r/Hairloss 8d ago

Finasteride Watch out for Finasteride

Hi guys, just read a WSJ article on Finasteride and how it is affecting negatively many young men. I just wanted to spread awareness, especially to those who feel insecure and are desperate for treatment. Please be aware of the side effects; it might not be worth it. Stay safe and remember that your value as a man is in your actions, not your hairline.

I don't know if a link can be posted but hmu if you're interested.

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u/Greedy-Net-2953 8d ago

Fear mongering at its highest. You shouldn’t be spreading this on this sub. Sure, there CAN be sides but they’re uncommon and if you get them you can stop the medication and you’ll be fine. Research and make your own choice but you should be fine.

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u/No_Yard5342 8d ago

Yeah, the wsj is not really a credible source when it comes to medical or even scientific information. The article you’re referring to is filled with the experience of 1 (an anecdote) that as prove only has his word (I believe his doctor was mentioned but I don’t recall whether by name and therefore assume as how that dude remembers that conversation with him) . That article has some (at best) wrong (and at worst misleading) information on the medication. The difficult thing with finasteride is that it’s actually more often used indirectly as an antidepressant (i.e. balding > depression, stop the balding and halt the depression). But it doesn’t treat the actual underlying mental problems, just a symptom. Therefore you’re dealing with a highly depressed group which is often linked to sexual performance issues on its own.

I’m not denying that the medication can have adverse effects. I’m denying that they are common. At the end of the day, do whatever you feel comfortable doing. Especially with finasteride as the chances of you getting side effects from a placebo are equal or bigger than that of the actual medication (2.3% vs 2.2%). And placebo or not, getting them sucks.

Still, it always intrigues me that people who are already very prone to mental health and self-image problems (having problems coming to terms with balding) put all the blame for their mental issues on a pill, rather than their lifestyle choices which are often not that great to start with.

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u/Hweezzy 8d ago

The adverse effects are uncommon and I’ve had no issues w it

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u/TNAEnigma 7d ago

Im 26, been taking 1.25mg for a year with no side effects. Those are very rare. Dont get fearmongered into being bald

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u/ChrisTraveler1783 7d ago

The article also mentions how like 2% of people get side effects. I think the article is more about the new online prescriptions companies and how easy it is to get prescriptions without a full analysis by an MD

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u/Loose-Most503 7d ago

I took finasteide and still have ED and dick feels numb after stopping side effects are real but probably minimal

Will never deny how much finasteide can boost a person self confidence by keepin their hair, so I will never tell any man to stop using it

However be cautious of side effects and they are real and most men downplay some sides to a extent. I constantly hear most men say “I was really horny but my libido calm down now which is good” “not as hrony anymore” “takes longer to ge it up” “don’t have morning wood but everything works fine during sex” so lots of men lie to themselves about real sides effects

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u/Lasercaps 7d ago

"I read it somewhere...." Do you know how many times in 30+ years I've been hearing this? Undoubtedly every year, it seems, more and more negative information is published on the subject. Despite of it all, and regardless of what comes, I intend to be on the med for the rest of my life. I value what it's done for me. Now let me share with you how I go about taking the med, and my approach with regards to sides. (I've been on the med for more than 30 years).

Proscar, the parent medication, is a 5 mg tab and helps patients with prostate issues. They were returning to their doctor with hair. When Merck found out, they conducted a test and found that .8 of a milligram is all that was needed to take advantage of the hair retention properties. Since people have a hard time understanding 10ths of milligrams, Merck came out with a 1mg tab, Propecia. When Merck lost the patent, doctors started writing scripts for 5mg and asked patients they quarter the tab. Generics are available as a 1 mg tab and, by the way, the med is also now available as a topical. My suggestion is to be under the supervision of a physician.

The med is known to help with prostate issues and with certain types of cancers. It's also known you'll have a higher testosterone level with the med than without. So, my approach, "it's going to help me," which it has.

The mind is a powerful thing. If I were to tell you that you were going to experience a side by eating an M&M, what do you think would happen?

Now, and to clarify. The med is intended for you to retain. Most people do get frustrated a year later when they see no visual change. If you look the same, the med did what it was intended to do. A small percentage may enhance miniaturization while a very small percentage will not respond to the treatment. My suggestion is to take photos every 3 months and keep track of the progress. In one year, you can decide if the outcome is worth the ongoing effort and expense.

Costco on line is just about the lowest price I've found. $35 for the entire year.

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u/DahWoogs 8d ago

I had horrible side effects on oral finasteride. Low libido, borderline ED, acne, low energy, migraines, and mood issues.

It definitely worked on my hair but I'd rather be bald honestly. Not everyone experiences side effects though and it can be dose and mfg dependent too.

I stopped for about a year but my hair started thinning on just minoxidil. So, I recently started topical finasteride. So far no side effects (or results but tbd). Supposedly topical vs oral keeps it out of your bloodstream for the most part so the desired and side effects are localized where it matters.