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Started By
Message
My hormone experience with finasteride
Posted on 5/17/23 at 11:29 am
Posted on 5/17/23 at 11:29 am
Wanted to post this for all the guys who want to keep their hair but don't want shitty side effects. I'm not an expert on this stuff but I did some reading on it before trying it myself and figured I'd share what ive learned.
So finasteride supposedly works by inhibiting 5 alpha reductase which limits the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Now you have more unconverted testosterone in the body which should be a good thing except that this extra test can aromatize into estrogen causing an imbalance. DHT also helps free up bound Test and helps limit estrogen aromatization. So by limiting your DHT while simultaneously increasing your T, you're running the risk of significantly elevating your estrogen levels. Estrogen then increases your SHBG resulting in even less free test and now you have a hormone problem, can't get your dick up, and you start growing tits.
So before going on finasteride I got a blood test with the following results:
Total Test: 772 ng/dl
Free Test, serum: 108 pg/ml (1.4%)
Estradiol: 25.7 pg/ml
SHBG: 31.5 nmol/l
I paid extra for the sensitive tests so I could be more confident in the numbers, but overall everything looked OK for me to give finasteride a shot. Free Test was a little low so I added 6mg of Boron a day per LSU777's recommendation. I took finasteride daily for 4 months and then got another test to see how things were going.
Total Test: 745 ng/dl
Free Test, serum: 142 pg/ml (1.9%)
Estradiol: 28.6 pg/ml
SHBG: 35.8 nmol/l
Surprisingly my total Test dropped a bit but not significantly, though I expected the finasteride to cause it to go up. My estrogen went up 11% which is within the expected range and despite my SHBG going up, my free test somehow went up 32% anyway (likely due in part to the boron). The increase in free test should be more than enough to offset any issues the increase in estrogen may cause. This gives me confidence that I can continue to take finasteride without any side effects but I do have some concern that my total test slightly decreasing while my SHBG went up should've made my free test drop. I'll probably get another test in 8 months or so to make sure my free test is still high enough to offset the increased estrogen. Hope this helps people learn what to monitor before going on this type of stuff.
So finasteride supposedly works by inhibiting 5 alpha reductase which limits the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Now you have more unconverted testosterone in the body which should be a good thing except that this extra test can aromatize into estrogen causing an imbalance. DHT also helps free up bound Test and helps limit estrogen aromatization. So by limiting your DHT while simultaneously increasing your T, you're running the risk of significantly elevating your estrogen levels. Estrogen then increases your SHBG resulting in even less free test and now you have a hormone problem, can't get your dick up, and you start growing tits.
So before going on finasteride I got a blood test with the following results:
Total Test: 772 ng/dl
Free Test, serum: 108 pg/ml (1.4%)
Estradiol: 25.7 pg/ml
SHBG: 31.5 nmol/l
I paid extra for the sensitive tests so I could be more confident in the numbers, but overall everything looked OK for me to give finasteride a shot. Free Test was a little low so I added 6mg of Boron a day per LSU777's recommendation. I took finasteride daily for 4 months and then got another test to see how things were going.
Total Test: 745 ng/dl
Free Test, serum: 142 pg/ml (1.9%)
Estradiol: 28.6 pg/ml
SHBG: 35.8 nmol/l
Surprisingly my total Test dropped a bit but not significantly, though I expected the finasteride to cause it to go up. My estrogen went up 11% which is within the expected range and despite my SHBG going up, my free test somehow went up 32% anyway (likely due in part to the boron). The increase in free test should be more than enough to offset any issues the increase in estrogen may cause. This gives me confidence that I can continue to take finasteride without any side effects but I do have some concern that my total test slightly decreasing while my SHBG went up should've made my free test drop. I'll probably get another test in 8 months or so to make sure my free test is still high enough to offset the increased estrogen. Hope this helps people learn what to monitor before going on this type of stuff.
This post was edited on 5/17/23 at 11:30 am
8
Posted on 5/17/23 at 11:32 am to Yeti_Chaser
quote:
Wanted to post this for all the guys who want to keep their hair but don't want shitty side effects. I'm not an expert on this stuff but I did some reading on it before trying it myself and figured I'd share what ive learned.
So finasteride supposedly works by inhibiting 5 alpha reductase which limits the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Now you have more unconverted testosterone in the body which should be a good thing except that this extra test can aromatize into estrogen causing an imbalance. DHT also helps free up bound Test and helps limit estrogen aromatization. So by limiting your DHT while simultaneously increasing your T, you're running the risk of significantly elevating your estrogen levels. Estrogen then increases your SHBG resulting in even less free test and now you have a hormone problem, can't get your dick up, and you start growing tits.
So before going on finasteride I got a blood test with the following results:
Total Test: 772 ng/dl
Free Test, serum: 108 pg/ml (1.4%)
Estradiol: 25.7 pg/ml
SHBG: 31.5 nmol/l
I paid extra for the sensitive tests so I could be more confident in the numbers, but overall everything looked OK for me to give finasteride a shot. Free Test was a little low so I added 6mg of Boron a day per LSU777's recommendation. I took finasteride daily for 4 months and then got another test to see how things were going.
Total Test: 745 ng/dl
Free Test, serum: 142 pg/ml (1.9%)
Estradiol: 28.6 pg/ml
SHBG: 35.8 nmol/l
Surprisingly my total Test dropped a bit but not significantly, though I expected the finasteride to cause it to go up. My estrogen went up 11% which is within the expected range and despite my SHBG going up, my free test somehow went up 32% anyway (likely due in part to the boron). The increase in free test should be more than enough to offset any issues the increase in estrogen may cause. This gives me confidence that I can continue to take finasteride without any side effects but I do have some concern that my total test slightly decreasing while my SHBG went up should've made my free test drop. I'll probably get another test in 8 months or so to make sure my free test is still high enough to offset the increased estrogen. Hope this helps people learn what to monitor before going on this type of stuff.
awesome man. would love to see the boron bumped to 9mg. 9 seems to be the sweet spot.
Posted on 5/17/23 at 12:02 pm to Yeti_Chaser
But did your hair grow back?
Posted on 5/17/23 at 12:33 pm to lsu777
quote:
boron bumped to 9mg
What's the deal with boron?
Posted on 5/17/23 at 1:12 pm to Aubie Spr96
helps free test levels
Posted on 5/17/23 at 1:33 pm to boxcarbarney
Ha I still have most of my hair but it was starting to disappear so I got out in front of it. I haven't noticed any change there but I'm just hoping to keep what I have
Posted on 5/17/23 at 2:17 pm to Yeti_Chaser
How would this work if you're taking TRT? Seems like this could have a negative impact on one or the other.
Posted on 5/18/23 at 8:27 am to Oates Mustache
quote:
How would this work if you're taking TRT?
You don't really need DHT if you have good test levels so finasteride isn't going to negate the positive effects of TRT. It should really increase your test and as a result, estrogen as well. Just important to maintain a good balance.
As i said i only know what ive read on the internet and im not an expert but the same rules should apply whether you're on TRT or not. As long as you ensure that you're body can handle around a 15% increase in estrogen and still be within range you should be good. I don't know much of anything about TRT but I'm guessing your levels probably fluctuate more throughout the week so you would need to monitor more closely. But as long as your dosing properly to maximize your free test and minimize aromatization into estrogen you should be fine.
If you're taking so much test that your estrogen levels are already at the upper end of the range then you should probably either avoid finasteride or lower the test dosage.
If you can get your free test to the upper end of the range you're very unlikely to have any issues. Boron seems to have helped me but there's other options such as proviron if your total test is fine but free is low. Proviron might lower your total test and estrogen but should increase your free test to get you back in balance.
This post was edited on 5/18/23 at 8:32 am
Posted on 5/18/23 at 9:06 am to Yeti_Chaser
yea shouldnt be any difference trt or not
and not a big fan of proviron, doesnt seem to produce the blood test results, in the samples i have seen, to support the claims of upping free test.
and not a big fan of proviron, doesnt seem to produce the blood test results, in the samples i have seen, to support the claims of upping free test.
Posted on 5/18/23 at 10:16 am to Yeti_Chaser
Do you mind me asking how old you are?
Losing my hair sucked, only took about 3 years for me to really cope with it. But i started losing mine in my twenties, id have to be on this stuff 3-4 times longer than i actually had hair. Crazy that we havent found anything else to really stop it.
And im assuming if you go the hair transplant route, they still want you to take fin.
Losing my hair sucked, only took about 3 years for me to really cope with it. But i started losing mine in my twenties, id have to be on this stuff 3-4 times longer than i actually had hair. Crazy that we havent found anything else to really stop it.
And im assuming if you go the hair transplant route, they still want you to take fin.
Posted on 5/18/23 at 11:43 am to Yeti_Chaser
Curious on the Free Serum levels
When I have gotten blood work done, the free serum range is listed at 7.2-24pg/ml and my latest number was 22.4.
Is 100-140 a preferred number for free because that means their range is BS and I’m waaaay low.
When I have gotten blood work done, the free serum range is listed at 7.2-24pg/ml and my latest number was 22.4.
Is 100-140 a preferred number for free because that means their range is BS and I’m waaaay low.
Posted on 5/18/23 at 12:36 pm to dgnx6
30. I don't plan to stay on it forever. Probably quit once I get married 
Posted on 5/18/23 at 12:39 pm to Blutarsky
quote:
Curious on the Free Serum levels
When I have gotten blood work done, the free serum range is listed at 7.2-24pg/ml and my latest number was 22.4.
Yea I don't really understand that either.
When I got a cheaper test a little over a year ago and my free test (direct) was 20.0. The reference range was 9.3-26.5 pg/ml.
For the two tests in my OP the reference range was 52-280 pg/ml. These were "Testosterone Free/MS Dialysis" tests. This test is supposedly more accurate but I don't understand how the scale is different
This post was edited on 5/18/23 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 5/18/23 at 1:02 pm to lsu777
quote:
and not a big fan of proviron, doesnt seem to produce the blood test results, in the samples i have seen
At what dosage? Everyone is different but at 75 mg a day it was awesome for me. I know people that used as high as 250 mg a day but that always seemed like overkill and wasteful.
Posted on 5/18/23 at 1:41 pm to Blutarsky
quote:
When I have gotten blood work done, the free serum range is listed at 7.2-24pg/ml and my latest number was 22.4.
Is 100-140 a preferred number for free because that means their range is BS and I’m waaaay low.
range depends on the units used but for pg/ml it should be 35-155 and we want in that 130-150 range if possible
Posted on 5/18/23 at 8:42 pm to Yeti_Chaser
quote:
experience with finasteride
Body stats and dosage?
Posted on 5/18/23 at 10:06 pm to lsu777
quote:
range depends on the units used but for pg/ml it should be 35-155 and we want in that 130-150 range if possible
My results are in the same units the OP posted.
Posted on 5/19/23 at 7:58 am to CajunTiger_225
200 lbs, 1 mg per day
Posted on 5/19/23 at 3:20 pm to Yeti_Chaser
It is really crazy how every person has completely different side effects from Finasteride. My experience has been strange. I started taking it off and on when I was 20 years old. On multiple occasions I had developed prostatitis. I would take a heavy dose of antibiotics and be good for a month or so then it would come back. I finally got tired of it and got off of it. I havent had any new cases of prostatitis going forward. I now take the topical fin that comes from HIMS. I am about six months in and see some minor results but have lost ground. I am over it at this point and will shave my head sooner rather than later. I have never heard of anyone else having this issue when taking finasteride. Just goes to show that everyone is different I guess.
Posted on 5/20/23 at 6:58 am to Yeti_Chaser
I upped mine to 1.5 mg a day. Not really seeing any results. Been taking it for about a year. I noticed some thinning so I wanted to get a jump on it to prevent it from getting worse. Well since taking finasteride for a year I haven’t really noticed anything except maybe it getting worse
Now I’m worried if I stop taking it that it’ll get even worse. I’m 42 btw
ETA: I’ve been dragging arse tired all the time lately and now I’m wondering if upping the dose is fricking with me
Now I’m worried if I stop taking it that it’ll get even worse. I’m 42 btw
ETA: I’ve been dragging arse tired all the time lately and now I’m wondering if upping the dose is fricking with me
This post was edited on 5/20/23 at 7:00 am
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