Reviews and Comments on Propecia Side Effects and Usage, page 23

Propecia Reviews

If you’ve used Propecia, please help others by adding your feedback. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history.

Subj: Female use of Propecia
Date: 12/26/2005
I am a senior female on Propecia for approximately 3 years. My dermatologist told me it was OK to take as a female, but I am concerned especially since I have a heart condition called atrial fibrillation. I would appreciate your valued feedback. Thank you,

Elizabeth

AskDocWeb: According to the Physician’s Desk Reference, there is no affect on your heart.

Subj: Propecia depression
Date: 12/28/2005
I loved the idea of finally having a solution for hair loss but I had to stop taking propecia as I made a direct link with it and the symptom of depression. My experience was real and well detailed. The background, after one year of using propecia I’ve noticed a huge difference in my hair. Its color was back, its overall texture was better and an overall growth in the crown area. After a year of taking propecia I was in complete depression to the point of tears everyday and had to consult a M.D. and a shrink. I couldn’t get back up and I feared everything. My wife, a nurse, told me to stop propecia after reading that it effects the hormones (I know literature specifies DHT) but when I stopped taken the pill after 3 weeks I felt way better. But then I started again to prove to myself (as I didn’t want to stop propecia for my hair) but it didn’t take 2 weeks that I plunged again right to the bottom staying in my room and frightened of the world. I stopped again its use and was back up in two weeks. There I’ve tried the propecia again and same story. This was done for a total period of 3 years. So far no one believe it but I have to stick to what I’ve lived. I would be interested in your findings? and would be some other solution I could try? Can propecia be diluted in i.e. alcohol and applied directly to the required region?

Regi

AskDocWeb: Sorry, no, Propecia cannot be diluted with anything and applied that way.

Subj: Proscar for female hair loss?
Date: 12/30/2005
I am a 46 year old female (post hysterectomy) and have considerable thinning on top of my scalp. A dermatologist suggested I take Proscar as a possible attempt to stop the hair loss and regrow hair, but I’ve been hesitant to fill the prescription because of the warnings against women taking it. Have you heard of women having success using Proscar…or any other product?

Lisa

AskDocWeb: With no possibility of conception, at least you remove that risk. Women have reported success with Propecia in dealing with female hair loss but not in the clinical trials. Note that Propecia and Proscar use the same base drug (finasteride). The Proscar contains 5mg of finasteride where Propecia contains only 1mg of finasteride. There are a couple of products that women with hair loss might consider, Nisim New Hair Biofactors or the Provillus Complete Solution.

Subj: Side effects for wife?
Date: 1/4/2006
If one’s husband is taking Rogaine are there any side effects that can be experienced by his wife? Why does it say for the wife not to handle the product? If the husband does not wash his hands can there be a residual amount left on surfaces that can be absorbed by the wife?

Sandra

AskDocWeb: It sounds like you have mixed the labels for Rogaine and Propecia. These are two different products with different warnings. If your husband is using Rogaine there is not the cause for concern as would be the case with Propecia.

Subj: Hair loss increased with Propecia and Rogaine
Date: 1/4/2006
I have been using Propecia for about 5 months. I have a receding hairline and also use Rogaine. I really honestly feel that since taking the propecia my hair loss has increased rather than slowed or stopped and I have definitely not regrown any noticeable hair.
I am scared to stop using it, fearing that I will end up losing more hair. Is it possible that the drug hasn’t started to work on me or should I stop taking it altogether? Thank you,

J

AskDocWeb: You should have seen results by now if the Rogaine was working so you can quit that. With Propecia they say to give it a year. If you haven’t noticed any hair growth by then, the product just isn’t going to work for you. If you stop, you will only lose the hair that Propecia prevented you from losing in the first place. If you start losing a lot of hair you can always start taking it again.

Subj: Cold scrotum
Date: 1/11/2006
I have been taking propecia for 8 years now and have seen one possible side effect, I have noticed that my scrotum is cold. So my question is…are my sperm dead?

Mike

AskDocWeb: No, in order to maintain healthy sperm, your testicles are typically two degrees cooler than the rest of your body. Side note: Men who wear tight fitting clothing or clothing that traps heat, sometimes have a problem with infertility because the heat kills the sperm.

Subj: Avoiding birth defects
Date: 1/11/2006
I stopped taking Propecia six months ago when my wife and I decided to try to have a baby (because we were worried about the possibility of the drug causing a birth defect). My wife is now two months pregnant. Is there any risk to the fetus of birth defects if I begin to take propecia again? Will the finasteride enter my wife’s blood stream and then the baby’s and potentially cause birth defects? I have noticed significant hair loss since I stopped taking the drug six months ago.

Rus

AskDocWeb: You should be okay as long as you observe the safety cautions. Do not let your wife handle the pills or come in contact with the dust from the pills or bottle. Some men go so far as to wash their hands after handling the bottle. By the way, congratulations!

Subj: Generic propecia?
Date: 1/12/2006
I was browsing the internet and found out that there is such a thing as generic propecia. Unfortunately, there are a lot of brands and some look a bit dodgy. What is the most reliable brand of generic propecia?

Mr.

AskDocWeb: It would benefit you to remember that the Internet is a worldwide marketplace. Some countries do not recognize the patents of other countries and sell knockoff products. There is no way to know if you are getting the same quality product as the original, in most cases you are not. To date, all the so-called generic Propecia on the market (that we checked out) has turned out to be counterfeit. We could be wrong but it seems that the patent on Propecia doesn’t run out until 2013.

Subj: Loss of libido
Date: 1/12/2006
I am 28 and started using propecia 2 weeks ago. I immediately noticed the “loss of libido” as I would always wake up with an erection and have erections during the day. But ever since I wake up with no erection and I don’t get erection when seeing sex on TV,…
This is worrying but wouldn’t want to top the treatment yet as I read cases of people who had these effects and then went back to normal after a while. How can I be sure if I will go back to normal if I stop?

Also I would like to know if there is any official answer to these concerns/side effects by the manufacturer. Many thanks.

Diego

AskDocWeb: We have yet to see any response from the manufacturer about these concerns. And there is no guarantee that you will go back to the way you were.

Subj: Drastic sexual side effects from Propecia
Date: 1/16/2006
From the first week, since I began to take propecia, the sexual side effects were drastic: I lost libido at all, and experienced absolute erectile dysfunction. After I refused to take any more of propecia (after 23 days of usage), my situation didn’t get much better. Now, after 2 years, my libido got higher but I’m still suffering absolute erectile dysfunction. Is there any cure to withdraw this side-effects?

Chris

AskDocWeb: No there isn’t a cure for this side effect, sorry.

Subj: Quitting Propecia
Date: 1/17/2006
I am 28 years old. I took Porpecia for 2 weeks and suffered dramatic side effects (not a single erection since starting the treatment). I have stopped after only 15 days and after 3 days I still don’t feel normal (no erections in the morning or when touching my girl friend). I am very worried and my question is simple. How long will it take for me to me “back to normal” after taking Propecia for 2 weeks? How long does it take to take Propecia off your system? How can you speed the process of elimination up? Many thanks,

Natolin

AskDocWeb: It’s different with everyone, but you were on it for only a short time so hopefully the affects will not last long, unlike others who have been on it for months. There is nothing that you can do to speed up the process, sorry.

Subj: Propecia gain weight?
Date: 1/17/2006
My son is taking propecia and seems to have gained approx. 15 lbs. Can propecia make you gain weight?

Diane

AskDocWeb: Possibly, although it is not a listed side effect.

Subj: Decreased libido
Date: 1/19/2006
Dear AskDocWeb: I really enjoy this web site. It is informative, funny, and hopeful. I started to take propecia about 2 months ago and I began to experience a decrease in libido last week. My question is this, if I stop it now and switch to Rogaine, would I lose all the hair that I gained from propecia during these 2 months. I am a little scared, for I have read some bad comments about propecia in your web site. I really would not like to stop at this point; however, I do not want to become sterile or God knows what. Can you also comment on Curetage?

Alain

AskDocWeb: Look at it this way, since you have only been on it a couple of months you haven’t yet seen the full affects. That would concern us a lot, more the little bit of hair it has retained for you.

About the Curetage, we suspicious of any product that claims to be a cure but is not mentioned in any of the medical journals.

Subj: Hereditary hair loss
Date: 1/20/2006
Is it true that if hair loss is due to hereditary problems then Propecia will most likely not have any positive effects?

Wara

AskDocWeb: No, that is not true. Propecia is meant to grow hair, whether it’s hereditary or not. Read more feedback.
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