1 month since taking 5 pills of finasteride

Member Stories
#4

update:

had to stop lifting weights. I physically cant do it right now. My arms and legs shake a lot I even lightened the weight each time I lifted and it just keeps getting harder. The only thing I am doing is walking 60 mins a day in the sun and forcing myself to jog 3 miles maybe twice a week.

My balls have stopped aching and breast pain has reduced a little. I am hoping that this is a sign that the drug is starting to leave my system so my body can start trying to balance itself back out.

My prolactin retest came back and it is still very high. It did come down 3 points though. My cortisol is high. High Pregnenolone. Also retested my TSH and it came back on the high side after being perfectly in the middle range (I was taking a shit ton of biotin during my first test as given to me by the hair loss service which threw off my blood test). I have an appointment with an endo as my PCP referred me. I am suspecting thyroid issues. Has there been any reports on here about finasteride triggering thyroid disease?

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#5

Prior to taking finasteride, my TSH level was ~1.2 for 5 years straight.
After 1 month after 3 doses of finasteride, my TSH level dropped to .72, meaning my thyroid is slightly more active.

#6

I would say, hang tight, you might yet bounce back. Generally they tell people to come back once the side effects have been persistent for at least 3 months. This forum can actually make you feel worse and you might start seeing symptoms in things that were already there.

I would say the best thing you can do is get on an ultra strict diet, putting lots of good fresh organic foods into your system, get out and do some moderate exercise as much as you can take, even if it is just walking. Cut out junk food, sugar, caffeine, nicotine, any recreational drugs. Meditate, relax, and cut out any source of stress possible from your life. Get super super clean in your lifestyle and just see how you go over the next couple of months.

And don’t beat yourself up about falling into the trap of believing what these guys were saying. They took advantage of your vulnerability, which stemmed from concern about your future hairloss. A lot of us ended up here because some vulture or another promised that any side effects we feel would go away. We believed them because we desperately wanted to. I am sure the vast majority of them know full well there is a percentage of collateral damage in their pursuit of profit. I am quite sure many of them would warn off their own friends and family from the drug because they must get plenty of communication from the people that have screwed over. Try not to dwell on that for now, focus on you. Throw the kitchen sink at being as healthy as you can over the next two months so that, in the event symptoms do persist, you can know you did all you could to overcome them.

Stay positive, I know that is hard. But you are still young, you have a lot of life to live.

#7

brother my story is the same as yours, got lead to believe the side effects were very limited and low chance of getting them. Here i am 26 days later still having issues.

How are you coping? did any of your issues diminish? or did you gain new effects over time?

#8

Cant say that I have noticed any changes. Almost at the 2 month mark. Just saw an endocrinologist. The doctors talk about the half life a lot and think finasteride triggered something else or its a pituitary tumor. I dont know how taking a drug would manifest symptoms from a supposed tumor thats already been there but who knows. I think I have narrowed it down to any or a combination of these based on my blood tests and research. Medication induced Cushings syndrome (adrenal dysfunction), Pituitary Dysfunction, Hypothyroidism, or Neurosteroid dysfunction. I understand Pituitary and thyroid are very much related. Im redoing blood work now to see if any levels are coming down. The only things that Im doing right now is focusing on relaxing and staying calm also walking everyday and forcing myself to jog a couple times a week. Symptoms are the same on week 8 right now and Idk what I have but I know for something like Cushings it can take up to a year to recover naturally

#9

how do they come up with cushings disease? what are you symptoms that lead them to think you have cushings?

#10

high cortisol, purple stretch marks when I havent gained any weight, fatigue, muscle weakness. they want me to do a dexamethasone cortisol test

my prolactin is high and my tsh is fluctuating which are both controlled by the pituitary gland

i dont know what to make of anything right now honestly

#11

I also have high cortisol, Ill probably start treatment next week, update us please.

#12

Well its been 3 months and I cant believe how severe of a reaction I had to an FDA approved drug. I am even more shocked at how these side effects havent really improved.
I have given up on doctors it just seems to be endless rounds of tests which I cant afford right now. What frustrates me the most is that my prescribing doctor was from Hims and they instantly sent me to my PCP who has zero experience with the drug. They havent been able to help. Im going to try to get my prescribing doctors phone number or email to I can personally tell them how drastic this drug has changed my life (hoping for just the time being). Either way I fell for a medication advertisement which I now think should be illegal.
I reported my reaction to the FDA. I tried to get my prescribing doctor to do it but they told me to.

Hair is SO dry
Eyes are red, dry (wake up with no sleep in my eyes), visual snow, much harder to see in the dark, and after images (after images have slightly improved)
Skin feels completely different
Sweat is different, I sweat the same amount but it dries up instantly and is very sticky. especially on my hands
Face is strangely oily
Muscle weakness/shakiness still going strong
Muscle soreness is different
Fatigue slightly better
Breast tenderness seems to be the most improved symptom
Ball ache continues (really annoying)
I am able to think more clearly (the first month it was nearly impossible to hold a conversation)
lightheadedness slightly better
Ability to deal with stressful situations slightly better
Still dont get drunk the way I used to. It makes me feel more sick than good because I dont get that euphoric feeling. Iv tried 3 times

All of the side effects came after just 1 pill and I continued to take 5 total thinking it would subside.

Continuing to walk everyday and run a couple times a week. No supplements. Trying not to drink. Clean diet. I am going to try to lift heavy weights maybe this week and see how my muscles react.
I have been off this forum the best I can help staying off and will try to continue that

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#13

sad to hear brother.

I experience the same symptoms, can you elaborate on the muscle soreness? My muscles are sore (triggerpoints) and stiff.

Im currently 2 months off.

If used the drug 4 times topically and got chemically burned.

Hope it will improve in the next month or so…

#14

Yeah im still hoping for improvements, trying to stay positive but I cannot believe the damage this drug has done.

Yeah my muscles are very weak and shake a lot. This happens during everyday things like drinking a glass of water or brushing my teeth. Hands are very shaky.
I just went to the gym for the first time and did squats and bench with only 25lbs on the bar which is less than half what I was doing before finasteride. My muscles were burning (not the good kind of burn), it hurt a lot. I was shaking so much it must have looked like I was struggling badly to anyone that saw me.
As for soreness, its tough to describe. Its kinda like an achy feeling. My muscles just feel and function completely differently than before fin.
I can say that my ‘brain fog’/fatigue were not increased during exercise which happened to me the last time I tried to lift.

#15

Hi dragonslayer, any update? Took a pill 5 days ago and have huge sides, trying to find hope.

#16

@dragonslayer123 I have many of the same issues he describes. The skin, sweat, muscle changes. I wonder how he is doing.

#17

Hey @pleasehelpme @Dknighten. Well its been 9 months since i took finasteride. I can say that i think I found a new baseline that is somewhat functional. Haven’t noticed any significant improvements in my main sides. My main sides are my eyes and muscles. Eyes are red/uncomfortable and i have visual snow and after images from lights. I went to an ophthalmologist who said my eyes look healthy but my glands aren’t producing good oils and put me on doxycycline to try to clear it up but did nothing. They of course also said that finasteride doesnt cause my symptoms but they did acknowledge that it can affect glands oil production but of course followed that up with “but only when youre on it”. I dont have any motivation to exercise anymore. I used to be a big gym rat and love it but now it just doesnt feel good because my muscles are weak/shakey and i dont get that ‘high’ or good burn from it either. I still try to go at least once a week. Skin sensation and sweat I think I just got used to. It took a good 6 months to get to a functional level. I still do believe if I give more time I will either get used to it or it will improve. I just have been accepting that I was harmed by a drug and trying to move on. Truly not sure what happened but that drug seemed to change the muscle function in my whole body (eyes use muscles) and oil production. Hair is also still bone dry.

If you are fresh off of fin and used it for a short time i can give you hope that things slowly got better for me. First three months were very hard for me. I remember that for months my balls would ache non stop and it was so painful and annoying. The good news is that I can say my balls havent ached at all for months so that is a symptom that did go away completely. I did get my testosterone tested again and it was 100 points higher than last time i checked 6 months ago. Hoping that means my balls are slowly moving back to functioning like they used to. It does worry me to think that maybe the reason my balls were aching for so long was because they were adjusting to a permanent change.

Either way stay strong. Were in it together. Let me know if you have any questions. Im not on here much anymore.

Im not sure how people are able to tolerate that drug.

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#18

Really been struggling to stay positive especially since im coming up on a year since finasteride. Dont know how to continue to move forward in life like this. Not able to work full time with my sides. Also I got laid for the first time a couple months ago since I took finasteride and turns out I have some ED issues. Wasnt able to maintain and went soft while inside. Couldnt have been more embarrassing. Took a few minutes to get it back up and was able to finish. I had noticed my erections started to get softer and the orgasm didnt feel the same around the time when my balls stopped aching after like 6 months but didnt think anything of it because I didnt have a partner. Turns out this drug has done more damage than I originally thought. Really struggling right now. Making an appointment with dr bruhin in San Diego to see if counseling will help.

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#19

I’m sorry about what happened to you

#20

had really fucked up anxiety carnivore diet did it for me, and one time end up in emergency room couse i had panic attack first time in my life…vitamin c brakes cortisole, that can help…its a late response hope u are better.

#21

Update: March 2022 itll be 2years since taking finasteride.

No improvements. Muscles/tremors are just as bad as ever. Eyes are dry/red/irritated all day long. Constantly blinking to try to get any relief. See visual snow and after images. Cant concentrate or think like I used. Everyday I think about suicide since I took finasteride. It really messed up my hormones or whatever it did really bad.

Only positive thing I can say is I got a new job. Been at it for about 6 months. Everyday is a struggle though. I can make my own hours which is the only way I can make having a job right now work.

Taking a pill for a week that cut being able to go to the gym and other things I loved to do for what now seems to be the rest of my life is really messed up to think about.

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#22

Hey @dragonslayer123 I have the same issues muscle problems red dry eyes and bad thoughts like you. You are not alone with this shit. I don’t have a job, I hang up at home all the time. I life from a rented house with three flats.

#23

Really sad to hear you haven’t gotten better lately.

I really feel your story as we are about the same age and I share many of your symptoms.

If you’re feeling adventurous you could try Forskolin to help with your eyes.

I also had the dry/burning eyes and nothing would ever help it. Not even eye drops. When I blinked the burning even increased, it was inane.

But after I tried forskolin for a couple of weeks it went away. I stopped it and it came back. So I started again and after I quit again the effect seem to be permanent (so far).

Be careful though since there is always the risk it might hurt you. I searched the forum but not many people seems to have tried it really.

Oh and I also have visual snow, but visual snow isn’t about the eyes but inside the brain. But I feel like it subsided a little bit as my eyes stopped being dry as a desert.