Some Stuff on the Web About Finasteride is Scary

Hello Doctor,
I have been prescribed Dr Reddys Finasteride. It is 5 mg but I have been asked to cut it so as to take only 1 mg. I read some reviews about finasteride on the internet and I am scared to try it out. I have read side effects like ED, impotency, low sperm count etc. In many people these effects have found to be irreversible. I dont know what to do. Could you please let me know whether I should take this pill? I have been also prescribed Elon’s Biotin tablet.

I really appreciate your contribution in this field. I look forward to your reply.

Finasteride is a prescription medication, so you should be talking to your prescribing physician about this. Not sure why you were prescribed biotin unless you were deficient. The Dr Reddy’s 5mg finasteride is a generic version of Proscar, and since there isn’t a generic version of Propecia available in US pharmacies, cutting the 5mg pill into 4 pieces is a good way to save money.

I’ve written extensively about finasteride’s side effects so I won’t rehash it all here, but basically there’s a less than 2% chance for sexual side effects and no evidence that shows the side effects permanent. In fact, should you have any side effects and decide to stop taking finasteride, those sides should be gone within days. Some people might argue that, but I prefer to get my information from actual peer-reviewed studies rather than guys posting anonymously on message boards.

I’ve written before about forum outrage here, here, and here. You can read more about Propecia’s effect on sperm here.