Finasteride and Fertility: Case Report and Review of the Literature

A user noticed watery semen and decreased volume after a week of using finasteride and asked if taking Zinc, pygeum, and lecithin supplements would affect finasteride's effectiveness. The conversation is about the side effects of finasteride and potential supplements to counteract them.

The conversation discusses the impact of finasteride on sperm, including potential side effects like decreased ejaculate volume and total sperm count. Users share experiences and concerns about fertility tests before and after starting finasteride.

Dutasteride may affect semen parameters but not significantly enough to impact fertility unless baseline fertility is already low. Finasteride and minoxidil are used for hair regrowth, with no side effects reported by one user.

Finasteride can affect sperm quality, but fertility usually returns after stopping it, as shown by a user who conceived four months after discontinuation. Some users successfully conceive while on finasteride, though some prefer to pause its use to minimize risks.

Dutasteride treatment may decrease sperm concentration, but levels remain above WHO recommendations and recover after discontinuation. The study has limitations, including small sample size and lack of pre-treatment sperm data, and does not assess other fertility factors.

Concerns about finasteride affecting sperm quality and embryo abnormalities during IVF. The user plans to stop finasteride for 6 months and use minoxidil, microneedling, a red light cap, and saw palmetto shampoo to manage hair loss.