Finasteride and Neurological Damage

996vtwin · May 25, 2018, 8:16am

I used PROPECIA for over 10 years consistently and I cannot begin to tell you how many problems i have had after stopping in 2012. `Around beginning 2015 i started having speech issues and to date i am having serious issues communicating. I am the managing director of a retail pharmacy chain and let me tell you. RX companies care nothing about you if they did they would not sell you this drug.

Andrew35 · May 25, 2018, 8:16am

Hi sorry to hear your news I had hoped that you where getting better from your previous posts. Do you still get those ‘neurological twitches’ you posted about? Are there any other changes since 2014. Thanks

Mcbbould · May 25, 2018, 8:28am

FindingACure:

Thought you guys might find this interesting, from hairlosshelp.com/forums/mess … adid=85335

"Hi,

My name is Alex Miller and I am studying biology -> specialization track: neurology and neurological sciences. I have been referred to this website by a good friend of mine who was using Propecia (Finasteride 1 mg) for 9 years. He never had any sexual side effects or other problems during this time. But about two month ago, he started having problems with cognitive function, forgetfulness, slurring of speech and depression. He went to several doctors and in the end a neurologist told him, that these effects come from the propecia. He then stopped using it and told me that if I have some time left, I should look into the matter. He started researching too and found this forum, where he said people named this side effect “brain fog”. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the time to read through this forum.

Before starting the research, I already knew that 5-alpha-reductase (5AR) has important functions in the central nervous system (CNS). So inhibiting it (by finasteride) might induce some side effects there. I will not address the possible sexual side effects but only the neurological ones. I will explain to you all what I have come up with so far. And guys: this is not looking good at all.

First of all, 5AR exists in two different isozymes: 5AR type 1 (5AR1) and 5AR type 2 (5AR2). 5AR1 is present mainly in the brain, muscle, liver and in sebaceous glands. 5AR2 is referred to as the “peripheral 5AR” since it is present mainly in the prostate, seminal vesicles, liver and hair follicles. Finasteride is a specific type 2 inhibitor and doesn’t inhibit 5AR1 in significant amounts. But here comes something that not many people know: 5AR type 2 is also expressed in very significant amounts in spinal chord motor neurons, actually in similar amounts found in the prostate (Poletti et al. 2003) and could have (damn it!: WILL have) an effect there. What kind of effect this is, will be explained soon.

Something else, that many people don’t know: Both isozymes of 5AR have more functions than just Testosterone (T) -> Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) conversion. They do the following conversions:

Testosterone -> Dihydrotestosterone

Progesterone -> Dihydroprogesterone

Deoxycorticosterone -> Dihydrodeoxycorticosterone

The latter two conversions are also inhibited by finasteride and so the production of neuroactive steroids is inhibited, since their metabolic pathway continues like this:

Dihydroprogesterone -> Tetrahydroprogesterone or also called Allopregnanolone.
Dihydrodeoxycorticosterone -> tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone

These converions are catalyzed by an enzyme called 3-alpha hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3-alpha HSD). You can read about these neuroactive steroids on wikipedia in order to get a rough idea about them:

Tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydro … icosterone
Allopregnanolone – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allopregnanolone

Altough it states there, that Tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone is synthesized by 5AR1 in the brain, this is only partially true since, as explained above 5AR2 is also present in the CNS namely in the motor neurons of the spinal chord.

Now we come to the REAL concern: The inhibition of Allpregnanolone production. Altough Allopregnanolone can be produced in the brain by 5AR1, the CNS is also dependent on peripheral 5AR2. I quote from “Implications of neuroimaging for the treatment of epilepsy”:

“Allopregnanolone formed in peripheral tissues readily enters the brain where it acts to enhance activation of GABA. A receptors” (William H. Theodore, MD; Clinical Epilepsy Section NIH Bethesda, MD).

Now to repeat again: Finasteride definitely inhibits allopregnanolone production in spinal chord motor neurons where mainly 5AR2 is present and also reduces allopregnanolone levels in the brain and other parts of the CNS since these parts are dependent on peripheral 5AR2 conversion of progesterone to dihydroprogesterone which is then converted to allopregnanolone by 3-alpha HSD.

The question is what the result of long-term allopregnanolone depletion is. Before you have to understand what the myelin-sheath of neurons is. The axon of neurones (both, peripheral neurons and neurons in the CNS) are surrounded by an electrically insulating layer: the myelin sheath. This is vital for fast and efficient impulse propagation on the neurons. I don’t want to go into details here. Fact is: Allopregnanolone has vital function in the myelination of neurons as seen in the following studies:

When you read these, you’ll see that the metabolic pathway of progesterone (inhibited by finasteride…) is vital for myelination and other functions in the CNS. In fact there are dozens of studies about the effects of progesterone metabolism and allopregnanolone on myelination.

Progestins and antiprogestins: mechanisms of action, neuroprotection and myelination (Link) – springerlink.com/content/k540755q22168672/

Progesterone: Therapeutic opportunities for neuroprotection and myelin repair (Link) – cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=19102356

Quote: "Progesterone and its metabolites promote the viability of neurons in the brain and spinal cord. "

Oh damn it! Didn’t we say just before, that the motor neurons of the spinal chord expresses mainly 5AR type 2 (inhibited by finasteride)? So there will be a negative effect of myelination there for sure!

[u]Allopregnanolone treatment, both as a single injection or repetitively, delays demyelination and enhances survival of niemann-pick C mice /u – cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17334014

There is also a study of Goumari et al. (didn’t find it on the net) that shows the function of allorpegnanolone in myelination. Quote: “… allopregnanolone accelerated myelination …” (Ghoumari et al. 2003b)

Alright. Let’s see what the effects of demyelination are: Read Myelin ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myelin ) . The most worrying effect is again demyelination of the motor neurons of the spinal chord which will be the effect of long term finasteride use:

“Sub-acute combined degeneration of the spinal cord secondary to pernicious anaemia can lead to anything from slight peripheral nerve damage to severe damage to the central nervous system affecting speech, balance and cognitive awareness. When myelin degrades, conduction of signals along the nerve can be impaired or lost and the nerve eventually withers.”

Do you see those symptoms? Speech is affected, balance and cognitive awareness. This is exactly what you call brain fog here. The question is wheter this effect is reversable if you take finasteride for years. I certainly hope so for my friend although, you know, neurodegeneration can really be irreversible.

It has to be said, that these effects are of LONG-TERM use but probably WILL eventually happen after years of finasteride use.

Now, I don’t want to scare any one of you. I just want to give my input as a student of neurological sciences. Is it worth for you hair? My friend definitely regrets taking it.

Please ask if you have any questions but I don’t know if I have the time to answer them.

Have a nice day."

Really appreciate this. I only took the pill for three days and stopped. I have been experiencing horrible brain fog since the day I stopped here is a log:
Day 1: took the drug
Day 2: skipped
Day 3: took the drug
Day 4: woke up feeling like I was in a bubble or under water. Stopped the drug.
Day 5: felt same as before
Day 6: felt the same
Day 7: still feel the same today.

I’m really hoping this goes away, but it feels to intense to just magically go away.

Mcbbould · May 25, 2018, 8:28am

How long did you take it for? Any relief? I feel the same way

kan · June 20, 2019, 6:43pm

Very interesting thread.

Mr.Children · October 18, 2019, 2:42am

we should read this correctly

AndyLau12 · December 12, 2019, 5:40pm

Well I took Propecia for 2 years and stopped because of obvious sexual side effects and now, 6 years later, had Transverse Myelitis. Something that happens in 2-4 ppl out of a million.

Papasmurf · December 12, 2019, 11:22pm

My neurologist was convinced that I had this a couple of months ago as my nervous system was going haywire that is until my spinal scan came back clear. As far as I know 5alpha reductase is important for the glial cells to function properly. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis man

Dubya_B · December 13, 2019, 2:04am

Could you please post a member story about your experience with fin?

It would be appreciated.

Mcbbould · December 13, 2019, 3:38am

Did you have a spinal tap?

Papasmurf · December 16, 2019, 1:20pm

Yes I did and the doctor hit my nerve going in sending my leg into a spasm definitely a very uncomfortable situation.

Sibelio · December 16, 2019, 5:54pm

Can you describe your symptoms in relation to the diagnosis?

Papasmurf · December 17, 2019, 4:28pm

Has anyone here had a SPECT scan done it’s been recommend to me by a friend. MRI’s can only check for structural damage whereas this can look deep into the brain for any signs of damage.

Crossroads · January 20, 2020, 4:21pm

My neurologist said that it is not recommended. The change or damage is on a biochemical level, even less than cellular. No scanning is able to capture which chemicals or substances are active or inactive in the brain. And unlike experiments done on mice, scientists do not put a tube directly into living brains of living humans and inject something through it or look through it. Ethics in research, and potential for damage on top of it. In vogue right now are all the uses of new scans, including FDG (radioactive glucose that is uptaken more or less of a degree in different brain regions). But each brain region is connected to the other regions by millions of neurons and connections, so this kind of scan too does not give us the true picture of what is happening with our condition.

Papasmurf · January 20, 2020, 5:06pm

The reason I talked about a SPECT scan is that a friend who I have become close with got one after MRI’s weren’t able to identify damage. He took Lexapro or whatever it’s called once and using this scan was able to identify brain damage as parts of his brain weren’t lighting up properly anymore and thus was able to get on disability.

DHT · January 20, 2020, 5:31pm

Hello Papa can you elaborate this ? What kind of damage did he get ?

Papasmurf · January 20, 2020, 5:34pm

Brain damage from one pill, certain brain regions weren’t lighting up properly indicating severe dysfunction.

Tricky · August 25, 2020, 1:50am

What do you guys think of this?

Myelin repair dug for MS in the pipeline.

orthogs · August 25, 2020, 1:52am

Dysfunction and damage aren’t always the same thing. I can give you a high dose of opiates or barbiturates and your brain will certainly display signs of dysfunction (areas not lighting up properly) but your brain hasn’t been damaged.

jrums01 · August 25, 2020, 6:16pm

And if it lasts for many years it’s damage. PSSD guy has it had for 23 years. That’s damage.