How should I taper off Finasteride intake please?

General Discussion
#1

Hello, apologies to everyone if I am posting a question that has already been answered, I have read quite a bit of this site and found part of my answer at: propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8

What is not clear is: do I take .5 mg, wait 3 days take .124, wait 5 days take .06, etc, which would take a couple of weeks or so – is that correct? Sorry if the answer is obvious, I guess I am worried and want to make sure I go about it the right way.

Really grateful for you help and wish everyone well on their recovery journey.

I have been taking it for 30 days and having found this site, I want to come off asap.

Many thanks.

#2

This might provide some guidance:

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1170

#3

Many thanks Mew – I have looked at that and it seems to be for those who want to take ‘safe’ doses, is that correc? I don’t want to take it at all anymore. I’ve only been on it for just over a month, was doing research and found this forum and I want to stop taking it completely.

I already cut down to .50 mg yesterday, didn’t take it today and want to continue tapering off, just not sure what is the best way to go about it.

Many thanks for your feedback I am very grateful.

#4

If anyone has any guidance on the best way to quit taking finasteride I’d be very grateful. Many of the posts on here say it’s better not to quit cold turkey but aside from the link I’ve posted above in which instructions are not clear, I really don’t know how to taper off so would be grateful for feedback.

#5

Most likely, yes. Nobody has any answers on how long one should “taper off”, because everytime you take the drug you inhibit more 5AR2.

Suffice to say, it is more likely that days between dosage makes more of a difference vs cutting dosage, since drug has a near-flat dose response rate – physics.upenn.edu/people/fra … index.html

It would likely take a few weeks to taper off while cutting dosage, but you could probably just try and drop dosage to as little as possible while spacing out days to quicken the process. Considering you’ve only taken it for 30 days though, I’d guess that 1-2 weeks is realistic, but it’s really for you to decide.

Ultimately though, unless you get to microscopic dosages, it will be difficult if not impossible to affect Finasteride’s potency when it comes to inhibiting 5AR2.

#6

Thanks Mew, I am very grateful for your feedback. I will drop it further on my next dose and space the days further and do that for a few weeks.

Just from a month of taking it, I wake up completely shattered in the morning, I have zero energy, and some moments I feel like I’m losing the will to live, litterally! This is awful as I spent last year looking for a new job, have only started it over a month ago and I now come in to work feeling jaded. I don’t think holding on to already thinning hair is worth all this…

I wish everyone on here all the best with their recovery. I think these cases need to be highlighted a lot more. I know all drugs have a potential to have side effects, including paracetamol and other over the counter meds. When you take something like Propecia or Finasteride, you are aware there are side effects yet you would like to think that a 1% is very remote, which it sounds it.

However, I am shocked to hear people’s stories on here and I hope there is more due attention given to these side effects from the drug companies and from doctors, and perhaps a reassessment of how many people are actually affected by the side effects as it sounds like it could be higher.

Many thanks again and good luck to everyone with getting better.

#7

I would taper like this since someone online mentioned a 5 year receptacle period where defenses are low. I don’t know how true that is, but still, just for grins, this is how I would do it. And for all those who feel depressed. Well, you likely got on Finasteride because of hair loss… If you stop taking it, then there is no reason why you would look like any other middle aged or older guy out there with a reduced amount of hair. So, your options are still wide open today. Take it, or not take it. If you stop, then worst case scenario, you may have a 5 year interval where you need to rebuild defenses to dht. But I am not saying you will have that issue. I think everyone is different. Even my doctor said that FIN effects everyone differently… Like, will it grow, or will it not? Will it fill in the temples or only the back? Plus the drug companies were trying to make something for prostate cancer when they stumbled on this issue about it helping hair loss… So, its a big unknown. Anyway! If you feel effects from dementia, then shake it off, and move on. Get married, or get born again. Most likely those effects would only last as long as this android receptacle thingy lasts, which is 5 years according to 1 philosophy. So, again, I’m not saying you will suffer. It’s all in your mind if anything, and there are ways to counteract it, and it would only be temporary. So, again, you have a choice… on fin, or off fin… hair? or less hair? Any other “withdraw symptoms” would be temporary if you believe in a 5 year recoup time.

I amortized this out for 6 years… but you can cut it off at 5 since the 6th year is pretty skimpy.

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