I’m a 20 year old male with pcs from a reckless crazy child and years of contact sports.

A dermatologist diagnosed me with hair loss, he said mainly from stress. He prescribed me finasteride/propecia if I wanted to keep my hair.

After doing a bit of research it seems like the drug blocks 5alpha reductase type 2 and as a byproduct, 70% of dht in the body, the male hormone responsible for hair loss. The drug is a bit controversial, on the one hand millions of men take it, on the other hand, there’s a vocal minority of people who got horrible side effects from it, some which continued after stopping the drug.

I felt like perhaps the risk was worth it and I’d most likely be fine but then I saw a preliminary study which suggested finasteride depletes neurosteroids and that’s not too good for your brain. I’m not really sure how reputable this is though.

Does anyone here take the drug or have any knowledge on it and how it could affect someone with pcs and mental health or a not completely healthy brain?

What are your thoughts on use of this drug?

How important are dht and such for health of the brain and body?

Thanks for any responses

This information about Finasteride may help you.

Finasteride Uses, Side Effects & Warnings - Drugs.com

Ben, Why don't you focus on reducing your stress level? Your anxiety about any head movement should be the top of your list. I wonder if stress related hair loss will be changed by finasteride. Messing with body chemistry when you have unresolved stress sound risky.

Even if finasteride stops your hair loss, your stress will ruin your life. Having a head full of hair will not improve a life full of stress. What women want to babysit a boyfriend who melts down every time he bounces in bed?

So you think if my anxiety is under control I could try the drug?

No. I think your high stress level is contributing to your hair thinning. Keep your stress and anxiety high and nothing will stop your hair loss.

I would say using finasteride is potentially problematic. Inhibiting the enzyme in question will not just reduce DHT, but the production of many different neurosteroids, such as allopregnanolone which modulates GABA. This may be why finasteride users get insomnia, rage, anxiety etc.

Someone with a TBI is already struggling with at least some of these things most times. So I would advise against using this drug.

Allopregnanolone - Wikipedia

Allopregnanolone possesses a wide variety of effects, including, in no particular order, antidepressant, anxiolytic, stress-reducing, rewarding,[10] prosocial,[11] antiaggressive,[12] prosexual,[11] sedative, pro-sleep,[13] cognitive, memory-impairment, analgesic,[14] anesthetic, anticonvulsant, neuroprotective, and neurogenic effects.[4] Fluctuations in the levels of allopregnanolone and the other neurosteroids seem to play an important role in the pathophysiology of mood, anxiety, premenstrual syndrome, catamenial epilepsy, and various other neuropsychiatric conditions.