Finasteride vs Tadalafil for libido
Short answer: For libido, more users report improvement with Tadalafil — 91% of 99 reports, versus 4% of 27 for Finasteride.
Finasteride has 113 meta-analyses and 332 randomized trials on PubMed; Tadalafil has 120 and 347.
Based on 144 reports about Finasteride and 253 about Tadalafil. Not medical advice.
| Finasteride Medication | Tadalafil Medication | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 29%helped89 reports · medium confidence | 77%helped142 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 113 / 332 | 120 / 347 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Libido % reporting improvement | 4% (27) | 91% (99) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 0% (4) | 97% (69) |
| Skin & hair % reporting improvement | 85% (46) | — |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | — | 95% (22) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 9% (11) | 100% (10) |
| Common side effects | erectile dysfunction, brain fog, sexual dysfunction, low libido | headache, stuffy nose, heartburn, lower back |
| Typical dose reported | Not listed | Not listed |
This meta-analysis strongly suggests that minoxidil, finasteride, and low-level laser light therapy are effective for promoting hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia and that minoxidil is effective in women with androgenetic alopecia.
J Am Acad Dermatol, 2017 ↗“I am on fin, min, and I dermaroll. Seen pretty good results with this combo. Shed for maybe 3 months or so and then stabilized.”
Tadalafil shares a similar efficacy and safety with sildenafil and significantly improves patients' sexual confidence. Furthermore, patients and their partners prefer tadalafil to sildenafil. Hence, tadalafil may be a better choice for ED treatment.
Int Urol Nephrol, 2017 ↗“After a week of 2.5 mg twice a day, this is my favourite drug ever. My brain fog has gone...My mood is so much better, similar to an SSRI but without the flat feeling.”
Related comparisons
Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate