Finasteride Side Effects

TrenSandwich

New member
Hi guys, I wanted to ask if there is any way to determine whether or not im 'predisposed' to the side effects that some people get on finasteride. Sorry in advance if this is a stupid question.

Thanks
 
What about things like low DHT or test levels to start off with?

I'm 25. i've never had libido issues or cycle history, just quite concerned to jump on 1mg of finasteride.
 
TrenSandwich said:
What about things like low DHT or test levels to start off with?

I'm 25. i've never had libido issues or cycle history, just quite concerned to jump on 1mg of finasteride.
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Finasteride actually raises total test and estrogen slightly because less Test is converted to DHT. You never know how someone will react though. Lots of nightmare stories out there about it. I personally have used it for a very long time without much issue. I'd try to hold off as long as possible though. 25 could be a little young
 
TrenSandwich said:
Hi guys, I wanted to ask if there is any way to determine whether or not im 'predisposed' to the side effects that some people get on finasteride. Sorry in advance if this is a stupid question.

Thanks
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I have been on it 10 days.. Feel fine. Still early days though.. The first thing isn't to worry about sides because you could end up believing your getting them.. What are you needing to lower DHT for.. Hair loss?
 
Poison! Don't touch it. Not a chance worth tak8ng. Has ruined too many lives and probably has lead to a few suicides.

Get over it, and shave your head. Plenty of bald headed guys get plenty of ass.

I keep my hair buzzed at a zero, and look great. I could have a full head of hair if I wanted though.
 
user567 said:
Finasteride actually raises total test and estrogen slightly because less Test is converted to DHT. You never know how someone will react though. Lots of nightmare stories out there about it. I personally have used it for a very long time without much issue. I'd try to hold off as long as possible though. 25 could be a little young[/QUOTE

What age would you recommend starting? Do you agree with the 1mg starting point?
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bell1986 said:
I have been on it 10 days.. Feel fine. Still early days though.. The first thing isn't to worry about sides because you could end up believing your getting them.. What are you needing to lower DHT for.. Hair loss?
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Yea hair loss. You read so much **** out there its difficult to decide what to believe and what to ignore but it seems the longer I leave it, the less effective the regrowth could be? I thought it would be best to get it early, not sure if that's a great idea though.
 
Ofcourse its a sensible idea.. Even if your hair has thinned you will still re-gain most of it back. Its when the actual follicle dies.. Thats it gone.. Also DHT (If your taking a steroid that converts to it) also causes prostate problems and also can cause acne etc.. I would always recommend on cycle a DHT blocker if you have family with male pattern baldness (Finasteride) ' Estrogen blocker (Arimidex or aromasin) and i would say some liver support (N' Acetyl Cystine Tudca etc) fish oils is always a healthy addition also.

What you running?
 
Look into the Evomuse Viral Maine shampoo and serum.
 
TrenSandwich said:
user567 said:
Finasteride actually raises total test and estrogen slightly because less Test is converted to DHT. You never know how someone will react though. Lots of nightmare stories out there about it. I personally have used it for a very long time without much issue. I'd try to hold off as long as possible though. 25 could be a little young[/QUOTE

What age would you recommend starting? Do you agree with the 1mg starting point?
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I'd suggest a couple of things.

Before starting the drug, make sure you do a baseline blood panel to find out your free/total test, dht, and estrogen.

You may not need to start at 1mg. .5 might do the trick to bring you under the level that is causing the hair loss.

After 30 days do another full panel to find out what your ratios have changed to. See what that extra dht is being converted to. Your free test will probably rise. Hopefully your estrogen stays down. You also may get some conversion to Aldosterone which may cause some bloating.

Log any sides in a journal with dates and how long they persist. You may experience none, and you may experience a few, and some of them may go away after your body adjusts.
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Not worth it. Too many people have been permanently ****ed. Plus, Dht is awesome. Makes you feel great, great libido, energy, muscle hardness, etc. Who would want to reduce something that gives you that. Plus no amount of hair is cool if your dick gets perminently screwed up like some people’s have
 
CATdiesel76 said:
Not worth it. Too many people have been permanently ****ed. Plus, Dht is awesome. Makes you feel great, great libido, energy, muscle hardness, etc. Who would want to reduce something that gives you that. Plus no amount of hair is cool if your dick gets perminently screwed up like some people’s have
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DHT is good but in certain people it may not be needed in the quantity that they are producing. Which is why I suggest looking at a complete panel before anyone tries changing their hormone balances.

Also not everyone looks great bald. Even Bradley Martyn who has a perfect physique wears a hat 99% of the time to cover his bald head
 
bell1986 said:
Ofcourse its a sensible idea.. Even if your hair has thinned you will still re-gain most of it back. Its when the actual follicle dies.. Thats it gone.. Also DHT (If your taking a steroid that converts to it) also causes prostate problems and also can cause acne etc.. I would always recommend on cycle a DHT blocker if you have family with male pattern baldness (Finasteride) ' Estrogen blocker (Arimidex or aromasin) and i would say some liver support (N' Acetyl Cystine Tudca etc) fish oils is always a healthy addition also.

What you running?
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Not running anything. Genuinely have no cycle history, just got screwed by the gentletics god. I’m probably too young to start but I’ll give 1mg a try for 6 months and then make a call about any sides.

I was going to get blood work done to see if there was anything that would tell me that I’m not a good candidate for Finasteride but it seems you won’t really know until you try.

Thanks for the help
 
bell1986 said:
Ofcourse its a sensible idea.. Even if your hair has thinned you will still re-gain most of it back. Its when the actual follicle dies.. Thats it gone.. Also DHT (If your taking a steroid that converts to it) also causes prostate problems and also can cause acne etc.. I would always recommend on cycle a DHT blocker if you have family with male pattern baldness (Finasteride) ' Estrogen blocker (Arimidex or aromasin) and i would say some liver support (N' Acetyl Cystine Tudca etc) fish oils is always a healthy addition also.

What you running?
Click to expand...

Not running anything. Genuinely have no cycle history, just got screwed by the gentletics god. I’m probably too young to start but I’ll give 1mg a try for 6 months and then make a call about any sides.

I was going to get blood work done to see if there was anything that would tell me that I’m not a good candidate for Finasteride but it seems you won’t really know until you try.

Thanks for the help
 
kelvarnsen said:
DHT is good but in certain people it may not be needed in the quantity that they are producing. Which is why I suggest looking at a complete panel before anyone tries changing their hormone balances.

Also not everyone looks great bald. Even Bradley Martyn who has a perfect physique wears a hat 99% of the time to cover his bald head
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Would you mind interpreting my bloodwork which ill get done as soon as possible? My doctor is a bit of a dinosaur
 
It definitely lowers my libido . No doubt about it. I got a prescription and use it . Sometimes while on trt e3d. If Im using higher doses of test I use it bc I value my hair. The lowered libido isnt so bad , esp if your a horny bugger , and it gets annoying masterbating five times a day. Just stop taking it close to sex or reduce dosage, if that's a concern. No more than 1 mgs. I probably do 1.25 bc I got a script for 5 mgs and break them up. Even 0.5 and 0.2 in studies has been shown to reduce dht quite a bit.
 
TrenSandwich said:
Would you mind interpreting my bloodwork which ill get done as soon as possible? My doctor is a bit of a dinosaur
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Oh i see i never realised you weren't running anything. Just thought with your forum name haha

Post them up when you get them done.

The thing is you could have perfect blood markers but still suffer sides or you could have terrible markers and handle Finasteride no problem. Its just how your body reacts.

Dont let it stress you though. I started just over a week ago and i just tell myself i wont suffer sides and i dont look for any (I might do though) but you really can get placebo affects if you stress about it. I have read all those horror stories also but i dont let that bother me. I started shedding hair about 12 months ago (Got this from my dad) it started slightly then ramped up pretty quickly. A was like Damn! So i spoke with my doctor and they says it can be reversed or slowed up to a fair extent using Finasteride (Propecia). So im gonna do 6 month and see where im at. Thiers alot of success stories in amongst those horror stroies so you have to believe your gonna be among the success stories.

You will be fine bro
 
John Smeton said:
It definitely lowers my libido . No doubt about it. I got a prescription and use it . Sometimes while on trt e3d. If Im using higher doses of test I use it bc I value my hair. The lowered libido isnt so bad , esp if your a horny bugger , and it gets annoying masterbating five times a day. Just stop taking it close to sex or reduce dosage, if that's a concern. No more than 1 mgs. I probably do 1.25 bc I got a script for 5 mgs and break them up. Even 0.5 and 0.2 in studies has been shown to reduce dht quite a bit.
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You noticed any shedding with your cycles? Its a bugger aint it! Did you notice the Libido issues pretty soon on from starting Finasteride?
 
bell1986 said:
Oh i see i never realised you weren't running anything. Just thought with your forum name haha

Post them up when you get them done.

The thing is you could have perfect blood markers but still suffer sides or you could have terrible markers and handle Finasteride no problem. Its just how your body reacts.

Dont let it stress you though. I started just over a week ago and i just tell myself i wont suffer sides and i dont look for any (I might do though) but you really can get placebo affects if you stress about it. I have read all those horror stories also but i dont let that bother me. I started shedding hair about 12 months ago (Got this from my dad) it started slightly then ramped up pretty quickly. A was like Damn! So i spoke with my doctor and they says it can be reversed or slowed up to a fair extent using Finasteride (Propecia). So im gonna do 6 month and see where im at. Thiers alot of success stories in amongst those horror stroies so you have to believe your gonna be among the success stories.

You will be fine bro
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Perfect mate, thanks a lot. I stole the name from the comment section in a Rich Piana video :')

Yea i definitely think a big part of it is mental so i suppose im in control of it to an extent. If the libido really does start to plummet is it a bad idea to use some kind supplement like horny goat weed etc or will that kind of just counter the finasteride?
 
TrenSandwich said:
Perfect mate, thanks a lot. I stole the name from the comment section in a Rich Piana video :')

Yea i definitely think a big part of it is mental so i suppose im in control of it to an extent. If the libido really does start to plummet is it a bad idea to use some kind supplement like horny goat weed etc or will that kind of just counter the finasteride?
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I dont see horny goat weed being a problem? Just wait it out to see if Libido issues do arise? If so then incorporate it and see how you get on... Have a google and see if anyone has used this combo and read if they had success.
 
bell1986 said:
You noticed any shedding with your cycles? Its a bugger aint it! Did you notice the Libido issues pretty soon on from starting Finasteride?
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Absolutely back in 2014 first time I took it,penor just went limp . I notice them now. When I take it esp a few days in a row libido goes way down.
 
John Smeton said:
Absolutely back in 2014 first time I took it,penor just went limp . I notice them now. When I take it esp a few days in a row libido goes way down.
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Does it affect your gains when you increase your test? I heard DHT plays a role in the muscle building also. Some people say they gain no problems with Finasteride alongside though.

Im single so im not too bothered if my libido does decrease slightly. Takes your mind off that thought all the time
 
Also quite interested in this? I can imagine that the estrogen increase from the increased free test might give you a softer/watery appearance but I’m not too sure about the ability to gain tissue or maintain strength.
 
Wouldn’t touch this with a 10 foot pole:
Invalid Link Removed
 
I’m a long time user. Started before side effects were first being publicized. Ignorance is bliss! The majority of people like me experience no side effects. But that’s not to say that people shouldn’t do their homework and assess the risks. I have never had ANY problem building muscle while taking the drug. For me personally I have no regrets. But understand that the drug is more effective in stopping/slowing hair loss than it is in actually regrowing hair. Which is why I am glad I started when I was younger.

I also recommend getting your hormones checked out first so you have a baseline from which to measure future hormonal changes.
 
Mate of mine takes it with no worries.

I've considered but it's a worry, I'm just going to save 3-5k fit hair implants. I'm only thinning a bit at the front, apparently it takes up to 12 months for implants to grow fully but it works for a lifetime.

Technology is getting good, costs are coming down.
 
kenpoengineer said:
Wouldn’t touch this with a 10 foot pole:
Invalid Link Removed
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But all that hair you will have...

"A revision to the Propecia label to include libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders that continued after discontinuation of the drug."

I'd rather be ugly and bald, then have a dead dick. Pull a girl with you're nice lush locks and then can't bed her. Not worth the risk. Having a nice hard erection and tearing a girl up, is 100X the confidence booster that hair is.
 
slickwillie said:
I’m a long time user. Started before side effects were first being publicized. Ignorance is bliss! The majority of people like me experience no side effects. But that’s not to say that people shouldn’t do their homework and assess the risks. I have never had ANY problem building muscle while taking the drug. For me personally I have no regrets. But understand that the drug is more effective in stopping/slowing hair loss than it is in actually regrowing hair. Which is why I am glad I started when I was younger.

I also recommend getting your hormones checked out first so you have a baseline from which to measure future hormonal changes.
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How old were you when you started if you dont mind me asking?
 
TrenSandwich said:
Also quite interested in this? I can imagine that the estrogen increase from the increased free test might give you a softer/watery appearance but I’m not too sure about the ability to gain tissue or maintain strength.
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DHT is weak at building muscle by itself. I have had no problem gaining muscle over the years on finasteride. The increase in free test / E2 is usually very small but worth monitoring. A slight increase in E2 can kill libido in some people while others it has no effect.
 
user567 said:
DHT is weak at building muscle by itself. I have had no problem gaining muscle over the years on finasteride. The increase in free test / E2 is usually very small but worth monitoring. A slight increase in E2 can kill libido in some people while others it has no effect.
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DHT isn’t a muscle builder but imperative for many other functions that are much more important. Once again I think using something that could mess with your sex drive, erections, gyno, depression, brain chemistry, fat gain etc for life is something to be considered very carefully. Is some hair really worth risking all of that? To me it certainly isn’t. I’m thinning but just accepted in and going to age gracefully with a working Johnson
 
user567 said:
DHT is weak at building muscle by itself. I have had no problem gaining muscle over the years on finasteride. The increase in free test / E2 is usually very small but worth monitoring. A slight increase in E2 can kill libido in some people while others it has no effect.
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It depends on how high your DHT levels are. If you have very high DHT levels your free test and estrogen will both rise significantly. You won't know which will rise until you take the drug. My free test went up around a 1/3 and my estrogen went up 2 points. You are correct that the people who have the most problems with libido and erectile disfunction are those who throw their hormone balance out with higher estrogen. That's why I suggested the OP get a panel done before and after taking the drug to see what he's converting it to.

Where I had problems was I gained around 10lbs in the first month because of conversion to Aldosterone. I was extremely full looking and many people thought I had taken gear in that month but I couldn't regain the lean shredded look because no matter how much diet/cardio I did since I retained a lot of salt water due to the Aldosterone.
 
Just throwing my experience out there... I’ve been on finasteride about 1.25mg daily (as I too, cut up 5mg into fourths. Quite the money saver) for the the last 7yrs. I’ve never experienced any side effects. I’ve ran multiple gear cycles and never experienced any significant hair loss or shedding. Libido has never been an issue nor getting it up. I have a full head of hair at 32 yrs of age when everyone else in my family (cousins, uncles, dad) all went completely bald around 27-30yrs old.

I’m not saying that side effects aren’t possible but I think the horror stories out there are blown out of proportion. When you look at how many millions of men have used finasteride with no issues, I tend to wonder if some of these studies that show guys experiencing negative side effects might be caused by another underlying issue that isn’t being reported in the study. I.e. perhaps they’re sedentary, already dealing with depression, have crap diets, or some other undiagnosed mental issue that is causing the libido/erection issues.
 
kelvarnsen said:
It depends on how high your DHT levels are. If you have very high DHT levels your free test and estrogen will both rise significantly. You won't know which will rise until you take the drug. My free test went up around a 1/3 and my estrogen went up 2 points. You are correct that the people who have the most problems with libido and erectile disfunction are those who throw their hormone balance out with higher estrogen. That's why I suggested the OP get a panel done before and after taking the drug to see what he's converting it to.

Where I had problems was I gained around 10lbs in the first month because of conversion to Aldosterone. I was extremely full looking and many people thought I had taken gear in that month but I couldn't regain the lean shredded look because no matter how much diet/cardio I did since I retained a lot of salt water due to the Aldosterone.
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This was a very interesting read thank you. I was wondering, if you say the libido issues arise form increased estrogen, would it make sense to use an estrogen blocker at a relatively low dose? Say clomjd at around 10-20mg to keep that in check?
 
Sculptor said:
Just throwing my experience out there... I’ve been on finasteride about 1.25mg daily (as I too, cut up 5mg into fourths. Quite the money saver) for the the last 7yrs. I’ve never experienced any side effects. I’ve ran multiple gear cycles and never experienced any significant hair loss or shedding. Libido has never been an issue nor getting it up. I have a full head of hair at 32 yrs of age when everyone else in my family (cousins, uncles, dad) all went completely bald around 27-30yrs old.

I’m not saying that side effects aren’t possible but I think the horror stories out there are blown out of proportion. When you look at how many millions of men have used finasteride with no issues, I tend to wonder if some of these studies that show guys experiencing negative side effects might be caused by another underlying issue that isn’t being reported in the study. I.e. perhaps they’re sedentary, already dealing with depression, have crap diets, or some other undiagnosed mental issue that is causing the libido/erection issues.
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There definitely are side effects to any drugs and obviously the extent to which each person experiences them is different but like you said, there are millions of people who take the stuff without issue. I think If you’ve had a bad experience on Finasteride you’re a lot more likely to turn forums or any kind of platform compared to someone who had a good experience? Just my opinion.


I also think a very large number of Finasteride users are also steroid users looking to nullify the affect of increased DHT etc which makes it very difficult to isolate the Finasteride as the culprit to certain side effects
 
TrenSandwich said:
There definitely are side effects to any drugs and obviously the extent to which each person experiences them is different but like you said, there are millions of people who take the stuff without issue. I think If you’ve had a bad experience on Finasteride you’re a lot more likely to turn forums or any kind of platform compared to someone who had a good experience? Just my opinion.


I also think a very large number of Finasteride users are also steroid users looking to nullify the affect of increased DHT etc which makes it very difficult to isolate the Finasteride as the culprit to certain side effects
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Any medications/pills can have side effects. Even OTC painkillers can have serious sides. Just depends how our body's respond.

Finasteride seems to have some horror stories behind it. I did have that in mind as like yourself i had read them all. Heading for 2 weeks on them and nothing to note. Not to say im not gonna get any but so far no worries at all. I recently took Setraline which is for anxiety. I was so immobile on it. Barely get up out my bed. Couldn't train for any length of time. Felt terrible tbh and this was within the first few days so Finasteride has had zero side effects at all on me. I know what sides effects can do and how bad they can be.

I think the mindset of hairloss and lets be fair it is very noticeable if your hair is short. That can cause anxiety/depression and overall a sense of insecurity. Sounds extreme but it is true. Why not tackle the cause (DHT) and stop the process? If you do go on Finasteride and sides do start to appear then you can just stop and your body will stabilise again. Thats exactly what happened with Setraline for me. Stopped taking it and a few days later i was back to 100%.
 
I see people in this thread taking either pro finasteride or anti finasteride. There are three sides to a coin, heads, tails and the edge. Im looking at this of the perspective of the edge

does finasteride have sides?

A. Yes, it lowers dht which is involved in sex drive, blocking dht from cutting the hair roots, some may even say their voice isn't as deep and goes a pitch or so lower and I can empathize lol

Is Finasteride beneficial for those who want to hold onto their hair if they have androgenic alopecia?

A. Absolutely, while it wont grown hair back it can help you keep what you have by blocking the dht attacking and cutting off the hair roots. Theres been a study that showed finasteride and test was as good as testosterone alone in size and strength gains. Its good for prostate as many guys take it for enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH)
 
bell1986 said:
Any medications/pills can have side effects. Even OTC painkillers can have serious sides. Just depends how our body's respond.

Finasteride seems to have some horror stories behind it. I did have that in mind as like yourself i had read them all. Heading for 2 weeks on them and nothing to note. Not to say im not gonna get any but so far no worries at all. I recently took Setraline which is for anxiety. I was so immobile on it. Barely get up out my bed. Couldn't train for any length of time. Felt terrible tbh and this was within the first few days so Finasteride has had zero side effects at all on me. I know what sides effects can do and how bad they can be.

I think the mindset of hairloss and lets be fair it is very noticeable if your hair is short. That can cause anxiety/depression and overall a sense of insecurity. Sounds extreme but it is true. Why not tackle the cause (DHT) and stop the process? If you do go on Finasteride and sides do start to appear then you can just stop and your body will stabilise again. Thats exactly what happened with Setraline for me. Stopped taking it and a few days later i was back to 100%.
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Correct but the major concern here is that many of the people are getting the side effects for years after stopping if not for life. That’s the part that freaks people out
 
TrenSandwich said:
Do you not think that these people are the exception or may have abused dosages?
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Everyone in my area that dies from fentanyl laced Heroin must be the acception. Not every heroin addict overdoses, so might as well take the chance.
 
TrenSandwich said:
This was a very interesting read thank you. I was wondering, if you say the libido issues arise form increased estrogen, would it make sense to use an estrogen blocker at a relatively low dose? Say clomjd at around 10-20mg to keep that in check?
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An AI yes. Definitely not a SERM. SERM does not lower estrogen but just blocks it from certain tissue
 
TrenSandwich said:
This was a very interesting read thank you. I was wondering, if you say the libido issues arise form increased estrogen, would it make sense to use an estrogen blocker at a relatively low dose? Say clomjd at around 10-20mg to keep that in check?
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Yes if you do have libido issues or a large spike in estrogen due to taking Finasteride you can take an estrogen blocker like arimidex if it's an issue. As I said in a previous post before you start loading up on meds, I'd do a full panel before and after a month or so of taking Finasteride. Then you can fully examine the ramifications of taking finasteride on your hormone balance and troubleshoot from that point if there is side effects.

I wouldn't just start taking arimidex along with Finasteride unless you know for certain that your estrogen has spiked.
 
TrenSandwich said:
Do you not think that these people are the exception or may have abused dosages?
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I think the exception I doubt people went out of the way to abuse dosages. Obviously if it happened to everyone there would be massive outcry. But I know there have been several class action lawsuits. There was enough outcry and investigations by other countries such as Sweden showing the prevalence of such side effects that the FDA had to order Merck to start labeling the long teen sexual side effects persisting even after cessation of the drug. Also, they are under investigation for the percentage of the side effects being greater than originally believed.

I’m sure most people who take it are completely fine. But I know of one person personally it screwed up for several years. They eventually got mostly back to normal but it was ugly for a good 4-5 years. Not to mention, any hair he had kept was quickly lost upon cessation. I also know several other friends who take it and are fine unless they have issues they don’t discuss openly.

Bottom line is there is a much higher chance that you will be perfectly fine. But there is also a chance you could be effected by those sides. Risk reward is up to you. Not to mention, there are new studies all the time showing DHT is not the monster it was originally labeled to be. I remember PA talking about how a lot of research showing the ratio of estrogen to Dht was actually a more important indicator of prostate health
 
kelvarnsen said:
Yes if you do have libido issues or a large spike in estrogen due to taking Finasteride you can take an estrogen blocker like arimidex if it's an issue. As I said in a previous post before you start loading up on meds, I'd do a full panel before and after a month or so of taking Finasteride. Then you can fully examine the ramifications of taking finasteride on your hormone balance and troubleshoot from that point if there is side effects.

I wouldn't just start taking arimidex along with Finasteride unless you know for certain that your estrogen has spiked.
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I would caution folks that if estrogen gets too low then that can actually reduce libido and trigger hair loss. I speak from experience.
 
TrenSandwich said:
Do you not think that these people are the exception or may have abused dosages?
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There are a small subsection of men that are genetically predisposed to devastating side effects from inhibiting the 5ar enzyme. I was one of them. There is a whole group of men that were destroyed by this drug and there are several forums out there dedicated to recovering from these effects. It's no joke.

The thing is, you don't know if you're predisposed to PFS (post-finasteride syndrome) until you take the drug. IMO, it's not worth rolling those dice.
 
I’m shocked that all of you would risk your health for a full head of hair! Really!
 
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