Finasteride effects?

[Riven (imported)]

I tried Cyproterone Acetate to lower my sex drive about 12 years back. The side effects were strong! Hot flushes, impotence, and a feeling of lethargy. I didn't take it for more than a couple of weeks at a time, and maybe three attempts spaced over a year, reducing the dose each time. Since then I haven't taken any hormone altering meds, but I'm about to start on Finasteride 5mg tabs for my Benign Prostate Hyperplasia. I'm wondering if Finasteride is going to do similar things to me. Has anyone on here had experience with this drug, and is it considered to be another type of chemical castration?

[TopManFL (imported)]

Hey @Riven

I've taken 5mg finasteride for since 2001. In the 18 years that I've taken it, I've experienced no loss of libido nor other castration like effects. There are two doses available of finasteride 1mg and 5mg.

The 5mg dose was originally marketed as name brand Proscar and was FDA approved for the treatment of BPH. Both doctors and patients noticed it had the desired side effect of either regrowing head hair or halting the loss of head hair.

The drug company did additional efficacy and safety tests to submit it to the FDA for the treatment of hair loss. Finasteride was approved in 1mg dose for male pattern baldness and marketed under the name brand Propecia.

Prescription drug plans covered the 5mg dose yet would not cover the 1mg dose.

There are support groups online for what they refer to as PFS (Post Finasteride Syndrome). Keeping in mind that it cost millions of dollars to do a peer-reviewed scientific study and that the only ones with that kind of money or interest in Finasteride are the generic drug makers (the medication lost its patient years ago) that make the medication, there will never be a study to find out if PFS is real or not.

https://medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUArticle ... ndrome.htm

The link is from the New Zealand National Health Service. I often find more information on the UK, Canadian and other websites from their Health Services. In the United States serious issues like this can get muddled because of the semi-government / private system we have.

[Riven (imported)]

Thanks so much TopManFL. Your post is very informative. I started taking my Finasteride today.

[Chesleyt (imported)]

I've been taking it since the beginning of last month and it has helped tempered my labido I'm on effexor and 200mg testosterone a week and was fustrated sexually but now with the finasteride I feel ok with it I'm no longer fustrated and feel calm no more having testosterone controlling me

[Riven (imported)]

Thanks Chesleyt, It's good to know you're feeling more in control of your libido. I'm only on day two with Finasteride. I didn't sleep well last night (too much on my mind, maybe) but have felt okay today. No side effects so far, but it feels like maybe my urine flow is feeling a little stronger today, but I might be imagining that.

[Chesleyt (imported)]

my urologist had to stretch my bladder sphynter because it was so small the endoscope didn't want to enter my bladder without putting pressure on it he said I'll have to have it done periodically or get the sphynter cut to permeantly fix it. he also put me on finistride for my enlarged prostate that day so far everything is working well and that was the beginning of September. have an appointment with a new urologist October 31 and will see if he can fix the sphynter permeantly my in old urologist just retired and I have had to find a new one.

[Riven (imported)]

During the first week or two on Finasteride I felt a bit 'shaky' as though my body was in slight shock from the hormonal changes. I also started getting very slight hot flushes and had a few cold sweats when working. My prostate must be shrinking nicely as I can urinate freely and I don't have the urgency problem any more nor do I need to get up in the night so often. Gradually, my morning wood has diminished and now, after 6 weeks of daily Finasteride (5mg), I don't seem to get any spontaneous erections. My sex drive has diminished too. I can still get hard, but it takes a bit of work and it only just gets hard enough for penetration. My girlfriend commented that both my cock and balls are smaller. We will go and see the urologist again late December to discuss alternative BPH therapies/treatments.

[Frida G Cavic (imported)]

It makes nothing for libido, instead it may increase it

[Riven (imported)]

It makes nothing for libido, instead it may increase it

Do you mean Finasteride might increase my libido?

[Chesleyt (imported)]

The addition of finastride was the downfall of my ability to ever have sex again granted it was only one part of the 11 medications that killed it physically and mentally. And no I can't stop any of them.