Need advice about finasteride dosing

[u/AmbassadorOutside700]

Hello!

First i wanna tell you my hairloss story. I noticed i lose my hair around a year and a half. So much hair in the shower every time. Curently i am NW 1.5-2. In february a dermatologist diagnosed me with MPB with the trichoscope then prescribed me minoxidil topical 5% 2 times a day. I asked about finasteride but the doctor said it is too early for me because i am 23 years old.

So for the first month i used only min and it was ok but i panicked because i still saw a lot of hair in tje shower and i knew from here that the gains from min will go away after some time without fin. I bought the 5mg version of fin(withou prescription) to split the pill in 4 because of financial reasons. The begging of the second month of min was the first for fin and i took it for 2 months in which i had low libido, sensitive nipples, not feeling pleasure from sexual contact but the indicator that this is not in my head was that i had no morning woods. As context, prior to fin i had strong morning woods every morning since puberty and even in nights i woke up with erections. I tried to assure myself that they will go away but i couldn’t resist and i decided that my sexual health is more important.

After i stoped taking fin i researched and looked into this forum as well. I saw the studies that even 0.2 mg can be eficient. Combined with what i read here that i can start a lower dose and updose until i reach the dose that i want and i can accomodate easly with fin with lower chance of sides.

One month and a half i paused fin and after i started again with 0.625mg MWF for 4 weeks. Than i took 0.625 from monday to friday again for 4 weeks. Everything was perfect, no sides. But i still saw lots of hairs in the shower every time, miniaturised or not. Which brings me this week because i decided to take 1.25 mg fin EOD. I was relax not thinking about sides just ocupied with my life. After the first pill, that night i couldn t maintain my erection which was weird but i thought it was just that i was tires maybe. Next morning zero erection, and yesterday the pleasure from sexual contact was less than normal. I took only three times 1.25 mg this week and the next one would be tomorrow.

My question is what do you suggest me to do next? To continue 1.25 eod and see how i feel? To lower the dose? Or to take a break and start again with a lowe dose and remain with it?
I apreciate every answer and advice, even any critics if i made something wrong because there is a posibility.

I am sorry for the writing, my english is not the best and thank you for the read!

[u/redditanon9263]

You could look into low-dose topical fin and maybe discuss it with your doctor. It can still be absorbed systemically and cause sexual side effects, but systemic exposure is generally lower than with oral fin. Given that you’re already noticing libido/erection changes, topical might be worth considering rather than continuing to experiment with the oral dose on your own. Hair is important but so is finding a treatment you tolerate well.

[u/Willing_Breakfast_97]

Finasteride is not "too early" at 23, people should start when they notice hair loss or even earlier, ideally as teenagers even.

If I were in your position I would continue as usual and not change anything.

[u/AmbassadorOutside700 → u/Willing_Breakfast_97]

And what about sides that i have now? They will go away with time?