This is an Appendix to the post: Polls vs. official data on side effect rates.
Summary
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| ID & source | Date posted | Participants | % with side effects | % with severe or persistent side effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1. r/tressless | Jan 2016 | 146 | 53.4% | NA |
| P2. r/HairLoss | Jul 2021 | 110 | 27.3% | NA |
| P3. r/MorePlatesMoreDates | Aug 2021 | 65 | 47.7% | 18.5% |
| P4. r/HairLoss | Sep 2021 | 52 | 32.7% | NA |
| P5. r/HairLossResearch & r/Balding | Feb 2022 | 208 | 49.5% | 12.5% |
| P6. r/MorePlatesMoreDates | Jul 2022 | 163 | 48.5% | 19.6% |
| P7. r/HairTransplants | Sep 2022 | 105 | 33.3% | NA |
| EXCLUDED POLLS | ||||
| HaarWeb.nl | Mar 2004 | 556 | 55.4% | NA |
| HairLossTalk forum | Aug 2017 | 50 | 48.0% | NA |
| Hair Restoration Social Network | Feb 2019 | 107 | 35.7% | NA |
P1. r/tressless on Reddit • Jan 16, 2016
“Do/did you have Finasteride side effects?”
| Yes | 78 | 36.0% |
| No, just no. ZERO side effects. | 68 | 31.0% |
| I have avoided Finasteride due to Fear/other reasons | 73 | 33.0% |
| TOTAL | 219 | 100.0% |
Standardized results:
| Experienced side effects | 78 | 53.4% |
| No side effects | 68 | 46.6% |
Sources: Data at pollcode • Original Reddit post (Archived: Poll data • Image of deleted Reddit post)
P2. r/HairLoss on Reddit • Jul 29, 2021
“To those who have taken fin, did you get side effects?”
| Negative side effect | 30 | 27.3% |
| None | 80 | 72.7% |
| TOTAL | 110 | 100.0% |
Standardized results:
| Experienced side effects | 30 | 27.3% |
| No side effects | 80 | 72.7% |
Source (Archived: post • poll)
P3. r/MorePlatesMoreDates on Reddit • Aug 26, 2021
“What is your experience with Finasteride?”
| Response | Votes | Percent |
| Used it with no side effects | 34 | 12.9% |
| Used it with mild side effects (e.g. reduction in erection quality / libido) | 19 | 7.2% |
| Used it with severe side effects (e.g. brain fog, depression, ED, gyno) | 12 | 4.6% |
| Never used it | 198 | 75.3% |
| TOTAL | 263 | 100.0% |
Standardized results:
| Experienced side effects | 31 | 47.7% |
| – Severe side effects | 12 | 18.5% |
| No side effects | 34 | 52.3% |
Source (Archived: post • poll)
P4. r/HairLoss on Reddit • Sep 11, 2021
“A poll on the side effects and efficacy of Finasteride.”
| Haven’t experienced any side effects. | 35 | 31.8% |
| Experienced side effects. | 17 | 15.5% |
| Fin didn’t work for me. | 5 | 4.5% |
| I haven’t used Fin. | 53 | 48.2% |
| TOTAL | 110 | 100.0% |
Standardized results:
| Experienced side effects | 17 | 32.7% |
| No side effects | 35 | 67.3% |
The option ‘Fin didn’t work for me’ (5 votes) was excluded because it is ambiguous as to the experience of adverse events.
Source deleted; see screenshot
P5. r/HairlossResearch & r/Balding on Reddit • Feb 5, 2022
This poll was posted to r/HairlossResearch and cross-posted to r/Balding
“If you are currently on oral finastride, please select on option below:” [sic]
| No side effects | 105 | 50.5% |
| Side effects that went away | 31 | 14.9% |
| Side effects that haven’t gone away in a few months | 26 | 12.5% |
| Minor side effects I can live with | 46 | 22.1% |
| TOTAL | 208 | 100.0% |
Standardized results:
| Experienced side effects | 103 | 49.5% |
| – Persistent side effects | 26 | 12.5% |
| No side effects | 105 | 50.5% |
Sources: r/HairlossResearch • r/Balding (Archived: post • poll)
P6. r/MorePlatesMoreDates on Reddit • Jul 13, 2022
“Finasteride Side Effect Poll”
| No side effects at all | 84 | 51.5% |
| Small Side effects | 37 | 22.7% |
| Sides went away after stopping Fin | 10 | 6.1% |
| Heavy side effects | 18 | 11.0% |
| I have PFS | 14 | 8.6% |
| TOTAL | 163 | 100.0% |
Standardized results:
| Experienced side effects | 79 | 48.5% |
| – Mild/transient | 47 | 28.8% |
| – Severe | 18 | 11.0% |
| – Post-discontinuation | 14 | 8.6% |
| No side effects | 84 | 51.5% |
Source (Archived: post • poll)
P7. r/HairTransplants on Reddit • Sep 22, 2022
“Did you get side effects from using finasteride (oral or topical)? I’m curious about real world usage. Thanks!”
| Yes | 35 | 33.3% |
| No | 70 | 66.7% |
| Not sure | 38 | |
| TOTAL | 143 | |
| Total Yes or No responses | 105 |
Source (Archived: post • poll)
Excluded polls
HaarWeb.nl • Mar 18, 2004
[finasteride] Side effects? (Dutch: [finasteride] Bijwerkingen?)
| No, didn’t suffer from/never noticed anything. | 248 | 44.6% |
| Yes, but not the kind that made me stop taking it. | 174 | 31.3% |
| Yes, that’s why I don’t use it anymore. | 134 | 24.1% |
| TOTAL | 556 |
Standardized results:
| Yes | 308 | 55.4% |
| No | 248 | 44.6% |
HairLossTalk • Aug 28, 2017
“If you take Finasteride did you get sides?”
| Yes | 24 | 48.0% |
| No | 26 | 52.0% |
| TOTAL | 50 |
Hair Restoration Social Network • Feb 8, 2019
“In your opinion, have you experienced side effects from finasteride?”
| Yes | 50 | 35.7% |
| No | 70 | 50.0% |
| I have never taken finasteride, therefore I cannot answer. | 20 | 14.3% |
| TOTAL | 140 | 100.0% |
Standardized results:
| Yes | 50 | 41.7% |
| No | 70 | 58.3% |