August 28 2009, 3:31 pm PT | Posted in: Drugs
Great blog, very informative. I am 23 years old and just started taking propecia. After reading about the drug in various forums online, I’m pretty scared about the sexual side effects. Many propecia users claim to have an irreversible loss of libido and some even say that have had trouble conceiving. With so many people reporting devastating sexual side effects, why is this drug so freely prescribed by doctors? Am I right in feeling vain for taking this risk? After all, a healthy sex life and eventually the possibility of having children are much more important than a full head of hair. Aren’t they?
1-2% experience side effects of varying degrees from Propecia. As I’ve written many times before, the loudest folks are those with complaints. You’re not going to find a large number of men rushing to web forums to talk about how great their hair medication is working, but the ones that feel cheated will be the first ones to let you know… over and over, often times under multiple usernames. I see it quite a bit in the comments to posts on this very blog (the IP address is an obvious clue).
Also keep in mind that these are unsubstantiated claims you’re referring to, with some being written by people trying to steer you from a proven FDA treatment like Propecia to an unproven “natural” supplement that they just happen to be selling online (with a convenient link right in their Propecia complaint post). There’s a lot of scams out there, and message boards are full of people eager to believe anything from an anonymous person that offers them a glimmer of hope.
As for feeling vain, you want to look and feel your best, and I don’t see why anyone should feel bad about that. Here are some related posts you might want to check out:
- Official Word from Merck Regarding Propecia’s Effect on Sperm and Pregnancy
- Can You Dismiss Propecia Information on the Web?
- Propecia Causes Damage to the Penis — If It’s on the Internet, It Must Be True!
- Propecia Info on the Internet Has Me Worried!
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
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- Swollen Testicles from Propecia?
- Propecia and the Crooked Penis
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- Probiotics and Propecia?
- Heartburn from Propecia?
Balding Forum
26 years old, I’ve been on propecia for 6 months, and generic finasteride for coming up on 3 months now, and I’ve seen no negative side effects.
Hang in there, and stay positive. Try not to pay attention to the negativity you see in the forums.
Seconded. I was in the same boat… I saw a hair transplant surgeon, a couple doctors and they all said Propecia side effects are rare, and in those who experience them, reversible by ceasing the drug.
I’m 24 and my regret is researching for a year before taking it. I don’t regret the research, because due diligence is important… I only regret not taking it sooner.