Hello All.
I have been taking propecia for the last 3 years now and it works really well . Few side effects but my hair loss is fully stabilised.
After 3 HT surgeries I can almost say I am happy. Of course I don’t have the density I had when I was 18 and my Hairline could be better but. I was also planning to do a "repair" surgery with Dr Feller In July to assess this hairline issue.

Recently my partner and I decided to conceive. After 6 month with no luck I decided to do a test.
This test showed a lack of sperm mobility. Not a huge problem but a problem.

Of course there is nothing official yet regarding a direct link between finasteride and male fertility but I am sure this link exists. I have read many things on the internet of people having the same problem but they all say that after stopping taking finasteride their sperm "quality" came back to normal.....

Bottom line is I might have to drop the drug until further notice (well until I score a goal!) hence losing all the hairs I have been able to keep so far.

Here comes the trick , I have you are like me a "young healthy man" taking propecia and also had previous HT and also want to conceive they you will have to drop the drug .
You will loose the rest of your natural hairs and as such, depending which areas of you scalp have been grafted, or not, you might look like an alien.........

So I have put this repair session with Feller on standby at the moment , I might do it once all the hair have fall of to have a more natural look ......I need to speak to the doc regarding this but he is not available this week .

If they are other guys like me here please share your experience.
Thanks guys and of course any comments welcome.
Best regards.
C.

Conan,

Continuing or stopping finasteride while trying to conceive is an issue I too have been concerned about. Because of this, I have discussed this with many physicians and the majority feel very firmly that it is safe to continue Propecia during this process.

Dr. Reed is a bit more cautious in his evaluation. See his article on Using Propecia while Trying to Conceive.

I guess I also still have a bit of nagging doubt because of the warning to women that they can't even handle broken tablets while pregnant. I realize male injestion is completely different than the female injesting it directly, but I'm a little reluctant. After all, I'd like to keep my hair, but I want a healthy baby even more!

Falc

Hi Falceros .
Thanks for sharing your experience with me.I think we are pretty much on the same boat.
I want an healthy baby too so I am probably going to drop off finasteride .........bye bye the precious hairs I have been able to save during the last 3 years.

As my front third is grafted while the rest is not I dont want to look "weird" when further hair loss will occurs so I am just wondering what the best approach could be now ?
I was planning another surgery with Dr Feller soon but I might have to delay it a little bit because of this .

What do you think ?
Cheers
D.

3 years ago I sent an email to Dr. Lee (www.minoxidil.com).
"I have used propecia and Dr Lee 5% minoxidil solutions since 2001 with good results. I plan to have a child and i would like to know if i have to discontinue the use of these products."
ANSWER:
You do not have to discontinue any of them.

"On your website you say that it is recommended that its use be discontinued two weeks prior to procreative sex. The only side effect i have reported is a decrease in ejaculate volume (not in libido). My sex life has not changed at all. But i have already read on the net that the use of finasteride should be discontinued 3 months (or 6 months) prior to procreative sex. Can you please help me?"
ANSWER:
Read the attached article that I wrote recently.
Best wishes,
Richard Lee, M.D.

Fortunately I have a beautiful healthy girl, but I discontinue the use of Finasteride for 10 months


FINASTERIDE AND BIRTH DEFECTS

There are very few more anxiety provoking times in anyone’s life than possibly causing a birth defect in one’s own unborn child. So, it’s quite understandable that the mention of a possible birth defect with the use of finasteride (Propecia 1mg and Proscar 5mg, Merck) would cause considerable anxiety and concern. The package insert for Proscar states under the section on Contraindications: “Because of the ability of Type II 5alpha reductase inhibitors to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to DHT, finasteride may cause abnormalities of the external genitalia of a male fetus of a pregnant woman who receives finasteride”. So, is the risk real? Theoretically, yes. Practically, no.

The specific birth defect that can be caused by the absence or inhibition of the Type II 5-alpha reductase enzyme in the male embryo is hypospadias. Hypospadias is a birth defect in which the urinary tract opening is on the ventral surface (under side) of the penis rather than at the tip of the penis. There have never been congenital abnormalities observed in female fetuses at any dosage of finasteride.

During the research and development phase of finasteride, studies were done on experimental animals. Rats, rabbits, and rhesus monkeys were given finasteride to determine its relationship to birth defects, i.e. hypospadias.

Hypospadias did occur in the male offspring, when pregnant rats were administered finasteride equivalent to 5-5000 times the amount of recommended for men in treating MPB (1mg/daily). The critical period during which these effects can be induced in male rats was determined to be during the 16th –17th days of gestation.

In rabbit fetuses exposed to finasteride in utero from days 6-18 of gestation at doses equivalent to 5000 times the recommended human dosage, no evidence of malformations was observed. This result would be expected, since there was no exposure during the critical period of genital system development in rabbits.

When pregnant rhesus monkeys were given intravenous finasteride at a level equivalent to at least 750 times the highest estimated exposure of pregnant women to finasteride from semen of men taking 1mg/day, there were no genital abnormalities observed.

In the human embryo, the sensitive period of external genitalia development is during the 7th - 9th weeks of gestation. Although the chromosomal and genetic sex of an embryo is determined at fertilization by the kind of sperm, either Y-bearing or X-bearing, that fertilizes the ovum, male and female morphological characteristics do not begin to develop until the seventh week. Prior to this time, the genital systems of the two sexes are similar, and the initial period of genital development is referred to as the ‘indifferent state of sexual development’. About six weeks after conception, if a Y chromosome is present in the embryo's cells (as it is in normal males), a gene on the chromosome directs the undifferentiated gonads to become testes. If the Y chromosome is not present (as in normal females), the undifferentiated gonads will become ovaries. If the gonads become testes, they begin to produce androgens, primarily testosterone, by about eight weeks after conception. These androgens stimulate development of the one set of the genital ducts into the epididymes, vas deferens, and ejaculatory duct. The presence of androgens also stimulates development of the penis and the scrotum. Hypospadias can result if there is inadequate production of androgens by the fetal testes.

Since the sensitive period of development of the external genitalia in the human embryo is the 7th to 9th weeks of gestation, there can be no danger to the child if the father is taking finasteride at the time of conception. Originally, Merck decided to err on the side of caution and warned against the possible problem of finasteride transfer in semen. This warning has since been removed from the package insert. Considering the medical/legal implications of a theoretically possible link of finasteride treatment to birth defects, it is reasonable to assume that Merck & Co. must be very confident in knowing that impregnating a woman while taking finasteride absolutely does not cause birth defects.

Nor is there any evidence of birth defects when the father taking finasteride has intercourse with the pregnant mother during the critical periods of sexual development. The in utero effects of finasteride exposure during the period of embryonic and fetal development (gestation days 20-100) were evaluated in the rhesus monkey, a species fairly predictive of human development. Intravenous administration of finasteride to pregnant monkeys at doses as high as 800ng/day (at least 60 to 120 times the highest estimated exposure of pregnant women to finasteride from semen of men taking 5mg/day) caused no abnormalities in male fetuses.

Still, Merck retains this admonition: “Women should not handle crushed or broken Propecia tablets when they are pregnant or may be potentially pregnant because of the possibility of absorption of finasteride and the subsequent potential risk to a male fetus. Propecia tablets are coated and will prevent contact with the active ingredient during normal handling, provided that the tablets have not been broken or crushed.”

Considering that intravenous administration of finasteride to pregnant experimental animals during the critical periods of sexual development didn’t cause birth defects, there is no reason to believe that transdermal absorption of finasteride from handling broken tablets could cause birth defects in the male child. But, since Propecia has not been approved by the FDA for use by women, Merck has nothing to lose by retaining this warning. In fact, it has good p.r. value.

So, can finasteride cause birth defects? Yes, there is a theoretical possibility that it can, but the probability is close to nil, when finasteride is taken in the recommended dosages. Since Propecia was approved by the FDA on 22 December 1997 and Proscar on 28 August 1996, millions of doses of finasteride have been taken and there has not been a single case report of a birth defect. Now that’s reassuring information.

Richard Lee, M.D.

thanks for the comments. I am not that worried about the birth defect thing but more in the decreased of Semen "quality", in my case mobility after 3 hours is not good apparently.

Is Finateride causing that I don;t know but I have read many things saying that stoping finasteride have increased Semen quality in every single person , hence easying the conceiving time .

Any experience welcome guys ? anyone tried to conceived while taking finasteride ?
How long did it takes ?

Thanks and Best regards.
David

geeez

Looks like I didnt think through the propecia very well



I was thinking a few days ago, what can be the real issues with Propecia - what am I pumping my body with?

Then thinking about children, possible birth defects (I know the article states that its unlikely etc.), it got me worried

I am wondering - is my vanity and/or confidence worth it???

Gee something to ponder big time now ....