Probably time to start reducing my Propecia dose...go to 0.25mg daily or 0.50mg every other day?

[matt3480]

Hey guys! Haven't posted here in a couple years...hope everyone has been well. At this point, I feel I need to reduce my fin dose. I started 0.50 mg per day back in January 2015 before I had my first HT with Dr. Konior (I was 35 at the time).

Everything was fine the first few years...I did notice some sexual side effects but that's it...and they were mild. However, I've had a real issue with brain fog the last few years and recently just low energy. Quite honestly, the brain fog has been the worst of all. I just don't think I want to deal with that anymore.

I want to try to dose down and see if it solves a lot of the issues first. What is more effective? 0.25mg per day or 0.50mg every other day?

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by matt3480

[Gatsby]

In my humble opinion I would cease the drug and have a wash out until the side effects cease. I would then challenge the drug at 0.5mg on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you have no side effects after say a couple of months then increase say Monday to 1mg. Stick with this for say a month or so and if still no side effects then increase Friday to 1mg. Again, stay with this for at least another month or two and then increase Wednesday to 1mg. You are now on 1mg Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I experienced side effects taking the finasteride everyday at 1mg. I then had a wash out period as described above then I did exactly as I have suggested. I am on 1mg Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I have zero side effects. I may add 0.5mg on the off days but for me I feel that every other day seems to work best for me. All the best!

[Ryan Daniel]

7 hours ago, Gatsby said:

In my humble opinion I would cease the drug and have a wash out until the side effects cease. I would then challenge the drug at 0.5mg on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you have no side effects after say a couple of months then increase say Monday to 1mg. Stick with this for say a month or so and if still no side effects then increase Friday to 1mg. Again, stay with this for at least another month or two and then increase Wednesday to 1mg. You are now on 1mg Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I experienced side effects taking the finasteride everyday at 1mg. I then had a wash out period as described above then I did exactly as I have suggested. I am on 1mg Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I have zero side effects. I may add 0.5mg on the off days but for me I feel that every other day seems to work best for me. All the best!

1mg on Monday, Wednesday and Friday is the best method according to experts and honest patients across different forums. I would suggest that you keep it this way Adrian 💪

[Melvin- Admin]

Have you considered topic finasteride. Check out this thread 

 

[Curious25]

Considering we are now 7 years on from you being 35, it could well be your natural decline in hormone levels - did you get blood tested before commencing in 2015? And have you ran bloods now ? 
 

Best way to diagnose , and pin point what’s going on, 

[matt3480]

14 hours ago, Curious25 said:

Considering we are now 7 years on from you being 35, it could well be your natural decline in hormone levels - did you get blood tested before commencing in 2015? And have you ran bloods now ? 
 

Best way to diagnose , and pin point what’s going on, 

Sadly I did not get bloodwork done before I started. I swear a lot of this started when I stopped creatine several years ago (probably 3 years ago once I saw that rugby study regarding test and creatine). Maybe stopping that lowered my T enough that I started feeling it more. It's just so hard to say....this all could be purely coincidental.

Of course, my doc wants me to just stop it altogether for 6 months and see how I feel......and doesn't want to do T bloodwork until then. I just feel saying "stop it for 6 months and see how you are" is what any doctor would first say....I just don't know that I need to be that extreme right off the bat.

I see the M, W, F schedule mentioned....has there been any good research or threads from people doing this?

Edited January 27, 2022 by matt3480

[Curious25]

3 hours ago, matt3480 said:

Maybe stopping that lowered my T enough that I started feeling it more. It's just so hard to say....this all could be purely coincidental.

Unfortunately this is precisely why bloodwork should be carried out, pre, during, and post (if applicable) starting on any kind of medication that alters hormonal profiles - otherwise it is just a guesswork exercise of trial and error up until feeling yourself again. 

If you don't know whats at play under the bonnet, then how are you to realistically diagnose whats going on? 

I'm sorry you have been let down in this case - any doctor that prescribes this sort of medication without the recommendation or even insistence of carrying out blood work beforehand, is negligible.