, in turn, is a metabolite of testosterone. In fact, in most tissues other than muscle, DHT is far more potent then testosterone.While DHT is the arbiter of male sexual characteristics, including sexual organ development, male body hair configuration, and so on, it is also responsible for such undesirable effects as male pattern baldness, prostate enlargement, and acne onset. While Proscar comes in a 5 milligram dose, studies showed that large a dose wasn't required to help prevent and treat male pattern baldess (MPB). As such, the FDA appoved the sale of a 1 milligram dose of finasteride specifically to treat MPB in 1997. That drug was called "Propecia."Bodybuilders have used either Proscar or Propecia in conjunction with anabolic steroid stacks because many of the available steroids are based on a DHT
structure, and are therefore capable of promoting MPB. One reason why not all steroid users lose their hair is because MPB, while stimulated by DHT, is actually directly caused by certain genes. The genes make the hair follicles more sensitive to the effects of DHT. Recently, however, reports have emerged of serious sexual problems related to the use of Propecia. These effects include impotence and loss of libido, or sex drive, as well as low ejaculate, loss of sexual sensation, and so on. According to the existing medical literature, only 2% of users of Propecia suffer serious sexual side effects, and most regress upon discontinuance of the drug. However, the most recent reports have found that in some cases, the sexual side effects, including impotence, are permanent. I've seen recent blogs that warn that using finasteride will completely destroy your sex life permanently.There is no doubt that some users of finasteride will experience sexual side effects from the drug. But to claim that it will happen to every man who uses it just isn't true. These stories say that the sexual effects even persist long after a person stops using finasteride. I have a problem with this for several reasons. First, DHT
is not, contrary to blog statements, responsible for libido or sex drive. Testosterone is the primary hormone responsible for sex drive in both sexes, not DHT. Another aspect of the controversy that I find curious is that those who claim that finasteride is causing these side effects say that the drug completely blocks DHT in the body. In fact, finasteride works by blocking type-2, 5-alpha reductase enzyme, which is active in hair follicles and the prostate gland. It has no effect on the other type of 5-alpha reductase enzyme, namely type-1. A newer drug, dutasteride, or Avodart, does affect both enzymes, and is considerably more potent in this regard compared to finasteride. In addition, finasteride does not completely block DHT. It blocks 67% of serum DHT. This means that you still have 33% of normal DHT being produced in your body even when you use finasteride. But the question remains: why do certain men experience serious sexual side effects when using finasteride, while others use it for years with no apparent side effects whatsoever?
. A "neurosteroid," means it has activity in the brain. DHT is known to affect memory, sleep onset, anxiety, and other mental effects. Recently, finasteride has been shown to cause depression in some men. This would directly relate to the neurosteroid effects of DHT. It also would explain the loss of libido and perhaps even the impotence experienced by a minority of users of the drug. From a sports perspective, the neurosteroid properties of DHT are thought to increase aggressiveness, and some say this makes for more intense training in the gym, or when participating in sports. I also wonder about the power of suggestion in this instance. If you firmly believe that a drug will cause side effects, it often does. It's sort of a placebo effect. This is the reason why most doctors won't tell male patients that anti-depressant drugs have a 5% incidence of causing impotence. History shows that when such effects are mentioned, some men who use the drug will quickly report the onset of impotence. My point in writing all this is that those who say that using finasteride will cause serious sexual side effects in all users of the drug are just spouting nonsense. It's comparable to saying that all those who use anabolic steroid drugs will show signs of "roid rage." Some will, many won't. Recently, some animal studies have shown that DHT
can be directly produced in muscle after exercise, including endurance training. Can this form of DHT affect tissues other than muscle? Only further studies will answer that question.©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.
