Propecia's Side Effects

by Bradley
(Australia)

I would advise men who are thinking of taking this to be very aware of the side effects of Propecia which is most commonly the loss of libido (interest in sex) and erection problems. I experienced these problems first hand and I would like to share it with you!!

I, like many men in their early thirties had a high sex drive. After taking Propecia for about 6 months I started to not really want sex as much and had trouble maintaining a strong erection. I had no trouble "getting it up" as they say but my erection was not as hard as usual and quite often it went away altogether mid-way through having sex with my wife. I'd never had this problem before I started taking Propecia. This is extremely stressful for any men and their partner to have to go through and it’s definitely very embarrassing too!

After doing some research I found out that many other men had fallen victim to these side effects. There are a lot more sufferers than the makers of Propecia (Merck & Co.) will admit to! After further research I found that if you take a supplement such as Tribulus or Saw Palmetto (or both together) it stopped the sexual side effects or at-least minimised the sexual side effects of Propecia. And they are natural so they may be a better option than Viagra or Cialis which is just pumping more synthetic chemicals into your body.
I advise that if you take Propecia and get the side effects I have mentioned then please either stop taking it immediately or try taking the supplements that I have suggested. Be careful and use your common sense when it comes to dosage and seek medical advice before combining these medicines or using them with any other medications.

And NO! I'm not a Doctor or Dermatologist. I'm just a bloke with a receding hair line hoping to help educate those who may be looking at using Propecia.

Good luck with whatever treatment you choose :)

Editor’s Comments,

Dear Bradley,

Thank you for your concern for men using Propecia. I am not an advocate or promoter for Propecia but I have been using it for almost 6 years now and I would like to share my view of this drug.

Firstly I totally understand your thoughts and experiences on the side effects of this potent drug. This drug indeed can cause some very problematic side effects to a select few (<2%) who use it and in some extreme cases, it can even affect your sexual life. Some of the notably possible side effects listed include decreased libido, an inability to maintain an erection and even possible breast enlargements (caused by reduction of male hormones)

All these outcome will shed fear in most men considering using this drug to treat hair loss but I must also stress that these side effects do not occur to everyone and the severity of these symptoms vary from each individual. I have numerous friends that are currently undergoing this medication for a period of time already and most of them do not complain of any real side effects. However one of them did mention about lesser interest in sex. Maybe he is not really into it? I really don’t know but as for me, I have yet to face any sexual side effects from my every day usage of Propecia so far and hopefully it will stay that way.

Another possible reason could be psychological. As most men fear that taking this medication will cause side effects, out of fear and loss of confidence they might subconsciously cause these sexual problems to occur to themselves unnoticeably. Our mind is a very powerful entity and it can definitely dictate how our body behaves. Therefore, sometimes it may be the person’s own thoughts of fear and lack of self assurance that is actually amplifying the problem at hand.

Whatever it is, Propecia IS NOT for everyone and it’s fairly important that everyone knows the potential side effects of this medication before using it. If it’s something mild, there won’t be a need for a doctor’s prescription in the first place. Although most of the side effects are reported to occur to less than 1.8% of the test group, I strongly advise that anyone facing any symptoms should STOP taking this medication immediately or consult your doctor on whether to continue this medication.

You also mentioned that herbs like Saw Palmetto can actually use to treat Male Pattern Baldness safer than Propecia. This herb has long already been associated with benefits in fighting Male Pattern Baldness but do bear in mind that Saw Palmetto also works the same but in a less effective way like Propecia, which is inhibiting the DHT that causes hair loss. Thus, I can also say that if it works the same way, the side effects should also be similar, but just in a lesser amount compared to Propecia (because it’s not as effective as it). So I do also advice exercising caution when consuming Saw Palmetto as might lead to negative effects too.

There is no denying that Propecia is indeed a potent medication and most men are very skeptical about using this hair loss treatment for a very long period of time but sad to say, it’s still one of the only two FDA approved that can help stop and even reverse Male Pattern Baldness.

Now, most people say that if it’s FDA approved means it should be safe right? Well, yes technically you can say that it’s safe and effective on treating the symptoms of the condition but it doesn’t mean it’s free from side effects. As with most medications, approved or not, whatever it is from a simple Paracetamol to a Cancer fighting drug, all can potentially cause side effects. This is simply because medications manipulate your body and in return, there will be reaction from it. So you should be prepared to know what is going to happen in every medication that you take.

Still, if you are one of the 40% guys who are losing their hair due to Male Pattern Baldness, there are actually really very little reliable choices out there that really can make things better. As for me, I will continue to take Propecia for as long as I can while hoping that one day, there will indeed be a better and more effective solution for Male Pattern Baldness that does not need me to risk the side effects and popping pills throughout my life. I am going to keep as much hair as I managed to grow from Propecia since I have already taken it for so long already and maybe one day, new techniques like Hair Cloning will save the day (and yours too) All the best to you in your fight against hair loss!