[T]here has been a Red Hand Letter for this drug since 2018. I had no noticeable sides until sexual problems which started 3 weeks ago so I stopped. I took and i am taking many of the supplements listed with no real improvements. Hair Loss Drug Under Fire For Sexual Side-Effects: CBS 2 News Chicago, May 11, 2011. This research should cause us to think more carefully about this commonly encountered medication. Propecia should have never been approved, and its authorization should be revoked as soon as possible. CreGAAtine vs creatine monohydrate: Its not better! Did you check your estrogen before and after? Its insane. Every dermatologist has their own way of treating the condition. (I got my hair transplant at 36). Every patient must be thoroughly informed about its side effects. Theoretically, you are going to block the production of hormones that serve very important behavioral purposes. So thankful to have found this article. My blood level are ok only progesterone and colesterolo are higher than the max range. Topical progesterone the skin is rich in 5-AR, so applying progesterone to the skin should increase allopregnanolone. Men reporting Post-Finasteride Syndrome experience side effects that persist after stopping finasteride or other 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. If I can increase my DHT levels again by upping my TRT and take an estrogen blocker (blood levels were elevated) with regular workouts how long do you think it would take to return to normal? Le Figaro, March 3, 2019. An observational retrospective evaluation of 79 young men with long-term adverse effects after use of finasteride against androgenetic alopecia. HTX Urology website, December 2019. After 15 years of research i also believe mycotoxins are playing a big role in this, mycotoxins damage the grey matter in your brain which would cause dopamine issues, then a cascade of issues from hpa axis dysfunction, gut issues, hormone issues which wont go away under a complete mycotoxin detox is done. Cheers. I am on the transcrotal cream. synthesis of bile (5-R specifically), which is essential for the digestion of fat and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Learn how your comment data is processed. The effect of finasteride on dry eye disease, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science: June 2022. How Avodart and Proscar Affect Libido: Prostate Cancer Research Institute, May 3, 2021. Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS): A Surmountable Challenge for The only problem is that I have an high PROGESTERONE and High colesterol out of higher range both. Psychiatric Comorbidity Related to the Therapy of Male Androgenetic Alopecia Independent of the 5-Alpha Reductase Pathway. Some people get results, but often only 1 steroid isnt enough. In 2012, the FDA asked pharmaceutical manufacturers to update finasterides package insert. Here we evaluate the scientific and clinical evidence in the contemporary medical literature to address the very fundamental question: Is PFS a real clinical condition caused by finasteride use or are the reported symptoms only incidentally associated with but not caused by finasteride use? Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies The Impact of 5-Reductase Inhibitor Use for Male Pattern Hair Loss on Men's Health. Cannibus is my only vice, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. A growing number of doctors, researchers and therapists have in recent years been voicing their concerns about finasterides potential to cause persistent physical and mental side effects, known as post-finasteride syndrome (PFS), in a subset of patients. The Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) was queried to identify medications with the highest frequency of ED adverse event reports from 2010-2020 The top 20 medications with the highest frequency of ED were included in the disproportionality analysis Of these 20 medications, there were 6,142 reports of ED and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) accounted for 2,823 (46%) of these reports Seven medications showed significant levels of disproportionate reporting but finasteride and dutasteride had the highest PRRs: 110.03 (103.14-117.39) and 9.40 (7.83-11.05) respectively Physicians and patients should be familiar with medications that are associated with ED. May 21, 2019. Post Finasteride Syndrome is a HOAX! : r/tressless - Reddit A few top supplements to lower estrogen include: For more a comprehensive guides on lowering estrogen, check out this article: Dopamine, testosterone and DHT go hand in hand with improving cognitive function, creativity, determination, positivity, problem-solving, euphoria, etc. The treating clinician should have knowledge and awareness about the higher prevalence of depression and sexual dysfunction in the subset of men seeking treatment for AGA in comparison to the general population. After discontinuation, dysfunctions may remain, worsen or resolve. Statement, via Twitter: December 4, 2022. I think this is what we are seeing here. Blocking 5 alpha-reductase to any degree in the brain is a crapshoot. Efforts to explain persistent symptoms are undermined by poor long term data on harms, Finasteride, a 5-reductase inhibitor, was approved in 1992 for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia; a lower dose (1 mg) was approved in 1997 for male pattern baldness. Some say it's all in the mind, a made-up mythbut those who suffer from it surely know they're not just a hypochondriac. Adding a warning to pharmaceutical preparations containing the medicinal substance finasteride: Administrative Circular No. My total t is 650 ng/dl. Can take years to get better for some! In addition, it is imperative to study in detail the molecular mechanisms that cause this condition, trying to identify a possible genetic predisposition, in order to limit the burden of PFS. It scrambles your hormones, libido and cognition all over the place, right into the gutters, and leaves you feeling like an empty dysfunctional husk. Regulatory Effects of Thai Rice By-Product Extracts from. However, PFS is now so prevalent that it has its own foundation, the Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation, where you can acquire a great deal of sobering information, enough to make you wonder why anyone would take the drug to begin with. Some might be upregulated and some downregulated, so you might experience heightened serotonin responses. When prescribing antidepressants, the advantages and disadvantages must be carefully weighed, as some antidepressants may improve the symptoms of depression but have an unfavorable effect on sexual function. Responding, via Twitter, to the study Association of 5-Reductase Inhibitors With Dementia, Depression, and Suicide: December 25, 2022. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help The brain fog has never gone away. Diagnostic Criteria - The Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation FOIA Thanks in advance. prostatis We propose that the Dermatologist Society remove from their guidelines the utilization of finasteride for male pattern hair loss., Sexual and Nonsexual Problems after Finasteride Used for Hair Loss in Young Men: American Society for Mens Health, 2014. It depends: 36.8%, Society for the Study of Male Reproduction (via Twitter): October 11, 2022, Sobering @nypost story on Propecia users experiencing memory loss, ED, suicidal thoughts after using the drug; illustrates the challenge in postmarket Rx safety surveillance and in getting good evidence on [adverse events] from [Randomized controlled trials] [on hormone therapy], Referring, via Twitter, to Propecia users claim drug causes memory loss, ED, suicidal thoughts: August 31, 2022. Have you tried NGF boosting supplements such as lions mane or even Cerebrolysin? Post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) describes persistent sexual, neurological, physical, and mental adverse reactions in patients who have taken finasteride, a 5-alpha reductase type II enzyme inhibitor used to treat hair loss (under the brand name Propecia or generics) and/or enlarged prostate (Proscar or generics). I think [Propecia] is a potentially dangerous drug. We are certainly very cautious, because we see the side effects [of finasteride]. I do not prescribe finasteride or dutasteride for sexually active patients. Bookshelf Lasting dysfunctions after use of finasteride or dutasteride Emerging post-marketing reports of persistent depression and sexual side effects have led to growing concerns about the safety of 5-reductase inhibitors and prompted product labelling changes in many regulatory jurisdictions.1234 Since 2008, at least 17 countries including the United Kingdom and the United States have warned prescribers of the potential for depression, sexual side effects, or both with finasteride.5, Post-finasteride syndrome is an ill defined and controversial syndrome associated with a constellation of sexual, physical, and psychological symptoms that develop during or after finasteride exposure and persist after discontinuation (box 1).35 The incidence of post-finasteride syndrome is unknown, as are the biological mechanisms, but we know that 5-reductase inhibitors reduce synthesis of brain neurosteroids, which affect mood, cognition, and libido.36. Statement (via Twitter) in response to a study titled Investigation of Suicidality and Psychological Adverse Events in Patients Treated With Finasteride, December 7, 2020. People kill themselves after taking [finasteride]I had a colleague who took his own life 15 years ago, so I know it happensand so many people with the same symptoms cant be wrong. Hi Ben, thanks for reaching out. But be careful, friends. Dopamine agonists, such as mucuna pruriens, huperzine A, Catuaba bark extract, etc. It is important to note that many clinical studies suffer from incomplete or inadequate assessment of adverse events and often limited or inaccurate data reporting regarding harm. Actually, it should be banned from the market, because it works weakly, it only works as long as you take it and it can have a lot of unwanted serious effects that are intolerable for a lifestyle drug. An observational retrospective evaluation of 79 young men with long In this episode, Dr. Vikram Jayaprakash and Dr. Russell Knudsen discuss the concept of post-finasteride syndrome. We probably dont have the precise data wed need to answer that. Statement (via Twitter) in response to study titled Long-Term Effects of Finasteride on Prostate Cancer Mortality, January 29, 2019. Some say its all in the mind, a made-up mythbut those who suffer from it surely know theyre not just a hypochondriac. Reaction to French medical journal Prescrires annual update of drugs to avoid, March 18, 2021. Dont let any man you know take that poison! Updated Review of the Hair Loss and Prostate Drug Finasteride: Worst Pills, Best Pills, January 2020. [T]his represents the largest demographic study over 15 years of [dry eye disease] patients on finasteride, demonstrating an association with finasteride usage and [meibomian gland dysfunction], conjunctival, and corneal abnormalities. Global online interest in finasteride sexual side effects, International Journal of Impotence Research: September 13, 2022. Challenge to fellow health professionals via Twitter: October 26, 2021. The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kratom vs kava: the best one for feeling amazing! The Top 20 Hair Loss Studies of 2020: Donovan Medical (YouTube), December 11, 2020. Its really important that they get the appropriate counseling. It is frequently marketed as androgen deprivation therapy for treatment for male pattern baldness. 16 Insidious2k 1 yr. ago Pfs means that the side effects of fin are persistent even when you discontinue the med. A potentially new treatment for post-finasteride syndrome Michael S. Irwig, MD, Attending Endocrinologist, Mohit Khera, MD, Director, Laboratory for Andrology Research, Kian Asanad, MD, Chief Resident Physician in Urologic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, SSMR for the American Urological Association, Professor of Medicine and Public Health, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Roger S. Ho, MD, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Founder, European Institute for Sexual Health, Max Jordan Nguemeni Tiako, MD, Resident Physician, Janet Woodcock, MD, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Urology Resident, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary, The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health and Community Protection, Marc Goldstein, MD, Distinguished Professor of Reproductive Medicine and Urology, Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, Lahey Hospital Medical Center Institute of Urology, Burlington, MA, Advanced Urology Medical, Los Angeles, California, South Bay Retina Ophthalmology Clinic, San Jose, CA, Department of Dermatology, Qassim University, Jeremy B. Sussman, MD, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine, Associate Professor of Medicine, McGill University, Alexander Pastuszak, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery Urology, VPC Medicina Integrada, So Paulo, Brazil, The Skin Surgery Center. Unfortunately, some of the side effects of finasteride are more serious and persistent than the original condition it is intended to treat [W]e encountered a surprising association between finasteride use and presence of optic neuropathy or retinopathy To worsen the situation, the neuropsychiatric impact of finasteridechanges in mood and behaviorcan alter practitioner perceptions about affected patients, resulting in a psychosomatic diagnosis. and transmitted securely. progesterone -dihydroprogesterone (a very important neuroactive steroid and precursor to allopregnanolone), deoxycorticosterone dihydrodeoxycorticosterone (DHDOC), cortisol 5-dihydrocortisol (for the deactivation of cortisol), aldosterone 5-dihydroaldosterone, which increases the excretion of salt, the opposite of aldosterone, dry skin or thinning of the skin, weight gain, elevated glucose and lipids and worsening of insulin sensitivity(, diminished libido, erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory complaints, penile discomfort, loss of scrotal sensitivity, scrotal discomfort, loss of pubic hair, increased sperm density and, Alcohol (not a long term or good strategy really). Discontinuation of the drug should actually make the hormones work again.but apparently, something breaks down in some men, in the prostate, in the brain, in the whole organism. According to the Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation, the symptoms can be physical, mental, neurological, or sexual, and can persist even after you stop taking the medication. Literally a drug looking for any reason to still exist. My hypothesis is that finasteride can cause brain damage which needs to be reversed. You might thus benefit from things that stimulate bile flow such as taurine and TUDCA. Etc Etc Good hypothesis! And can we talk about the real risks of cognitive decline with them??? Penile vascular abnormalities in young men with persistent side effects after finasteride use for the treatment of androgenic alopecia: Translational Andrology and Urology, April 2020. The patient needs to know that, and to be able to say, Im stopping now. Essentially, the cells get too much DHT, it puts them in overdrive and it burns them out. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. In 2017, the European Medical Agency recommended adding warnings of potential risk of suicidal ideation to product information for finasteride. The Facts About Post-Finasteride Syndrome | Keeps Int J Trichology. I cant answer. Accessibility Post-Finasteride Syndrome Exists!! Dont risk your future children for a little hair. 2022 May;8(3):245-248. doi: 10.1159/000520493. But I am actually not interested in you. [O]ur results showed that [finasteride] treatment affected the expression of a number of accumbal proteins involved in key functional processes, such as regulation of GABAergic neurotransmission, as well as steroid and pyrimidine metabolism. Epub 2018 Oct 6. With proper testing you know where to focus on. They see a woman, they say intellectually, I know I am supposed to be interested in you. There are no predictive factors for the risk of development of PFS. Pharmacological Management of Pattern Hair Loss. A Comment on the Post-Finasteride Syndrome. Statement (via Twitter) in response to Jagan Kansal, MDs tweet, Thoughts on propecia in young guys causing decreased libido, possibly permanent? But that warning isnt prominently featured. Some people actually report dramatic improvements in their symptoms after starting a certain SSRI. So I suggest you continue with Minoxidil and multivitamins. My sides are: Propecia was approved in 1997 as a solution to slow male pattern baldness. These serious adverse side effects include persistent or irreversible sexual, neurological, physical and mental side effects. I have personally seen in my practice otherwise completely healthy young men who come in for ED and the only medication they had taken was finasteride for hair loss. Up to 20 percent of subjects reporting persistent sexual dysfunction for six or more years after stopping the drug, suggesting the possibility that it may never go away. It's sold under the brand names Propecia and Proscar. Epub 2020 Jun 26. So lets discuss what the drug, finasteride, does in the first place. Finasteride blocks the metabolism of testosterone. You may instead use topical minoxidil (Rogaine), which has no known negative effects on male fertility. This is how the National Institutes of Health refers to Post-Finasteride Syndrome, and there is a specific reaction type in FAERS which can be selected. They also have problems with sex drive. Epub 2016 Jan 13. But check your bilirubin just in case. Often have low t. Make sure to check dht also! (PFS) Post finasteride syndrome is real and affects millions of people worldwide. The Bottom Line: It is important to know that those who experience hair loss are more likely to report depression, so clinical trials are needed to conclusively determine whether finasteride causes depression and anxiety. This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Finally, the study recommended that finasteride should not be administrated as treatment for androgenetic alopecia in women. If you stop with fin, then DHT should be back to normal in about 1-2 weeks (tissue binding lasts 4-5 days). All healthcare providers should learn about these conditions as finasteride/SSRIs are commonly prescribed. Don't listen to bad doctors who tell you its all in your head. Do not take finasteride for hair lossDo not take finasteride for any purposeFor many years, Public Citizens Health Research Group has classified both [Proscar and Propecia] as Do Not Use because their benefits do not outweigh their adverse effects. Usually its ED. HCG will increase progesterone or will decrease it? While the sexual side effects of 5ARIs are well known, there may be persistent genitourinary, physical, psycho-cognitive, anti-androgenic and penile vascular changes after 5ARI discontinuation.