Seriously, how bad and how likely are the side effects of finasteride?

[john2]

My doctor is pretty much on the verge of refusing to prescribe me finasteride cause he said I'll have serious health problems from using finasteride, including ED.

I don't want to lose my hair. I went to my doctor to get finasteride as a preventative measure to combat hair-fall.

But my doctor is already telling me how I should instead save nearly 7 grand and fly to Turkey for a hair transplant. I don't want to get hair transplant.

This time I only got a minoxidil prescription from my doctor.

So how likely is stuff like cancer or ED as a result of using finasteride?

 

[Bryce]

@imontheloose @chadbeingmade

 

[SoNotFunny]

Minoxidil has way more sides than finasteride. JFL at your doctor telling you to save for a hair transplant. He does realize that in order to keep the hair transplant gains, you will still need finasteride

 

[averagenormie]

My doctor is pretty much on the verge of refusing to prescribe me finasteride cause he said I'll have serious health problems from using finasteride, including ED.

I don't want to lose my hair. I went to my doctor to get finasteride as a preventative measure to combat hair-fall.

But my doctor is already telling me how I should instead save nearly 7 grand and fly to Turkey for a hair transplant. I don't want to get hair transplant.

This time I only got a minoxidil prescription from my doctor.

So how likely is stuff like cancer or ED as a result of using finasteride?

Send him this playlist:

 

[chadbeingmade]

My doctor is pretty much on the verge of refusing to prescribe me finasteride cause he said I'll have serious health problems from using finasteride, including ED.

He’s a fucking jester.

I pop 2.5mg Dut every day and have higher fucking libido and eq.

Even in long-term studies (10 yr +) in Asians, no evidence of PFS symptoms were ever discovered. Only 1-3% get sexual sides, which wasn't even significantly different from the placebo group in the original trials.

Only after social media started popping off side effect reports started skyrocketing, and no, it’s not because there were fewer users back in the 2000s, millions of men were already on it back then.


I also don’t even see the point of using Fin when Dut exists. Just use Dut and forget about hair loss instead of using Fin and taking half measures, then having to switch to Dut anyway down the line.

Also do yourself a favour and don’t touch the minox.

 

[TheoRaven]

I've been on Fin and Min for years atp, literally 0 sides, quite the opposite actually, I have increased libido, better erections, etc.

Honest opinion tho, if you can get it without jumping through 17 hoops, get on Dut instead of Fin.

 

[john2]

He’s a fucking jester.

I pop 2.5mg Dut every day and have higher fucking libido.

Even in long-term studies (10 yr +) in Asians, no evidence of PFS symptoms were ever discovered. Only 1-3% get sexual sides, which wasn't even significantly different from the placebo group in the original trials.

View attachment 3894313

Only after social media started popping off side effect reports started skyrocketing, and no, it’s not because there were fewer users back in the 2000s, millions of men were already on it back then.


I also don’t even see the point of using Fin when Dut exists. Just use Dut and forget about hair loss instead of using Fin and taking half measures, then having to switch to Dut anywhere down the line.

Also do yourself a favour and don’t touch the minox.

Thanks for the information.

So your libido is high. But do you ever have problems with getting hard and maintaining a proper erection with dutasteride?

How long have you been using dutasteride?

Also, why should I avoid minoxidil?

I'm a regular smoker, so I see minoxidil to be a drug I can use in my favour, as it will dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow. A long term use of nicotine thickens vessels and reduces blood flow.

 

[john2]

Minoxidil has way more sides than finasteride. JFL at your doctor telling you to save for a hair transplant. He does realize that in order to keep the hair transplant gains, you will still need finasteride

lol i asked the doctor if the hair gains from transplants stay without medications like finasteride or not... he said the hair transplants stay without medications haha

gosh i feel like a fool having to go to a doctor just for a finasteride prescription, wish i could buy it off the counter

i stopped taking finasteride twice before now simply because of my doctor trying to tell me how bad the side effects are and that he wouldn't recommend me finasteride

but i don't have more time to waste, i'm going to need to get a prescription for finasteride again because it takes up to half a year to see finasteride results

i tried to count how much hair i'm losing daily, and i've noticed i'm already shedding around 10-20 hair strands a day

 

[chadbeingmade]

But do you ever have problems with getting hard and maintaining a proper erection with dutasteride?

No no issue. It has improved most likely due to higher estrogen conversion after starting Dut.

How long have you been using dustasteride?

Over a year now. 2.5mg the while time.

Also, why should I avoid minoxidil?

Will make your skin look terribly aged in my experience and if it’s oral bloat you to a whole new level. Talking from personal experience that is. It all resolves after stopping but the sides, at least the bloat are inevitable. Diuretics that can be used safely long term like Eple or Amiloride don’t help what so ever. It’s a looksmin.

I am a steroid user which was the main reason for me starting Dut in the first place, to mitigate sides of aged skin (Fin doesn’t do anything for this) as well as stronger hair loss prevention. Use of roids eleviates and makes sides less worse if apparent. That being said I have used Dut on and off steroids and both I have maintained erection quality without issues. I started the Dut before using roids for a few months and didn’t run into issues.

I don’t think you will run into issues at all, but PDE5 inhibitors exist and can be used long term. I would much rather be using PDE5 inhibitors than losing my hair if I had side effects, which is a slim chance anyway.

I will not some studies it even shows finasteride had deleterious effects on erectile function, while dutasteride didn’t. Many anecdotes on this also with people having sides on Fin and not Dut.

https://dacemirror.sci-hub.se/journal-article/4d5eee736ad2b591281f4949849028a4/amory2008.pdf?download=true

If i was you id phone up the Doc, tell him to kill himself and then buy Dut yourself from an online pharmacy.

 

[chadbeingmade]

He does realize that in order to keep the hair transplant gains, you will still need finasteride

This isn’t right. Hairs moved from the doner area to the top of the scalp won’t fall out. Transplanted hair will not fall out.

he said the hair transplants stay without medications haha

No respectable doctor will perform a hair transplant without Fin or Dut btw.

He is right in saying the transplanted hair won’t fall out. Since the doner hair is resistant to androgens. (that’s why bald nigs have hair on the sides and back and not the top)

But the rest of the hair on the top that was not transplanted is still susceptible to being raped by androgens. You’ll end up looking like this if your hair loss progresses after a transplant:

(transplanted hair stayed, the rest raped)

 

[Elias144]

Just get dutasteride from indiamart or wherever the fuck or sign up for Hims. Don't waste time money and energy trying to convince some boomer doc to give you a drug. Side effects are always overblown for me. I've never really had any side effects from any drug. I'm on dut rn and nothing bad has happened.

 

[AryanSchizo]

this is a good question i’m wondering aswell , i’d take fin and dut but am worried about the sides

 

[imontheloose]

@chadbeingmade said it perfectly. All points I agree with. +1

 

[john2]

Over a year now. 2.5mg the while time.

Nice. That's much stronger than what I used to use. I used a 1mg finasteride tablet daily. The hair-fall reduced but, didn't reduce by a good margin.

How long did you use dutasteride till you saw results? Has your hair stopped shedding entirely?

This isn’t right. Hairs moved from the doner area to the top of the scalp won’t fall out. Transplanted hair will not fall out.


No respectable doctor will perform a hair transplant without Fin or Dut btw.

He is right in saying the transplanted hair won’t fall out. Since the doner hair is resistant to androgens. (that’s why bald nigs have hair on the sides and back and not the top)

But the rest of the hair on the top that was not transplanted is still susceptible to being raped by androgens. You’ll end up looking like this if your hair loss progresses:
View attachment 3894381

Brutal.

I will not some studies it even shows finasteride had deleterious effects on erectile function, while dutasteride didn’t. Many anecdotes on this also with people having sides on Fin and not Dut.

How though, isn't Dutasteride meant to block more DHT than Finasteride? Logically Dutasteride would cause more problems if Finasteride already causes problems.

Will make your skin look terribly aged in my experience and if it’s oral bloat you to a whole new level. Talking from personal experience that is. It all resolves after stopping but the sides, at least the bloat are inevitable. Diuretics that can be used safely long term like Eple or Amiloride don’t help what so ever. It’s a looksmin.

Damn this genuinely makes sense now. I never imagined my bloat was because of minoxidil. I haven't been eating a lot but my face has gotten puffier after using minoxidil for a year now. I drink plenty of water for water rentention too throughout the day, so I have been wondering why my face is still bloated.

 

[Lefty Rankin]

My doctor is pretty much on the verge of refusing to prescribe me finasteride cause he said I'll have serious health problems from using finasteride, including ED.

I don't want to lose my hair. I went to my doctor to get finasteride as a preventative measure to combat hair-fall.

But my doctor is already telling me how I should instead save nearly 7 grand and fly to Turkey for a hair transplant. I don't want to get hair transplant.

This time I only got a minoxidil prescription from my doctor.

So how likely is stuff like cancer or ED as a result of using finasteride?

Get a hair transplant.

 

[imontheloose]

using minoxidil for a year now

Bear in mind, for your scalp, the cycle is sometimes like 15 years long. More commonly a decade +-2. You would have to take minoxidil for that entire time at the bare minimum to keep anything; more likely than not, having to go through a couple cycles.

You should get off it after the amount of time you’ve been on it.

 

[john2]

Bear in mind, for your scalp, the cycle is sometimes like 15 years long. More commonly a decade +-2. You would have to take minoxidil for that entire time at the bare minimum to keep anything; more likely than not, having to go through a couple cycles.

You should get off it after that much time.

15 years? That's insane.

I'm gonna hop off minoxidil asap then and just keep using dutasteride.

Just get dutasteride from indiamart or wherever the fuck or sign up for Hims. Don't waste time money and energy trying to convince some boomer doc to give you a drug. Side effects are always overblown for me. I've never really had any side effects from any drug. I'm on dut rn and nothing bad has happened.

How long have you been on dutasteride?

 

[john2]

I've been on Fin and Min for years atp, literally 0 sides, quite the opposite actually, I have increased libido, better erections, etc.

Honest opinion tho, if you can get it without jumping through 17 hoops, get on Dut instead of Fin.

Has your hair fall stopped completely? Or has it just reduced? I want to know how long it takes for finasteride to work and how effective it is for hair loss ngl.

 

[imontheloose]

15 years? That's insane.

I'm gonna hop off minoxidil asap then and just keep using dutasteride.

Sounds good! And yes, 15 years isn’t uncommon. I didn’t even say that to scare you.

 

[chadbeingmade]

Nice. That's much stronger than what I used to use. I used a 1mg finasteride tablet daily. The hair-fall reduced but, didn't reduce by a good margin.

How long did you use dutasteride till you saw results? Has your hair stopped shedding entirely?

Started seeing results 3 months in from 2.5mg. I can imagine that people using 0.5mg would take a bit longer. 5x the dosage =/= 5x the “side effects”. Increasing from 0.5mg to 2.5mg a day barely effects serum DHT levels, it’s like a 4% change, but scalp DHT gets suppressed by like an extra 30% which is what we care about.

Yes no shedding at all at the moment. It’s not unlikely that upon starting Dut you will experience a shed due to the increased Test levels, and scalp Test.

How though, isn't Dutasteride meant to block more DHT than Finasteride? Logically Dutasteride would cause more problems if Finasteride already causes problems.

Yeah logically I suppose. No idea the reasoning. Anything I say would be entirely bro science. Maybe higher T increase compared to Fin, or estrogen (which is also very important for sexual health). Or maybe because Dut nukes both the type 1 and type 2 isoenzyme and Fin only nukes type 2 which could fuck something up, idk.

Damn this genuinely makes sense now. I never imagined my bloat was because of minoxidil. I haven't been eating a lot but my face has gotten puffier after using minoxidil for a year now. I drink plenty of water for water rentention too throughout the day, so I have been wondering why my face is still bloated.

Yeah fuck that shit. Are you using oral or topical atm? Drop the minox and see the water drop off. I noticed myself after leanmaxing that before a few months/a year ago my face was leaner despite higher bodyfat compared to my leaner self. Then I dropped the minox and fuck me. Fuck that dogshit. I would stop using it if I was you.

 

[Elias144]

15 years? That's insane.

I'm gonna hop off minoxidil asap then and just keep using dutasteride.


How long have you been on dutasteride?

About 8 months, granted, I only do 0.5mg TIW

 

[lazza]

My doctor is pretty much on the verge of refusing to prescribe me finasteride cause he said I'll have serious health problems from using finasteride, including ED.

I don't want to lose my hair. I went to my doctor to get finasteride as a preventative measure to combat hair-fall.

But my doctor is already telling me how I should instead save nearly 7 grand and fly to Turkey for a hair transplant. I don't want to get hair transplant.

This time I only got a minoxidil prescription from my doctor.

So how likely is stuff like cancer or ED as a result of using finasteride?

You should change doctor since he is a fucking dumbass, he is so tarded and doesn't even know that after a hair transplant you MUST take Finasteride for the hair to remain attached to you head.

Find a new doctor that doesn't decide wether or not to prescribe you something based on side effects he found while googling, we are clearly talking of a stupid ass doctor here.

Btw all the worst side effects that were found in Finasteride user only touched 1% of the user base, so it's very rare.

Also one thing that is worth mentioning is that people having ED, depression and such were already having them from before taking fin.

Hope you can dump the doctor FAST.

 

[chadbeingmade]

Actually crazy how many people are having any face definition being unknowingly raped by minox @imontheloose @Jonasㅤㅤ

I think it’s time to start spreading the “consume 20mg oral minox for lashes, brows and scalp” to blow up new greycels with bloat as well as probably blow up their heart in the process.

 

[imontheloose]

Actually crazy how many people are having any face definition being unknowingly raped by minox @imontheloose @Jonasㅤㅤ

I think it’s time to start spreading the “consume 20mg oral minox for lashes, brows and scalp” to blow up new greycels with bloat as well as probably blow up their heart in the process.

I only have some facial definition/shadowing in specific lighting and I’m a very lean person naturally. It really is insane. I am excited to get off minoxidil honestly.

 

[john2]

About 8 months, granted, I only do 0.5mg TIW

three time a week?

Yeah logically I suppose. No idea the reasoning. Anything I say would be entirely bro science. Maybe higher T increase compared to Fin, or estrogen (which is also very important for sexual health). Or maybe because Dut nukes both the type 1 and type 2 isoenzyme and Fin only nukes type 2 which could fuck something up, idk.

I guess I'll just trust you and take dutasteride cause you've been using it yourself, although it would make sense to only use finasteride just to be safe.

And if the worst scenario occurs, I'll just use sildenafil before seeing a woman.

Yeah fuck that shit. Are you using oral or topical atm? Drop the minox and see the water drop off. I noticed myself after leanmaxing that before a few months/a year ago my face was leaner despite higher bodyfat compared to my leaner self. Then I dropped the minox and fuck me. Fuck that dogshit. I would stop using it if I was you.

Oral minoxidil... and it's a 2.5 mg tablet that's meant be taken a day.

The chemist near my house sells a 10 mg tablet bottle, each 10 mg minoxidil tablet is the radius of a pea... and I'm expect to cut this tablet into 4 equal parts and take a quarter tablet (2.5 mg) daily jfl. I just took 1 minoxidil tablet every 4 days so far.

 

[imontheloose]

10 mg minoxidil

This is a terrifying thought.

@chadbeingmade @Jonasㅤㅤ

 

[chadbeingmade]

I will not some studies it even shows finasteride had deleterious effects on erectile function, while dutasteride didn’t. Many anecdotes on this also with people having sides on Fin and not Dut.

https://dacemirror.sci-hub.se/journ...1281f4949849028a4/amory2008.pdf?download=true

I guess I'll just trust you and take dutasteride cause you've been using it yourself, although it would make sense to only use finasteride just to be safe.

@imontheloose any idea why some experience sides on Fin and not Dut?

Oral minoxidil... and it's a 2.5 mg tablet that's meant be taken a day.

The chemist near my house sells a 10 mg tablet bottle, each 10 mg minoxidil tablet is the radius of a pea... and I'm expect to cut this tablet into 4 equal parts and take a quarter tablet (2.5 mg) daily jfl. I just took 1 minoxidil tablet every 4 days so far.

Stop taking that shit and shoot the chemist in the head for even giving it to you tbh.

 

[john2]

Btw all the worst side effects that were found in Finasteride user only touched 1% of the user base, so it's very rare.

1% means nothing.

Only the unluckiest of the lucky or the ones already suffering from problems would get more problems from finasteride according to my understanding.

But my doctor has been whining a lot to me about how bad finasteride is... so I decided I might take the doctor's advice. Still though, I just don't feel right after quitting finasteride... minoxidil alone won't do anything to stop the hair-loss. So I am genuinely gonna get finasteride or dutasteride again for the 3rd time now and use either finasteride or dutasteride forever.

 

[Yeagerist]

So how likely is stuff like cancer or ED as a result of using finasteride?

0%

 

[lazza]

1% means nothing.

Only the unluckiest of the lucky or the ones already suffering from problems would get more problems from finasteride according to my understanding.

But my doctor has been whining a lot to me about how bad finasteride is... so I decided I might take the doctor's advice. Still though, I just don't feel right after quitting finasteride... minoxidil alone won't do anything to stop the hair-loss. So I am genuinely gonna get finasteride or dutasteride again for the 3rd time now and use either finasteride or dutasteride forever.

At which Norwood stage are you right now

 

[imontheloose]

@

@imontheloose any idea why some experience sides on Fin and not Dut?

Yes. Generally it’s the finasteride spike, not the DHT suppression. It’s also like 65 times more selective for type 2 5AR. Can produce some sort of hormonal oscillation that can give you anxiety or mood swings I imagine.

It also can just work as nocebo/expectation. Fin has been demonised for what, 20 years now? Switching to the so called, stronger drug, probably paradoxically removes that worry. Think of a “well if it works better, maybe I’ll accept some risk” -> lower nocebo -> fewer sides reported.

There’s obviously some cases of specific people with a polymorphism which makes you rely heavily on type 2 conversion and blocking both isoenzymes evens out the playing field for them, but these people are far and short.

Aggregated data does still have dut with more reports than fin, however.

 

[Ogionth]

Actually crazy how many people are having any face definition being unknowingly raped by minox @imontheloose @Jonasㅤㅤ

I think it’s time to start spreading the “consume 20mg oral minox for lashes, brows and scalp” to blow up new greycels with bloat as well as probably blow up their heart in the process.

I have said this for months, yet there are oral minoxidil copers all around this forum and someone was even advising people to drink topical, over the oral.

When in fact, minoxidil used topically is the only way it should be used.

 

[powerliftercoco]

I pop 2.5mg Dut every day.

How though?

2 pills and a half? 5 softgels? Or powder?

 

[chadbeingmade]

I have said this for months, yet there are oral minoxidil copers all around this forum and someone was even advising people to drink topical, over the oral.

When in fact, minoxidil used topically is the only way it should be used.

Yeah, if they ever stop they’ll realise how shit it makes you look. I don’t like minoxidil in general tbh, I don’t use topical either. I don’t feel the need to use a growth stimulant. If you are able to just avoid androgenicity your scalp will be perfectly fine, unless you are using for brows, but gains won’t be permanent.

How though?

2 pills and a half? 5 softgels? Or powder?

I have powder and make my own using basically any triglyceride you want.

 

[john2]

At which Norwood stage are you right now

I'm not Norwooding. My hairline is fine. The crown and the hair on top of my head is thinning and falling.

@chadbeingmade, @imontheloose I got a Finasteride 1mg prescription yesterday (5 repeats). Got this prescription from a different doctor though. This doctor wasn't hesitant to give me finasteride like my previous general practitioner was. But this doctor did say that dutasteride is something I should avoid lol. He said Finasteride is way safer and that I should not take dutasteride cause it's not primarily meant for treating hair-loss if I remember correctly.

Also, does finasteride regrow lost hair? Or would I need something like minoxidil for regrowing lost hair?

 

[chadbeingmade]

These doctors are idiots jesus.

and that I should not take dutasteride cause it's not primarily meant for treating hair-loss if I remember correctly.

I’m not sure if he is allowed to or not since Dutasteride as a whole is off label for hair loss. It prescribed for enlarged prostate, just like Fin 5mg. I remember @Snicket went in and managed to get a Dut prescription for hair loss although he did go prepared and went in with studies JFL.

But this doctor did say that dutasteride is something I should avoid lol

No wonder everyone is bald with these doctors fearmongering the fuck out of everyone. The sides are the same as Fin.

Also, does finasteride regrow lost hair? Or would I need something like minoxidil for regrowing lost hair?

You are not going to regrow an area that is slick bald using anything really, even minox. However if you have vellus hairs, or small visible hairs in an area that have just become extremely thin, even almost transparent you can bring them back without a growth stimulant. It’s called Dutasteride and RU58841. RU is a topical anti androgen. Dut takes care of most of the scalp DHT, RU takes care of the scalp Test (which still rapes hair) and also “crowds out” the rest of the DHT that Dut didn’t take care of.

0.5mg Dut and then topically applying RU before bed will probably bring them back.

If you want to keep your hair you are doing to have to skip the doctors and just use an online pharmacy and get what you need without some clueless jester in your way.

 

[lazza]

I'm not Norwooding. My hairline is fine. The crown and the hair on top of my head is thinning and falling.

@chadbeingmade, @imontheloose I got a Finasteride 1mg prescription yesterday (5 repeats). Got this prescription from a different doctor though. This doctor wasn't hesitant to give me finasteride like my previous general practitioner was. But this doctor did say that dutasteride is something I should avoid lol. He said Finasteride is way safer and that I should not take dutasteride cause it's not primarily meant for treating hair-loss if I remember correctly.

Also, does finasteride regrow lost hair? Or would I need something like minoxidil for regrowing lost hair?

If it's a thinning related problem Finasteride really fucking helps

But if you were norwooding pretty badly not even standard 1mg dose will save you and you should go nuclear with cut

For this reason I recommend you to stick to Finasteride cause there is no way of stopping the Norwood reaper

What the hell is your plan anyways, you stopped taking Finasteride, now what do you think will happen?

Spoiler alert your hair will only get worse

Tell your doctor to stop coping

 

[imontheloose]

These doctors are idiots jesus.


I’m not sure if he is allowed to or not since Dutasteride as a whole is off label for hair loss. It prescribed for enlarged prostate, just like Fin 5mg. I remember @Snicket went in and managed to get a Dut prescription for hair loss although he did go prepared and went in with studies JFL.


No wonder everyone is bald with these doctors fearmongering the fuck out of everyone. The sides are the same as Fin.


You are not going to regrow an area that is slick bald using anything really, even minox. However if you have vellus hairs, or small visible hairs in an area that have just become extremely thin, even almost transparent you can bring them back without a growth stimulant. It’s called Dutasteride and RU58841. RU is a topical anti androgen. Dut takes care of most of the scalp DHT, RU takes care of the scalp Test (which still rapes hair) and also “crowds out” the rest of the DHT that Dut didn’t take care of.

0.5mg Dut and then topically applying RU before bed will probably bring them back.

If you want to keep your hair you are doing to have to skip the doctors and just use an online pharmacy and get what you need without some clueless jester in your way.

Last interaction me and Snicket had was me bullying him for the college he stays in at Oxford.

 

[imontheloose]

Also, does finasteride regrow lost hair? Or would I need something like minoxidil for regrowing lost hair?

Minoxidil is the strongest growth stimulant but unless you want to be on it, bloated, for about 30 years to force terminal scalp gains, then I wouldn’t bother.

Like @chadbeingmade said, 5ARis do not grow the hair back, they prevent it from getting worse. But many of times, if you catch it early enough, these hairs aren’t actually fully deceased and can effectively revive themselves. At least finasteride and RU58841 is ideal. And yes, doctors get very scared about dutasteride. It isn’t as heavily researched as finasteride (20+ years of research), so they panic.