Starting Finasteride this week - here are my lab results. Anything to consider before starting?

[alantris]

Hi there,

I apologize if my post is not in line with the typical theme of this forum. I'm posting here because I feel that the members of this forum are more well-informed regarding hormone levels than other forums and I'm looking for input.

As the title states, I'm gonna be starting Finasteride this week as I have been experiencing hair loss. I have been diffuse thinning for nearly a year and finally getting on Fin. I'm 37.

I recently got labs done through Discountedlabs.com for the first time from the US. The entire process was very smooth and Discounted Labs support was very helpful and prompt in answering my queries.

Below are my results. Is there anything that jumps out or is there anything I should keep in mind/watch out for before I start Fin? I would be starting on topical finasteride rather than oral at 0.05% concentration.

TEST​	RESULT​	REFERENCE RANGE​
TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL, MS​	588​	250-1100 ng/dL​
TESTOSTERONE, FREE (DIALYSIS)	75.9	35.0-155.0 pg/mL
DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE (DHT), LC/MS/MS	60	12-65 ng/dL
PROLACTIN	2.4	2.0-18.0 ng/mL
SEX HORMONE BINDING​ GLOBULIN (SHBG)	41	10-50 nmol/L
DHEA SULFATE	299	93-415 mcg/dL
ESTRADIOL,ULTRASENSITIVE, LC/MS	25	< OR = 29 pg/mL ​

I have also gotten a PSA test and a full blood and lipid panel. Those results should be in by the end of this week.




Thanks for your time!

 

[FangFang]

I'd start by doing some research on Post Finasteride Syndrome....Then I'd fire the doctor that gave me that poison. I wish someone warned me.

 

[sammmy]

It is possible, but not proven yet, that there is such a thing as Post Finasteride Syndrome. It is based on patients that try to explain away various illnesses occurring, in some cases years after finasteride cessation, which doesn't seem likely.

Post-Finasteride Syndrome: An Induced Delusional Disorder with the Potential of a Mass Psychogenic Illness?

 

[Vince]

You don't need any labs. Just don't use it!

 

[alantris]

Thank you for the responses. I appreciate them.

I have been doing research for over 2 months and have read about PFS. I have been reading up about both sides of the story and was planning to do a trial of topical finasteride. That said, I do agree that using it is a risk and might have long term consequences.

TBH, I'd rather not use it. Are there any alternatives to finasteride available that are better?

 

[electrify]

Finasteride issues aren't easily identifiable on lab tests to begin with, as the issue is one of androgen receptors or allopregnanolone (the body's natural benzo) in the brain. AlloP is a very important neurosteroid for mental health.

 

[HarryCat2]

Oral minoxidil in alopecia​

 

[JmarkH]

Why are you starting finasteride?

 

[alantris]

Oral minoxidil in alopecia​

Thank you. This is useful.

 

[alantris]

Why are you starting finasteride?

I want to keep my hair.

 

[JmarkH]

Is male pattern baldness in your family? Good or bad, in the end, the genes peek out and look around. If all the males have hair then you most likely won't have an issue.

 

[Cataceous]

... is there anything I should keep in mind/watch out for before I start Fin? I would be starting on topical finasteride rather than oral at 0.05% concentration.

I'm sure you've seen guys on the hair loss sites talking about the "big three" treatments, these being minoxidil, finasteride and ketoconazole. Unfortunately there's nothing better yet. I think topical finasteride is a reasonable compromise between risk and reward. It should be combined with oral and/or topical minoxidil. Topical finasteride can still have pretty significant systemic effects. You'll be somewhat able to monitor this by observing the reduction in serum DHT.

My personal experience is that topical finasteride does not cause noticeable problems, whereas oral finasteride is devastating. Oral finasteride was quite insidious, in that side effects crept in gradually over time, delaying my recognition of the source. The side effects began to abate as soon as I stopped the drug, but it still took a couple years to return to normal.

 

[FangFang]

I'm sure you've seen guys on the hair loss sites talking about the "big three" treatments, these being minoxidil, finasteride and ketoconazole. Unfortunately there's nothing better yet. I think topical finasteride is a reasonable compromise between risk and reward. It should be combined with oral and/or topical minoxidil. Topical finasteride can still have pretty significant systemic effects. You'll be somewhat able to monitor this by observing the reduction in serum DHT.

My personal experience is that topical finasteride does not cause noticeable problems, whereas oral finasteride is devastating. Oral finasteride was quite insidious, in that side effects crept in gradually over time, delaying my recognition of the source. The side effects began to abate as soon as I stopped the drug, but it still took a couple years to return to normal.

Alantris, I hope you read that last paragraph closely. Once this drug gets you....it's too late. You may be in for years of trouble and heartache over some hair. 5AR blockers don't just block T>DRT conversions. There are many brain chemical conversions blocked, and there is no known way to restart those! Cataceous was one of the lucky ones. Lot of guys have committed suicide from PFS. Lot of guys never get any libido back or sexual function.

 

[alantris]

Is male pattern baldness in your family? Good or bad, in the end, the genes peek out and look around. If all the males have hair then you most likely won't have an issue.

Unfortunately MPB does run in the family. However, my hair loss has no specific "pattern". It's diffusely thinning while my hair line is intact.

 

[alantris]

I'm sure you've seen guys on the hair loss sites talking about the "big three" treatments, these being minoxidil, finasteride and ketoconazole. Unfortunately there's nothing better yet. I think topical finasteride is a reasonable compromise between risk and reward. It should be combined with oral and/or topical minoxidil. Topical finasteride can still have pretty significant systemic effects. You'll be somewhat able to monitor this by observing the reduction in serum DHT.

My personal experience is that topical finasteride does not cause noticeable problems, whereas oral finasteride is devastating. Oral finasteride was quite insidious, in that side effects crept in gradually over time, delaying my recognition of the source. The side effects began to abate as soon as I stopped the drug, but it still took a couple years to return to normal.

Thank you for your input and sharing your experience. Yes, I have read about the "big three". To minimize risk is the reason I decided to start slow with 0.05% topical Finasteride that a pharmacy compounded for me.

May I ask if you did anything for your hair loss after stopping finasteride? I would also appreciate if you could share details about the side effects you experienced.

Other than Finasteride, the only other "solution" that appealed to me was RU58841. It supposedly doesn't go systemic; however, it's not FDA approved and is sold as research chemical and I felt that it'd be a bigger risk rolling the dice with something like RU.

 

[DS3]

Unfortunately MPB does run in the family. However, my hair loss has no specific "pattern". It's diffusely thinning while my hair line is intact.

Accept it and bald gracefully. Too many men fight the inevitable, putting their self-esteem into their remaining locks. Get into shape if you are not, and buzz it. Bald gracefully.

 

[alantris]

Alantris, I hope you read that last paragraph closely. Once this drug gets you....it's too late. You may be in for years of trouble and heartache over some hair. 5AR blockers don't just block T>DRT conversions. There are many brain chemical conversions blocked, and there is no known way to restart those! Cataceous was one of the lucky ones. Lot of guys have committed suicide from PFS. Lot of guys never get any libido back or sexual function.

Thank you for your concern FangFang and for the warnings. I honestly am appreciative of it and provides a counterpoint to all the other "pro-finasteride" communities/forum.

You seem quite knowledgeable about this. Is there anything you would suggest to arrest hair loss?

 

[alantris]

Accept it and bald gracefully. Too many men fight the inevitable, putting their self-esteem into their remaining locks. Get into shape if you are not, and buzz it. Bald gracefully.

Well, there's always this nuclear option. However, I want to explore other options before I go for the nuclear button. I'm in shape and have no other physiological issues, thankfully.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep it in the back of my mind, might just have to do this in the end.

 

[FangFang]

Thank you for your concern FangFang and for the warnings. I honestly am appreciative of it and provides a counterpoint to all the other "pro-finasteride" communities/forum.

You seem quite knowledgeable about this. Is there anything you would suggest to arrest hair loss?

I just wish I could go back in time and kick my ass. Men care about hair. I get it. When I started loosing mine it was all I could think about. Sad. Wife didn't care, kids didn't care, but I did. That lead me down this terrible path of finasteride.

The brain chemistry changes were severe and took me a year to figure out what was going on. I could have lost everything. For what? Now a few years later I'm still researching and trying whatever I can find to help restore my health.

TRT was a big help but didn't improve libido. That had been a tuff nut to crack. I've gone health nut and with trt plus gym I'm becoming a machine. Late 40s and I'm stronger than my high school levels.

As far as hair goes, I cut my hair shorter and shorter over time to adjust to the idea. As I loose hair I just cut shorter. So far so good. Keep your dick, keep your mind, build muscle, get healthy, and maybe counseling for getting ok with the hair. If that fails I'll kick your ass for you.

 

[Cataceous]

...
May I ask if you did anything for your hair loss after stopping finasteride? I would also appreciate if you could share details about the side effects you experienced.

Other than Finasteride, the only other "solution" that appealed to me was RU58841. It supposedly doesn't go systemic; however, it's not FDA approved and is sold as research chemical and I felt that it'd be a bigger risk rolling the dice with something like RU.

Regarding post-oral finasteride: At one point I thought things were under control after I added progesterone to my TRT protocol, but in the end it was wishful thinking. Since then I've experimented with many things, including spironolactone, RU-58841 and clascoterone. All produce intolerable side effects, clearly going systemic. Spiro and RU give me classic anti-androgen symptoms—including plunging libido and degraded sexual function. Clascoterone seems to cause unrelenting anxiety. It's also very expensive. I've used minoxidil throughout without issues. For about a year I've been including topical finasteride, gradually increasing from 0.02 to 0.05%. My most recent blood test suggests a pretty minimal effect on serum DHT.

I actually first tried topical finasteride about 30 years ago. A doctor friend and I were experiencing some very minor recession and he'd read some early research on topical use on macaque monkeys. DMSO was the vehicle, and we both used it for a year or two without problems. I don't recall the dose, but it was probably more than I would dare to use these days. In the end I only quit because the DMSO bothered my girlfriend.

I tried oral finasteride about 16 years ago. The most constant side effect was GI discomfort. The sexual side effects came on gradually and mainly consisted of ED and PE. There may have been mood and cognitive issues as well, but I can't give an objective evaluation.

While it's easy for people to say "Just shave your head and be done with it.", not every head shape looks good without hair. I have friends in both camps. Some look great bald, others look awful. I tend to think I fall in the latter group, so I fight it harder. When all else fails there are more drastic measures that can give decent results, including hair systems and hair transplants. Look at Elon Musk, for example.