# Men's Hair Loss > Men's Hair Loss: Start Your Own Topic >  My Finasteride Story so far...

## Desmond84

OK guys, heres my story.

I first noticed my temples thinning around Dec 2011. I was in denial at first but things just kept getting worse. Now, being a pharmacist I knew about Finasteride but with all the horror stories going on at that point I decided I want to stay clear of it. 

In a panic mode, I read lots of articles about hairloss and its causes. Websites like livingstrong.com claimed: stress, insomnia, vitamin deficiency, bad diet, etc to be the cause!

I bought into these theories for a few weeks but following their advice didnt change anything!

So, I tried putting on emu oil, coconut oil and castor oil on my hair every night combined with oral saw palmetto TWICE A DAY for about 2 months and things just kept getting worse.

In a panic mode, I went and bought Minoxidil and applied it ONCE A DAY to start with on my temples (thanks to Tracy suggesting tapering up the dose)but almost within 2 days of using it, my eyes started getting really sensitive to sunlight, I was experiencing blurred vision and my forehead started to feel really tight as if I had bloating happening under my skinSo after a week, I dropped it and moved on.

By then, I knew Im only left with one option:  FINASTERIDE. It was a scary thought, believe me! 

So, I did my research and figured I should start low initially. So, I started taking: 

*0.25mg every 5 days*

Within 2 weeks my shedding started, but also did the sides! My pubic bone above my groin and perineum started to ache pretty much all the time, especially when my bladder was full. I had an intense burning sensation when I urinated. My libido dropped. Testicular pain. Watery semen. Pain after ejaculation. It also felt really stiff down there too! It was no longer loose, but hard and rigid

All these signs pointed to prostate problems and I knew its because Im shrinking my prostateIt got so bad that I asked my GP to do a urine analysis test which came back as NEGATIVE! There was nothing wrongno infections, etcjust finasteride shrinking my prostate!

So, I persevered; my libido dropped to an all time low by the THIRD month which really freaked me out! So I skipped it for 2 weeks and everything came back to normal (but so did the shedding). 

So, I thought maybe every 5 days is NOT often enoughmy DHT levels are swinging from left to right preventing fin from finishing what it started. So I took:

*0.25mg TWICE A WEEK (Every Tuesday & Saturday)*

By the 6th month, all of my shedding stopped! 

By the 8th month, my hair had really thickened up including my templesfor those wondering all LOST hair returned! The pain around my penile area disappeared BUT my libido was still LOWbut I persevered thanks to the advice of Dex and others on BTT

I am now 9 months and 3 weeks into taking 0.25mg of Finasteride TWICE A WEEKmy hairline is exactly where it was when I started itmy temples are a bit thickermost sides have disappeared and my libido is almost back to normal.

Now, the product information claims if you hang in there 12 months, most sides should disappear and it may seem to be the case for me anyways

I kind of feel bad writing this, as I know what Chrisis went through with Finasteride, which totally turned his life around for the worseHang in there brother. But I think it is important to share my experience anywayBelieve me Im not a fin advocate but our options are limited as everybody knows.

At the end of the day, it is your decision and your decision alone. I took it because I didnt want to look back with regret for not doing something about it when I had the chance!

My advice to those wanting to start finasteride is START low and STAY low. 1mg daily is NOT the holy gospel and luckily with fin you can play with the dose and still get the same benefits

Please dont hesitate to ask any questions as wellIm more than welcome to share it with you

Cheers, 

-	Des

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## Jcm800

Thanks Desmond. I guess I'll try a dosage like yourself if I take the plunge. 

I think I'm more concerned that if I got sides, and tried to ride them out and I couldn't,  what happens if I quit the drug? That's apparently when 'pfs' kicks in? 

I guess sadly, we can't tell until we bite the bullet, shame that we have to roll the dice in such a way to try and save our hair or potentially screw our health. 

I appreciate all your post's, thanks again and good luck.

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## Henkeh91

Thanks for sharing your story Des! I've been on fin for little more than 2 months and started at 0,5mg daily and changed to 1mg daily for about 2 weeks ago. 

My libido is *way* lover than it was a year ago. I've pretty bad MPB and my hair loss accelerated the last year and I went into an deep depression for the last couple of months. That made me start with finasteride.

I had already low libido even before I started with fin. What do you think, shall I lower my dose before I notice any further sides? The thing is that I'm afraid that a lower dose will increase my hair loss.

It feels like I'm in the middle of an vicious circle.

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## LongWayHome

Hey Des.
First of all I must say that you and Hellouser are my favorite "Characters" on this forum. You two are the most helpful, at least for me, in this forum.

So...I was on fin 1mg every day 10 months ago for 3 months and stopped.
It didn't affect my libido at all, but it did do a nice job in the shrinkage subject, if you know what I mean. It had an effect on shrinking my little friend.
So...The question is, do you think it is something that can go away after some time?
I've tried so many things since then but we all know that everything, maybe except of RU, is bullshit.
Maybe 5 out of 100 things that are being sold can help, WITH fin or RU, but not alone. Impossible. Or possible for a few people. Anyway too rare.

Right now I have what seems like a full head of hair, just for everyone to understand, some girl in my work told me that I remind her of Jim Morrison.
For those of you who know who he is and how he looked like, I was all like "THANK YOU MADAM! (just dont touch my hairline, or I'll look like Jim Temple-son)"  
I'm heading into NW3 too fast these days, and I just have no choice.
If I'm bald I look like crap cause I have small head, if I have hair I look like an actor (Or a singer, whatever).

Desmond, waiting for your reply, and thank you again.

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## Jcm800

LongWayHome, has you regained any size down there?  That's an awful side effect, Jeez.

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## UK_

Longwayhome - is it actually physiologically shrunk or do you mean it doesnt become as erect as before?  Btw, DHT in a cream form has been shown to increase the size and strength of erections so I am guessing a DHT inhibitor would do the opposite.

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## LongWayHome

Tell me about it..
I don't really know if I regained, that's the insane part here, that you can't really know. You only can assume.

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## rdawg

It's interesting I find the best responders to fin are those that experience sides, is there a correlation here? 

those that seem to have no sides(like myself) simply maintain their hair or slow the loss, but many that experience sides grow hair back!

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## LongWayHome

> Longwayhome - is it actually physiologically shrunk or do you mean it doesnt become as erect as before?  Btw, DHT in a cream form has been shown to increase the size and strength of erections so I am guessing a DHT inhibitor would do the opposite.


 Yes, it's a physiologically shurnk, it's without libido problems.
The libido is the same as before.
What the hell is DHT cream?

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## UK_

> Yes, it's a physiologically shurnk, it's without libido problems.
> The libido is the same as before.
> What the hell is DHT cream?


 Andractim.  It's a topical form of DHT you rub onto your penis, it also resolves gynocomastia and increases sex drive/penile sensitivity substantially.

So much for the people who say DHT is a useless by-product of testosterone.

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## LongWayHome

That was really helpful man, I think I'll try that.
I never thought that if DHT inhibition shrinks the friend, then doing the opposite would enlarge it or at least make it in a better position.

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## Jcm800

> Andractim.  It's a topical form of DHT you rub onto your penis, it also resolves gynocomastia and increases sex drive/penile sensitivity substantially.
> 
> So much for the people who say DHT is a useless by-product of testosterone.


 Have you tried that cream yourself?  Where do you get it from?  I'd imagine it's a prescription cream?

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## UK_

> Have you tried that cream yourself?  Where do you get it from?  I'd imagine it's a prescription cream?


 No because its side effect is hair loss hahahaaha.

Yeah but you can buy practically anything off the internet these days - just google it.

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## clandestine

> Yes, it's a physiologically shurnk, it's without libido problems.
> The libido is the same as before.
> What the hell is DHT cream?


 Stay the ****** away from DHT cream.

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## Jcm800

Shit, having my unit possibly shrinking is scaring the life out of me. Is it in any way reversible? Perhaps not sadly?

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## clandestine

> Shit, having my unit possibly shrinking is scaring the life out of me. Is it in any way reversible? Perhaps not sadly?


 You're experiencing shrinkage? What meds are you on currently?

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## Jcm800

[QUOTE=clandestine;125190]You're experiencing shrinkage? What meds are you on freaks ntly?[/]

I'm on nothing except trx2 lmao and minox mate. 

But I am really contemplating taking fin, but reading about penile shrinkage freaks me out, seems it happens to more than a few men too?

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## clandestine

Side effects are a reality for some people.

Fin gave me gynecomastia. Only way to know is to try it, though.

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## Jcm800

Yep trying it is the only way to find out that's true. Some ppl seem to tolerate it well, others not. It's a bitch

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## LongWayHome

> Stay the ****** away from DHT cream.


 Why is that?

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## Cob984

> Yes, it's a physiologically shurnk, it's without libido problems.
> The libido is the same as before.
> What the hell is DHT cream?


 This is exactly me on Keratene, but thankfully with keratene it corrects itself when i get off the product,

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## Jcm800

> This is exactly me on Keratene, but thankfully with keratene it corrects itself when i get off the product,


 You also have shrinkage on Ker cob yes? And it corrects itself does it when you quit?

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## Cob984

Thats right,

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## Jcm800

> Thats right,


 But it did nothing for your hair?

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## Cob984

It does, i got off it for 5-6 days and already my hair started looking crappier,
I was taking 1 tablet every 1.5 days so that was probably not enough and it was just slowing the slide but still giving me sides, i think at the recommended dosage of 2 or even 1/day it would probably keep hair in check

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## PatientlyWaiting

Desmond, I am glad that you shared your story about getting sides, fighting through it, and eventually beating the battle. That is a great experience that you shared. So many guys get scared and quit but you fought through it and dominated finasteride and I am glad to hear everything is fine while using fin. Maybe you will inspire other sufferers who are afraid of fin sides.

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## Californication

> Side effects are a reality for some people.
> 
> Fin gave me gynecomastia. Only way to know is to try it, though.


 Always interested in hearing about people who got gyno from fin since I did get puffy nipples/increased fat there and it was really my only major side effect. Not sure if it was glandular though. How long into fin did you get it? Did you notice it quickly enough to stop? Have you thought about trying a lower dosage, more spread apart so you get some benefit possibly but without the gyno? Mine started to show up at the four month period, thanks in advance for any answers.

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## Jcm800

Desmond, how are you managing to cut up 1mg down to 0.25mg? The tablets look so small, don't they disintegrate? Are you using generic Fin, or Merck? Thanks.

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## Desmond84

> Desmond, how are you managing to cut up 1mg down to 0.25mg? The tablets look so small, don't they disintegrate? Are you using generic Fin, or Merck? Thanks.


 Hey JCM  :Smile: 

Go to your local Pharmacy and ask for a tablet cutter...look at the range and get the more expensive one. Trust me...it's worth every dollar...(it should be around $6-$7)

Also, ask them for a little 10mL *amber* bottle to store your tablets once you cut them...

Always only cut up 1 tablet into 4 quarters and keep those 4 pieces in the bottle...don't do the whole pack in one go! It might lose its efficacy...

Hope that helps  :Wink:

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## Desmond84

> Hey Des.
> First of all I must say that you and Hellouser are my favorite "Characters" on this forum. You two are the most helpful, at least for me, in this forum.
> 
> So...I was on fin 1mg every day 10 months ago for 3 months and stopped.
> It didn't affect my libido at all, but it did do a nice job in the shrinkage subject, if you know what I mean. It had an effect on shrinking my little friend.
> So...The question is, do you think it is something that can go away after some time?
> I've tried so many things since then but we all know that everything, maybe except of RU, is bullshit.
> Maybe 5 out of 100 things that are being sold can help, WITH fin or RU, but not alone. Impossible. Or possible for a few people. Anyway too rare.
> 
> ...


 Hey Longwayhome  :Smile: 

Thanks for the kind words brother...with regards to shrinkage, that does happen and it is related to both the sudden change in prostate size and lack of morning wood...

Same thing happens when ppl undergo prostectomy (esp., TURP operations)...these effects are temporary and only last between 6-12 months...

To prevent fibrosis, try and keep it erect for 30 minutes to 1 hour by watching some of your favourite movies to mimic the effects of morning wood...Once you go past the 12 month mark, I doubt you would have any more problems...

With patients that undergo prostate operations, doctors generally prescribe Cialis 5mg once daily for 6-12 months to ensure adequate blood flow till the body recaliberates itself...

Just as your semen volume returns to normal after a while, you can be sure the shrinkage will too...for most ppl anyways (there are always exceptions as we've seen the poor souls @ PropeciaHelp)...

Good luck brother...

Also, if you want check out my new thread about a german topical that has the same mechanism of action as Finasteride without the sides...very interesting stuff:

http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=12723

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## Jcm800

> Hey JCM 
> 
> Go to your local Pharmacy and ask for a tablet cutter...look at the range and get the more expensive one. Trust me...it's worth every dollar...(it should be around $6-$7)
> 
> Also, ask them for a little 10mL *amber* bottle to store your tablets once you cut them...
> 
> Always only cut up 1 tablet into 4 quarters and keep those 4 pieces in the bottle...don't do the whole pack in one go! It might lose its efficacy...
> 
> Hope that helps


 Thanks kindly Desmond. 

I've been advised by a supplier that 1mg finpecia won't cut up that small, that's why I'm asking. Don't really want to spend £70 for a load of pills I won't use if i  can't cut them into smaller doses.

Maybe I'll just have to order and see, thanks for the reply, appreciated. :-)

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## Desmond84

> Thanks for sharing your story Des! I've been on fin for little more than 2 months and started at 0,5mg daily and changed to 1mg daily for about 2 weeks ago. 
> 
> My libido is *way* lower than it was a year ago. I've pretty bad MPB and my hair loss accelerated the last year and I went into an deep depression for the last couple of months. That made me start with finasteride.
> 
> I had already low libido even before I started with fin. What do you think, shall I lower my dose before I notice any further sides? The thing is that I'm afraid that a lower dose will increase my hair loss.
> 
> It feels like I'm in the middle of an vicious circle.


 Henkeh, I don't know if you were following our discussions late last year but the amount of DHT decreased by 0.25mg is almost identical to 1mg...furthermore, the effects of 1 tablet last for about 3.5 days! If sides are bothering you reducing the dose will not have a dramatic effect on your hair! I personally think ppl should not take 1mg daily until they tapered up the dose over 12 months!

With regards to libido...the product information claims everything should go back to normal by the 12th month although there has been exceptions...

I almost kept my libido in check by dropping fin for a given period of time (2 weeks for example) to make sure my libido returns if it did I knew that the effects are reversible in my case...you can do something similar  :Wink:

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## Desmond84

> Thanks kindly Desmond. 
> 
> I've been advised by a supplier that 1mg finpecia won't cut up that small, that's why I'm asking. Don't really want to spend &#163;70 for a load of pills I won't use if i  can't cut them into smaller doses.
> 
> Maybe I'll just have to order and see, thanks for the reply, appreciated. :-)


 It is true that they are not scored, hence they may crumble when cut! 

BUT, as long as you purchase PROPECIA and use a tablet cutter, you will have no problems! Some brands use cheaper fillers that disintegrate much easier...that is not the case with the Merck brand...you can take my word for it lol  :Wink:

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## Desmond84

Oh, I just realised you're getting Finpecia...I haven't used that brand before BUT as rule of thumb tablet cutters are very effective at cutting pills...I wouldn't be too worried

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## Jcm800

> Oh, I just realised you're getting Finpecia...I haven't used that brand before BUT as rule of thumb tablet cutters are very effective at cutting pills...I wouldn't be too worried


 Thanks Desmond, tbh if I start the treatment I think I'd like to try Propecia initially, then continue with Finpecia perhaps at a later date if I tolerate it. 

How are you doing yourself on it? 

Thanks.

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## BudskiiHD

Thanks for sharing Desmond.

Can I ask, what NW you were before starting ( you said temples getting thinner, so i guess NW1? ), also did you get any regrowth? Apart from your temples, has your hairline improved? Did you experience any minaturized hair on your hairline grow back thicker & terminal ( not completely minaturized hair, but the 0 - 0.5cm thin hairs ) ?

I guess age plays a big role in the questions asked above, so could you give me a rough idea of how old you are ?

Lastly, how are you feeling now? Is your mood still same as pre fin ( if not better ) ?

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## Desmond84

> Thanks for sharing Desmond.
> 
> Can I ask, what NW you were before starting ( you said temples getting thinner, so i guess NW1? ), also did you get any regrowth? Apart from your temples, has your hairline improved? Did you experience any minaturized hair on your hairline grow back thicker & terminal ( not completely minaturized hair, but the 0 - 0.5cm thin hairs ) ?
> 
> I guess age plays a big role in the questions asked above, so could you give me a rough idea of how old you are ?
> 
> Lastly, how are you feeling now? Is your mood still same as pre fin ( if not better ) ?


 Hey Budskii  :Smile: 

I caught my hairloss pretty early! My temples were see-through when I started fin so you could say beginning of NW2. Under bright light they looked really bad actually! 

It's now 10 months since I started fin and tbh I'm blown away! My hair's probably back to how it looked 6-8 months before I started Propecia. Temples are much thicker and I probably look NW1 to an untrained eye! My hairline hasn't moved since I started fin and the vellus hairs on my hairline have become terminal again. 

My hair's still improving every month, which is surprising.

Side effects wise, I'm tolerating fin much better. The first 6 months, on the days I took Fin, I had this uncomfortable feeling down there...this dull pain at the tip of my pe$$$  :Big Grin:  (Just on the days I took fin, it would disappear the day after). Now, I don't have any of those sides...

Libido's improving but still not the same as pre-fin! Actually, libido is the only side that I'm suffering from at this point! I would say my libido's back to 80% of what it used to be pre-fin!

Mentally I feel so much better! I sleep well, I'm not as depressed about my hair anymore! I hit the gym and worry about my hair much less! 

I'm 29 btw  :Wink:  Catching your hairloss early is the key until hair multiplication becomes a reality.

When I first wanted to try 0.25mg TWICE A WEEK, there wasn't much anecdotal reports about how effective it would be...I went down this route bcause I was terrified of sides and I experienced a whole bunch of them. And I can assure you that 0.25mg TWICE A WEEK is more than enough. If Fin is going to work for you, you can be sure such dosing is sufficient! I'm not going to increase the dosage either! This is it for me till something better comes along!

Hope this info is helpful and everyone can overcome their fears somehow. It's not easy though...believe me I know.

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## Jcm800

Thanks Desmond, you're really reassuring me with your post's, I respect your input. I'm currently trying Keratene myself, but feel it's worthless, so before long I'm going to try your regime, would Tues and Fri be an ok schedule do you think? 

Thanks mate and I wish you continued good luck.

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## BudskiiHD

> Hey Budskii 
> 
> I caught my hairloss pretty early! My temples were see-through when I started fin so you could say beginning of NW2. Under bright light they looked really bad actually! 
> 
> It's now 10 months since I started fin and tbh I'm blown away! My hair's probably back to how it looked 6-8 months before I started Propecia. Temples are much thicker and I probably look NW1 to an untrained eye! My hairline hasn't moved since I started fin and the vellus hairs on my hairline have become terminal again. 
> 
> My hair's still improving every month, which is surprising.
> 
> Side effects wise, I'm tolerating fin much better. The first 6 months, on the days I took Fin, I had this uncomfortable feeling down there...this dull pain at the tip of my pe$$$  (Just on the days I took fin, it would disappear the day after). Now, I don't have any of those sides...
> ...


 Thanks for taking time to write a long, and very very helpful post, much appreciated.

I was going to start with 0.25mg every other day, but as you suggest i will start with 0.25mg twice a week to taper on, and reach 0.25mg EOD or 0.5mg EOD.

But yeh, me too, I want to use it until something like CB 03 01 gets released

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## Desmond84

> Thanks Desmond, you're really reassuring me with your post's, I respect your input. I'm currently trying Keratene myself, but feel it's worthless, so before long I'm going to try your regime, would Tues and Fri be an ok schedule do you think? 
> 
> Thanks mate and I wish you continued good luck.


 


> Thanks for taking time to write a long, and very very helpful post, much appreciated.
> 
> I was going to start with 0.25mg every other day, but as you suggest i will start with 0.25mg twice a week to taper on, and reach 0.25mg EOD or 0.5mg EOD.
> 
> But yeh, me too, I want to use it until something like CB 03 01 gets released


 It's a pleasure to help you guys out  :Smile: 

Let me know if anything else is in your minds...and keep me posted if you start Propecia...

Good luck

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## Dan26

Hey Desmond I know there is not much anecdotal evidence for 0.05mg/day finasteride, and no clinical evidence either (in terms of hair count, as opposed to 0.2mg which was included in clinical trials), but did you ever consider it? Scalp DHT is decreased by almost he same amount, and serum DHT 20% higher on it, according to this study,. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10495374

A bit counter intuitive, and doesn't really make sense to me tbh...but that's what the study claims!

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## FearTheLoss

Desmond, with the seemingly depressing Aderans news, I've decided to try propecia one more time after experiencing terrible sides the first time around 6 months ago. 

I too had that dull pain in the tip of my penis at low doses (.25mg eod)

Now I have started taking about .1mg-.2mg every other day to every 3 days depending on how my body is feeling..hopefully I can do this for awhile and let my body get used to the drug. 

I'm also going to have PRP + Acell done in the next month. I'll keep you guys updated on my sides and hair with lose dose propecia as well as the PRP + Acell.

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## FearTheLoss

Also Desmond, I know you are upset about the study of the topical finasteride..because the serum dht was dropped by the same amount so their would be side effects, but the scalp dht was dropped my roughly 20% more...so it could be very interesting to experiment with topical fin at lower levels...it would make sense that you could find a level that you have no sides but yet your hair is saved...because even with low oral fin dosages we can find this level...just a thought.

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## Desmond84

> Hey Desmond I know there is not much anecdotal evidence for 0.05mg/day finasteride, and no clinical evidence either (in terms of hair count, as opposed to 0.2mg which was included in clinical trials), but did you ever consider it? Scalp DHT is decreased by almost he same amount, and serum DHT 20&#37; higher on it, according to this study,. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10495374
> 
> A bit counter intuitive, and doesn't really make sense to me tbh...but that's what the study claims!


 Actually I tried the 0.05mg/day very early on! The trouble is Finasteride is NOT water-soluble and you have to dissolve it in Ethanol! I started getting the sides immediately which meant that it was working but the ethanol in it was also giving me indigestion and I've never suffered from indigestion before albeit I'm not a heavy drinker! 

So yeah, I guess you can try it! 0.05mg every 3 days should still save your hair guaranteed and those studies you posted definitely confirm it! I used the same studies to come up with 0.25mg TWICE A WEEK  :Smile: 

Let me know if you need help calculating the dose and amount of ethanol. 

Good luck!





> Desmond, with the seemingly depressing Aderans news, I've decided to try propecia one more time after experiencing terrible sides the first time around 6 months ago. 
> 
> I too had that dull pain in the tip of my penis at low doses (.25mg eod)
> 
> Now I have started taking about .1mg-.2mg every other day to every 3 days depending on how my body is feeling..hopefully I can do this for awhile and let my body get used to the drug. 
> 
> I'm also going to have PRP + Acell done in the next month. I'll keep you guys updated on my sides and hair with lose dose propecia as well as the PRP + Acell.


 
Hey FTL  :Smile: 

Yeah man...that's exactly how I started, the first few months I was taking 0.25mg/week at some points and hairs still OK! Don't rush it! All this pain is from your prostate slightly shrinking in size...the slower you proceed with Fin dosing the less the sides! 

Take it easy with dosing and increase slowly!




> Also Desmond, I know you are upset about the study of the topical finasteride..because the serum dht was dropped by the same amount so their would be side effects, but the scalp dht was dropped by roughly 20% more...so it could be very interesting to experiment with topical fin at lower levels...it would make sense that you could find a level that you have no sides but yet your hair is saved...because even with low oral fin dosages we can find this level...just a thought.


 Yeah I noticed that! But I don't know if you realised but if you use 2mL on your scalp you just applied 5mg of Finasteride! It's very high strength, hence the rapid drop in plasma DHT and massive drop in scalp DHT! 

If you suffer from sides, the topical formula might even give you worse sides! I think just start by taking 0.25mg ONCE A WEEK orally for 1 month...see how you feel, then slowly increase! This is what I learned the hard way  :Smile:  

And how horrible is this news about Aderans!!! I'm still in disbelief...I'm pretty sure they wont be releasing any public statements either...they'll try and kill their ARI program quietly without anyone noticing! No one wants to advertise spending $100 million for 11 years and completely failing to produce anything worthwhile! It just wont look good both for their image and the stock market <SIGH>

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## KO1

Keep in mind, serum DHT is dropping because Scalp DHT is dropping. Serum DHT is spillover DHT from the organs, so even if you have a local inhibitor of DHT, there should still be declines in serum as less is going into bloodstream.

You should try out topical fin in ethanol, don't just judge it by serum DHT levels. Try out a little bit and see what happens I guess.

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## Jcm800

Desmond am I missing something? Why were you dissolving 0.5 in ethanol? Could you just split the pill with a cutter and swallow it?

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## Dan26

> Desmond am I missing something? Why were you dissolving 0.5 in ethanol? Could you just split the pill with a cutter and swallow it?


 Jcm he was talking about 0.05mg. And Desmond, I believe it is soluble in lower level alcohols. Dissolving in something like vodka may even work. My plan was to dissolve 2-3mg, make a .1% solution, and injest 0.5ml.

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## Dan26

> Keep in mind, serum DHT is dropping because Scalp DHT is dropping. Serum DHT is spillover DHT from the organs, so even if you have a local inhibitor of DHT, there should still be declines in serum as less is going into bloodstream.
> 
> You should try out topical fin in ethanol, don't just judge it by serum DHT levels. Try out a little bit and see what happens I guess.


 Good idea/point KO. I am already using RU so electing to go oral with the low dose fin. And I got CB on the way lol. Problem for me is applying to my entire NW6 area with only RU/CB is hard and damn expensive. Lowering DHT systemically will be nice boost so I wont have to go ham on my dome topically.

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## KO1

> Good idea/point KO. I am already using RU so electing to go oral with the low dose fin. And I got CB on the way lol. Problem for me is applying to my entire NW6 area with only RU/CB is hard and damn expensive. Lowering DHT systemically will be nice boost so I wont have to go ham on my dome topically.


 Yeah, IMO that's the benefit of a systemic drug, with a topical you may miss areas that are not visibly thinning, but still susceptible to MPB. So do both.  :Smile:

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## Dan26

> Yeah, IMO that's the benefit of a systemic drug, with a topical you may miss areas that are not visibly thinning, but still susceptible to MPB. So do both.


 Exactly. If you are losing hair and can lower your DHT systemically without any/much negative effects, no reason not to do it!

----------


## Dan26

> Actually I tried the 0.05mg/day very early on! The trouble is Finasteride is NOT water-soluble and you have to dissolve it in Ethanol! I started getting the sides immediately which meant that it was working but the ethanol in it was also giving me indigestion and I've never suffered from indigestion before albeit I'm not a heavy drinker! 
> 
> So yeah, I guess you can try it! 0.05mg every 3 days should still save your hair guaranteed and those studies you posted definitely confirm it! I used the same studies to come up with 0.25mg TWICE A WEEK 
> 
> Let me know if you need help calculating the dose and amount of ethanol. 
> 
> Good luck!


 Hey Desmond, I read that finasteride is soluble in lower alchohol solvents and practically insoluble in water, but also saw that it is its soluble in water at 11.7mg/liter?? 
What I planned to do was crush a 1mg propecia pill into 10ml of Vodka and take 0.5ml, do you think this would work?? 
Thanks man.

----------


## KO1

Don't use vodka. Vodka barely has any alcohol. Try to get ethanol, or something like Everclear.

----------


## Dan26

> Don't use vodka. Vodka barely has any alcohol. Try to get ethanol, or something like Everclear.


 Im in Canada and would have to travel to another province or go to the states to get everclear. Im gonna look for whatever has the highest alcohol content at my local liquor store, I know vodka is 40%.

----------


## Desmond84

> Hey Desmond, I read that finasteride is soluble in lower alchohol solvents and practically insoluble in water, but also saw that it is its soluble in water at 11.7mg/liter?? 
> What I planned to do was crush a 1mg propecia pill into 10ml of Vodka and take 0.5ml, do you think this would work?? 
> Thanks man.


 Hey Dan,

Go into your local Pharmacy and ask the Pharmacist for it! They may keep some in the back where they compound creams and ointments.

In Australia, almost all Pharmacists keep some in the back of dispensary. I'm sure Canada's the same.

If they didn't give it to you try the Vodka technique...its OK

----------


## Dan26

> Hey Dan,
> 
> Go into your local Pharmacy and ask the Pharmacist for it! They may keep some in the back where they compound creams and ointments.
> 
> In Australia, almost all Pharmacists keep some in the back of dispensary. I'm sure Canada's the same.
> 
> If they didn't give it to you try the Vodka technique...its OK


 Ohh k thanks a lot man. I wouldn't have high hopes for them giving me ethanol, but no harm in asking I suppose! You do think vodka may do the trick though? I dont mind wasting a bit of the vodka and even the propecia especially since im using such a small amount and one 1mg pill would take me a long way. I'd probably do weekly batches to air on the safe side and just dump the rest after the week is done.

----------


## Desmond84

Yeah give it a shot  :Smile: 

So you have to crush the tablet first! The finer it is the faster it dissolves. Then add it to your your Vodka/Ethanol. Close the bottle and shake it for a minute or so and voila you're done!

Keep in mind that some of ingredients (fillers, etc) will not dissolve and will sediment to the bottom. That's OK...The finasteride should have dissolved regardless.

Good luck brother and keep me posted  :Wink:

----------


## Dan26

> Yeah give it a shot 
> 
> So you have to crush the tablet first! The finer it is the faster it dissolves. Then add it to your your Vodka/Ethanol. Close the bottle and shake it for a minute or so and voila you're done!
> 
> Keep in mind that some of ingredients (fillers, etc) will not dissolve and will sediment to the bottom. That's OK...The finasteride should have dissolved regardless.
> 
> Good luck brother and keep me posted


 Thanks broski! Will definitely keep you posted, may start a log soon after I have my regimen clickin on all cylinders.

----------


## hiilikeyourbeard

taking the plunge tuesday ladies. wish me luck eh? :Smile:

----------


## mpb47

> Hey FTL 
> 
> Yeah man...that's exactly how I started, the first few months I was taking 0.25mg/week at some points and hairs still OK! Don't rush it! All this pain is from your prostate slightly shrinking in size...the slower you proceed with Fin dosing the less the sides! 
> 
> Take it easy with dosing and increase slowly!


 Desmond,

I started to try something like .25 infrequently last year but chickened out. 
Were you able to do .25 a week with NO sides? And was this enough to stop mpb?

I was on it for 4-5 years and had very good results, both front and back, but got sides at that point. On minox alone I am slowly getting worse and running out of time, but if I could do .25 a week and not feel it, I would be back on it in a heartbeat.

Thanks!

----------


## irishpotatoes322

> Desmond,
> 
> I started to try something like .25 infrequently last year but chickened out. 
> Were you able to do .25 a week with NO sides? And was this enough to stop mpb?
> 
> I was on it for 4-5 years and had very good results, both front and back, but got sides at that point. On minox alone I am slowly getting worse and running out of time, but if I could do .25 a week and not feel it, I would be back on it in a heartbeat.
> 
> Thanks!


 I would bet if you got sides from .25 every other day or every third day, that those sides would either subside to a manageable degree with continued use as your body adapts, or disappear altogether within a few weeks of stopping medication if you so choose.

I was taking a 16th of a proscar pill every third, and sometimes every fourth day (approx .3mg) for a month and started seeing results (no scalp itch, hardly any hairs falling out, and hair just felt healthy in general). Unfortunately, I still had slight brain fog / about 20% less erection strength. Could those sides have gone away if I stayed on? Possibly, who knows? What I do know is that since being off for a few weeks I feel absolutely amazing, I can always tell the difference between being on finasteride and being off in terms of 1) energy 2) mental focus 3) sense of self / calmness, not a chance its a placebo lol. Believe me, I'm still telling myself that I would like to try finasteride again at some point in the near future. I just want to make sure that when I do start, i'm doing everything I can to optimize my hormones. 

I'll probably do this routine:
50mg zinc in the morning, 50mg zinc at night with 2mg copper and some magnesium
Toco-sorb
Regenpure
Nettle root extract (apparently slight aromatase inihibtor, and helps test not bind to shbg, and since dht is being inhibited, nettle in conjunction with finasteride should in theory mean just more T, which could be enough to offset sexual sides)
Biotin
Minoxidil at night followed with a little bit of emu oil


All that stuff is pretty cheap when considering the steal of a price for generic propecia, so yeah, totally worth a shot imo.

I just have no idea what I can do to counter brain fog, don't really feel like buying transdermal pregnenolone lol.

----------


## Dan26

> I would bet if you got sides from .25 every other day or every third day, that those sides would either subside to a manageable degree with continued use as your body adapts, or disappear altogether within a few weeks of stopping medication if you so choose.
> 
> I was taking a 16th of a proscar pill every third, and sometimes every fourth day (approx .3mg) for a month and started seeing results (no scalp itch, hardly any hairs falling out, and hair just felt healthy in general). Unfortunately, I still had slight brain fog / about 20% less erection strength. Could those sides have gone away if I stayed on? Possibly, who knows? What I do know is that since being off for a few weeks I feel absolutely amazing, I can always tell the difference between being on finasteride and being off in terms of 1) energy 2) mental focus 3) sense of self / calmness, not a chance its a placebo lol. Believe me, I'm still telling myself that I would like to try finasteride again at some point in the near future. I just want to make sure that when I do start, i'm doing everything I can to optimize my hormones. 
> 
> I'll probably do this routine:
> 50mg zinc in the morning, 50mg zinc at night with 2mg copper and some magnesium
> Toco-sorb
> Regenpure
> Nettle root extract (apparently slight aromatase inihibtor, and helps test not bind to shbg, and since dht is being inhibited, nettle in conjunction with finasteride should in theory mean just more T, which could be enough to offset sexual sides)
> ...


 Would you suggest taking nettle root extract or Zinc to someone who has not yet tried fin but it is starting? Or are more of the philosophy only if you experience problems then come back with this approach?

----------


## mpb47

> I would bet if you got sides from .25 every other day or every third day, that those sides would either subside to a manageable degree with continued use as your body adapts, or disappear altogether within a few weeks of stopping medication if you so choose.


 
Well I was on 1.25 at the time, not .25. That is why I was hoping I could safely use .25 once a week without any sides. If it only stopped my mpb I would be happy with that alone.




> I was taking a 16th of a proscar pill every third, and sometimes every fourth day (approx .3mg) for a month and started seeing results (no scalp itch, hardly any hairs falling out, and hair just felt healthy in general). Unfortunately, I still had slight brain fog / about 20% less erection strength. Could those sides have gone away if I stayed on? Possibly, who knows? What I do know is that since being off for a few weeks I feel absolutely amazing, I can always tell the difference between being on finasteride and being off in terms of 1) energy 2) mental focus 3) sense of self / calmness, not a chance its a placebo lol. Believe me, I'm still telling myself that I would like to try finasteride again at some point in the near future. I just want to make sure that when I do start, i'm doing everything I can to optimize my hormones.


 
On 1.25, I got anxiety / depression and loss of sex drive -went from overactive to nonresistant. I recovered from the first 2 but not the lost of sex drive. It came back a little but nothing like before. A few years later went through some hell for about 3 years or so. Also hurt my back and was on pain pills. between stress, a huge weight gain, and the pills I got a second round of propecia sides even though I was not even using it. Only it was much worse, this time I had the fog and had muscle loss.

I thought it was the pills, but my Dr, who put me on hormones said that while the pills could have caused my problems, they would have only been temporary. So all I know is that I am sensitive to these type of sides, whatever the cause. Ironically when I got my second round of sides my hair loss pretty much stopped and maybe reversed a little. Not the great regrowth I got from Propecia though.  Now I am fine other than mpb creeping back up on me.




> I'll probably do this routine:
> 50mg zinc in the morning, 50mg zinc at night with 2mg copper and some magnesium
> Toco-sorb
> Regenpure
> Nettle root extract (apparently slight aromatase inihibtor, and helps test not bind to shbg, and since dht is being inhibited, nettle in conjunction with finasteride should in theory mean just more T, which could be enough to offset sexual sides)
> Biotin
> Minoxidil at night followed with a little bit of emu oil


 When I went on hormones, it was suggested that I take zinc and b6 to regulate things. I will say they do seem to work.  Nettle root was also mentioned but I have not tried it.




> All that stuff is pretty cheap when considering the steal of a price for generic propecia, so yeah, totally worth a shot imo.
> 
> I just have no idea what I can do to counter brain fog, don't really feel like buying transdermal pregnenolone lol.


 I am not sure what fixed mine since I was on both hormones and several other supplements, but something did. Between all of it, I feel good again and I am fine other than I have started gradually balding again. Minox is slowly it down but pretty sure it will not be enough long term. Knowing all of this, would you risk .25 knowing you are sensitive to sides, but also get good results, least with 1.25?

----------


## stilltrying

On the topic of taking finasteride in a lower dose than the recommended one; is it really a good idea to do so? 

According to research, 0.25 mg lowers the amount of serum DHT approximately the same as the recommended dose of 1 mg. So as for the side effects supposedly caused by lower DHT (decreased libido, soft erections etc.) it really shouldn't make a difference. 

As for taking it once or twice per week instead of once daily, wouldn't this actually be more dangerous? From what I've understood, there's a sudden decline in serum DHT shortly after taking finasteride, while this slowly builds up again until the next dose. I don't think I've read this in scientific sources though, but I've read it multiple times in forum messages as well as on the website of Keratene Retard (where, on a sidenote, it was claimed that their treatment would not have the same sudden decline in DHT, which I find hard to believe unless it doesn't decrease DHT at all as claimed by multiple users on here).

I don't mean to claim that the TS's way of taking finasteride is not effective, but these are simply some doubts that other (future) finasteride users like me might want to think discuss with regard to dose and frequency.

----------


## mpb47

> On the topic of taking finasteride in a lower dose than the recommended one; is it really a good idea to do so? 
> 
> According to research, 0.25 mg lowers the amount of serum DHT approximately the same as the recommended dose of 1 mg. So as for the side effects supposedly caused by lower DHT (decreased libido, soft erections etc.) it really shouldn't make a difference. 
> 
> As for taking it once or twice per week instead of once daily, wouldn't this actually be more dangerous? From what I've understood, there's a sudden decline in serum DHT shortly after taking finasteride, while this slowly builds up again until the next dose. I don't think I've read this in scientific sources though, but I've read it multiple times in forum messages as well as on the website of Keratene Retard (where, on a sidenote, it was claimed that their treatment would not have the same sudden decline in DHT, which I find hard to believe unless it doesn't decrease DHT at all as claimed by multiple users on here).
> 
> I don't mean to claim that the TS's way of taking finasteride is not effective, but these are simply some doubts that other (future) finasteride users like me might want to think discuss with regard to dose and frequency.


 How would it be dangerous? As you still get sides or some other way?

It may not be ideal, but for some of us it may the only choice other than acceptance. I am getting closer to the point where I am going to have to decide between trying it or just accepting it.

----------


## Desmond84

Hey guys  :Smile: 

Here's some facts I can assure you of based on my own experience:

1. Taking any amount of Fin at any interval less than ONCE A WEEK will slow down your hair loss. 

2. Taking it TWICE A WEEK will most probably HALT your hairloss. 

3. Side effects subside overtime.

4. By the 12th month your hormone profile stabilises and even your libido should return to normal. My libido is far better today than at the 6th month mark which was almost non-existent!

Based on these, I would definitely give it a shot again at ONCE A WEEK interval until you feel confident enough to increase it to TWICE A WEEK. I myself feel the scalp itch coming back by the fifth day so I would try and take it TWICE A WEEK if possible. 

Also, don't forget Finasteride is NOT life-long...CB-03-01 is on the horizon and should be out within 3-4 years! My aim and everybody else should be to maintain until we get our hands on a non-systemic anti-androgen such CB which will maintain our hair for many years to come...

We have a 33 month window before the miniturised follicle will never sprout again! If we stop fin long enough, we will have hairs that will never turn terminal...

So, considering all the recent blows we've had regarding the current status of cutting edge treatments in the pipeline, I would strongly suggest to everyone to give Fin a shot at any dose they can tolerate for at least another 3-4 years...

Hope that's helpful guys

----------


## BudskiiHD

> Hey guys 
> 
> Here's some facts I can assure you of based on my own experience:
> 
> 1. Taking any amount of Fin at any interval less than ONCE A WEEK will slow down your hair loss. 
> 
> 2. Taking it TWICE A WEEK will most probably HALT your hairloss. 
> 
> 3. Side effects subside overtime.
> ...


 Thanks! Great Post!

I started finasteride yesterday in the morning ( ~30 hours ago ), going to go with 0.25mg 2x a week for now and then after some time bump it up to 0.25mg EOD and stay there. Don't feel any different for now, maybe side effects within next month, quite confident I won't get them but will see. Also adding RU58841 for the hairline next week. But yeh, I am gona really try to save all my hair follicles which I can until something better comes along. Oh and if that 33 month window is true, I should get most of my juvenile hairline back lol

As for CB-03-01, you should use RU58841 for now and then when cb 03 01 gets released you can just jump on it and drop RU58841

----------


## Dan26

> Hey guys 
> 
> Here's some facts I can assure you of based on my own experience:
> 
> 1. Taking any amount of Fin at any interval less than ONCE A WEEK will slow down your hair loss. 
> 
> 2. Taking it TWICE A WEEK will most probably HALT your hairloss. 
> 
> 3. Side effects subside overtime.
> ...


 Desmond I don;t think once a week is wise! Probably once every 5 days at the most. If you look at the chart for single doses DHT would have made a signifigant decline by day 7. Isn't it best to not have your hormones fluctuating, but rather keep them at a steady level. And get on the drug by slowly getting your hormones to that desired steady state? I personally started 0.05mg/day this week because 1) a single dose only very slightly decreases DHT 2) We know that after 42 daily doses of 0.05mg/day serum DHT was reduced by 50% and scalp by 62%..Whereas with daily doses of 0.2 and up, serum DHT was reduced by around 70%, for daily doses...It is interesting the way this drug works..I wonder if they measuerd after 42 days, but of taking for eg. 0.2 twice or three times a week, perhaps serum DHT would be closer to 50%..because if u think about it daily 0.05mg doses vs 0.2mg twice a week is nearly the same amount of fin injested in a span of a week..

----------


## Desmond84

> Thanks! Great Post!
> 
> I started finasteride yesterday in the morning ( ~30 hours ago ), going to go with 0.25mg 2x a week for now and then after some time bump it up to 0.25mg EOD and stay there. Don't feel any different for now, maybe side effects within next month, quite confident I won't get them but will see. Also adding RU58841 for the hairline next week. But yeh, I am gona really try to save all my hair follicles which I can until something better comes along. Oh and if that 33 month window is true, I should get most of my juvenile hairline back lol
> 
> As for CB-03-01, you should use RU58841 for now and then when cb 03 01 gets released you can just jump on it and drop RU58841


 Oh really! That is awesome man  :Smile:  All the best and keep us updated on your dosing and sides...the more evidence we gather the better we can control this damn curse  :Smile: 





> Desmond I don;t think once a week is wise! Probably once every 5 days at the most. If you look at the chart for single doses DHT would have made a signifigant decline by day 7. Isn't it best to not have your hormones fluctuating, but rather keep them at a steady level. And get on the drug by slowly getting your hormones to that desired steady state? I personally started 0.05mg/day this week because 1) a single dose only very slightly decreases DHT 2) We know that after 42 daily doses of 0.05mg/day serum DHT was reduced by 50% and scalp by 62%..Whereas with daily doses of 0.2 and up, serum DHT was reduced by around 70%, for daily doses...It is interesting the way this drug works..I wonder if they measuerd after 42 days, but of taking for eg. 0.2 twice or three times a week, perhaps serum DHT would be closer to 50%..because if u think about it daily 0.05mg doses vs 0.2mg twice a week is nearly the same amount of fin injested in a span of a week..


 Once a week is definitely not ideal...but its a start. 

Don't forget majority of ppl are terrified of taking Fin (myself included)

Once you feel no sides, you will definitely feel more confident to increase the dosing frequency  :Smile:

----------


## Desmond84

Oh btw, you are going to be the greatest story in the coming months! 

Keep a log and report everything Dan...we're all curious as to how effective is the 0.05mg  :Smile:  

I personally think it will MOST DEFINITELY HALT YOUR HAIRLOSS...but its good to have anecdotal evidence...good luck man

----------


## hiilikeyourbeard

bud, interestingly enough I also started fin yesterday and am starting ru next week. I'm starting at .6 mg or so EOD. will see how that goes

----------


## Dan26

Will do brother!

btw it did not dissolve that well in vodka...I assume for the most part the actual fin is dissolved, but it does look a bit cloudy and i can see tiny particles, but no clumps atleast. Gonna try and get some ethanol in the meantime!

Will definitely keep you guys updated. I got my DHT tested before I started, and plan to get it again in 45-60 days to ensure the information in the studies hold up.

Good luck hiilikeyourbeard, hopefully we have progress to report in the coming months  :Big Grin:

----------


## hiilikeyourbeard

I forgot to get my dht tested. I'm not so sure it matters but it's probably a decent idea. maybe I should set it up today

----------


## Dan26

> I forgot to get my dht tested. I'm not so sure it matters but it's probably a decent idea. maybe I should set it up today


 Can;t hurt. But since you already have taken it, not sure how much it will help. Unless you wait a couple days, dont take it, get ur dht tested, then resume taking.

----------


## hiilikeyourbeard

yeah I was thinking the same. fin acts quick from what I've seen. I wanna do it for the same reason you are, just to show how effective a lower dose is

----------


## Dan26

> yeah I was thinking the same. fin acts quick from what I've seen. I wanna do it for the same reason you are, just to show how effective a lower dose is


 Yea man, and I doubt everyone responds the exact same way. Like if I find out this dose of 0.05mg/day only reduces my DHT by 40% or less then I'll probably up it!

I think for us because we are also using RU, a solid 50-60% reductions should enhance results greatly, and not give us too much to worry about in terms of sides.

----------


## hiilikeyourbeard

it could also save us a shit ton of money in the long run if effective.

----------


## Jcm800

@desmond  -  but maybe Finasteride is life long, because many people develop PFS upon cessation of the drug? One of the main reasons I've abstained so far, I'm scared of having to quit it one day and face potential issues?

----------


## mpb47

> Hey guys 
> 
> Here's some facts I can assure you of based on my own experience:
> 
> 1. Taking any amount of Fin at any interval less than ONCE A WEEK will slow down your hair loss. 
> 
> 2. Taking it TWICE A WEEK will most probably HALT your hairloss. 
> 
> 3. Side effects subside overtime.
> ...


 Yes it was thanks for you help. I think I will give it another shot as as I have said, I am running out of time. Just took first .25 dose (7-27-13).  I will keep at once a week, may not be ideal but better than giving up without trying. If I can't tolerate it , I can always go off of it again. About to take some baseline pics..if I can only stop crown from growing, I will be happy.

----------


## ccmethinning

I started the .25 dose on Tuesdays and Saturdays challenge last night. I'm using Finpecia instead of Propecia. 

Does the dose need to be dissolved in alcohol beforehand to be effective?

----------


## BudskiiHD

> I started the .25 dose on Tuesdays and Saturdays challenge last night. I'm using Finpecia instead of Propecia. 
> 
> Does the dose need to be dissolved in alcohol beforehand to be effective?


 what?? no just it orally

----------


## Desmond84

> Yes it was thanks for you help. I think I will give it another shot as as I have said, I am running out of time. Just took first .25 dose (7-27-13).  I will keep at once a week, may not be ideal but better than giving up without trying. If I can't tolerate it , I can always go off of it again. About to take some baseline pics..if I can only stop crown from growing, I will be happy.


 


> I started the .25 dose on Tuesdays and Saturdays challenge last night. I'm using Finpecia instead of Propecia. 
> 
> Does the dose need to be dissolved in alcohol beforehand to be effective?


 


> what?? no just it orally


 Sounds exciting guys  :Smile: 

If we have enough ppl having success on this dose with far less sides, we may have just been able to uncover fin's sweet spot everyone has been dreaming about! 

Plz keep posting your results and experiences while taking it guys...it's important to get the word out to all those that are really scared of trying fin  :Smile:

----------


## mpb47

> Yes it was thanks for you help. I think I will give it another shot as as I have said, I am running out of time. Just took first .25 dose (7-27-13).  I will keep at once a week, may not be ideal but better than giving up without trying. If I can't tolerate it , I can always go off of it again. About to take some baseline pics..if I can only stop crown from growing, I will be happy.


 2nd dose today. So far so good....

----------


## ccmethinning

Only 2 doses in so far, but I have experienced a higher libido and more frequent erections, but also less sensitivity.

----------


## hiilikeyourbeard

less sensitivity here as well. I'm on day 8 of .6 mg every 3 days. my libido is the same but more morning erections, the lessened sensitivity is concerning

----------


## Pentarou

> Also, don't forget *Finasteride is NOT life-long...*CB-03-01 is on the horizon and should be out within 3-4 years! My aim and everybody else should be to maintain until we get our hands on a non-systemic anti-androgen such CB which will maintain our hair for many years to come...


 I agree. In some form or other, whether CB or not, there's no chance that anyone alive today will need to use finasteride for the rest of their natural lives to halt hair loss.




> So, considering all the recent blows we've had regarding the current status of cutting edge treatments in the pipeline, I would strongly suggest to everyone to give Fin a shot at any dose they can tolerate for at least another 3-4 years...


 Fully agreed. People need to take action now, to preserve as much hair as possible with recognised existing treatments.

And if CB or other treatments turn out to be longer away from release... finasteride is shown to work effectively for a decade at least.

----------


## locke999

I am wondering for those of you who have started taking finasteride did you go see a doctor before taking it or did you just ordered it online.

I have some finpecia on the table but I have been waiting to go see a doctor first just to see what they would have to say but I won't be able to see one for about another 2 weeks since I am busy with work and school. Meanwhile, my hairline keeps receding.

----------


## Artista

Hello everyone, Artista here-I began using Finasteride on August 1st 2013. 
My doctor is very positive about the usage of Finasteride due to decent results by many of his patients thus far.
I hope to be reporting my own great result here. Please feel free to add to my thread guys. "Artista and Finasteride"  :Big Grin:

----------


## TheSwingingGate

I started with .25mg yesterday.  Noticed tingling in testicles and penis, fluttery feeling in pelvic area. Desmond, did this happen to you in the beginning?

Side note: I used 1mg Propecia a couple times in my 20's (37 years old now) with no side effects, except clumpy semen. I stopped using it as my hair loss was not much of an issue at the time.

I wonder if certain ages tolerate better than others?

----------


## BudskiiHD

> I started with .25mg yesterday.  Noticed tingling in testicles and penis, fluttery feeling in pelvic area. Desmond, did this happen to you in the beginning?
> 
> Side note: I used 1mg Propecia a couple times in my 20's (37 years old now) with no side effects, except clumpy semen. I stopped using it as my hair loss was not much of an issue at the time.
> 
> I wonder if certain ages tolerate better than others?


 I had fluttery feeling( barely noticeable) in pelvic area at the start and then went away on like 2nd or 3rd day. That feeling is probably because prostate getting smaller. I do think younger ages should get less side effects because when they are younger, the DHT levels are much higher. Finasteride reduces DHT by about 70&#37;, when younger I assume even lowering DHT by 70% should still leave quite a bit of DHT which is enough to keep other stuff functioning as normal e.g. erections.

----------


## Dan26

I got my pre-fin DHT results, they were 4058pmol/L aka 118ng/dL

I've been on 0.05-0.1mg/day for about 2.5 weeks....yet to notice anything

----------


## TheSwingingGate

BudskiiHD, thanks for the follow up. Hope it passes. Going to take the next .25mg in a day or 2.

----------


## redy

hey all,
been on fin .25mg every other day for 1 week, then .25mg ever day for 1 week. Will continue on .25mg every day for 2 more weeks or so then up it probably to .5 progressively..

No sides that I can tell other than when I'm playing mind games with myself.
Also started rogaine at the same time (temple thinning and recession).
I'm 21.

Will post updates.

----------


## Dan26

Hey Desmond I had a question man!

I've been using 0.05mg-0.1mg of fin per day for about 2.5 weeks. No changes whatsoever thus far. But I got my DHT results back from before I started fin and they were very high! (118ng/dL). Do you think it is wise to up my dose a bit, or stick with that im at. I'm thinking of 0.2mg/day because there is atleast a dose ranging study with that dosage that shows DHT reduction in the 60%'s range and increase hair count (but not quite as much as from 1mg).

----------


## mpb47

> 2nd dose today. So far so good....


 Week 3 just took 3rd dose. So far so good. Another week or so and I will increase to 2x a week and see how that goes.

The last time I was on propecia it took about 4 months for hairline regrowth, 9 months for crown, so not expecting anything anytime soon, esp on this low of a dose.

----------


## BigThinker

> Hey Desmond I had a question man!
> 
> I've been using 0.05mg-0.1mg of fin per day for about 2.5 weeks. No changes whatsoever thus far. But I got my DHT results back from before I started fin and they were very high! (118ng/dL). Do you think it is wise to up my dose a bit, or stick with that im at. I'm thinking of 0.2mg/day because there is atleast a dose ranging study with that dosage that shows DHT reduction in the 60%'s range and increase hair count (but not quite as much as from 1mg).


 How aggressive is your hair loss?  Mine is/was super aggressive and bombarding my body with 1.25mg an 0.5dut doesn't seem to be doing much.  If I was on your sort of dose I'd probably be NW7 slick.

----------


## Dan26

> How aggressive is your hair loss?  Mine is/was super aggressive and bombarding my body with 1.25mg an 0.5dut doesn't seem to be doing much.  If I was on your sort of dose I'd probably be NW7 slick.


 Mine is pretty aggressive bro, similar to yours. Did you get your DHT levels tested before fin???

Maybe your DHT was already normal or low and thats why fin/dut hasn't helped thus far. You follicles could just be really sensitive to DHT. Or it could be really high and you need something like dut, but give it time. Everyone is different its hard to know, which is why getting baselines is smart.

----------


## mpb47

> Week 3 just took 3rd dose. So far so good. Another week or so and I will increase to 2x a week and see how that goes.
> 
> The last time I was on propecia it took about 4 months for hairline regrowth, 9 months for crown, so not expecting anything anytime soon, esp on this low of a dose.


 ? for those of us who are gradually getting back on propecia while avoiding sides.

Those of you that have already been through this may have better answers.

Next week it will be a month for me. Think I will better off by increasing the Frequency of the dose (.25) ...ie 2x a week or staying at once a week but increasing the amount? Anyone done this and what do you suggest. Just happy I have had no problems at this point so far.

Thanks.

----------


## Dan26

> ? for those of us who are gradually getting back on propecia while avoiding sides.
> 
> Those of you that have already been through this may have better answers.
> 
> Next week it will be a month for me. Think I will better off by increasing the Frequency of the dose (.25) ...ie 2x a week or staying at once a week but increasing the amount? Anyone done this and what do you suggest. Just happy I have had no problems at this point so far.
> 
> Thanks.


 I havn't been through that, but as far as efficacy goes, I suggest taking it 2x a week. Once a week gives a chance for DHT to slowly decrease and fluctuating levels is no good for hair or body for that matter.

----------


## mpb47

> I havn't been through that, but as far as efficacy goes, I suggest taking it 2x a week. Once a week gives a chance for DHT to slowly decrease and fluctuating levels is no good for hair or body for that matter.


 I know someone here had a plan on how to gradually get on it (spex?).

If I still have no problems on Sat I will give 2x a week a try and see what happens. 10 years ago when my mpb reallly kicked in I was on 1.25 a day. But now it it has slowed way down so may not need as much. Time will tell I guess.

----------


## Californication

> I had fluttery feeling( barely noticeable) in pelvic area at the start and then went away on like 2nd or 3rd day. That feeling is probably because prostate getting smaller. I do think younger ages should get less side effects because when they are younger, the DHT levels are much higher. Finasteride reduces DHT by about 70%, when younger I assume even lowering DHT by 70% should still leave quite a bit of DHT which is enough to keep other stuff functioning as normal e.g. erections.


 
Spencer has noticed the opposite, so have I in my time on forums and such. Older people tend to get less side effects imo.

----------


## locke999

Hey guys, I just got back from the doctor and he got me to do some blood tests and I am still waiting for results to see if my hair lost is anything unrelated to MPB. I doubt it though but he was leaning more towards telling me I should just accept the hair loss. He was bald too and hesitantly recommended rogaine but it was like he was trying to avoid talking about propecia, probably didn't want me to go on it. I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to. 

Do you guys think I should just jump the gun and use the finpecia that I have already ordered from the online pharmacy? 

I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to.

----------


## BigThinker

Tell him to give you one good reason.  If he doesn't, tell him you're just going to order it online and self-medicate.

----------


## 25 going on 65

> Hey guys, I just got back from the doctor and he got me to do some blood tests and I am still waiting for results to see if my hair lost is anything unrelated to MPB. I doubt it though but he was leaning more towards telling me I should just accept the hair loss. He was bald too and hesitantly recommended rogaine but it was like he was trying to avoid talking about propecia, probably didn't want me to go on it. I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to. 
> 
> Do you guys think I should just jump the gun and use the finpecia that I have already ordered from the online pharmacy? 
> 
> I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to.


 Forget him, he failed his own hair and now has no stake in seeing others fight the good fight

You got what you needed from him (blood tests). Just go to a different doc for the fin rx.

----------


## mpb47

> Hey guys, I just got back from the doctor and he got me to do some blood tests and I am still waiting for results to see if my hair lost is anything unrelated to MPB. I doubt it though but he was leaning more towards telling me I should just accept the hair loss. He was bald too and hesitantly recommended rogaine but it was like he was trying to avoid talking about propecia, probably didn't want me to go on it. I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to. 
> 
> Do you guys think I should just jump the gun and use the finpecia that I have already ordered from the online pharmacy? 
> 
> I was really hoping he would just prescribe me propecia but I don't think he is going to.


 I went through the same thing myself about 10 years ago. Honestly I was embarrassed to even mention it and then only to be told by her that there was nothing wrong with my hair. I would try to do it the right way but if they won't help you then you have to decide for yourself what to do. I did have good luck with inhouse and as far as I know , they are still good to deal with.

I just went back on propecia and debating about telling my current dr about it. She is far more responsive than my old dr about helping me. Just plain embarrassing for me to mention it as silly as that sounds...

----------


## ccmethinning

Update 2 and a half weeks in. Thinking about moving to .25 EOD rather than just 2x a week, as I have been noticing that the day of and day after I take the dose, my scalp is white as snow with no itch, however on the 3rd and 4th day my scalp is redder, itchier, and oilier. Basically since I was 14 my scalp has been in a persistent mildly irritated state, constantly pink and irritated, with mild-moderate dandruff. I can barely feel my scalp right after I take propecia and it is such a great feeling. Hopefully taking EOD can help stop the DHT rebound. 

My libido is still elevated. Also, my erections are less frequent now, but when I do get them, they are stronger. Also, my ejaculate is definitley much less than before I started. Probably about 50% in volume. Sensitivity is still less as well.

----------


## mpb47

Update: 1 month today that I started back on propecia. I wanted to take it safe and slow so I was at only .25  once a week.

So far everything just fine so now going to 2x a week at .25

How is everyone else doing?

----------


## Desmond84

Great to hear everyone is doing OK with micro-dosing  :Smile:  

My libido is still @ about 90%, which I couldn't complain about. Has anyone started shedding yet?

----------


## ccmethinning

> Great to hear everyone is doing OK with micro-dosing  
> 
> My libido is still @ about 90%, which I couldn't complain about. Has anyone started shedding yet?


 Nope no shed yet.

----------


## ccmethinning

My almost 3 week update. Sensitivity is back to almost original. Libido has leveled out and is almost back down to original. Ejaculate fluid is almost back to up to normal levels. 

My scalp is "at peace" for the first time since I was 14 years old (I'm 21 now). It was in a perpetual state of mild inflammation before fin. Redness is down significantly. Dandruff persists though. My scalp is soft and malleable now too. I can "squish" the skin on my scalp together in ways that were not possible before fin.

I'm NW2 and now I'm just awaiting the dreaded shed. I'm just hoping it's not catastrophic.

----------


## Notcoolanymore

It's funny that a few people on here mentioned that their doctors didn't want to help them treat their hair loss.  I had the same experience.  I was in my mid 20's at the time he was in his 50's.  He told me that balding is a normal part of aging.  He told me to look at him even he was losing hair.  Eff that piece of garbage.  If I would have gotten the help I needed then, who know's where I would be today.

----------


## DanWS

So I'm onto my second month of Propecia 0.25mg daily. Here's my experience so far:

*Month 1:* I initially started on the recommended 1mg daily dose and started to notice sides on the 4th day. They were very minor and barely noticeable at first but by day 12 it was starting to become uncomfortable. The sides included short periods of achey ball (yes just the one) and short periods of general discomfort/increased sensitivity in the prostate region. My scalp also started tingling on the 4th day, mainly around the crown but also general spots on the top of my head. I can't say that I've consciously noticed a shed, but I wouldn't be surprised if the tingling indicates it's happening. 

I decided to lower my daily dosage. I didnt take any fin on days 13-15 as I wanted the increasingly irritable sides to go away, which fortunately they did. From day 16 onwards I have been taking 0.25mg every day and I'm pleased to say that the sides have stopped. I still get occasional tingles on my scalp, but this causes me no discomfort and actually feels rather nice and soothing. I'm hoping it's a sign the drug is working in some way. Absolutely no lowering of libido or any sexual sides thus far (thank God).

*Month 2*: Tingling on scalp is still happening, but it has moved a little from my crown to the front/top of my head and my hairline. I'm still on 0.25mg daily and have had no side effects on this dosage. Libido is great and I'm still tugging it like a horny 14yr old who's just discovered RedTube. Semen consistency is also the same and I'm getting no other sides. Towards the second half of the month the tingling/itching periods on my scalp have lessened and are becoming less frequent. 

And I'm not 100&#37; sure if I'm just imagining this, but I'm seeing new, small, dark hairs appear in front of the the middle part of my hairline - i.e. where I'm not receding, which I'm finding pretty damn strange! I've noticed it more and more over the last 2 weeks from just glancing in the mirror and being drawn to it as it's becoming more obvious. They're just smaller, dark hairs growing in front of my regular hairline that seem to be becoming more consistent. However, as I said, it's happening at the very front where my hairline is best, so I'm really not sure what to make of it! I'm also not convinced 2 months is long enough to see any type of positive results, but I also can't ignore what I'm seeing, so I'm really unsure. I know that my hair absolutely _does_ grow considerably faster than the average (half an inch per month) so who knows... Apart from that, the top of my head looks thinner than ever, so I'm guessing the tingling I've been getting is an indicator that I've been shedding, and to be fair I have been finding more shedded hair than usual... although this, like the tingling/itching, appears to have begun subsiding during the second half of the month. 

Hopefully month 3 will bring continued progress.

----------


## mpb47

That is great news about your hairline and FWIW that is where I first noticed propecia working the first time around, though it was around the 4th month.

I have just started 2nd month (.25 @ 2x week) and have started to notice shedding..plenty of it in the sink this am. But not sure it's the propecia at this point as I also had crown itch to go along with it.

Yesterday morning I noticed a small ache down on my left one, but again not sure if it's propecia as I have this before in the past when I was not on even on it. Even if it was, I am not concerned as it went away after about 4 hours or so and today it's gone although I do still feel a bit sensitive.  This could all be coincidental and even if it's not it's not anything I am worried about.

----------


## DanWS

> That is great news about your hairline and FWIW that is where I first noticed propecia working the first time around, though it was around the 4th month.
> 
> I have just started 2nd month (.25 @ 2x week) and have started to notice shedding..plenty of it in the sink this am. But not sure it's the propecia at this point as I also had crown itch to go along with it.
> 
> Yesterday morning I noticed a small ache down on my left one, but again not sure if it's propecia as I have this before in the past when I was not on even on it. Even if it was, I am not concerned as it went away after about 4 hours or so and today it's gone although I do still feel a bit sensitive.  This could all be coincidental and even if it's not it's not anything I am worried about.


 Thanks, how come you had to stop fin first time? Did the sides get too much? Seems a shame since you got positive results.

----------


## mpb47

> Thanks, how come you had to stop fin first time? Did the sides get too much? Seems a shame since you got positive results.


 Yes though I am not 100% it was what caused the sides.

You are right ..had pretty good results and after about 2 years, it was like I did not have mpb anymore, so it was kinda hard watching it come back. But hey that is why I am back on it and will be happy if I can just stop it.

----------


## Desmond84

Hey guys,

Today is exactly *12 MONTHS* since I started taking 0.25 mg of Finasteride *TWICE A WEEK*  :Big Grin: 

First off, ALL my sides have now disappeared! My Libido is now back to pre-fin which is truly unexpected and I have my morning wood again  :Smile:  ...I think powering through the sides for 1 year may be the key for those of us that may experience minor sides! (Please note, if you suffer from gynecomastia on fin, don't power through it! That will only make things worse)....

Secondly, My hair loss has completely halted and I have had some regrowth in my temples!

__________________________________________________  _______________

This was a great learning curve for me. Guys if you really want to HALT your hairloss until we have better solutions, take 0.25 mg TWICE A WEEK and allow 12 months for the minor sides to disappear!

The lower dosing doesn't completely remove all of your DHT and your body can adjust much better in my opinion!

All the best guys and let me know if you need any advice  :Smile: 

Cheers,

- Des

----------


## BigThinker

> Hey guys,
> 
> Today is exactly *12 MONTHS* since I started taking Finasteride *TWICE A WEEK* 
> 
> First off, ALL my sides have now disappeared! My Libido is now back to pre-fin which is truly unexpected...I think powering through the sides for 1 year may be the key for those of us that may experience minor sides! (Please note, if you suffer from gynecomastia on fin, don't power through it! That will only make things worse)....
> 
> Secondly, My hair loss has completely halted and I have had some regrowth in my temples!
> 
> __________________________________________________  _______________
> ...


 It's great to hear that, 1, you halted your hairloss and, 2, you were able to eradicate all your sides.  I have a bit of fatigue and I'm not quite as horny.  Can't decide if I should cut back on fin for a short period of time or not.  My head still itches from time to time which is highly concerning.

My sides, if they're from fin, are minor at best.  I'm not sure what is warranted here.  I'm afraid to allow *any* DHT to flow.

----------


## Jazz1

I used 1mg first time and had sides over night major sides, so i decided I had to stop hairloss so I used 0.25mg finesteride spray from genhair worked awesome I had amazing results and sides I could cope with etc. until 7 months down the line I started losing hairs fast, two weeks later I jumped on 1mg propecia and had no sides and stopped hairloss again. So your body can become tolerant, I now use 1mg every other day for a year and I'm ok.

----------


## optimisticyouth

> I used 1mg first time and had sides over night major sides, so i decided I had to stop hairloss so I used 0.25mg finesteride spray from genhair worked awesome I had amazing results and sides I could cope with etc. until 7 months down the line I started losing hairs fast, two weeks later I jumped on 1mg propecia and had no sides and stopped hairloss again. So your body can become tolerant, I now use 1mg every other day for a year and I'm ok.


 Finasteride spray sounds like trouble if there's any woman around.

And thank you Desmond! If I ever decide to jump onto propecia, I'm gonna follow your routine

----------


## BigThinker

> Finasteride spray sounds like trouble if there's any woman around.

----------


## Jazz1

> Finasteride spray sounds like trouble if there's any woman around.
> 
> And thank you Desmond! If I ever decide to jump onto propecia, I'm gonna follow your routine


 Same goes for sex without condom  :Stick Out Tongue: .....

----------


## mpb47

> Hey guys,
> 
> Today is exactly *12 MONTHS* since I started taking 0.25 mg of Finasteride *TWICE A WEEK* 
> 
> First off, ALL my sides have now disappeared! My Libido is now back to pre-fin which is truly unexpected and I have my morning wood again  ...I think powering through the sides for 1 year may be the key for those of us that may experience minor sides! (Please note, if you suffer from gynecomastia on fin, don't power through it! That will only make things worse)....
> 
> Secondly, My hair loss has completely halted and I have had some regrowth in my temples!
> 
> __________________________________________________  _______________
> ...


 That's great news and what I was hoping to hear. On the same .25 2 times a week and so far so good at 2.5 months as of Saturday.

This is something other guys should try rather than doing nothing and it is good to hear you are having success!

----------


## Jcm800

Great news Desmond, glad it's panning out for you. 

Mpb47 may I ask your age? 47 maybe?

----------


## hiilikeyourbeard

Desmond! dude that's awesome news. I'll be doing this now

----------


## mpb47

> Great news Desmond, glad it's panning out for you. 
> 
> Mpb47 may I ask your age? 47 maybe?


 48 Yes even some of us older guys want to keep their hair if they can, though I am at the point I can deal with it if propecia doesn't work for me.

----------


## mpb47

Starting to see some very small hairs at front of hairline, mostly in the center. You can only see them under good lighting but they are there. Velus only but hopefully this is a positive sign of things to come

Nothing to really report in the crown, but that is ok as the first time I was on propecia, I got regrowth at the hairline first and crown took another 5 months or so before it started to respond.

----------


## Jcm800

Hey Desmond - just like to ask how your experience with Fin is going mate? Any updates? Cheers.

----------


## Henkeh91

> Hey Desmond - just like to ask how your experience with Fin is going mate? Any updates? Cheers.


 I want updates too! I´m going to meet a doc next week because of my low sex drive. The thing is that I´m really afraid that I have totally ruined my libido and thinking to put the propecia on the shelf for a while but I don´t want to lose anymore hair which have put me in a difficult situation.

----------


## Jcm800

He's around, I've requested updates several times, doesn't reply.. Which is not like Desmond usually.

----------


## mpb47

Well I can tell you that it still seems to be working for me. I was able to ween off minox and did not experience any major shedding. I did the same about 2 years ago when I was on minox alone and experienced tons of shedding.

At this very low dose , I am not growing back tons of hair but I am not losing it ether.

Will keep on like this and eventually may up dosage to see if I can get more regrowth.

----------


## Benis23

For the guys who are on the .25 mg twice a week regimen - what is the best way to get finasteride into such a small dose?  Are you buying the 5 mg pills and then splitting them with a pill splitter?  Or buying the 1 mg propecia?

----------


## Notcoolanymore

> For the guys who are on the .25 mg twice a week regimen - what is the best way to get finasteride into such a small dose?  Are you buying the 5 mg pills and then splitting them with a pill splitter?  Or buying the 1 mg propecia?


 I don't think it is possible to cut a 5mg pill into .25mg?  If you plan on only using .25mg two times a week, go with name brand propecia.  It may cost you $75 for 30 pills, but if my math is correct it would last about a year.

----------


## mpb47

> For the guys who are on the .25 mg twice a week regimen - what is the best way to get finasteride into such a small dose?  Are you buying the 5 mg pills and then splitting them with a pill splitter?  Or buying the 1 mg propecia?


 I am buying generic 1mg and then using the pill cutter. It is a bit more $$ but at this low of a dose , it is not that big of a deal.

----------


## Jcm800

Desmond, this is the thread I've requested updates, and no reply dude. Sorry if I sound offensive, just pointing out. 

What days are you taking it may I ask?

----------


## stan

hey there!

even i have the same side effects almost. why do we have the burning sensation after peeing, doesnt make sense. can anything be done to mitigate it. i had this problem initially then it became better now it has returned. i am taking .25 mg daily. when did this burning sensation of yours subsided?

----------


## Rodfarva

I had a brief stint with 0.25mg fin ED a few years back. It went fine for a week or two, then the sides hit me. No erections, and I think I can relate to the shrinking issue as well. I had an injury at the time, completely unrelated, but I was able to blame my issues off to that towards my sexual partner. She didn't make a big deal out of it, but was kind of baffled anyways. I played it cool but in my head I was pretty concerned. It took a while for my erections to return after I quit, I learned my lesson and swore to never touch that stuff again! I remember asking my first derm for Propecia, and he refused, saying he would have no part in chemically castrating a young man over a few strands of hair. He was more right than I could comprehend at the time..

----------


## stan

> I had a brief stint with 0.25mg fin ED a few years back. It went fine for a week or two, then the sides hit me. No erections, and I think I can relate to the shrinking issue as well. I had an injury at the time, completely unrelated, but I was able to blame my issues off to that towards my sexual partner. She didn't make a big deal out of it, but was kind of baffled anyways. I played it cool but in my head I was pretty concerned. It took a while for my erections to return after I quit, I learned my lesson and swore to never touch that stuff again! I remember asking my first derm for Propecia, and he refused, saying he would have no part in chemically castrating a young man over a few strands of hair. He was more right than I could comprehend at the time..


  sorry it didnt work for u, try topical AA maybe?

----------


## Desmond84

Hey guys, I'll try and keep an eye on this section of the forum from now on  :Wink:  Feel free to post any questions you have. 

As far as the burning sensation in your urethra goes, it's a common adverse effect I experienced as well. It's related to finasteride shrinking the prostate. As prostate is in direct contact with your urethra, its shrinkage leads to release of inflammatory cytokine that makes the penis quite sensitive specially when you are passing urine. However, finasteride can only shrink the prostate to a limited size; your prostate then maintains this size and the sides subside. This generally takes 6-12 months. For me, the burning sensation continued for the first 6-7 months. After 6 months it slowly subsided and 12 months later it did not happen ever again. 

With regards to dose, I'm taking 0.25mg TWICE A WEEK on Monday & Thursday. I've been on this dose for 2 years now and have maintained my hair at baseline with no more adverse events to report. 

It's definitely worth while to try and micro-dose as I did if you're struggling with sides.

We just need to hang in there and maintain the hair we have till CB-03-01 comes to market.

Cheers guys

----------


## stan

> Hey guys, I'll try and keep an eye on this section of the forum from now on  Feel free to post any questions you have. 
> 
> As far as the burning sensation in your urethra goes, it's a common adverse effect I experienced as well. It's related to finasteride shrinking the prostate. As prostate is in direct contact with your urethra, its shrinkage leads to release of inflammatory cytokine that makes the penis quite sensitive specially when you are passing urine. However, finasteride can only shrink the prostate to a limited size; your prostate then maintains this size and the sides subside. This generally takes 6-12 months. For me, the burning sensation continued for the first 6-7 months. After 6 months it slowly subsided and 12 months later it did not happen ever again. 
> 
> With regards to dose, I'm taking 0.25mg TWICE A WEEK on Monday & Thursday. I've been on this dose for 2 years now and have maintained my hair at baseline with no more adverse events to report. 
> 
> It's definitely worth while to try and micro-dose as I did if you're struggling with sides.
> 
> We just need to hang in there and maintain the hair we have till CB-03-01 comes to market.
> ...


 Des i love you, no homo lol. Thanks man. i think i ll wait, its much better than the initial month though  :Smile: . btw can you plz elaborate why cb is being touted so much? i mean there are no studies, anecdotal report or at least some before after photos. Thanks!!

----------


## Desmond84

Hahahaha thanks man  :Smile: 

CB-03-01 is an androgen-receptor blocker. The beauty of it is, it's only active locally where you put it. Once it enters the bloodstream, it breaks down to inactive metabolites and is rapidly excreted, hence no sides. So pretty much, it blocks DHT binding to androgen receptors on our DP cells and sebaceous glands thereby preventing miniturisation. 

Cosmo pharmaceuticals did conduct a study and it proved to be more powerful than all our anti-androgens and finasteride! Albeit it was in a small group of patients and they used ionopheresis which will not be possible for a commercial product. Nevertheless, it proved extremely potent and its mode of action is quite sound, hence the big following it gets.

Cheers my man

----------


## Swooping

> Hahahaha thanks man 
> 
> CB-03-01 is an androgen-receptor blocker. The beauty of it is, it's only active locally where you put it. Once it enters the bloodstream, it breaks down to inactive metabolites and is rapidly excreted, hence no sides. So pretty much, it blocks DHT binding to androgen receptors on our DP cells and sebaceous glands thereby preventing miniturisation. 
> 
> Cosmo pharmaceuticals did conduct a study and it proved to be more powerful than all our *anti-androgens* and finasteride! Albeit it was in a small group of patients and they used ionopheresis which will not be possible for a commercial product. Nevertheless, it proved extremely potent and its mode of action is quite sound, hence the big following it gets.
> 
> Cheers my man


 Wrong Desmond, RU58841 favours a stronger binding to the AR than CB-03-01  :Wink: . Albeit not much, it does. I checked into ic50 values too, anyways here a quick summary;




> CB-03-01 is approximately as active as cyproterone acetate (CAS 427-51-0)


 


> When compared with the antiandrogenic compound cyproterone acetate, PSK-3841 (RU58841) exhibited a 20% increase in androgen receptor binding.


 CB-03-01 won't be any better than dutasteride or RU58841 really in terms of effectiveness. The thing what is good about it is the devoid of systematic side effects (theoretically at least). Prevention is the best thing to do with androgenetic alopecia and it will be a good option for everyone cause all the other treatments do carry a side effect risk.

----------


## stan

Thanks!! any other study done by researchers other than cosmo? btw i was wondering do you know whether testoterone is directly involved in MPB?(apart form its conversion to DHT)

----------


## stan

[QUOTE=Desmond84;178070

As far as the burning sensation in your urethra goes, it's a common adverse effect I experienced as well. It's related to finasteride shrinking the prostate. As prostate is in direct contact with your urethra, its shrinkage leads to release of inflammatory cytokine that makes the penis quite sensitive specially when you are passing urine. However, finasteride can only shrink the prostate to a limited size; your prostate then maintains this size and the sides subside. This generally takes 6-12 months. For me, the burning sensation continued for the first 6-7 months. After 6 months it slowly subsided and 12 months later it did not happen ever again. 




[/QUOTE]
 Hey Des! Can you link me the original source where you read this, not that i dont believe you but i am on another forum and a few other people have asked the same question. it would be really nice. Thanks man!

btw can we do anything so that this sides fades more quickly. Thanks again  :Smile: .

----------


## MancBoy

Hi Desmond,

I saw this thread and have began taking Fin (0.25mg twice a week).  I don't get sides except for the final day of the second break period (being a three day break) do you think this is because my DHT is rising back on that day?? I was thinking move to every 3 days??

My other query is did you see any temple regrowth?? I wish I'd started earlier but if I can regrow lost hair that would be great.  I'm currently NW2 (moving quickly to 3) so any regrowth would be amazing!!

Thanks (my hope is to stick with this until CB 03 01)

----------


## OrdinaryUser

So taking Fin at such low doses, and optionally alternating days which to take it, can yield comparable results to one that takes 1mg every day? I know it's impossible to answer this as there's no clinical data out there for it, but what's the general efficacy for people on here that take lower doses? Do they merely maintain or are there some that experience some regrowth?

----------


## Thinn

Hey Desmond,

Thanks for this thread!  I put off fin for a while, fearing side effects, but I'm now thinning pretty heavily and I knew if I didn't start soon I might as well get Andre Agassi's barber's info.  I tried once a few months ago at 0.5mg MWF, and still got some sides. In desperation, I started again a few weeks ago with the same dosage, but I think the sides (predictably) are back again, along with a pretty heavy shed starting. I guess my body is just really sensitive to DHT levels. 

I'm going to try the 0.25mg 2X per week, as honestly, I can't put up with the sides (or the shed) at a higher dose and this is my last ditch effort.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes, just wanted to say thanks for the informative thread.




> Hey guys, I'll try and keep an eye on this section of the forum from now on  Feel free to post any questions you have. 
> 
> As far as the burning sensation in your urethra goes, it's a common adverse effect I experienced as well. It's related to finasteride shrinking the prostate. As prostate is in direct contact with your urethra, its shrinkage leads to release of inflammatory cytokine that makes the penis quite sensitive specially when you are passing urine. However, finasteride can only shrink the prostate to a limited size; your prostate then maintains this size and the sides subside. This generally takes 6-12 months. For me, the burning sensation continued for the first 6-7 months. After 6 months it slowly subsided and 12 months later it did not happen ever again. 
> 
> With regards to dose, I'm taking 0.25mg TWICE A WEEK on Monday & Thursday. I've been on this dose for 2 years now and have maintained my hair at baseline with no more adverse events to report. 
> 
> It's definitely worth while to try and micro-dose as I did if you're struggling with sides.
> 
> We just need to hang in there and maintain the hair we have till CB-03-01 comes to market.
> ...

----------


## stan

> Hey Desmond,
> 
> Thanks for this thread!  I put off fin for a while, fearing side effects, but I'm now thinning pretty heavily and I knew if I didn't start soon I might as well get Andre Agassi's barber's info.  I tried once a few months ago at 0.5mg MWF, and still got some sides. In desperation, I started again a few weeks ago with the same dosage, but I think the sides (predictably) are back again, along with a pretty heavy shed starting. I guess my body is just really sensitive to DHT levels. 
> 
> I'm going to try the 0.25mg 2X per week, as honestly, I can't put up with the sides (or the shed) at a higher dose and this is my last ditch effort.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes, just wanted to say thanks for the informative thread.


 Hi
what sides do you get?

----------


## Thinn

I got a few -

Libido definitely dropped.

 I noticed that my penis is smaller and harder in a relaxed state.

It takes me longer to become aroused, and i've even had trouble finishing during sex.

No random erections in the morning or throughout the day.

Luckily I haven't noticed any gynecomastia or 'brain fog'.

----------


## mpb47

I went on .25 in July and got off Mid - late April due to libido drop and also being tired. I did not notice any issues till then and honestly not sure it was the cause. Tiredness is gone but libido is still low but better.

Have not noticed any dramatic shedding, but  do notice hair in crown feels/looks thinner so my mpb is probably starting up again. If/when libido returns may try again, not sure at this point.

----------


## Desmond84

> Hi Desmond,
> 
> I saw this thread and have began taking Fin (0.25mg twice a week).  I don't get sides except for the final day of the second break period (being a three day break) do you think this is because my DHT is rising back on that day?? I was thinking move to every 3 days??
> 
> My other query is did you see any temple regrowth?? I wish I'd started earlier but if I can regrow lost hair that would be great.  I'm currently NW2 (moving quickly to 3) so any regrowth would be amazing!!
> 
> Thanks (my hope is to stick with this until CB 03 01)


 Wow, good on you. Wishing you some amazing hair brother  :Smile: 

Yeah I used to get that too. Your body will reach steady state over the next few months and all these sides will be gone. I tried to overcome in the first few months by taking it exactly every 3.5 days. So I would take one on Monday morning and one on Thursday night. I found it a lot more tolerating this way.

As for regrowth, I probably reversed my hair loss to 6 months prior to starting fin. I had mostly lost hair in the temple region (the rest of my scalp was pretty thick) and a lot of it started growing back just about the 12 month mark and regrowth continued up to the 18th month. I plateued at the 18 month mark and have remained that way since. I've now been on fin for 26 months at very low doses and have no more sides to complain about.

I think taking lower doses may have given results a little bit later (12-18 months post-treatment) rather than sooner (6-8 months). Overall though, you can expect a similar outcome with either doses. Your body will probably tolerate the lower doses better.

Hope that helps. And keep me posted on how ur doing  :Wink:

----------


## Desmond84

> So taking Fin at such low doses, and optionally alternating days which to take it, can yield comparable results to one that takes 1mg every day? I know it's impossible to answer this as there's no clinical data out there for it, but what's the general efficacy for people on here that take lower doses? Do they merely maintain or are there some that experience some regrowth?


 Hi,

When I was trying to convince myself to take Finasteride, I came across the Phase 2 trial papers conducted by Merck back in the 90s. This was probably the most interesting study I had come across and TWO very important things stood out.

1) After a single dose of Finasteride, the plasma DHT levels plummeted for 3 days and then slowly started to rise again, reaching original levels after about 7 days. (This was the first sign that daily dosing is probably unnecessary and overkill. Merck was probably shilling with the dosing to sell more pills and jack up the prices)

2) Both plasma and scalp DHT levels were lowered by about the same amount at any dose above 0.1mg! This was really surprising and made me wonder if Merck just picked an arbitrary number (1mg) and decided to go with it.

Based on these data I chose the doses that I did and luckily for the last 26 months, Fin has completely halted my hairloss and provided some noticeable regrowth in the temple region...at minute doses I should add. So it definitely works and the reason why Merck never went for it is up for another lengthy discussion  :Smile: 

These charts from their "Dose-range finding study" speaks a thousand words. Prepare to get your mind blown!

----------


## Desmond84

Oh no! mpb that is horrible. Really sorry to hear that brother. We're not far from CB-03-01 hopefully. Hang in there. Maybe try and maintain using Minox for another 2 years and then your sweet  :Smile:  CB-03-01 is just around the corner and is coming through pretty strong.

----------


## stan

Hey Des!

As usual thanks for responding to our queries. Can you post a pic of your scalp if you dont mind brother? I am in no way doubting your credibility just want to see how effective your dosage with respect to the severity of MPB.

Another question is why do some people dont see results? Like i am 24 year old male (25 in Oct) and going to NW 3 very steadily (At present a NW 2). I upped my dosage .25 mg to .5 mg (past one month) and in totality i am 7 months in with fin. My MPB is not that aggressive yet i dont see results. Please if you could shed some light that would be great. Have a good day brother.

----------


## vinnytr

Great to see you guys having great results from lower doses of FIN which makes me want to reconsider going back on it.

Did any of you guys experiencing burning sensation while urinating also experience weak stream ? 

I did have this burning fee after *quitting* FIN without tapering off it. Is not this strange since my prostate should not be shrinking anymore without the affect of FIN on it .  I was on 1mg daily for about 10 months.

Btw I have been to doctor about this burning and weak stream problem and after 3 blood , 2 urine test and a full renal tract ultrasound
everything seems perfectly normal and they cant seem to find any problems :/

----------


## UK_

The burning is probably your pudendal nerve dying - 5AR is designed to convert other sex hormones into neurosteroids which have protective effects over reproductive nerves, which is probably why so many men coming off FIN are diagnosed with penile neuropathy.

----------


## vinnytr

> The burning is probably your pudendal nerve dying - 5AR is designed to convert other sex hormones into neurosteroids which have protective effects over reproductive nerves, which is probably why so many men coming off FIN are diagnosed with penile neuropathy.


 what does that actually mean and why would quitting FIN be the cause of this ?
also why couldnt doctors figure that out even though i told them i used FIN and how long for etc ?

----------


## blondetooth

Its okay to call it cb31 people. No need to get all fancy and put all those time consuming zeros and dashes in there. cb31 is still correct.

----------


## mpb47

> Oh no! mpb that is horrible. Really sorry to hear that brother. We're not far from CB-03-01 hopefully. Hang in there. Maybe try and maintain using Minox for another 2 years and then your sweet  CB-03-01 is just around the corner and is coming through pretty strong.


 Thanks Des.

It's been about 9 months and crown has started coming back. Right now I have not decided what to do, I will post more later about that, but have to run for now.

----------


## Notcoolanymore

> what does that actually mean and why would quitting FIN be the cause of this ?
> also why couldnt doctors figure that out even though i told them i used FIN and how long for etc ?


 It doesn't matter what it means.  Just a bunch of scientific jargon thrown together to try to scare people.  UK can't take fin due to sides so he wants to make sure no one else will benefit either so this is his thing, frightening guys so they don't treat their hair loss.

----------


## mpb47

> Thanks Des.
> 
> It's been about 9 months and crown has started coming back. Right now I have not decided what to do, I will post more later about that, but have to run for now.


 I have a question for those in the know: Awhile back, I read that inhouse now requires an RX for propecia . If I do decide to get back on it, I will eventualy need to refill. Are there any other legit online pharmacys that you can order without an RX? My Dr. has been great about getting what ever I needed for serious medical issues, but she probably thinks propecia is a cosmetic drug and may not be willing to give it to me. I say that based on past experience. I have not decided what to do yet, but want to know my options. Thanks and good luck to everybody.

----------


## hair questions

how many pieces do you cut up the 1mg pills? I take Fin 1mg and I don't think I could cut it into more then 2 pieces

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## Lewis Hamilton

Uk can't take the sides?  I'd be more worried about your personality than your hair with comments like that.  
I'm pleased that Desmond that you feel this is now working for you.  I can tell you though, that given your reaction to the drug you will start to succumb to systemic effects long term.  It will creep up on you and you'll put it down to other things...
All I can say is it isn't worth it, not at all and I'd encourage you to get off it while you can recover.
You've been warned.
LH,

----------


## FFS

> Uk can't take the sides?  I'd be more worried about your personality than your hair with comments like that.  
> I'm pleased that Desmond that you feel this is now working for you.  I can tell you though, that given your reaction to the drug you will start to succumb to systemic effects long term.  It will creep up on you and you'll put it down to other things...
> All I can say is it isn't worth it, not at all and I'd encourage you to get off it while you can recover.
> You've been warned.
> LH,


 
Lewis ?? is that you?

----------


## Lewis Hamilton

> Lewis ?? is that you?


 Yeah man. I hate that german Gunt, Nico...

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## mpb47

> how many pieces do you cut up the 1mg pills? I take Fin 1mg and I don't think I could cut it into more then 2 pieces


 You can get a pill cutter and get 4 pretty easy. Some can do more than that but that was my limit.

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## Bluecarlos

Hi

My first post on this forum.  In my mid 40s and started on minoxidil about 15 months ago and been on propecia about 12 months.  Found the minoxidil foam better  than liquid from the point of view that it doesn't make my hair greasy and scalp itchy.  Been taking 1mg of propecia daily and hard to say if it is working or not.  My hair has receeded mainly at the temples and front to  Norwood 2 to 3 but no  thinning on crown gradually since I was about 20.  Have booked in for about 1000 grafts of FUE in July.  Side effects wise my libido decreased but not to a problem level, I had a high sex drive before so it's probably more normal now.  Have some gesticulate pain now and again but not much.  However since last 3 weeks my eyes have become very dry and lids and lower eyes look swelled.  Has anyone else experienced this?  I'm worried now that if I have to stop propecia I will have to cancel FUE treatment. Last thing I want is the rest to thin out and be left with hair horns at the temples.   Any advice welcome please.

----------


## Not giving up

Des I doubt you check this much any more but I've been terrified of trying fin because of sides, but reading this has left me positive about giving your micro dose a go. I'm going to book a doctors appointment and see if I can't stop this blasted shedding. Thanks man, you're a hero!

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## Desmond84

Hi guys, just a quick update. I'm still taking 0.25mg TWICE A WEEK (Sat & Wed) and my hairline is still where it was back in July 2012 and lose less hair than my gf! LOL
No sides to report apart from reduced semen volume. Libido has been back for 2 years now. Micro-dosing is 100% effective and if you still can't tolerate it then try the micro-dose topical formula I posted instead.

Cheers,

Des.

----------


## JohnMPB

> Hi guys, just a quick update. I'm still taking 0.25mg TWICE A WEEK (Sat & Wed) and my hairline is still where it was back in July 2012 and lose less hair than my gf! LOL
> No sides to report apart from reduced semen volume. Libido has been back for 2 years now. Micro-dosing is 100% effective and if you still can't tolerate it then try the micro-dose topical formula I posted instead.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Des.


 Inteesting story, thanks for sharing.

Do you use name brand merck finasteride or generic? As a pharmacist, do you reckon there are any differences between the name brand and generic finasteride alternatives on the markets.

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## Jcm800

That's great news Des. I never did try it. Have got uro problem's and two specialist's told me to steer clear of Fin. Even so... They're not losing their hair....

----------


## hairsugeon

Hi Desmond, hope i can get your answer. I tried 0.25, but my ithcing resumes 2-3 days after taking 0.25, so i dont understand how could you take 0.25 two times a week and be fine. I'm diffuse thinning btw

----------


## Desmond84

Hi guys, 

Since I've been receiving so many emails and messages asking to see my results with low dose finasteride. Here you go. I'll let you guys judge the efficacy of micro-dosing  :Smile: 

Cheers, 

Des

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## JohnMPB

Awesome results. 

I'm gonna ask again since you overlooked my question last time but do you use any specific brand of fin?

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## Desmond84

> Awesome results. 
> 
> I'm gonna ask again since you overlooked my question last time but do you use any specific brand of fin?


 Hey sorry about that. I used Propecia the first 2 years and then switched to Apotex-Finasteride with no noticeable difference. 

That's the only generic finasterie 1mg available in Australia AFAIK ☺

----------


## pilipili

awesome results ! that's amazing
about a minox with finasteride 0,1%(1mg/ml) in it, would you use it twice daily?
thanks

----------


## Desmond84

> awesome results ! that's amazing
> about a minox with finasteride 0,1%(1mg/ml) in it, would you use it twice daily?
> thanks


 0.1% Finasteride is a decent dose. I personally think using that with Minox ONCE DAILY is more than sufficient. I would titrate upwards after 6-8 months if results were unsatisfactory. 

Minox does come with some cosmetic side effects so you want to use the least amount possible.

----------


## pilipili

Thank you for your reply. Ive been using this topical foam combo twice a day for 3 weeks without any side effects. Im now looking forward for the regrowth. Do you think when I have regrowth I can decrease maybe to once daily to maintain? Or will hairs be” dose” dependant?
ty

----------


## Jcm800

Fantastic results Desmond. Quite amazing really. And not many if any side effects?

----------


## BaldingHelpMe

> Hi guys, 
> 
> Since I've been receiving so many emails and messages asking to see my results with low dose finasteride. Here you go. I'll let you guys judge the efficacy of micro-dosing


 Have you ever taken the recommended 1mg per day dosage? Is there a reason for not taking this recommended dosage? Thanks.

----------


## InBeforeTheCure

Wow, unbelievable results. You must have been balding very aggressively to have lost that much hair in only a couple of years too.

----------


## Microdoser

Incredible results desmond,
I have some questions though. Why did you choose .25 3 times a week as opposed to a lower dose every day? I started taking .05 everyday two weeks in order to achieve some consistency as knowing myself, I'd have a hard time remembering to do that every week. It'd be easier for me to just take it once a night. The itch is heavily reduced now since I've taken it and if there is an itch, usually I can just ignore it as opposed to compulsively scratch at it [don't get me wrong, i do give in occasionally  :Stick Out Tongue: ]. 
Long story short, what are the pros and cons [in terms of side effects and regrowth] of taking a dose such as .05 ED vs your regimen?

----------


## Zdude

Hi Desmond!

Fellow Australian. Just a quick question: did you have to get a prescription for Propecia / Finastride?

----------


## Quest

hey des- when you get a chance i'd like to know your thoughts on making a hybrid topical with black cumin seed, like you rec'd, pumpkin seed oil and perhaps some other supplements thrown in. i know this is your specialty so your input would be much appreciated, always eager to hear from you, thanks.

----------


## GSD

Hey guys. i made a break from the forum. but Desmond inspired me to try a low dose of fin 0.25mg EoD since 
late august 2015 (i was scared and made almost two years research about sides etc) i will post pictures in the next days.
before i was on nizoral and minox(only in the temples once daily) started november 2014.

NO sides! ( why i can say this?  because some member scared the shit out of me and i observed my whole body over a year long before fin . you will be surprised how many differences you will spot daily. every time you notice a difference i would say FIN is the reason....  if i observed my body not enough before...  make a record about if you dont trust... 
i was very depressed with my hairloss and i dont worry more and live!

i made it from a Norwood 3 to a 2-2.5  and my whole hair is thicker... i start to notice a small amount of regrowt

i loose only about 5 hairs daily

----------


## GSD

delete pls. double post

----------


## kaizersoze

Bloody hell! Incredible results. Really encouraging thread, so thank-you. 

Quick question: I have been using fin for about I think four months now. Stabilised my hair etc. I think I'm at about a Norwood 3. I have been taking a 1mg per day dose. Would it be risky for me now to reduce it to your recommended twice a week 0.25mg? Should I reduce my dose slowly starting with EOD and so on?

----------


## GSD

twice a week also work for desmond. but EoD is a little bigger dose and not easy to forget routine..   
thats your decision. i started so and i will not change my routine  because i have great results with no sides... I never tried the full dose 1mg, but in my opinion why i would risk and take more of a drug when the small dose also work...  with lower chance of sides...
start slowly reduceing your dose and look if this dose work for you
good luck!

----------


## marklin

For the topical Finasteride, why not just add Finasteride into Minoxidil solution to use?

----------


## mpb47

I tried my own version of this years ago thanks to Desmond.  It really worked but 3 years ago  I went off of it when I got a new girlfriend.  

~9 months later crown came back and eventually got really bad so back in summer I decided I needed to get back on it or give up trying to fight it.

So on July 5 I took my first dose. 1mg split 4 ways. 1 quarter every 2 weeks.

I waited till November and honestly couldn't tell if it was working or not. I thought about waiting longer but went ahead and upped it to once a week

This amount seems to be working good enough that the balding has stopped.
No more hair found in the bathroom like before. To early so say I have regrowth but I feel soft hair on crown and last time that was a sign.

Maybe this super low dose will help someone else...

----------


## Yolo456

Hi mpb47,

Are you currently taking 0.25mg per week? 

I was on 0.5mg/day and got sides after 8 days, I actually got dry eyes and mouth and decided to stop (also had ball ache but nothing major). I was actually quite upset that I had I stop due to the dry eyes and mouth. My libido actually went down after I stopped, not sure if it was 100% Fin related as a lot of things were happening in my life at the time.

Thinking of giving it another try and micro dosing to see if I can ease my body into it. I think 0.5mg was just the same as taking 1mg which I could not tolerate. All the sides went away in about 11 days after stopping fin.

I personally think having 1mg everyday is way too much as a single does already binds and kills off your 5ar enzymes to a large degree, and the combination of consistent high dosage and slow regeneration of 5ar enzymes is not a good combination as I believe it fin also binds to other 5ar types i.e type 1 and 3, but just to a very small extent compared to type 2.

----------


## Yolo456

Hi mpb47,

Are you currently taking 0.25mg per week? 

I was on 0.5mg/day and got sides after 8 days, I actually got dry eyes and mouth and decided to stop (also had ball ache but nothing major). I was actually quite upset that I had I stop due to the dry eyes and mouth. My libido actually went down after I stopped, not sure if it was 100% Fin related as a lot of things were happening in my life at the time.

Thinking of giving it another try and micro dosing to see if I can ease my body into it. I think 0.5mg was just the same as taking 1mg which I could not tolerate. All the sides went away in about 11 days after stopping fin.

I personally think having 1mg everyday is way too much as a single does already binds and kills off your 5ar enzymes to a large degree, and the combination of consistent high dosage and slow regeneration of 5ar enzymes is not a good combination as I believe it fin also binds to other 5ar types i.e type 1 and 3, but just to a very small extent compared to type 2.

----------


## mpb47

Yes I am taking .25 per week. I started around July 5th last year at .25 every 2 weeks but around Nov went to every week.  If I have issues , I will drop down to 2x a week again or less, BUT not complety stop.

So you may want to start at a very low dose and then work you way up , but I can say, at least for me, that .25 a week does work - as it stops the mpb and gives me mild regrowth-

Good luck!




> Hi mpb47,
> 
> Are you currently taking 0.25mg per week? 
> 
> I was on 0.5mg/day and got sides after 8 days, I actually got dry eyes and mouth and decided to stop (also had ball ache but nothing major). I was actually quite upset that I had I stop due to the dry eyes and mouth. My libido actually went down after I stopped, not sure if it was 100% Fin related as a lot of things were happening in my life at the time.
> 
> Thinking of giving it another try and micro dosing to see if I can ease my body into it. I think 0.5mg was just the same as taking 1mg which I could not tolerate. All the sides went away in about 11 days after stopping fin.
> 
> I personally think having 1mg everyday is way too much as a single does already binds and kills off your 5ar enzymes to a large degree, and the combination of consistent high dosage and slow regeneration of 5ar enzymes is not a good combination as I believe it fin also binds to other 5ar types i.e type 1 and 3, but just to a very small extent compared to type 2.

----------


## Yolo456

> Yes I am taking .25 per week. I started around July 5th last year at .25 every 2 weeks but around Nov went to every week.  If I have issues , I will drop down to 2x a week again or less, BUT not complety stop.
> 
> So you may want to start at a very low dose and then work you way up , but I can say, at least for me, that .25 a week does work - as it stops the mpb and gives me mild regrowth-
> 
> Good luck!


 Thanks for this. Really appreciate it, really helpful. If you don't mind, what sides did you experience and at what dose? (sorry I know I could have searched through the forum to find this info out ). Also, going back down to 0.25 every 2 weeks did that help with alleviating the sides? 

I'm just trying to stabilise my hairloss rather than looking for regrowth to be honest , and mine is temporal loss rather than crown.

Thanks for your insight again.

----------


## Sam01

Hello everyone,
Since Desmond doesn’t check in much to this forum now, i was very keen to know anyone whose using 0.25 twice a week having side effects(if any) and what results they’re getting. Desmond didn’t mention anything about ED in terms of side effects,
Actually I gave a try to 0.25mg every three days after reading about desmond’s finasteride story after I got side effects by 1mg daily(took about a month or so).
Unfortunately it’s been roughly 24 days or so and I’m experiencing ED now. I had that shooting pain in penis (upper left area of penis mostly, sometimes upper right area, i guess its corpus cavernosum where the pain was if I’m not wrong). I started with 0.5mg every three days but as soon as i started it i felt that pain and switched to 0.25 mg every three days. However the pain was less but continued(it happened for like 3-4 seconds and then go away)and three or four days ago I had confirmations of ED. 
Now I’m thinking of skipping one more day i.e 0.25mg every Saturday and Tuesday. Can anyone guide me who had the same experience? Desmond please if you check in to this forum anymore ? Should i go with the same routine for maybe a month? 
Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

----------


## Sam01

Hello everyone,
Since Desmond doesnt check in much to this forum now, i was very keen to know anyone whose using 0.25 twice a week having side effects(if any) and what results theyre getting. Desmond didnt mention anything about ED in terms of side effects,
Actually I gave a try to 0.25mg every three days after reading about desmonds finasteride story after I got side effects by 1mg daily(took about a month or so).
Unfortunately its been roughly 24 days or so and Im experiencing ED now. I had that shooting pain in penis (upper left area of penis mostly, sometimes upper right area, i guess its corpus cavernosum where the pain was if Im not wrong). I started with 0.5mg every three days but as soon as i started it i felt that pain and switched to 0.25 mg every three days. However the pain was less but continued(it happened for like 3-4 seconds and then go away)and three or four days ago I had confirmations of ED. 
Now Im thinking of skipping one more day i.e 0.25mg every Saturday and Tuesday. Can anyone guide me who had the same experience? Desmond please if you check in to this forum anymore ? Should i go with the same routine for maybe a month? 
Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

----------


## Desmond84

> Hello everyone,
> Since Desmond doesnt check in much to this forum now, i was very keen to know anyone whose using 0.25 twice a week having side effects(if any) and what results theyre getting. Desmond didnt mention anything about ED in terms of side effects,
> Actually I gave a try to 0.25mg every three days after reading about desmonds finasteride story after I got side effects by 1mg daily(took about a month or so).
> Unfortunately its been roughly 24 days or so and Im experiencing ED now. I had that shooting pain in penis (upper left area of penis mostly, sometimes upper right area, i guess its corpus cavernosum where the pain was if Im not wrong). I started with 0.5mg every three days but as soon as i started it i felt that pain and switched to 0.25 mg every three days. However the pain was less but continued(it happened for like 3-4 seconds and then go away)and three or four days ago I had confirmations of ED. 
> Now Im thinking of skipping one more day i.e 0.25mg every Saturday and Tuesday. Can anyone guide me who had the same experience? Desmond please if you check in to this forum anymore ? Should i go with the same routine for maybe a month? 
> Any help would be appreciated, Thanks


 Hi. Sorry for the long hiatus. Definitely give it a go for a while if you can. I find it is really important to keep fit while taking Fin to reduce the risk of ED. Do cardio exercises at least 4-5 days per week. Stay in shape. Don't gain weight. Get on the treadmill for 1 hour brisk walking etc until you start sweating and you should most likely get through any sign of ED. 

Cheers brother.

----------


## Desmond84

Quick update guys:

Still following the same regimen: 0.25mg Fin TWICE A WEEK.
Nizoral 1% Shampoo TWICE A WEEK.
Cardio exercises 5 days per week (45min-1hour on the treadmill).
Last 18 months I've also been taking Niagen 250mg daily. I feel like my hairs have gotten darker and morning wood has been strong.

----------


## Manochoice

Wow man! This is really nice outcome. Congrats on that. You'd probably be a lot balder without the treatment. Are you totally satisfied with your mental status and your sexual life? Do you have to use any cialis, viagra or other enhancements to have a normal sexual life? I've been thinking about giving your regimen a try. I like the idea of low dosage (the lower of any chemical the better imo) but am not really willing to trade of my high sexual drive and mental acuity for hair - and I would love to regain hair. My situation is a bit worse than yours 5 years ago but it looks like for almost 1-2 strands of healthy hair there's 3-4 of miniaturised ones so probably I could regain some. Anyway, congrats on your results and may you be able to continue regaining and keeping hairs with very good overall body health man!

----------


## marklin

Can you provide the brand of Niagen that you have been taking.  There are so many in the market. Thanks.

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## Manochoice

Desmond, would you say you had any regrowth? And what does regrowth mean? Sprouting new hairs or thickening of really fine ones?

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## marklin

How to you take 0.05 dose?
Di you cut it or dissolve in alcohol and drink it?
Thanks




> Incredible results desmond,
> I have some questions though. Why did you choose .25 3 times a week as opposed to a lower dose every day? I started taking .05 everyday two weeks in order to achieve some consistency as knowing myself, I'd have a hard time remembering to do that every week. It'd be easier for me to just take it once a night. The itch is heavily reduced now since I've taken it and if there is an itch, usually I can just ignore it as opposed to compulsively scratch at it [don't get me wrong, i do give in occasionally ]. 
> Long story short, what are the pros and cons [in terms of side effects and regrowth] of taking a dose such as .05 ED vs your regimen?

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## TragedyCastro

Just dropping in after i started finasteride

I began with 1mg topical every other day and got nipple pain and floppy dick.

Went down to 0.5mg topical EOD and was ok

Now am doing 0.25mg monday and friday (oral), no sides anymore and i look thicker, people have commented on my hair

Hope desmond comes through for an update

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## TragedyCastro

Bump

Desmond are you still here? how is it going?

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## Desmond84

Hi Tragedy,

Still going well. I'm still in the same Norwood, taking Finasteride 0.25mg and 1 x TruNiagen per day.

We are still a few years away till we have a better solution, so I would highly advise trying this regimen. 

Cheers brother.

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## Desmond84

Oops. Correction: 

I'm taking Finasteride 0.25mg TWICE PER WEEK and 1 x TruNiagen per day.

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## TragedyCastro

> Oops. Correction: 
> 
> I'm taking Finasteride 0.25mg TWICE PER WEEK and 1 x TruNiagen per day.


 Massive thank you for the update Desmond, glad it's going well, you maintaining?

Thanks for your response, I take the same fin dosage and frequency as you and can see/feel a difference, hair is somehow darker and less weak looking at the front 

Thank you

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