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My experience with Finasteride after one month...

Bongo

Bongo

Member
Hi all
I had 1,100 FUE HT nearly 8 weeks ago now and just wanted to share my experience so far with Finasteride. I have posted on the HT forum of this site about my experience so please feel free to see that.
I had minor recession around the temples and wanted to fill them in so only looking for a subtle change. I'm 38yoa.
As stupid as this sounds, I hadn't really given much thought about future proofing for the HT work but after having it done I'm now desperate, and I mean desperate to retain what I can, and I guess, protect my investment.
So about 4 weeks ago I began 1mg of Fin per day (I've tried Minox foam but really don't get on with it, messy stuff and makes my hair look awful).
I began taking Fin having done very little research, so like to think I have gone in with an open mind and not been brainwashed before ive even had my first tablet. My thoughts/diary;
First day. Noticed nothing.
Day 2. Fuzzy head in the morning (almost feeling slightly hungover). Not quite with it but nothing too bad. Had I not known I was taking it, I would have just thought I was really stressed/tired and put it down to that.
Day 3. Finding it hard. Not that though, as my penis feels like a bit of rubber hanging from me. No feeling down there at all. Not enjoyable.
Day 4. Soldier on. Determined to keep my hair and that's the only thing keeping me going. Did a course at work that felt like an out of body experience. Contributed nothing and found it a tough day. Went to the pub with friends and literally was not with it at all. It was a very, very bad day!
Day 5-8. I had to take a break. I'm an exercise freak and was feeling like I had no energy and I hate anything getting in the way of that. Did a couple of days with exercise and felt better for it.
By around day 9-10 I was back on it, 1mg per day, every day and have been until today (approx. 2 weeks later). Started exercising every day again, eating well, and that's really helped my alertness and general well being.
I am however suffering huge sexual side affects. My penis barely works some days but just about rises others. It also aches quite a bit some days. I always, and I mean always, used to get morning glory but haven't had that once since starting Fin. I am however ploughing on through. I'm aware side affects can persist for the first few weeks as the body adjusts so I am now committed to seeing this through for at least 6 months and take it from there.
The positive of taking Fin- my Shedding has definitely slowed down since taking it. This keeps me going with it.
I do wonder if some is the placebo affect with this drug. The loss of sexual drive is definitely not a placebo affect though. Had I not known I was taking this drug and had the same sides I would have probably consulted my Dr to say I'm not right. The brain fog is subsiding, so that's something. I just hope the libido side does also.
Although having said that, if there are no sides whatsoever then IMHO the drug is not working. There simply must be sides for it to work and all this "only 2% suffer sides" is such a load of rubbish concocted by drug company big wigs. Its totally and utterly messing with hormones after all. I would imagine that 98% of people suffer sides with Fin, but all to a varying degree and therefore some barely notice, others have their lives ruined. Mine so far has pretty much continued as normal, morning glory and a little brain fog aside. Some mates I drink with are drunk on 2 pints, some are still fine on 10 pints. Its just a fact everyone's body reacts to drugs and chemicals differently.
Thanks for reading. Finally I just wondered if others had managed to use any vitamins or other supplements that help with the loss of libido (but without increasing DHT), or with alertness, concentration to ease the brain fog etc???


 
L

lappylad

member
Bongo, these are my thoughts too, it's as though you read my mind.
I experienced tiredness, lack of concentration, anxiety and my desire for affection. No problems getting an erection but the desire for sex diminished. This occurred approximately 3 weeks after I popped the first pill. At first, I attributed the problems to working long hours on numerous contracts. After these contracts were complete my work load was easy, but the aforementioned symptoms still persisted.

My wife eventually persuaded a visit to the doctor. His advice was to stop using it for at least 4 weeks to see if my symptoms persisted. Well, after 2 weeks of Finasteride free I was beginning to feel like my old self again, come 6 weeks everything was hunky dory. Finasteride definitely created these symptoms, thankfully I made a full recovery.
This was 3 years ago. I still had the problem of hair loss hanging over me, so 6 months ago I decided to try a smaller dose. I purchased 1mg pills, cut them into quarters and took one every 2nd day, gradually increasing to a quarter every day. I've not experienced any noticeable sides from this dosage, not sure if it's working yet. Time will tell.

My advice is see your doctor if you notice any changes, mental or physical. After all, your well being is more important than hair.
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Good post Bongo. I'm not sure on the percentages, it is always quoted on the low side but as you point out, lots of people will possibly suffer mild sides they aren't aware of.
The only side I have experienced is slight Gynecomastia (man boobs) no matter how much I exercise the fatty tissue won't budge or turn to muscle. It's not that bad but I notice it.
 
M

migel

member
Try Ginseng, it increases energy levels and boosts brain activity... One very common side effect is tiredness, most people don't realise it's caused by Finasteride.

 
Bongo

Bongo

Member
Thanks for the replies/comments everyone, much appreciated. This forum has been so helpful to me in the last few months. Since I began taking Fin it I've felt like I've been on a roller coaster. One month on though its definitely getting easier and sides are no where near as bad as during that first week. I even got morning wood today for the first time in a month, huurrraaahhhhhhhh!

I think I'm going to power through with 1mg per day for at least another 2 months or so and then look at taking 1mg every other day whilst using saw palmetto on the odd days, as that definitely doesn't give me sides.
I will also give Ginseng a go to try and combat tiredness - thanks for the tip Miguel.

The sh*t we do for our hair hey...
 
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L

lappylad

member
It sounds as though your body is adjusting to the inbalance. Morning wood is good, let us know how if the tiredness tiredness subsides with the Ginseng.
 
S

Save my Hair

valued member
Hello Bongo. Any updates on your progress with Finasteride? I'm about to begin a trial session with it.... A little concerned about the sides but thinking I've got to give it a go.
 
Bongo

Bongo

Member
Hi, your message is timed well as was thinking of posting an update.

So, after I got on Fin last year I did about 6 months straight on 1mg a day. I missed the odd day (particularly if I was hungover or not feeling great), but generally did about 95% of the days over that period. I also had great results from it in terms of my hair loss stabilizing.

Got to about month 7 and the sides were taking their toll, mainly tiredness and lack of morning wood and it all got a bit too much. Stepped it back to around 1mg every 3 days for a few weeks but it wasn't really making much difference as the sides persisted.

In Feb this year I came off it completely for about 2.5-3 weeks. It took about 2 weeks to start feeling 'normal' again but within that time my hair shed at a frightening pace. Fin has worked really well for me and seeing the shed scared the life out of me as my 1,100 FUE is now 10 months on and grown in really nicely. Would all be in vein if the native hair around it fell out!

As of early March 17 i've been back on Fin and now take 1mg around every 2-3 days again and also compliment this with zinc and biotin daily (standard dose of each). Within the last couple of weeks the shedding has stopped. Fin really does work well for me in terms of keeping my hair, just wish the sides were less.

In summary, the sides are there for me but the thought of losing my hair and undoing all the good the HT has done with my appearance keeps me going with it. Can I take Fin for the rest of my life? I really don't know is the honest answer. I'm however coping and holding down a good job so I guess it cant be that bad.

Hair loss really does bother me, far more than most on here. I think I will probably continue my strange relationship with Fin until or unless I really cant cope with it. The anxiety more hair loss brings is far worse than the sides that comes with Fin for me. For now at least anyway...

Good luck in your journey.




 
S

Save my Hair

valued member
Thanks Bongo, that's really useful information to take on board.... Do you take anything to counter the fatigue feeling? Do you feel fatigued the whole day or just at certain times?
 
Bongo

Bongo

Member
No probs SMH. Happy to help as always.

The only things I currently take are peppermint oil (but that's for an IBS problem), although its also a great all-round supplement for other things. I also take Zinc and biotin daily.

I've heard Ginseng is really good for fatigue and alertness etc and I will be trying some next week as ive just ordered some on Amazon. Some other Fin users at it has helped. I will let you know how its going in a couple of weeks.

All the best. Bongo.


 
Bongo

Bongo

Member
Sorry, I only answered half the question! The fatigue is pretty steady throughout the whole day to be honest, just a slight fuzzy feeling, but manageable.

The upside of Fin for me is it helps me sleep like a baby! I've suffered with mild insomnia over the years but Fin has genuinely helped with that because 30 mins after my head hits the pillow I'm out like a light. I would regularly go days where I would be operating on 1-2 hours sleep. Fin seems to have regulated my sleep at least..
 
S

Save my Hair

valued member
Thanks for answering regarding the soreness.... Apart from the positive side effect of new growth and prohibiting DHT, we never hear of other positives from taking this drug.Helping you with sleep insomnia outweighs the grogginess during the day, well, in your circumstances it does.... Does it matter if you take the pill in the morning or a few hours before bedtime? Possibly taking it around 8 pm would provide the help with sleeping and reduce the tiredness during the day because the body will be absorbing most of the drug while you're sleeping.

______
 
M

Matt88

member
Sorry, I only answered half the question! The fatigue is pretty steady throughout the whole day to be honest, just a slight fuzzy feeling, but manageable.

The upside of Fin for me is it helps me sleep like a baby! I've suffered with mild insomnia over the years but Fin has genuinely helped with that because 30 mins after my head hits the pillow I'm out like a light. I would regularly go days where I would be operating on 1-2 hours sleep. Fin seems to have regulated my sleep at least..

Hi Bongo, I'm quite late to this thread but I'm wondering how you're getting on with Fin these days.

Thanks and best wishes,
Matt
 
Bongo

Bongo

Member
Hi Bongo, I'm quite late to this thread but I'm wondering how you're getting on with Fin these days.

Thanks and best wishes,
Matt
Could be better / could be worse Matt. It defiantly makes me a little lethargic and I believe the brain fog/lack of focus people speak of is real, but when I wasn’t on it I was constantly worried about my hair and that was an even bigger distraction/brain fog for me.

It does help me sleep well though and I hold down a middle management job at a large corporate firm so it’s not all negative. I landed that job after I’d been on Fin and the confidence my HT gave me defiantly helped, I was a shadow of myself when I was losing my hair and never would have even applied for the job. So it’s certainly helped more than hindered my life.

Since my first HT I’ve really focused on exercise and even when I’m totally exhausted after work I’ll drag myself through a work out and that massively helps my state of mind. I like to think that also combats, or certainly minimises any sides from Fin also. And I do eat a good balanced diet, all key to reducing sides in my view and maintain a healthy outlook.

In summary, I’ve weighed the various pros and cons of Fin and would rather have a few sides and keep my hair, than no sides and lose hair. If you’re having or have had a HT I think you’d be mad not to be prepared to be on Fin for most of the rest of your life. Ultimately that has to be your choice, just make sure it’s the right one for you. Hope this helps.
 
M

Matt88

member
Could be better / could be worse Matt. It defiantly makes me a little lethargic and I believe the brain fog/lack of focus people speak of is real, but when I wasn’t on it I was constantly worried about my hair and that was an even bigger distraction/brain fog for me.

It does help me sleep well though and I hold down a middle management job at a large corporate firm so it’s not all negative. I landed that job after I’d been on Fin and the confidence my HT gave me defiantly helped, I was a shadow of myself when I was losing my hair and never would have even applied for the job. So it’s certainly helped more than hindered my life.

Since my first HT I’ve really focused on exercise and even when I’m totally exhausted after work I’ll drag myself through a work out and that massively helps my state of mind. I like to think that also combats, or certainly minimises any sides from Fin also. And I do eat a good balanced diet, all key to reducing sides in my view and maintain a healthy outlook.

In summary, I’ve weighed the various pros and cons of Fin and would rather have a few sides and keep my hair, than no sides and lose hair. If you’re having or have had a HT I think you’d be mad not to be prepared to be on Fin for most of the rest of your life. Ultimately that has to be your choice, just make sure it’s the right one for you. Hope this helps.
Thanks for taking the time to explain this, Bongo. From what I've read with other people's experiences, you seem to have taken a logical perspective on it and seen where it can be of benefit. That's kind of where I'm hoping to get to.

I really do see what you mean about weighing up the pros and cons. I've been really a shell of former self because of the way I saw my hairloss. Reading that it gave you the confidence to apply for a job and you were successful is testament to how HT with proper follow-up can transform a person. Amazing. Whatever the sides from Fin, if your mind is better on balance, then it's worth taking it, I suppose.

I only took my seventh pill today, so I was particularly interested to see how you've made your choices long-term with it.

Thanks again for the insight - really helps.
Matt
 
Bongo

Bongo

Member
No problems Matt and good luck on your journey. There’s lots of negative stuff about Fin but the angriest people always shout the loudest don’t they. We all agree fruit is generally good for us but if you Google “fruit is bad for you”, there’ll be tons of negative stories about fruit. When people research Fin they seek out of negative stuff first and that makes many suspicious of ever taking it.

I suspect Fin has saved lots of people’s lives/mental health, more than we’ll ever know about. But most consumers only post on the net when they’re unhappy. That mindset has helped me over the last 4.5 years and for me it’s defiantly been far more positive than negative.

See how you go with it, change the dosage if needed whilst your body adjusts and don’t panic if you see an early shed, it usually means your body will have a longer term positive reaction as the growth cycle adjusts. I’d also suggest taking a multivitamin, biotin and Vitamin D everyday alongside it, I’ve added that to my routine recently and having excellent results, no shed at all and slightly less brain fog.

Good luck and keep in touch with your progress. Bongo.
 
M

Matt88

member
No problems Matt and good luck on your journey. There’s lots of negative stuff about Fin but the angriest people always shout the loudest don’t they. We all agree fruit is generally good for us but if you Google “fruit is bad for you”, there’ll be tons of negative stories about fruit. When people research Fin they seek out of negative stuff first and that makes many suspicious of ever taking it.

I suspect Fin has saved lots of people’s lives/mental health, more than we’ll ever know about. But most consumers only post on the net when they’re unhappy. That mindset has helped me over the last 4.5 years and for me it’s defiantly been far more positive than negative.

See how you go with it, change the dosage if needed whilst your body adjusts and don’t panic if you see an early shed, it usually means your body will have a longer term positive reaction as the growth cycle adjusts. I’d also suggest taking a multivitamin, biotin and Vitamin D everyday alongside it, I’ve added that to my routine recently and having excellent results, no shed at all and slightly less brain fog.

Good luck and keep in touch with your progress. Bongo.
Thank you, Bongo, and I think you make a really valid point there: the angriest ones shout the loudest, indeed.

With that in mind, yes, I reckon it figures that there are a lot of people just quietly content that they've been taking it for years and have preserved their mental health and a great head of hair without anyone else needing to know.

These tips all sound great, thanks for that. I already take a multivitamin daily and have just ordered my Biotin. I'm wondering about Vitamin D. What brand and dose are you on? My multivitamin already contains 5ug but it's probably not enough. I'm glad to hear it's working for you and I'll hopefully find benefit in it, too.

Certainly, I'll keep you updated with my Fin journey. I'll just see what happens.
 
Bongo

Bongo

Member
You’re doing the right things Matt. I just use off the shelf generic Vitamin D from Boots, nothing you can’t get elsewhere or in supermarkets.

Something else I should have mentioned that’s worked for me, I use Nizoral shampoo once a week and Tony Maleedy shampoo daily, both are really good. The Tony Maleedy shampoo is expensive and smells a little odd (£18 on Amazon),but it has changed the texture and quality of my hair for the better, worth adding to your regeime IMHO. Anyone who’s had a HT with the Maitland clinic will probably have tried it as they recommend it strongly. KR, Bongo
 
M

Matt88

member
You’re doing the right things Matt. I just use off the shelf generic Vitamin D from Boots, nothing you can’t get elsewhere or in supermarkets.

Something else I should have mentioned that’s worked for me, I use Nizoral shampoo once a week and Tony Maleedy shampoo daily, both are really good. The Tony Maleedy shampoo is expensive and smells a little odd (£18 on Amazon),but it has changed the texture and quality of my hair for the better, worth adding to your regeime IMHO. Anyone who’s had a HT with the Maitland clinic will probably have tried it as they recommend it strongly. KR, Bongo
Thanks for this, Bongo! It feels like there's a lot to consider post-HT, so I appreciate you giving me your insights. Thanks for the tip about Vitamin D - that'll be my next purchase.

I've never heard of Tony Maleedy before. I'll have to look that one up. I generally only shampoo twice a week with regular supermarket products, but I'm seeing now that there's all sorts of stuff out there. Appreciate you sharing that with me.

Cheers mate,
Matt
 
M

Matt88

member
Hi Bongo,

I was just wondering what dose of Finasteride you're on now. I've been doing some research and I'm reading in places that 1mg everyday may well be overkill. What dose have your found works for you?

Best wishes,
Matt
 
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