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by temp24582934
1321 days ago
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That's something people really need to know: finasteride / dutasteride literally modify your endocrine (hormonal) system. They block (most) DHT production which is a key hormone for male sexual health / mental well-being etc. so it should be surprising if you have don't have side effects. Having said that though, the side-effects aren't necessarily bad. You might feel different but it depends on the person if that difference is considered good or bad (I think most men would feel bad though?) Note that since conversion from testosterone to DHT is blocked, your DHT decreases but your testosterone increases. TL;DR: discuss the possible implications (especially fertility-related!) of higher T and lower DHT with your doctor before taking finasteride / dutasteride |
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The biggest problem I have when hearing about finasteride side effects is that anecdotal reports are completely useless when determining the true risks of finasteride, but they are played up a ton by the press. The reason being that finasteride is a long term medication. If you look at a large group of men from, say, age 30, tons of them will develop fertility issues, sexual issues, depression, etc. in the next 5 years regardless of any medications they are taking. But it's very easy to get someone on the news that says "I started taking finasteride last year and now I have no libido" and blame it on finasteride. The press rarely interviews people like me who have been taking finasteride for nearly 20 years with no ill effects.
And, to be clear, my anecdotal report is useless, too - only broad meta-analyses and your personal risk threshold should weigh into your decision of whether or not to take it.