I Stopped Propecia Because of Side Effects, But I Want to Restart It Because of the Hair Loss
I used Propecia for years but developed serious and persistent sexual side effects. I have had to see various urologists. My testosterone and other medical work up was normal and I am fit and of ideal body weight. I do not have any health problems (no cardiovascular disease, no diabetes, and so on). I also developed brain fog and a sort of amotivational syndrome on Propecia which I had misattributed to other things.
It wasn’t until I stopped the drug that my motivation, aggression, and cognitive performance returned to normal. After four months, my ejaculate volume remains miniscule. The problem I having now is that my hair loss is alarming rapid and I am distressed by it. I have just experienced a serious shedding. Feels as if I lost 50% density and the hairline has shot up seemingly a half inch in the temporal areas.
Despite the side effects, I am considering going back on to slow the loss hoping something else will come out. I am scared that I will be impotent and infertile back on. I feel I am between a rock and hard place. What do you recommend patients do? Would a low dose be wise? 0.25 mg? 0.5 mg?
I generally suggest that my patients reduce the finasteride dose from 1mg to 0.5mg or 0.25mg and see if these lower doses work. Some earlier estimates I have reviewed suggest that the 0.25mg dose still works at about 50% efficiency on stopping hair loss.
Now that I told you this, you need a good doctor to manage your problems. This is a prescription medication, so all I can provide is general advice. You need to talk with your own doctor about what is the right step for you. Lower dosage has shown some effectiveness in my patients that were worried about side effects, but it isn’t a guarantee to work the same for you. Get a bulk measurement of your hair so that you will know if the dose adjustment still works.
very very unwise to stop it unless you are very tall and can compensate for the damage hair loss does to your self esteem with a taller than average stature or shaved head. if you need the “boyish” look BIG BIG mistake to stop propecia. I have had success on 0.5 or 0.25 daily. Now I am on 1mg per day due to severe emotional distress in my life. If under stress, it seems AR’s can become more androgen sensitive. Consider experimental topical (not oral) AR blocking treatments in addition to finasteride, but do not stop taking the finasteride or massive (AND IRREVERSIBLE) hairloss will likely ensue.
Hi Alex,
Can I possibly ask what the recent rash of comments to do with being short are about? Do you feel that there’s some connection between being short and hairloss? Or just that there’s some specific psychological condition to being short and balding that doesn’t affect taller men?
I’m 6’2″ so not unusually tall but above average height and I’m unsure I’ve heard of this sort of psychological link before. Just curious.
Thanks.
All Alex is saying – which is sort of ridiculous but par for the course for comments on this blog – is that being tall and having a shaved head somehow looks better (if you have to shave your head). There is obviously no link between stature and hair loss.
……and I don’t agree with the assumption that being tall makes a shaved head more attractive……