »

I have been on Fin for 8 years with zero side effects. Hairline hasn't changed at all in that time.

Did you see any thickening or regrowth? What about your crown?

Homelander

Iwantcoffeenai wrote: »

Did you see any thickening or regrowth? What about your crown?

No, just no further loss. My crown was fine to begin with. I was rapidly receding in 2012 or so, since Fin it's not changed at all.

Newport81

thanks dude id love to start taking it but just scared of long term sides this is the video of the irish guy who only took one pill and its ruined his life!

https://youtu.be/j8IDIbvDU0M

LawBoy2018 wrote: »

What happened to him? I would disagree with what you've said but I can see why you may be freaked. A 'roll of the dice' would imply that you have a 1/6 chance of seeing side effects when in reality, it's more like 1/100. Even then, you could simply stop taking it.

To live in fear of going bald is a terrible way to live, and life is too short imo. Just bite the bullet and go for it. (provided your doctor advises that it's safe for you to do so)

Thierry12

Newport81 wrote: »

thanks dude id love to start taking it but just scared of long term sides this is the video of the irish guy who only took one pill and its ruined his life!

https://youtu.be/j8IDIbvDU0M

Imagine lunatics like that taking real substances like tren or something

1 pill :pac:

LawBoy2018

Thierry12 wrote: »

Imagine lunatics like that taking real substances like tren or something

1 pill :pac:

What do you think his deal is? Is he potentially garnering the ingredients for a lawsuit? My spidey senses are most definitely tingling. In the below article, there was a link provided whereby people could donate money to him for some sort of stem cell treatment.

https://www.armaghi.com/news/armagh-news/severe-side-effects-of-internet-bought-hair-loss-pill-has-taken-everything-from-armagh-man/104313

He has multiple youtube channels with the same name that he uses to comment on his videos. The above article also stated that he bought his finasteride online. Maybe it was a dodgy brand?

Newport81

I do believe him though. There Defo is something up there’s so many people online claiming to have that post finasteride syndrome?

LawBoy2018 wrote: »

What do you think his deal is? Is he potentially garnering the ingredients for a lawsuit? My spidey senses are most definitely tingling. In the below article, there was a link provided whereby people could donate money to him for some sort of stem cell treatment.

https://www.armaghi.com/news/armagh-news/severe-side-effects-of-internet-bought-hair-loss-pill-has-taken-everything-from-armagh-man/104313

He has multiple youtube channels with the same name that he uses to comment on his videos. The above article also stated that he bought his finasteride online. Maybe it was a dodgy brand?

Wibbs

Newport81 wrote: »

I do believe him though.

I would if he had been on the medication for a while, even a couple of weeks, but all that from just a single dose of a medication that is tolerated fine by a majority of people, including those who take much higher doses for prostate issues? I'm not saying this drug can't have bad side effects, all drugs potentially can, even over the counter stuff, and this stuff is fiddling with hormones, but in this case I just don't buy that a single dose could cause such a permanent systemic failure.

Homelander

Same. I don't dispute that 1% of people have issues with it, but a single 1mg pill and he's endured years of total, catastrophic system failure?

Don't buy it for a second.

LawBoy2018

I believe that he believes his medical complications were caused by taking that one pill, but to claim that such horrendous symptoms were brought on by taking 1mg of what's normally a 5mg dose is far-reaching to say the least.

To the guy posting here saying that he believes him, then don't take it? It's not rocket science. We're not here to persuade you to take it, lol.

Thierry12

LawBoy2018 wrote: »

What do you think his deal is? Is he potentially garnering the ingredients for a lawsuit? My spidey senses are most definitely tingling. In the below article, there was a link provided whereby people could donate money to him for some sort of stem cell treatment.

https://www.armaghi.com/news/armagh-news/severe-side-effects-of-internet-bought-hair-loss-pill-has-taken-everything-from-armagh-man/104313

He has multiple youtube channels with the same name that he uses to comment on his videos. The above article also stated that he bought his finasteride online. Maybe it was a dodgy brand?

I think he's either a lunatic or it was coincidental, as in pure chance it happened at the same time as taking Fin

Either way it wasn't fin that did that to him

Newport81

Thanks, I suppose i'm just looking for someone to tell me its safe to take it! just so anxious over the potential sides

Wibbs wrote: »

I would if he had been on the medication for a while, even a couple of weeks, but all that from just a single dose of a medication that is tolerated fine by a majority of people, including those who take much higher doses for prostate issues? I'm not saying this drug can't have bad side effects, all drugs potentially can, even over the counter stuff, and this stuff is fiddling with hormones, but in this case I just don't buy that a single dose could cause such a permanent systemic failure.

LawBoy2018

Newport81 wrote: »

Thanks, I suppose i'm just looking for someone to tell me its safe to take it! just so anxious over the potential sides

Go have a chat with your doctor to put your mind at ease.

MildThing84

On it over 10 years from when i was 21 or so. No recognised side effects in that time!

Iwantcoffeenai

MildThing84 wrote: »

On it over 10 years from when i was 21 or so. No recognised side effects in that time!

What have your results been like? Any regrowth?

MildThing84

Iwantcoffeenai wrote: »

What have your results been like? Any regrowth?

Yes, definitely. I went to the blackrock clinic as a 21 year old and met Dr. Maurice (surname excapes me) and he wouldnt do much for me other than prescribe the drug (quarter of a tablet a day) and come back in a year. He took photos at the time and then new photos a year later, the difference back then was quite staggering and i dont think they're in the business of clever photoshopping.

I used to always say to myself "ah if i get to 30 with my hair it will be grand to lose it then" but right now and with the same head of hair.... there is no way i want to lose it.

I was at a funeral last weekend (an old school pal) and was quite proud of my hair compared to all those from my class :cool:

I will keep taking my quarter pill a day!

MildThing84

Oh and OP, my bald brother in law is convinced he has retained much of his sides and has not turned into his horse shoe father!

In fact, he has "fuzz" on the top of his head that he said was gone for years.

Kamu

Hey lads,

I am looking into starting minoxidil/finasteride and was just wondering is there a recommended clinic/practice for a consultation?

I'm not looking for a hair transplant (yet) but want to be proactive as I have definitely noticed some receding of the hairline this year.

I'd like to go to a hair specialist compared to my normal GP.

mousblaster17

When you refer to a doctor are you talking GP or a specialist in a clinic somewhere? If talking about a specialist, who would you recommend?

liverbird1

I started on Fin last Jan, 1.25mg per day. No sides at 1st but after about 6 months my eyes started to get very dry and I got a lump on eyelid. My eyes were constantly dry and I had blepharitis which meant my eyelids and under my eye were red tender. I had seen this as a side affect prior to using. I am off it for 2 weeks now and my eyes have improved immeasurably so pretty sure it was the Fin. I googled it and there are some reports of it causing dry eye blepharitis. It messages with tear gland apparently. Just said I'd post as it was a definite side for me.

jmlad2020

liverbird1 wrote: »

I started on Fin last Jan, 1.25mg per day. No sides at 1st but after about 6 months my eyes started to get very dry and I got a lump on eyelid. My eyes were constantly dry and I had blepharitis which meant my eyelids and under my eye were red tender. I had seen this as a side affect prior to using. I am off it for 2 weeks now and my eyes have improved immeasurably so pretty sure it was the Fin. I googled it and there are some reports of it causing dry eye blepharitis. It messages with tear gland apparently. Just said I'd post as it was a definite side for me.

Funny a lot of medications for anxiety or depression etc have this affect also and I would stay clear of them.

Any sexual side effects? I heard there is a loss in libido/interest in sex.

TheBoyConor

I have been using a topical product with both finasteride and minoxidil for some time now. I have not had any side effects, sexual or otherwise.

DeWanderer

TheBoyConor wrote: »

I have been using a topical product with both finasteride and minoxidil for some time now. I have not had any side effects, sexual or otherwise.

Where did you get that from? Do you use Dermaroller?

TheBoyConor

I am having it prepared locally for me as a gel by prescription. It is applied via a syringe with a small plastic nozzle 1cc twice daily.

No. I don't know what Dermaroller is.

liverbird1

No other noticeable sides but I must say I never felt entirely comfortable taking it. It's different for everyone I guess it defo works for hair loss, I just couldn't hack the dry/red eyes & blepharitis any longer so I came off it.