Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.
Where are you from (country)? USA
How did you find this forum (Google search – if so, what search terms? Via link from a forum or website – if so, what page? Other?). Google
What is your current age, height, weight? 23… 5’9". 121 lbs
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)? Saw Palmetto
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? 320mg daily
What condition was being treated with the drug? Hair Loss
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)? 1 month
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug? 23. 8/1/21
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 23. 9/2/21
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Cold Turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? 2 weeks
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Check the boxes that apply. You can save your post first, then interactively check/uncheck the boxes by clicking on them. If your symptoms change, please update your list.
Sexual
[x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[x] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[x] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[x] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[x] Reduced Ejaculate
[x] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[x] Confusion
[x] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[x] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[x] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[x] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[x] Muscle Weakness
[x] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[x] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[x] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[x] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? Boron, L-Arginine, Vitamin D3, L-Carnitine, Vitamin K2
If you have pre or post-drug blood tests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (please post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I began using Saw Palmetto extract for hair loss in August 2021. I used it because I wanted to take something natural as an alternative to Finasteride. I did not know that a natural product would have so many terrible side effects. About 2 weeks into use I noticed decreased libido. Also a rapid onset of severe fatigue. I began to sleep all day, waking up still tired. Going to bed a lot earlier. I did not attribute this to the SP extract so I kept taking it for another 2 weeks until I noticed nipple pain and testicle pain, that is when I stopped completely. I don’t know if it was smart to stop cold turkey but I thought if I tapered off, then it would still be in my system longer and thus increase the possibility for more side effects. I had hormone tests right before I started taking it, and soon I am going to check everything again so I can compare. I did check a couple things though. Progesterone is 0.28, My SHBG is 80, Testosterone is 982 used to be 1080. I checked T a couple weeks ago but I believe it is a lot lower now since my libido has decreased significantly this week, but not gone completely. The only side effects that have gone away are testicle and nipple pain. I still have severe brain fog, fatigue, and muscle weakness, lack of coordination, and nausea. And sexual issues obviously. I am taking a few supplements right now, hopefully they start to work soon. Not sure if I should start doing stuff like HCG and all that or just wait it out to see if it improves.
If anybody has recovered from Saw Palmetto or made any type of improvement, any information at all would be a huge help. I believe I will recover from this. Thank God I was not deceived by Kevin Mann, MPMD, and the Hair Loss Show. Because I was so close to going on Dut or Fin after watching their videos. I know there is not a lot of recovery stories out there but I think there are more who bounced back from SP than Finasteride right? Most say SP is less potent than Finasteride while some say it is worse? Which one is true?