I'm going back on Propecia with a reduced dose!

General Discussion
#1

I was on propecia 2.5mg EOD from Jan’06 til Aug’07 to fight hairloss…I was a Norwood 3 and my main aim was to keep the hair I had and maybe help the texture as it was very dry and looking like it was dying! Well propecia worked great and within only 4-5 weeks my hair looked healthier and after 6 months it was definately thickening!

No sexual sides, I did suffer mentally as I was awful under pressure and this used to cause anxiety attacks of dizziness, I used to get optical Aura migraines which I never got before and didn’t get after stopping the drug, my eyes were dry and I suffer a Chalazion (meibomian cyst) on my eye, I only just realised that this was probably caused by propecia as I read that propecia causes meibomian gland disfunction and dries mucas membranes. My anxiety was worse when I quit the drug, I read on here that side effects always are worse in the few weeks after quitting and one should never quit cold turkey…I didn’t know that then!

Anyway…since quitting in Aug’07 I turned into a health freak and now exercise every day (I was very unfit before), I stopped smoking, eat healthy and don’t drink coffee or cola…I feel much better than I did and I now giving propecia another go just to double check it was P giving me the mental sides, as I am not 100% sure. My concern is that this is such a powerful drug and I will stop as soon as any sides appear.

My dose will now be reduced to only 0.25mg per day to try help combat sides…I will let you know how it goes.

Regards
Piero

#2

It won’t make any difference because Finasteride has a near flat dose response, doesn’t matter if you take 0.25mg or 5mg, it inhibits nearly the same amount of DHT – thus you will get sides.

Read and learn:
physics.upenn.edu/facultyinf … peciafda2/

The fact that you are considering getting back on the medication despite everything you have experienced thus far, and what you have learnt since, tells me nothing will stop you. Good luck but don’t complain if you end up with more issues down the road.

PS: this isn’t a hairloss forum, nobody cares about going back on Finasteride anymore around here.

#3

Thanks for your comments Mew, I have read most of your posts and links to other sites…for my own piece of mind I need to find out if my anxiety was caused by other factors at the time or in fact propecia.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post, I thought readers would be interested in my results and would view them with an open mind.

Cheers

#4

I can almost guarantee it was from Finasteride due to the following.

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668

Also, do a search on Google or Google Scholar on “finasteride” “allopregnanolone” and you’ll see that Finasteride blocks the 5AR reduction of Progesterone --> Allopregnanolone, which can lead to anxiety in both rodent and human models.

Anyway feel free to keep us posted but you are playing with fire.

#5

Hey Pierro, I know that Mew is more appreciative of people’s free will, but I just thought I would recommend you stay off of it. We already have mounds of evidence linking Finasteride to depression, anxiety and neurological problems among others, so there’s no reason for you to try it again, especially if you felt poorly while on or after taking it.

I unfortunately tried Propecia again after taking it one week in late '05 and felt side effects lasting after another week of treatment in '07, ignorant of what had induced my change in behavior, attitude and mood.

So yeah, I suggest you decide against it… the actual truth about Propecia still seems unresolved.

#6

I too would suggest not doing so as you can get REALLY FUC*ED starting/going off it again , but if you do and start feeling anxious again, you will know it was the fin. Please keep us updated on how it goes.

As someone going to gynosurgery in 30 minutes due to fin, I would still strongly suggest not going that route…

#7

Well guys, after being back on fin for a week…guess what the anxiety/brain fog/depression is back…just not feeling myself at all, very weird and hard to describe, also got dry eyes. I am stopping now before I do any more damage, looks like it’s just not for me and I would far rather go bald than feel anxious and depressed all day.

Thanks for your comments, I just hope this hasn’t put me back 6 months in my road to recovery.

#8

Thanks for the post, now you KNOW it’s the fin causing it. Hope things don’t get fu**ed after quitting!

#9

There you have it, more proof that the problem (at least one of them) lies with 5AR. Hopefully it hasn’t put you back 6 months but don’t be surprised if it’s put you back a year. I quit Oct '06, got anxiety/depression after that but did not know it was linked to Fin, seemingly overnight in June '07 it lifted and I recovered, took 1 pill (and only 1 pill) of propecia and within hours started feeling anxiety. The next few weeks I had the worst freakish depression I’ve ever felt. All from 1 pill! Anxiety and depression lasted for 10 months and I’m ONLY NOW starting to feel somewhat normal. I hope no one ever tries this again. I told 2 Endos about this and they are so out of touch with this drug that one said “it’s half-life is too short to have lasting effects like that” and the other guy said “What? all that from 1 pill? Well, I don’t like to tell patients that these things are all in their head but…”. No sympathy, no understanding, no testing, and NO CLUE!

#10

Hi piero

Do you have now a full recovery ?

#11

Not sure If I have made a full recovery keeping in mind we can’t blame everything on propecia as I think every person in the world has complaints!

I am deffo much better now than I was last September when I came off the drug, anxiety has almost gone completely! Still have tinnitus and I am not great under stress but I’m not sure if these are to do with taking Fin.

I just hope I keep on getting better and can enjoy the summer.