How to stop worrying about finasteride's side effects and avoid the nocebo effect

Summary

The speaker addresses the widespread concern over androgenic alopecia, advocating for the use of finasteride and minoxidil as effective, affordable treatments. They argue against misinformation and fear-mongering on hair loss forums, which they believe contribute to the nocebo effect, discouraging people from using proven treatments. The script emphasizes the importance of scientific research over anecdotal evidence and encourages individuals to overcome fear and misinformation to effectively combat hair loss.

Takeaways

• 🧑‍🦰 The speaker has androgenic alopecia and runs a hair loss channel, emphasizing the prevalence of male pattern baldness in his family and personal experience starting in his early 20s.
• 💊 The daily routine for managing hair loss includes taking a finasteride pill in the morning and applying minoxidil at night, highlighting the simplicity and time efficiency of these treatments.
• ⏰ The time investment for applying these treatments is minimal, averaging only one or two minutes per day, compared to the hours spent in the gym for body aesthetics.
• 💰 The financial cost of using finasteride and minoxidil is very low, with the speaker providing specific costs for his personal regimen, arguing that affordability should not be a barrier to treatment.
• 🔬 Clinical research supports the effectiveness of finasteride, with over 90% of patients maintaining or regrowing hair, even after long-term use.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The speaker criticizes the fear and misinformation spread about finasteride, particularly on hair loss forums and social media, which he claims contribute to the nocebo effect.
• 🗣️ The 'nocebo effect' is explained as a phenomenon where negative expectations about side effects can lead to the actual experience of those side effects, even when taking a placebo.
• 📉 The speaker suggests that the fear, uncertainty, and doubt spread by anti-finasteride groups may be responsible for a significant portion of perceived side effects.
• 🤯 The speaker recounts his own initial experience with the nocebo effect, where he stopped taking finasteride due to unfounded fears of side effects, which he later realized were not real.
• 🛑 The importance of ignoring anecdotal evidence and focusing on high-quality, peer-reviewed research is stressed to make informed decisions about hair loss treatments.
• 🚫 The speaker warns against seeking advice from online forums where misinformation is rampant, advocating instead for consulting with medical professionals and scientific studies.

Q & A

What is androgenic alopecia?

Androgenic alopecia is a common type of hair loss in men, often referred to as male pattern baldness, which is influenced by genetic factors and hormone levels.

What are the two treatments mentioned in the script for managing hair loss?

The two treatments mentioned are finasteride, a pill taken orally, and minoxidil, a liquid applied topically to the scalp.

How much time does the speaker spend daily on hair loss treatments according to the script?

The speaker spends on average one or two minutes per day on hair loss treatments, including taking finasteride and applying minoxidil.

What is the cost of using generic proscar and minoxidil for the speaker?

The speaker spends approximately 7 cents a day on finasteride (generic proscar) and 19 cents a day on minoxidil, totaling about a quarter per day.

What percentage of patients on finasteride can expect to maintain their hair or experience regrowth according to clinical research cited in the script?

Over 90 percent of patients on finasteride can expect to maintain their hair or experience regrowth, even after 10 years of usage.

Why does the speaker believe that many people do not start treating their hair loss despite the availability of effective treatments?

The speaker suggests that ignorance about the existence of the treatments and fear, often fueled by misinformation online, are the main reasons many people do not start treating their hair loss.

What is the 'nocebo effect' as discussed in the script?

The nocebo effect is the phenomenon where people experience negative side effects from a treatment, such as a drug, due to the anticipation of those side effects, rather than the treatment itself.

How does the speaker describe the role of social media and hair loss forums in spreading misinformation about finasteride?

The speaker describes these platforms as being flooded with fear, misinformation, and fake news about finasteride, which contributes to the nocebo effect and discourages people from using the treatment.

What is the speaker's opinion on the advice given by 'bro scientists' on hair loss forums?

The speaker views the advice given by 'bro scientists' as unhelpful and potentially harmful, as it often leads people away from proven treatments like finasteride and towards unproven and ineffective methods.

What evidence does the speaker provide to support the existence of the nocebo effect?

The speaker cites scientific studies, including one published in 2018 about the nocebo effect reported by patients taking placebos and another from 2007 specifically looking at finasteride and sexual side effects.

What advice does the speaker give to people who have been exposed to misinformation about finasteride?

The speaker advises acknowledging the existence of the placebo and nocebo effects, understanding that side effects from finasteride are likely due to the nocebo effect, and avoiding exposure to misinformation by not engaging with finasteride detractors.

Outlines

00:00

💊 Hair Loss Treatment Accessibility and Effectiveness

The speaker discusses the prevalence of androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, and how it affected him personally, leading to the creation of a hair loss channel. He emphasizes the ease and affordability of treating hair loss with finasteride and minoxidil, debunking misconceptions about the cost and time involved. The speaker also highlights the effectiveness of these treatments, citing clinical research showing over 90% of patients maintaining or regrowing hair with finasteride use. He criticizes the fear and misinformation surrounding finasteride, which he believes is unjustified and stems from internet rumors rather than scientific evidence.

05:02

📚 Overcoming Misinformation in Hair Loss Treatments

This paragraph delves into the speaker's personal struggle with the fear of finasteride, influenced by misinformation from hair loss forums. He regrets not using clinically proven treatments earlier, which led to significant hair loss and the need for expensive hair transplants. The speaker argues that overcoming the fear, known as the nocebo effect, is crucial in treating hair loss. He criticizes the promotion of unproven treatments and emphasizes the importance of relying on scientific research and medical advice rather than anecdotal evidence from online forums.

10:02

🧬 The Nocebo Effect and Its Impact on Hair Loss Treatments

The speaker explains the nocebo effect, which is the negative counterpart of the placebo effect, where patients experience side effects due to the anticipation of them. He cites studies showing the nocebo effect's significant impact on patients' experiences with drugs, including finasteride. The speaker argues that the fear of side effects, often amplified by online misinformation, can lead to patients perceiving side effects that are not actually present. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and accounting for the nocebo effect when considering hair loss treatments.

15:03

📉 The Rise of the Nocebo Effect and Its Influence on Drug Perception

This paragraph discusses the increasing strength of the nocebo effect, potentially due to the proliferation of online misinformation. The speaker suggests that the nocebo effect may be growing as a result of more complex clinical trials and the spread of fear through social media. He argues that this effect is a significant obstacle for those suffering from hair loss, as it can deter them from using effective treatments like finasteride due to unfounded fears of side effects.

20:04

🤯 Counteracting the Nocebo Effect and Misinformation

The speaker outlines steps to counteract the nocebo effect, starting with acknowledging its existence and understanding that it is a scientifically validated phenomenon. He advises recognizing that side effects attributed to finasteride could be due to the nocebo effect and that even if side effects occur, they are often manageable. The speaker also warns against seeking advice from those with a vendetta against finasteride, as they may not have the user's best interests in mind.

25:05

📚 The Importance of Quality Research in Understanding Drug Safety

In this paragraph, the speaker emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity when evaluating scientific research, particularly regarding finasteride. He criticizes the reliance on low-quality studies and anecdotal evidence, advocating for the examination of high-quality, unbiased research. The speaker also addresses the issue of biased studies funded by anti-finasteride groups and the potential for post-marketing surveillance to identify and remove dangerous drugs from the market.

30:06

🛡 Protecting Against Misinformation and the Nocebo Effect

The final paragraph serves as a call to action, urging individuals to protect themselves from misinformation spread by those with a vendetta against finasteride. The speaker encourages taking the drug to save hair and move on with life, suggesting that success in doing so can help counteract the negative narrative perpetuated by finasteride detractors. He concludes with a message of support and empowerment for those dealing with hair loss.

Keywords

💡Androgenic Alopecia

Androgenic alopecia is a common type of hair loss that is influenced by genetic and hormonal factors, particularly affecting men. It is characterized by a receding hairline and thinning at the crown. In the video, the speaker mentions that they run a hair loss channel and suffer from this condition, which is present in their family and began affecting them in their early 20s.

💡Finasteride

Finasteride is a medication used to treat hair loss and benign prostatic hyperplasia. It works by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, which is responsible for hair follicle miniaturization. The video emphasizes the effectiveness and affordability of finasteride as a daily treatment for hair loss, with the speaker taking a pill in the morning.

💡Minoxidil

Minoxidil is a topical treatment for hair loss that promotes hair growth by improving blood flow to the hair follicles. The script describes the speaker's nightly routine of applying liquid minoxidil to their scalp before bed as a part of their hair loss management strategy.

💡Nocebo Effect

The nocebo effect is a phenomenon where negative expectations from a patient can result in perceived side effects, even when taking a placebo. The video discusses this effect in the context of finasteride, suggesting that much of the perceived side effects of the drug may be due to fear and misinformation spread by online forums and social media.

💡Generic Proscar

Generic Proscar refers to the generic version of the medication finasteride, which is used in a higher dosage for prostate issues but can be divided into smaller doses for hair loss treatment. The speaker mentions using generic Proscar, which they quarter into 1.25 milligram tablets for their daily hair loss regimen.

💡Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS)

Post-Finasteride Syndrome is a controversial and not scientifically proven condition that some individuals claim to experience after discontinuing finasteride use, alleging persistent side effects. The video criticizes the concept, attributing it to misinformation and the nocebo effect rather than actual drug effects.

💡Hair Transplant

A hair transplant is a surgical technique that involves moving hair follicles from one part of the body to another to restore hair growth. The speaker mentions hair transplants as a more costly and invasive alternative to药物治疗, which they had to resort to due to misinformation delaying their use of finasteride.

💡Neuroteroids

Neuroteroids are steroid hormones that act as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in the nervous system. The script addresses concerns about finasteride's impact on neurosteroids, particularly DHT's role in the brain, but dismisses these concerns as based on animal studies that may not be applicable to humans.

💡Fear-mongering

Fear-mongering refers to the spreading of fear, often using misinformation or exaggeration, to influence people's opinions or actions. The video describes how fear-mongering about finasteride's safety on online platforms contributes to the nocebo effect and discourages people from using an effective treatment for hair loss.

💡Baylor Study

The Baylor Study is mentioned in the script as an example of research that was anticipated to prove the existence of Post-Finasteride Syndrome but was later found to be flawed and unconvincing. The speaker uses this example to illustrate the poor quality of some studies that aim to discredit finasteride.

💡Pseudoscientific

Pseudoscientific refers to claims or theories that resemble scientific ideas but lack the empirical evidence and rigorous methodology of true science. The video uses this term to criticize the basis of anti-finasteride arguments, suggesting they are based on misinformation and not sound scientific research.

Highlights

The speaker discusses the prevalence of androgenic alopecia among men and their personal experience with it, including the presence of the male pattern baldness gene in their family.

Introduction of daily treatments using finasteride and minoxidil to control hair loss, emphasizing the minimal time investment required.

Comparison of the time spent in the gym to the minimal time needed for hair loss treatments, suggesting that saving hair should be a priority.

Financial analysis of the cost of generic proscar and minoxidil, highlighting the affordability of hair loss treatments.

Clinical research is cited to show the effectiveness of finasteride in maintaining or promoting hair regrowth in over 90% of patients.

The speaker questions why many people do not take advantage of the available treatments for hair loss despite their proven effectiveness.

Ignorance about the existence of finasteride and its potential to reverse hair loss is identified as a barrier to treatment.

Fear and misinformation about finasteride's safety are discussed as significant factors preventing its use, despite its actual safety profile.

The 'nocebo effect' is introduced to explain how fear and negative expectations can lead to perceived side effects from treatments.

Personal anecdotes from the speaker about their initial hesitation and eventual acceptance of finasteride treatment.

The impact of hair loss forums and social media on spreading misinformation and the 'nocebo effect'.

A discussion on the scientific validity of the 'nocebo effect' and its relevance to finasteride side effects.

The speaker shares their journey of overcoming the 'nocebo effect' and the benefits of doing so for hair preservation.

Critique of alternative hair loss theories and treatments that lack clinical evidence, diverting from proven treatments like finasteride.

Advice on how to counteract the 'nocebo effect' by understanding the placebo effect and the reality of finasteride's safety.

A call to action for individuals to take responsibility for their own hair loss journey and not be swayed by misinformation.

The speaker's final thoughts on the importance of making informed decisions about hair loss treatments and not falling victim to fear and rumors.

Transcripts

suck chums how y'all living hope

everything is nova and you're all having

a prime week

so i like so many hundreds of millions

of men across the world have androgenic

alopecia i mean no [ __ ] right that's why

i run a hair loss channel i know i have

the male pattern baldness gene because

it is present on both sides of my family

and i myself started balding in my early

20s even though i of course wish i

didn't have androgenic alopecia it

really isn't that big of a deal because

it is extremely easy to treat every day

all i do to keep my hair loss completely

under control is i swallow a finasteride

pill in the morning and then at night i

apply liquid minoxidil to my scalp

before going to bed that's it there are

1440 minutes in a single day and using

finasteride minoxidil takes only on

average one or two of those minutes my

time is of course valuable but it isn't

so valuable that i can't afford to spare

just a couple of minutes per day to do

something as important as saving my hair

and i imagine most other people could

afford to do it too people will spend

several hours a week to make their body

look good in the gym so how hard is it

to just take a few minutes per day to

save your hair also

the financial burden of this treatment

is extremely trivial i use generic

proscar which is the five milligram

tablet form of finasteride that i

subsequently quarter into 1.25 milligram

tablets a four month supply of this drug

cost me just nine us dollars

additionally i can buy a three month

supply of minoxidil for just 17 at my

local drugstore so calculating the daily

cost of finasteride it's only roughly 7

cents a day and only 19 cents per day

for minoxidil use so that's about a

quarter per day to save my hair and even

if you can't get these drugs for as

cheap as i do chances are you'll still

be only spending pennies per day so cost

shouldn't be an issue for anybody even

somewhat as poor as jason blaha could

afford hair loss treatments although he

may need to close his world of warcraft

and fortnite account in order to do so

the best thing about all this though is

despite the fact that these treatments

are very cheap and time efficient they

are also extremely effective and will

stop and reverse hair loss in the vast

majority of people who use them in fact

clinical research has shown that over 90

percent of patients on finasteride will

maintain their hair or experience even

more regrowth even after 10 years of

usage and i have a video which discusses

that which i'll link below but the fact

that such an amazingly effective and

widely available treatment exists is

something we can all be very grateful

for especially considering the fact that

just 40 30 30 40 years ago we had

nothing yet you have to wonder why is it

that despite having such an outstanding

treatment so widely available so many

people don't even begin the good fight

against the slap bad curse and wind up

looking like moby well the first obvious

explanation is just simple ignorance

finasteride isn't a heavily marketed

drug anymore probably because it is off

patent now so the only way to find out

about it is by doing the research

yourself and oftentimes by the time

people even figure out about the drug's

existence it is too late for them and

their hair is far too gone finasteride

is of course great but it won't reverse

long-term damage so waiting too long to

start it could result in the necessity

for a hair transplant so that's one

reason simple ignorance that the drug

even exists but most most people who are

finasteride hesitant have heard of the

drug yet they still won't try it so why

is it that someone suffering from hair

loss would forsake such an effective and

accessible treatment even after being

informed of its existence well it boils

down to one important factor fear

finasteride for all its worth has been

slandered defamed trashed and abused

even more than johnny depp by amber

heard the internet is absolutely flooded

with fear misinformation and outright

fake news about the safety of

finasteride and oftentimes this

fear-mongering is the first thing people

will be exposed to when they look up the

drug online as such people will be too

scared to use the drug before they even

have a chance to know anything about its

mechanism as well as the well-conducted

peer-reviewed clinical research which

proves that contrary to all this

gaslighting about finasteride it is in

fact a very safe drug that virtually

anybody can use without issues

additionally even if people do start

using the drug they will oftentimes stop

the drug before having the chance to

benefit from it because the

fear-mongering they read about online

will convince them that the drug is

giving them a side effect even when it's

not this is called the necebel effect

and it's something i know all too well

myself because i myself fell victim to

the out of control hysteria about

finasteride back when i first started

using the drug i would periodically get

on the drug since i was worried about

hair loss but then i would subsequently

stop after a few weeks because i was

thinking i was getting erectile

dysfunction just because i wasn't

walking around with a boner 24 hours a

day what really pissed me off about this

though is that this disinformation about

finasteride safety came from the hair

loss forms places you'd expect to be

helpful to people in their fight against

hair loss but as it turns out taking

advice from these hair loss forms made

things worse for me because it caused me

to delay using clinically proven

treatments in favor of absolute [ __ ]

unproven treatments promoted by these

hair loss forums and subreddits that

only made my hair loss worse these were

treatments like six laser therapy and

all the treatments based on the flu

[ __ ] and other such broccoli and

this made my hair so bad that by the

time i had finally taken the red fill

and started finasteride i was already

bordering on being a norwood four i

ended up having to spend well over ten

thousand dollars of my hard-earned money

on hair transplants in order to have

even a semblance of an acceptable

hairline you know what that's fine

though i am glad i had that option but

it would have been much better had i

never sought advice from bro scientists

on hair loss forms online and instead

just listened to my doctor and learned

how to interpret the scientific research

which proves that finasteride is as safe

as any other commonly prescribed

medication so overcoming this nacibo

effect brought on by viewing the hair

loss forms was by far the hardest

obstacle i ever faced in my hair loss

journey ever since then it has been

smooth sailing and since it has been so

easy for me it has afforded me this

wonderful opportunity to spend most of

my time on researching the subject of

hair loss and then sharing what i know

with youtubes so you can avoid some of

the mistakes that i made early in my own

hair loss journey unfortunately the hair

loss forums and subreddits are every bit

as much flooded with absolutely

unbearable [ __ ] theories and

misconceptions today as they were back

when i first visited them well over a

decade ago in fact things have probably

gotten even worse with all the [ __ ]

about blood flow scalp tension and other

such broccoli because now with the rise

of social media you have a bunch of

hairline fraud cells who are bringing

attention to these obsolete debunk

theories and then helping to revitalize

them the fact is though is that even if

on the surface some of these alternative

theories for hair loss might sound

interesting all they're doing is

diverting people away from the only

proven way to stop hair loss long term

and that is through clinically proven

treatments like finasteride and topical

minoxidil these drugs contrary to much

information online do not have a high

incidence of side effects it is true

that a very small percentage of people

who use these drugs can get side effects

but those side effects will usually go

away on their own with continued use and

failing that the side effects can easily

be mitigated through dose titration and

i have a video about that which i posted

below if you want to learn more about

the dose of finasteride that will work

for you indeed finasteride is one of the

safest best tolerated drugs in the world

and that's that is why it is safely

prescribed to millions of people every

year making it one of the most

prescribed drugs in the entire world the

real problem with finasteride doesn't

actually come from the drug itself

rather it comes from our own minds that

is what the nacibo effect is it isn't a

side effect of the drug but rather it is

a side effect of visiting hair loss

forms as well as viewing social media

just think about it why is it that we

only started hearing about things like

post finasteride syndrome about 10 to 15

years ago even though even though the

drug has been on the market since 1992

the rise in finasteride fear mongering

clearly coincides with the rise in

social media where now every idiot is

given a platform to spew as much garbage

as they want about any topic and that is

why the nacibo effect has been such a

huge obstacle to hair loss sufferers

because as wrong and stupid as

finasteride fear mongers are they speak

with enough conviction and emotion that

many people are being fooled by their

demagoguery the fact of the matter

though is that as convinced as these

finasteride hating bald cells are in

their own [ __ ] everything they're

saying is just that [ __ ] it is

nothing more than pseudo-scientific

conspiracy theorists drivel and

organizations that spread finasteride

fear-mongering like the pfs network

propecia help forms and the rape pete

forms display the same level of

ignorance as the flat earth society q

anon and alex jones nothing is standing

between you and your hair other than

your own hesitation to do what needs to

be done and that hesitation is entirely

unjustified so you've heard me bring up

the nacebo effect several times already

including my own initial struggles with

it and you may be skeptical about how

big of a role it plays in the

development of perceived side effects

but there's actually very strong

evidence that shows that the nacebo

effect is a real phenomenon and a huge

contributor to the problems people have

with many drugs not just finasteride so

for those who don't know what the nocebo

effect is exactly it is basically the

dark side of the placebo effect the

placebo effect itself has been

recognized for many years it basically

is the well-known but poorly understood

phenomenon that a certain percentage of

people who think they are taking a

powerful new drug for some disease will

actually get better even though they are

just taking a sugar pill now one

possible explanation for the placebo

effect may be just the natural variation

in the course of different diseases

after all some diseases just get better

by themselves without treatment but

there also seems to be a psychological

effect that translates into better

outcomes some kind of mind over matter

phenomenon and it's not just that these

patients who get the placebo effect are

claiming they feel better when their

disease is getting worse there are

actually objective findings like

improvement in blood tests or x-rays

that can occur in these cases and in the

case of hair loss it's been shown that

you can give a placebo treatment to

subjects and they'll actually experience

hair growth if they're convinced they're

taking a legitimate treatment that is

why even completely scam treatments like

scalp massages will appear to have some

benefit in studies where there is no

control group for comparison and that is

why scam products and programs will

often rely on people's anecdotal

experience since anecdotes have no

control comparison and thus have no way

to show that any improvement was due to

the product being used so

the placebo effect is very powerful

which is why medical researchers don't

just give someone a new drug and look at

the results of the drug without

comparing the results to a placebo group

so say if you were to do just a simple

before and after drug study without a

placebo group and then see a 20

improvement you might conclude from that

that the drug caused this 20 improvement

however if you did the same study but

had a group of subjects taking a placebo

version of the drug maybe the placebo

group might show a 15 improvement so

actually the drug was only responsible

for five percent of the improvement so

not having a placebo group in a study

tends to overestimate the effectiveness

of a drug or non-drug therapy so you

absolutely need a placebo group to make

sure that the treatment being researched

is actually any better than just taking

a placebo sadly many studies of

borderline pseudo treatments like

microneedling scalp massages or natural

hair loss therapies don't bother with a

placebo group which makes the results

seem better than they actually are as

opposed to the placebo effect though the

nacibo effect is a newer concept but the

concept is still very similar the

placebo effect is when side effects

occur when taking a placebo drug these

side effects can't really be due to the

placebo since placebos have no medical

effect so somehow these side effects

occur just from the anticipation that

they could occur anyway like in the

previous example you might do a study

and find that there was a 20 incidence

of side effects on a drug but you would

be exaggerating the drugs adverse

effects if you didn't have a placebo

control group because that placebo group

might for example have a 15 incidence of

side effects just from taking placebo so

the drug would only be responsible for a

five percent incidence of side effects

not a twenty percent incidence so we

just saw that studies without a placebo

control group tend to over overestimate

a drug's efficacy but at the same time

they tend to also overestimate a drug

side effects by the nacibo effect once

you understand the placebo and placebo

effects you realize that these effects

don't just apply to taking a placebo

they also contribute to the efficacy and

incidence of side effects of active

drugs like finasteride so we can

estimate how much a drug's efficacy is

due to a placebo effect and what

percentage of its side effects are due

to a nocebo effect by doing randomized

placebo-controlled studies and

subtracting out the placebo effects from

the drug's effects so like i already

said the nacibo effect has been

scientifically studied extensively in

particular they did it to see how

powerful of an effect it is and also to

see what factors increase or decrease

its effect one of the best studies of

the placebo effect was published in 2018

and is titled quote rapid overview of

systematic reviews of nocebo effects

reported by patients taking placebos and

clinical trials unquote in this study

the researchers first make the important

observation that the nacibo effect often

happens because patients are warned

about side effects from doctors and this

worry translates into actually getting

the side effect the researchers note

that quote having been warned about side

effects in the patient information

sheets the patient may expect an adverse

event this negative expectation could

then produce the event unquote the

researchers then note how powerful this

effect is they write about a study where

the nacebo effect was studied directly

in one multicenter randomized trial of

aspirin or sulfonpurizone for treating

unstable angina due to differences in

individual hospital review processes

patients either received or did not

receive a statement outlining possible

gastrointestinal side effects this

resulted in a six-fold increase in the

number of individuals withdrawing from

the study because of subjective minor

gastrointestinal symptoms unquote so

clearly the nacibo effect is very

powerful but to define the placebo

effect more precisely these researchers

identified

1271 randomized controlled studies

involving many different drugs and

diseases and these studies included the

awesome sum of

250

726 patients who are given placebo

treatments that's greater than the

population of some nations they crunched

the numbers and found out that overall

adverse effects meeting side effects

occurred in 49.1 percent of patients

taking placebos and five percent of

people taking placebo actually had to

withdraw from these studies due to these

perceived side effects so that's a lot

of placebo side effects and it's wrong

to think that the nacibo effect just

causes mild side effects people don't

usually withdraw from studies unless

they think they are having major side

effects the paper also included a small

number of studies that included not only

a placebo group but also an untreated

group as expected more people in the

placebo group who thought that they

might be on an active drug reported side

effects than people in the untreated

group who knew for sure they weren't on

any medication so the bottom line from

the study is that the nacibo effect is

real and could account for the majority

of drug side effects and these side

effects can even be severe enough to

cause steady dropouts so even though

finasteride like any drug can cause side

effects we know just based on this study

and also from the actual randomized

controlled studies of finasteride versus

placebo that at least half of the

reported side effects from finasteride

are due to the placebo effect and

therefore not even real i did a complete

overview of the actual incidence of

finasteride side effects in one of my

videos and i'll post a link to that

video below if you're interested in more

details but anyways besides this general

study on the nocebo effect we

fortunately have a study that looks

specifically at the nacibo effect in

patients taking finasteride now i've

mentioned this study before in other

videos but is worth going over in more

detail since it is relevant to this

subject this study was published in 2007

and is titled quote finasteride five

billiograms and sexual side effects how

many of these are related to a placebo

phenomenon unquote dr mundani and his

friends looked at men with prostate

symptoms between the ages of 45 and 65

years old the men were told that they

were candidates for a new drug simply

titled drug x this secret drug was

actually finasteride at five milligrams

daily but the patients did not know that

dr mundani and his team of hair loss

switchers recruited 120 men and half of

them were in group one which was a group

in which the researchers did not mention

any possibility of sexual side effects

from this drug x in group two however

the researchers counsel the patients

that drug x quote may cause erectile

dysfunction decreased libido and

problems of ejaculation but it is

uncommon unquote so that is actually a

pretty mild statement not at all as

inflammatory as what you read on the

forums about the risk of finasteride

side effects but let's go ahead and see

what this slight difference in

counseling of these patients actually

ended up doing well at the end of year 1

the patients in group one which was the

group that hadn't been warned about the

sexual side effects of drug x reported a

15.3 percent incidence of sexual side

effects whereas group two which was the

group that did get the warning reported

a 43.6

incidence of sexual sides this table

shows the details of these side effects

remember these are all people taking the

same drug finasteride at five milligrams

daily despite the fact that it's called

drug x so just the simple act of

mentioning the possibility of sexual

side effects caused a profound nacebo

effect where the group getting the

placebo treatment had a dramatically

higher incidence of sexual side effects

and remember dr madani just told them

there was a small possibility of side

effects imagine what would have happened

to these patients had the doctor made

them read the goddamn propecia help

forums or trestles instead i bet over 90

of them would have gotten sexual side

effects in that case now you may say

that even a 15 incident sex of sexual

side effects is high but remember that

these are older men with prostate

problems who are on a higher dose of

finasteride than what is used for

androgenic alopecia five milligrams

versus one milligram of finasteride also

sexual dysfunction is in fact linked to

prostate issues and is very prevalent in

older men so the 15 incident of side

effects is not surprising in the group

that wasn't warned about side effects

what is surprising is how much just

mentioning the possibility of side

effects becomes a self-fulfilling

prophecy and increase the incidence of

side effects almost three times so

seeing the outcomes of this research it

shows you just how dangerous it is for

someone new to the fight against hair

loss to get their information from hair

loss forms where bald coping bro

scientists control the narrative and

control the flow of information which of

course is 99 complete [ __ ] going to

a hair loss form to ask for advice about

finasteride is like going to 4chan and

then telling people there that you want

to see more diversity in video games on

top of these two studies there is also

evidence that the placebo effect and

presumably the nacibo effect too is

getting even more powerful in recent

years in this study that was published

in 2015 the placebo effect was tracked

from 1990 to the year 2013 and it looked

specifically at drugs that treat a

neurological condition called neuropathy

the analysis included the results of 84

separate studies that included a placebo

group this graph shows that over the

time the placebo group treatment has

gotten more and more effective shown by

the downward trend of the graph at the

same time the effectiveness of the drug

treatment has stayed about the same so

it appears that the drugs are getting

worse compared to placebo when in

actuality it's just the placebo effect

getting stronger the authors aren't sure

what is causing this trend but they

speculate that it may be that clinical

trials are becoming longer and more

complicated with more study arms so more

and more study subjects are thinking

they are actually on the study drug and

not the placebo drug it's unfortunate

that the study didn't also look at the

strengths of the nacebo effect over time

though certainly the nacibo must be

getting stronger too due to the rampant

proliferation of misinformation online

so there's no doubt that the nisbo

effect is very real and very powerful

and it's contingent on how worried you

are that you might get side effects from

a drug so what can you do about it well

let's assume you've already been exposed

to this misinformation online what can

you then do to counteract this nacibo

effect well the first step is to

actually acknowledge the placebo effect

exists and that it is a real phenomenon

that has been validated through research

containing hundreds of thousands of

subjects evidence doesn't get much

stronger than that the second step is to

acknowledge that the nisibo effect is

not a sign of mental weakness anyone can

fall victim to it and like i said i was

a victim of it too but i overcame it and

so can you the third step is to realize

that if you get a side effect on

finasteride it is just as likely or

perhaps even more likely to be due to

the placebo effect than it is to be a

genuine side effect caused by the drug

even if it is a real side effect there

is an excellent chance that it will go

away by itself with continued use or at

worst it will go away with dose

titration i did a video that went over

the true incidence of finasteride side

effects which i'll link below and even

though it is a long watch i highly

recommend watching it to its full to get

a complete understanding of just how

uncommon finasteride side effects are

when the nacebo effect is excluded

acknowledging this it is foolish to

abstain from finasteride based on such a

miniscule risk of adverse effects if

you're not willing to risk even a tiny

chance of side effects that will go away

on their own and are easily manageable

then bald cafe's channel is right down

the hallway the next and possibly most

important step is to realize that the

intensity of the placebo effect that

occurs is directly correlated to the

amount of misinformation that you're

exposed to simply put the more you

expose yourself to places that spread

paranoia about finasteride like hair

loss forms and subreddits the more

likely you're going to get the placebo

effect even though these forms and

subreddits do have some well-intentioned

people the fact of the matter is is that

the majority of people who take

finasteride without any issues will just

get on with their lives and not talk

about it at all because of this the

majority of people who remain online and

still talk about finasteride are people

who want to portray it in a negative

light and as such finasteride haters

control the narrative in these forms and

any discussion that goes contrary to

their biases will be bet with the most

extreme hostility imaginable and that's

because these finasteride haters on

these forums are absolute losers they

lost the fight against hair loss because

they were too scared to take finasteride

and now the only way for them to cope

with their decision not to use

finasteride is to try to ruin it for

other people by discouraging them from

starting it so how is it that these

random nobodies on hair loss forms are

so overwhelmingly successful at scaring

people off using finasteride we know

they're successful because after all

just go outside and bald men are still

everywhere so why is it that so many

people are listening to these absolute

[ __ ] losers on these forums and

subreddits well the reason why they're

so successful is because of the tactics

they employ the most common tactic they

use is gaslighting now i know the term

gas lining is thrown a lot these days

but what i mean by this i can probably

best illustrate with an example a

classic example is what happens when

someone asks about finasteride on the

hair loss form there will always be

someone who says it's too dangerous to

take the original poster may dispute

this and then what will happen next is

that someone will respond with an

overwhelming long list of links to

studies and opinion pieces and basically

anything they possibly can find on the

google search that portrays finasteride

in a negative light then the person who

originally asked the question will be so

overwhelmed with how much data it there

is that he'll just assume that the sheer

quantity of research is reason enough to

believe the drug is dangerous so he will

abstain from taking it the problem with

this tactic is these people posting

these long bibliographies of studies and

opinion pieces that are bashing

finasteride are not properly analyzing

these studies that they link in fact

it's more likely they haven't even read

these studies and even if they had they

probably didn't read anything beyond

just the abstract and title i even see

this on my own channel occasionally

where every now and then some dumb [ __ ]

will try to debunk me by just

outsourcing their argument by finding as

many links to papers that disagree with

me as possible oh congratulations you

know how to use a google search

too bad that's no substitute for

actually knowing how to interpret

scientific research like i do that's

what happens when you try to find

research to fit your agenda rather than

just presenting scientific research

science is not democratic it is not the

quantity of research that is important

it's the quality and just because you

can find a lot of research on something

that portrays it in a negative light

doesn't make the claims true not all

scientific studies are created equal and

in fact there are levels of scientific

evidence as shown in this pyramid right

here at the top of the pyramid in terms

of value are meta-analyses and

randomized control trials at the bottom

of the pyramid we have case reports and

case control studies and at the very

bottom are just opinion pieces written

by so-called authorities in addition the

quality of research can be affected by

issues like selection bias financial

bias and other conflicts of interest

case in point the majority of studies

that portray finasteride in a negative

light actually recruit their subjects

from the propecia health forums and the

post-finasteride syndrome foundation or

pfs network or whatever the [ __ ] it's

called these days also a lot of these

studies are outright funded by

anti-finasteride groups so how can you

possibly get good objective data when

the research is controlled by people who

are trying to influence an outcome

favorable to their own agenda which of

course is to make finasteride look bad

now i know that not all the data that

portrays finasteride in the negative

light is bias but a lot of it is based

on animal studies or in vitro studies

where the results may not be valid

because of differences between animal

species and human species and also the

fact that much higher proportional doses

of finasteride are used in these studies

compared to what a human would ever use

obviously influences the outcome of the

study as well a classic example of this

would be when people bring up concerns

about neurosteroids and finasteride use

they'll talk about the metabolization of

aloe pregnant alone which is an

important neurosteroid that is

synthesized by the 5-ar enzyme which

finasteride suppresses the problem

though is that there is a different

distribution of the 5-ar isoenzyme in

rodent brains than in human brains and

finasteride predominantly suppresses the

type 2 isoenzyme so there are real

questions about how applicable any of

this rodent research on neurosteroid is

to humans the fact of the matter is that

there is no high quality research

meaning unbiased randomized controlled

studies on post-finasteride syndrome and

all the evidence of its existence is

just based on low-quality evidence case

reports and anecdotes from screaming

neck bearded perma versions on hair loss

forms and subreddits i have debunked all

these post-finasteride syndrome and

neurosteroid studies in several videos

and i'll link them below in case you

haven't seen them yet every drug that

has ever been on the market has had its

share of detractors and in some cases

drugs that have been put on the market

have been found to be dangerous but

there is a system in place to monitor

potential dangers of a drug after it

hits the market it's called

post-marketing surveillance and it is

mandated by the fda if a drug that is

released is later proven to be dangerous

it is promptly taken off the market and

a famous example of this would be vioxx

which was an arthritis drug this happens

only rarely though as the fda is the

most stringent regulating agency of

pharmaceuticals in the entire world and

when it does happens it happens a few

years after the drug is released at the

longest it took just five years for

vioxx to be pulled off the market but

finasteride has been on the market for

20 years if post finasteride syndrome

were real or if the side effects of

finasteride were underreported then the

drug would not be for sale today but it

is for sale because the nacibo effect is

not the fault of finasteride it is the

fault of idiots who spread lies about

the drug safety the fact of the matter

is that there has never been any good

research done on finasteride that

contradicts what the clinical trials

have already established about the drug

in fact for years there was a tremendous

amount of hype about a study in

development at the time called the

baylor study this was frequently talked

about on the propecia health forums and

other places where finasteride fear

mongering is rampant it was thought that

this study was going to be the smoking

gun that would finally prove that post

finasteride syndrome is real and that

those evil big pharma goons have been

lying to us about it the whole time as

it turns out though the study was a

massive piece of [ __ ] that i debunked in

one of my videos the study was so bad

even people on the propecia health

forums admitted that the study was crap

and they don't even talk about it

anymore really but this crap has been

going on for years now every few months

there will be some announcement of a

community-funded research project where

the pfs network will try to fundraise

for some new research or miracle cure

and then after they finally get it it

turns out to be nothing but complete

[ __ ] so they go back to the drawing

board and then the cycle repeats itself

you know what the definition of insanity

is it's doing the same thing over and

over again and expecting different

results and that is what finasteride

haters don't seem to understand i'm

trying to help them get over their

delusions so they can get some real help

for their problems rather than trying to

scapegoat finasteride for everything

that's wrong with their lives they may

not realize it but by blaming

finasteride for all their problems they

are hurting other people in the process

by generating a huge nacibo effect in

the hair loss community that is costing

people their hair and making their lives

worse taking responsibility for your own

failings is part of what it means to be

an adult and i get the feeling that

finasteride haters still have a lot of

growing up to do so until then it is

important you protect yourself from this

kind of disinformation spread by

finasteride haters online if you want to

know the truth about finasteride then

the last thing you want to do is speak

about it to people who have a vendetta

against the drug these people are not

bashing finasteride for your sake

they're bashing it for their own sake

and the worst thing that could possibly

happen to them is for people like you to

ignore them and avoid the placebo effect

by just taking finasteride saving your

hair and getting on with your life and

being happy with your decision nothing

better reinforces their failures more so

than you being successful so don't give

them what they want by being a miserable

sexless bald cell slap head like they

are you and your hair deserve better

than that

god bless