holy
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Reported in about 2-4% of men in clinical trials.
1. "Finasteride 5 mg and Sexual Side Effects: How Many Are Related to a Nocebo Phenomenon?"
[1]
Summary:
A randomized clinical trial of 120 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (all sexually active and on finasteride 5 mg for one year) compared two groups:
Group 1: Not informed of potential sexual side effects.
Group 2: EXPLICITLY INFORMED that:
Key Result:
Sexual side effects were reported by 43.6% in the informed group vs 15.3% in the uninformed group
This clearly illustrates what we call the nocebo effect. Simply put, knowing about possible sexual side effects significantly raises the likelihood of reporting them, even though both groups were taking the same medication.
2. "Incidence and severity of sexual adverse experiences in finasteride and placebo-treated men with benign prostatic hyperplasia"
[2]
Another landmark study (the PLESS trial involving finasteride 5 mg versus placebo over 4 years) showed that:
3. "Finasteride and sexual side effects"
[3]
A literature review noted sexual adverse effects in the range of 2.1% to 3.8%, with rates comparable to placebo and diminishing over time:
With that being said, I would like to state that the nocebo effect is real and powerful.
If you go into this expecting your dick to stop working, there's a decent chance you'll psychologically manifest some sexual issues.
This is not an established medical condition. It's not recognized by major medical organizations because the evidence for persistent side effects after discontinuation is mostly anecdotal and poorly documented. Am I claiming that people aren't experiencing real symptoms? No, not at all. But, as we all know (or so I hope we do), correlation =/= causation.
Again, reported rates are similar to placebo in most studies. If you're already prone to anxiety or depression, do you genuinely think that you won't obsess over the side effects and constantly monitor your mood, which will, in turn, probably make you feel worse regardless of the medication?
1. Stop reading finasteride forums.
Unsubscribe from r/tressless if it genuinely makes you paranoid. The entire reason for these shitty spaces to become echo chambers of anxiety and negative experiences is because people who ACTUALLY have normal, uneventful experiences don't feel compelled to post shit about it. Do yourself a favor and stay away from these spaces.
2. Track. Track. Track.
Specifically objective metrics. Do NOT track based on how you feel. Take standardized photos of your hair monthly. Keep a simple log of any side effects with dates and severity. Do NOT analyze every random mood change or morning wood situation.
3. Do regular monitoring
This is quite different to what people on this forum tell you, but this getting baseline bloodwork before starting is REALLY helpful, specifically:
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- DHT (if possible)
Check again after 6 months, then annually. This gives you objective data instead of relying on how you feel.
Unsubscribe from r/tressless if it genuinely makes you paranoid. The entire reason for these shitty spaces to become echo chambers of anxiety and negative experiences is because people who ACTUALLY have normal, uneventful experiences don't feel compelled to post shit about it. Do yourself a favor and stay away from these spaces.
2. Track. Track. Track.
Specifically objective metrics. Do NOT track based on how you feel. Take standardized photos of your hair monthly. Keep a simple log of any side effects with dates and severity. Do NOT analyze every random mood change or morning wood situation.
3. Do regular monitoring
This is quite different to what people on this forum tell you, but this getting baseline bloodwork before starting is REALLY helpful, specifically:
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- DHT (if possible)
Check again after 6 months, then annually. This gives you objective data instead of relying on how you feel.
