I continue to hear horror stories online about how men who use Propecia (finasteride, a popular hair-loss drug) for long periods of time develop permanent erectile dysfunction, as well as other negative sexual side effects such as low libido.
This goes along with the incorrect way of thinking many of us have… that we believe it’s a rule that all beneficial effects you receive from something, have to have a negative effect in return.
Just like the incorrect theory that porn and masturbation leads to ED. It’s pleasurable… so it must have a bad effect on our penis.
While this “payment theory” is true in MANY scenarios, in the case of Propecia, while not a completely innocent drug to our hormones and sexual function while on the drug, there’s no way it’s going to lead you to having permanent erectile dysfunction…
….just because you tried to save some of your hair follicles.
It’s not just my opinion either… I will share with you some scientific studies, and my knowledge on the psychological aspects of erectile dysfunction, that will show you — if you’re suffering from ED after discontinuing Propecia, it’s not because of the drug…
It’s because of your false fear that you damaged your sexual function with the drug…
My Experience With Finasteride – I Was A Hormonal And Emotional Wreck, All In The Name Of Hair. Never Again.
I began losing my hair when I was 19 or 20. It was not fun.
While it’s never a good time to go bald, starting that young makes it so much tougher…
I remember being a freshman in college, while studying/cramming for a test, and seeing hairs falling out in my textbook while reading… Hairs falling out in my hand while taking a shower… hairs on my pillow.
I’d wake up feeling like I was in a nightmare… it couldn’t be true.
I’d look around during class, and nearly everybody still had a complete head of hair, especially at that age. I looked for fellow “brothers” who were also suffering from hairloss, but rarely found them. And if I did, I felt sorry for them.
I used Rogaine, and had a quick resurgence of hair. It did quite well. It was the liquid back then, so would leave me with a greasy look, but I wanted to keep my hair. I used it on the hairline.
But then it returned to receding.
I felt like I was fighting against the clock. And I was losing the fight.
I then looked into Propecia, trying to find anything that helps. I read on forums that I could purchase Proscar, which was also finasteride, for cheaper, and cut it into pieces.
I purchased some online, chopped it up, and began taking it. I can’t recall if I had any hair growth, but do have some flashbacks of my emotional state.
I just remember a scene of me curled up on my bed, crying for no damn reason, feeling like I didn’t have testicles or a penis… I remember saying, I will NEVER feel like this…. fuck hair.
So I stopped.
I didn’t bother reading about side effects or anything, I just stopped… and then I felt normal again. I probably took it for about a week. So not a personal tale of sexual function recovery after long-term finasteride use, but I do know it can mess with your hormones.
In time, I shaved my head. I got rid of the fear / anxiety over the future. I continue to use the Rogaine foam, to keep more stubble on my head, but I don’t worry about if I lose a hair or two… can’t see them anyway.
And I’ve had PLENTY of success with women since then… maybe even more so than before. Hair is not as important as we think it is. Yes, for some women it is, but for most it’s not… who you are, how you dress, how in shape you are, how you carry yourself, and how you connect with women is much more important for attraction.
I’m married now with a kid… and still get looks from time to time… with a shaved / bald head. So there’s light on the other side of the tunnel… without having to fuck up your hormones.
Studies On Propecia and Erectile Dysfunction Draw BS Conclusions
I recently saw an article citing this study, claiming that long-term use of finasteride such as Propecia can lead to erectile dysfunction.
While a very thorough study, I see two problems.
1) They are only relying on men’s accounts of their erectile dysfunction, not actually testing for a physical issue such as damage to erectile tissue, circulation or low testosterone levels.
2) The actual number of men who claimed to have suffered from ED after discontinuing the drug was VERY low compared to the number of men who took the drug… and the authors of the study didn’t bother to look for another logical explanation, such as sexual performance anxiety, a psychological block to getting an erection that affects almost every man at least once in his life.
If they would have taken men’s testosterone levels “pre-Propecia”, and the men took the medication for say 3 years, and then they measured the men’s testosterone levels 6 months after discontinuing use, and there was a major reduction in T levels, I’d say… we have something here folks.
If they would have found physical damage to the penis or prostate or testicles after use of the drug, I would say… all of us who took Propecia are screwed. Sorry guys.
But… they didn’t.
And as to the actual results, only 167 of 11,909 (1.4%) who took the drug long-term and stopped claimed to have ED. Among men 16–42 years old exposed to finasteride 1.25 mg/day, only 34 of 4,284 (0.8%) “developed PED (persistent erectile dysfunction)”.
Very small numbers, that could easily be explained by something else other than the medication.
Why I Believe Men Who’ve Taken Propecia — And Stopped — Still Can’t Get An Erection
Sexual performance anxiety, or psychological ED, affects MANY men. And for many reasons.
It can be the young man first starting out having sex, who never had issues achieving an erection during masturbation, but now can’t with his girlfriend… It can be the recently divorced man in his 50’s who’s never had an issue functioning with his ex-wife, but now all of a sudden can’t get hard with the new woman in his life
These men often fear they have a physical issue. And this fear in turn makes it even MORE DIFFICULT to get an erection. And it can become a vicious cycle.
They blame hormones, porn, you name it… and now that they’re “positive” they have an issue, and resort to believing they have ED.
The mind is a powerful thing.
This sexual performance anxiety happened with me, on several occasions, so I know the situation quite well.
Now, in the case of Propecia causing ED. You had months feeling castrated while on Propecia, an actual real physical feeling, and unbeknownst to you your hormones are back to normal months later, but you fail to get an erection because you’re anxious (which everyone gets anxious before sex)… and now you have the perfect culprit… the Propecia you took.
You go online, and the small percentage of men who’ve taken the drug and can’t get it up now are all congregating on one forum, making it seem like EVERYONE is suffering from the issue… blowing up the issue far beyond the proportions it actually is.
Making the anxiety, and resulting erectile dysfunction, even worst in your case.
However, if you were to beat the problem in the mind, the “Propecia” will no longer be holding you back from getting hard.
While Your Hormones May Take A Temporary Hit On Propecia, Your Body Is Smart, And Knows How To Balance Itself Out
Propecia is a strange drug. It’s hair loss preventing effects are clinically proven, so if you don’t experience any sides from it, more power to you. Keep it up.
I mean, Donald Trump is on it, and he’s obviously quite “high energy”.
However, as my personal account describes, there’s something strange going on with how it makes you feel.
While according to the study above, free testosterone levels are actually INCREASED while on Propecia, I believe not just testosterone, but DHT, a version of testosterone, is extremely important for our sex drive, feeling masculine, erections, etc. And that is what gets blocked by Propecia.
The scary thing is that Propecia was developed based on the finding that men who were castrated before puberty never went bald… and according to the above-referenced study “Exposure of men to finasteride mimics hereditary 5a-reductase deficiency by preferentially inhibiting 5a-R2 (Gormley et al., 1990), inducing a sex steroid profile “strikingly similar to that of pseudohermaphrodites”.
Finasteride can turn you into a chemically-castrated hermaphrodite….
The study continues to go on to say “In men exposed to finasteride for one week, effective androgen levels in the prostate are similar to those in castrated men.”
Not my cup of tea… that’s exactly how I felt. But the good news, and not the terror as they try to spread, is that your body is smart, and knows how to return to normal.
What happens when you get a cut, say, on your leg… a really nasty gash.
Your skin heals… sure, Neosporin speeds up the process, but your body immediately gets to work bringing the skin back to normal. And while you may have a scar, this too can begin to disappear in time.
What happens when you catch a cold? Yeah, you might have a sore throat, followed by phlegmy cough, but your body fights the infection, and you’re back to normal in a week or so.
Some very serious cases may need medical intervention, but continuing the metaphor, Propecia, an FDA-approved medication, is not a serious bacterial infection.
Same goes for hormones… even in cases of chemical birth control in men, where a man’s natural testosterone and sperm production are shut down with a combination of injected testosterone and progestogens, which undoubtedly has a MUCH stronger negative effect on your hormone-producing system than Propecia, testosterone and sperm production return to normal after approximately 4 months…
So there’s no way Propecia is going to permanently damage your hormones or sexual function. Short bout of castration? Maybe, but your testicles will return to normal in no time.
How To Beat The Anxiety And Psychological Erectile Dysfunction Following Propecia-Use
As mentioned, once you beat the problem in the mind, your erection will function exactly as it should. Even if you took Propecia for years…
Your penis is not damaged, your testosterone is producing normally again… you just have to get over this mental block.
Admitting you’re anxious helps defeat the problem. Do you ever wake up with morning wood? Doesn’t have to be every morning, but even once in awhile? Than you can rule out physical issues with your penis.
For more on how beat this psychological ED, see here…
Have a good one!
-David Carreras aka Mr. Manpower
Mr. Manpower’s Guide to
Overall Manhood Enhancement
The Ultimate Sex Guide for Men… “male potency without drugs”
www.MisterManpower.net
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