After Taking Propecia for 4 Days, I Can’t Sleep and Break Out in Sweats
I am a 46 year-old male and a loyal reader of your blog. Based upon the positive results you have seen with Propecia, I decided to try it, after consulting with a hair-loss surgeon. I have taken 4 pills thus far. I was more than willing to tolerate the side effects reported by Merck if it meant stopping my hair loss. However, I have began to experience possible side effects not reported by Merck, including difficulty sleeping, mental fogginess, breaking out in sweats, along with the more common side effects of decreased energy and drive.
After experiencing these, I began doing some research and ran across sites you may be familiar with, such as Propeciahelp, on which users complain of side effects such as these along with others (e.g., hypogonadism) even after stopping the drug. There are various reports that the drug alters the brain (e.g., mood and thinking) by affecting neurosteroids and can permanently alter the neuroendocrine system.
Obviously, I am freaked out about this and will probably stop taking the drug. I would like to know your opinion on the reports of these side effects, the possibility of permanent alterations of various bodily systems with use of this drug, and your opinion on websites such as these (Propeciahelp) in general. Thank you for your trusted advice.
Suggestions can produce side effects (see “placebo effect” and “power of suggestion”). Your gonads will not shrink in a few days. It is possible (albeit very remote) that there are brain effects, but you should discuss this with your physician and that is why a doctor’s prescription is required for this drug in the United States and many countries. Have an open line of communication with your doctor. If you’re unable to sleep and you think it is related to the drug, talk to your doctor about stopping it.
While forums can be helpful, one must remember that many times they are full of unverified claims and feed into irrational fears. I’ve written about this before here.
Wow, that is a whole lot of side effects ! It sounds like you really drew the short straw. As you are a loyal reader of the blog, you’ve probably read a lot of reports of side effects. I wonder if anxiety about side effects hasn’t had a compounding effect. For example, I haven’t normally heard complaints about insomnia.
I know this sounds condescending, and I’m struggling with this myself, but the easiest solution is to just accept that hair loss is for many men a natural part of getting older. Once you have accepted that, no need to worry about surgery, or the side effects of finasteride.
The other thing is to talk to your doctor about trying a lower dose. Say 0.5mg / day. I read on this blog that is 75% as effective, and may decrease the side effects.
Whatever the side effects, making a decision to take a drug for the rest of your life should not be taken lightly.
Look carefully at successfull multiple transplants like jotronic. To me he looks like a regular middle aged man and his transplants havent made him look one day younger.
Cut it short and save the big dollars for the cell therapies in my opinion.