Hi, Thought I would share my experience. I started to see thinning in 1992....I jumped on Fin in 1995 as part of the trials.....I got on it as soon as I saw some thinning and I think this is why I have had success. 1.25mg than 1 mg in 98 when it got approved. I have STRONG!!! hair loss genes and wanted to do everything I could. I never noticed any sheds really...maybe a little but I tried not to pay attention in the shower. I can honestly say propecia thickened my hair to the point where I didn't think it look thin at all...anywhere. Now that being said I didn't have any bald spots and was probably a NW1.5 at the temples. Propecia completely STOPPED my hair loss from getting worse and my hair got thicker....even my doctor who is a top derm was amazed. From 1995-2003 it was amazing and I never worried about hair loss. As for sides I had NONE really....maybe a slight delay and reduction in the amount of you know....didn't see this as a problem at all. years of amazing results......in 03 I had what I think was a severe stress induced TE....all over head.....Upped my dosage to 2.5mg in 2004 than 5mg in 2006 and I think it helped but never really gained back post TE. In 2009 I started Avodart .05 x three times a week and proscar the other days. My DHT levels are about 1......they where 5 while on proscar so DUt helped lower them as well. Now I keep reading the panic in some of these post about these drugs effecting all kinds of hormone levels and such, and I'm not recommending that you do as I have....I'm not a doctor. But I want to share my experience with all of you since I'm an old timer. Here are some facts: Propecia nor Dut NEVER raised my T levels.....I just had them checked again and they are about T-300 which is about the same as always and on the lower side...I'm in my 40's....they used to be 4-500. My sexdrive has never been a problem. My DHT has come down. My prolactin also didn't raise and is normal, my DHES is also perfect, Estrogen is also normal and unchanged...my thyroid is normal and unchanged, my liver test are perfect. As for sides with DUT....I really don't see any different than what I already posted. I'm in my mid 40's and have kept most of my hair.....When I added the DUT which I'm now at 10months I saw a stop in the hair shed. I think my hair has thicked up everywhere especially the crown area....except the hair line which I have new growth at but not really what I was hoping for. I don't have any pictures because I never took before. I also maybe saw a little shed but not major. The only reason I posted this and I rarely post is to offer my opinion....at the VERY first sign of hairloss go to your doctor and see if Propecia is a good idea for you.....It has done WONDERS in stopping my hair from getting a lot worse for over 15 years....and my genetics for hair loss are STRONG! As for all the erectile dysfunction post I'm sure it is possible, but I bet you if you look at statistics about anxiety over it you will find an absolute connection and a higher rate than that listed on the drug info sheets. Good Luck and as I said I'm not a Doctor and not recommending any treatment plan other than to go to your doctor and see if he/her suggests it to you.....but do it EARLY.....I think that is the key. I also use Nizarol 3x's a week.

Thanks for sharing that, I am also of the idea that it really takes many years to fully really realize the effects/benefits of finasterde.  Now that I have been on it for 8 or 9 years i realize how good its working for hairloss.  I have however came across side effects...

First my results:  I have had great success with maintaining hair with Finasteride.  I started receding and thinning (full MPB) around 18 or 19 years old.  I am now 29 years old.  I see a few other friends that started losing hair back at the same time as i did, and they are bald now, I still have a nearly full head of hair.  (minus a slight temporal recession).  No doubt in my mind I would be bald right now, instead of having a the nice head of hair that i do have.   I have been on finasteride for between 8-9 years.   For years now I have been doing the 5mg Fincar pills cut into 4 pieces. 

Experience with Side effects:    I am having the low libido/ED side effects that are common with the drug.  I have had the side effects a couple times before, and each time I stop taking the drug.   It takes months for the symptoms to cease, but i do recover, but once the side effects cease, the hairloss begins.  (my side effects are limited to libido/ed, I workout 5 days a week, and have no man boob or energy deficiency issues.)

 

What I have noticed:  The side effects go hand in hand with how well the drug is working.   When I first start taking the meds it takes several months of daily doses for it to really work.   4 months plus before it essentially eliminates ALL HAIRLOSS... BUT thats also when the side effects become pronounced.   Its real hard to get boners and sex drivce is low.  Went from sex 2-4 times  a week to every couple weeks and its a weak performance.  This time around I dont want to stop taking finasteride so..

 

Heres what I am going to try:     I am going to cut the dosage from 1.25 mg/day to ~ .75mg/day.  (note i am doing this AFTER the initial doseage of 1.25 mg/day has kicked in and is still in full effect)  I guess the hope is now that the hairloss is eliminated, maybe a lower dose can maintain this and reduce sides a little bit.     I also just orderded some generic Viagra online.  I chose viagra over cialis because of my lifestyle and do not wish to have the medication in my system for an entire weekend.   (work and workout hard all week and party on the weekend)  

 

I am not willing to cease use again to stop the sides, because everytime i do, i get a the hairloss back, get a little thinner, and some temporal recession.  If it wasnt for the several stoppages in taking the finasteride, this wouldnt have happened.  This is why I am going to combat the side effects with ED meds this time.  (I have used them before a time or two recreationally and it works, really good)  

 

 

 

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Fincar for atleast 8 years now

ohnolosingit - so you've never used minox at all?

ohnolosingit, I was just wondering what a stress induced TE is?

The other thing I'm curious about is your mentioning that fin or dut never raised you T levels. Is this testosterone? This is something I've been wondering about. Do elevated testosterone levels also contribute to hairloss, or is it the knock on effect of your body producing more DHT from this greater level of testosterone?

If elevated testosterone levels are a factor in hair loss wouldn't too much sex - or more likely masturbation - contribute then as this apparently raises the level?

Also, have you ever used any other drugs or topicals?

Tellogen Effluvium is what happened due to severe stress in my life at the time.. As for T levels yes that is testosterone. I have no idea if it causes hair loss. I was just pointing out in my case it didn't raise these levels drastically like so many people post it does. I have never used any topicals. I really believe the key to success is to go on propecia at the VERY FIRST SIGN. I live in central US so finding a good doctor was hard but I kept looking and found one.

why is going on fin at the very first sign crucial? Is this simply to save as much for as long as possible or something more complex?

Like closing the door before the infection gets inside, after which no matter how soon you start fin it will always be a losing battle.

Simple.... Fin is outstanding at stopping hair loss from getting worse IMO.....decent at regrowth. Once you have a bald spot I don't think Fin will do much other than hold. If someone gets on FIN at the very first sign they have started to thin it is more likely to stop it from progressing....I believe for a LONG time. But I feel it has to be done right at the start....almost before others notice hair has thinned.

Yeah, I wish I'd taken this whole thing more seriously years ago (don't we... apart from some). But like so many young guys I was oblivous to the fact that I was a sufferer until I was about 22/23. Hmmm.

Do use Merks propriety Propecia or the generic finasteride?