My case might contribute to theoretical understanding

General Discussion
#1

Okay, so I don’t understand the pharmacology of propecia at all, but I bring this to the table:

I’m currently in the middle of a steroid cycle (IE: I’ve been taking 250-500 mg of testosterone per week). However, three weeks ago I began taking propecia in hopes of ameliorating the hairloss wrought by the increase in DHT due to steroid use.

Almost as soon as I began taking 1.25 mg of propecia per day, might erectile function virtually flatlined. Now, as some of you may know, testosterone by its very nature normally causes a heightened libido and erectile function.

What does this tell us on a theoretical level? How could I be fucked by finasteride, with all the typical symptoms (erectile dysfunction, weakened libido, anxiety, depression) while being exposed to high levels of exogenous testosterone.

Thoughts?

Needless to say, I quit propecia after two weeks of these symptoms. For the past week since stopping propecia, my symptoms have become worse. However, I am hopeful and determined… prepared to take everything as it comes at me.

#2

Finasteride interrrupts 3 hormonal pathways and it crosses the blood/brain barrier, so unfortunately with finasteride you’re altering more than just your testosterone profile. The known inhibited pathways are:

Testosterone stops converting to DHT (required for normal sexual function) in favor of estrogen
Cortisol
Allopregnalone

Did you experience normal libido?

#3

Sorry but this doesnt really tell us anything, you got sides from depriving dht dependent organs (prostate, penis, etc) of dht, the most potent androgen, also quite critical in libido and erectile function.
Also with your test so high your estrogen probably went through the roof.
Im sure Mew could post a hundred studies here.

#4

Most of us test within the range for total T, but that is really doesn’t mean much in grand scheme of things.

The Free Testosterone levels for most of us are very low. I would be curious to see how your Free T number comes out on a blood test.

I would get a thorough blood test and follow up here with the results. Are you still on the steriods?

#5

Because Testosterone is not the most potent androgen – Dihydrotestosterone is, and you are blocking its metabolism via Finasteride in 5AR dependent tissues/organs.

DHT also binds to the androgen receptor far more potently than Testosterone and again, you are blocking its action via Finasteride, so androgen cannot exert its effects properly.

Short of androgen resistance, those are my thoughts.

#6

i’ve read a theory that makes sense according to what you are saying. i read that the role of 5AR2 is to control the amount of testosterone in the body, too much testosterone and your body cant handle it. that’s why it gets converted to DHT. so when you had really high levels of testosterone and you turned off 5AR2, your body couldnt convert the extra testosterone to DHT, so instead it converted it to estrogen and since you had so much, maybe you had a really intense reaction to so much estrogen.

#7

Is that right?

Is there anyone with mid to high levels of Free T, and no other obvious hormonal issues, that is still having problems?

Fixing Free T is about the baseline correction for hormone replacement therapy.