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Another reason I won't use Propecia/Finasteride
by
Cave Dweller
on 18 Aug, 2014 08:33
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I just got finished donating blood at my office. One of the questions a donor must answer is whether he has taken certain medications as some disqualify the donor immediately. New on the list was Propecia. It can cause birth defects if it gets into the blood of a pregnant woman.
Not that I ever considered using the stuff for hair "restoration", but it is one more reason I am glad I never have nor will.
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#1
by
Razor X
on 18 Aug, 2014 09:35
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I think the other reason makes a more compelling argument.
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#2
by
rss114
on 22 Aug, 2014 23:56
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I will never be able to donate blood do to who i love witch i think is absolutely ridiculous. but what ever not the point of this post i thought about trying rogain for the little bit of loose on my temples but the cost changed my mind
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#3
by
AJ Q-Ball
on 23 Aug, 2014 08:48
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Good to know Cave! Thank you. I'm so glad I never took that stuff while I had hair. That gives me another reason to dissuade people with hair loss from taking it.
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#4
by
Henkle
on 28 Oct, 2014 15:48
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I dunno if I would dissuade people from taking it.
There are plenty of people that can donate blood, if you don't.
I am in the "wish I would have taken Finasteride sooner boat". Fact is, the mass majority of men do not run into complications. They keep their hair and life continues.
If hair loss comes up when I am around my friends/coworkers, I tell them the sad tale of the "bald man who didn't need to bald". I debunk myths such as "hair loss comes from your mothers side", & "my hair line is merely maturing, no need to act now".
This hair loss has caused me great pain and suffering. If I can prevent another man from suffering, I will do so.
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#5
by
Tyler
on 28 Oct, 2014 17:25
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I dunno if I would dissuade people from taking it.
There are plenty of people that can donate blood, if you don't.
I am in the "wish I would have taken Finasteride sooner boat". Fact is, the mass majority of men do not run into complications. They keep their hair and life continues.
If hair loss comes up when I am around my friends/coworkers, I tell them the sad tale of the "bald man who didn't need to bald". I debunk myths such as "hair loss comes from your mothers side", & "my hair line is merely maturing, no need to act now".
This hair loss has caused me great pain and suffering. If I can prevent another man from suffering, I will do so.
Since 2006, SBG has proven time and time again that a person that shaves their head for 30 days straight will end up with more confidence in the long run than a person that takes Propecia or tries other "hair loss remedies."
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#6
by
Henkle
on 28 Oct, 2014 18:37
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I dunno if I would dissuade people from taking it.
There are plenty of people that can donate blood, if you don't.
I am in the "wish I would have taken Finasteride sooner boat". Fact is, the mass majority of men do not run into complications. They keep their hair and life continues.
If hair loss comes up when I am around my friends/coworkers, I tell them the sad tale of the "bald man who didn't need to bald". I debunk myths such as "hair loss comes from your mothers side", & "my hair line is merely maturing, no need to act now".
This hair loss has caused me great pain and suffering. If I can prevent another man from suffering, I will do so.
Since 2006, SBG has proven time and time again that a person that shaves their head for 30 days straight will end up with more confidence in the long run than a person that takes Propecia or tries other "hair loss remedies."
*If hair loss is attacked at an advanced stage. I agree with you.
MPB is a losing battle if you wait too long.
With MPB, the majority of time, men put up with YEARS of shedding before visible hair loss is noticed [by yourself and others]. If a man starts Propecia at an early stage NW0-NW2, they are almost guaranteed decades of worry free days - with a full head of hair.
People don't start thinking about buzzing/shaving their head until they are at an advanced stage of balding.
It is as easy as "Oh, I am noticing more hair in my hand whilst shampooing.. I should see a doctor about this.."
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#7
by
Cave Dweller
on 28 Oct, 2014 18:54
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Or, Henkle, it is as easy as saying I am not going to screw around with my body's chemistry for something as superficial as hair.
As I said two months ago in this thread's original post, I am glad I never have taken that stuff.
I made the hard choice, you might say - but I never have had to worry about what might happen to my hair if I ever stopped taking the stuff OR what might (or might NOT) happen if I continued.
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#8
by
Henkle
on 28 Oct, 2014 20:57
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Fair enough.
As for what might happen to your hair if you stopped... you would lose it all [if genetics dictate that you were supposed to be bald]. This is common knowledge.
I pay $8.00 Canadian a month for the prescription. I think in the States, many people are paying ~$3.00 USD a month. So the price of a couple coffees for a head of hair.. seems reasonable.
You made the decision not to take it. There is nothing wrong with that.
I think [& this is my personal opinion], that many people are not aware of this drug until it is too late. I [personally] regret not taking this earlier.
Knowing what I know now, I would never dissuade people from taking this drug.
I happen to be in the "shaved or buzzed is better than a comb-over" crowd.. but the fact is, I much preferred having a full thick head of hair. I think the majority of men suffer in some way when they lose their hair.
In decade long studies, this drug has been shown to be remarkably safe and effective.
Soo, I try to make people aware of it. If I see early signs of MPB among coworkers/friends, I will surely bring it up.. something along the lines of "I only noticed your hairline because I am suffering from an advanced stage of balding myself & have become hyper-sensitive to it".
There is nothing wrong with the sly guys out there. If you don't like taking medications, so be it. All I know is that the risks involved here are pretty minimal. Discouraging use could very well lead up to life-long issues relating to self-confidence/self-worth. Better to hold a neutral stance [IMO].
Or, Henkle, it is as easy as saying I am not going to screw around with my body's chemistry for something as superficial as hair.
As I said two months ago in this thread's original post, I am glad I never have taken that stuff.
I made the hard choice, you might say - but I never have had to worry about what might happen to my hair if I ever stopped taking the stuff OR what might (or might NOT) happen if I continued.
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#9
by
Tyler
on 28 Oct, 2014 21:05
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I guess we have different sources of information on how safe propecia is and what is a tolerant risk.
In my experience, 100% of people that I've met that used the drug have experienced side effects. The problem is that many didn't realize their issues until they stopped using the drug. All had to do with either depression or sexual related effects, which appeared minimal until the drug was out of their system. Then they really saw how bad the effects were.
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#10
by
Tyler
on 28 Oct, 2014 21:09
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People really need to educate themselves about the risks before considering any drug, Propecia included.
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#11
by
Henkle
on 28 Oct, 2014 21:32
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I agree with you.
When you reduce the bodies supply of DHT, it will effect more than just the hairs on your scalp. There are going to be side effects - no question.
Will a reduced libido and/or watery semen [the most common side effects] be a deal breaker for most men. Probably not.
In theory, there can be life-altering reactions to any medications being administered. Even OTC meds. Studies have shown that these instances are remarkably low [single percentages of the population].
It is your own personal decision in the end, but clinical studies have shown that many more men benefit from this drug than suffer from it.
I guess we have different sources of information on how safe propecia is and what is a tolerant risk.
In my experience, 100% of people that I've met that used the drug have experienced side effects. The problem is that many didn't realize their issues until they stopped using the drug. All had to do with either depression or sexual related effects, which appeared minimal until the drug was out of their system. Then they really saw how bad the effects were.
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#12
by
Cave Dweller
on 28 Oct, 2014 22:34
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When you reduce the bodies supply of DHT, it will effect more than just the hairs on your scalp. There are going to be side effects - no question.
Will a reduced libido and/or watery semen [the most common side effects] be a deal breaker for most men. Probably not.
I have read some statements from guys on other boards that they would rather forgo fatherhood and rely on ED drugs just so they can hold onto their hair. To me, that is just sad.
I can speak only for myself, but those side effects are not worth it for me. Screwing up my body just so I might have hair? No thank. As I said, I made the hard choice.
Thank you, though, for acknowledging the risks and disastrous results a man may experience when he ingests that stuff.
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#13
by
Munkynutz
on 28 Oct, 2014 23:00
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I agree fully with Tyler's point of view on this one. It is not worth the risk for hair on your head which is likely just going to end up not looking good at some point in time in your life anyway. Better to have your masculinity and work the way nature intended than to mess with your hormones at any point in time.
http://www.mypropeciasideeffects.com/my-propecia-side-effects-life-before-finasteride.htmlThis is a long read, but a gut-wrenching tale of what one man went through.
I think as was mentioned that more or less everyone has some sort of side effect form this. Clinical studies of many drugs have shown them to b safe and effective only for it to be discovered years or decades later that it was doing something detrimental. As more and more class-action suits against the producers of finasteride begin to surface there is an increasing list of side effects listed with the use of this product.
I have no doubt that it regrows hair, but at the risk of permanently altering the production of hormones in your body you really have to question the intelligence of the use of this product and its net benefit.
I for instance would rather enjoy my sex life with a razor than not with a full head of hair (which will grey and thin anyway).
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#14
by
Henkle
on 29 Oct, 2014 00:04
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Like I mentioned earlier, a VERY SMALL portion of men prescribed Propecia suffer like in the story you linked to. You will ALWAYS hear from the people that are dissatisfied/suffering. There are literally MILLIONS of men currently taking this drug. When you have this many people taking a drug, you are bound to run into a few tragic cases.
I could probably find dozens of horror stories on Tylenol. Chronic pain sufferers needing a liver transplant after years of using Tylenol at the "recommended dosage".
You post a story of a man regretting the usage of Propecia... I can post a hundred others where people wish they started Propecia earlier than they did.
The choice is yours. If you are perfectly happy with the bald lifestyle, that is great. For the people that don't want to be bald, there are options out there. Options that can pose some risk. Very little risk for the majority of the male population, but a risk nonetheless.
Shave your head - be sly. I just think the rest of the world should know that if they are proactive, they don't have to be like "us"* if they don't want to.
*I'm @ a NW2-2.5 - if the meds fail I will need to shave my head.