18 days on finasteride, same story.

Member Stories
#1
  1. Where are you from (country)?

Finland

  1. 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?)

I think I googled ed and finasteride

  1. What is your current age, height, weight?

I am 28. 186cm ( around 6.2" ) and 78 kgs (around 175 lbs)

  1. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?

I did not before. Now lifting weights 2-3 times a week.

  1. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    I eat a healthy diet 90% of the time. Thinking about going 100% healthy food only.

  2. Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
    Hair loss.

  3. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    I literally took it for around 18-21 days. Think I even forgot to take it some days. Around 17 to 19 times if I had to bet

  4. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?

I was 27. this was in august of 2011.

  1. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?

I quit the same month. 27.

  1. How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
    Cold turkey

  2. What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
    Propecia.

  3. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?

1mg/day

  1. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?

Maybe 5 days in. should have immediately stopped.

  1. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?

Testicular pain. ED. Loss of libido. Complete loss of spontaneuous and morning erections. Later after reading this forum I have linked depression and anxiety also to this. And “stuttering” of voice. Loss of memory. Oh, and I completely understand what u guys mean when u say “asexual zombie”. I am that.

Put an X beside all that apply:

Sexual
[x ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[x ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[x ] Loss of Morning Erections
[x ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ x] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[x ] Watery Ejaculate
[x ] Reduced Ejaculate
[x] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[x ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[x ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[x ] Confusion
[x ] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[x ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[x ] Slurring of Speech
[x ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[x ] Depression / Melancholy

Physical
[x ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[x ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x ] Testicular Pain
[x ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[x ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[x ] Muscle Wastage
[x ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[x ] Prostate pain
[x ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[x ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)
Coldness is scrotum area. You guys know what I’m talking about…
I also think I get exhausted more easily than before.

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
    Only excercising regularly and eating more healthy.

  2. If you have pre or post-Finasteride bloodtests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (pls post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?

Dont have yet. Going go see a doctor in 2 weeks.

  1. Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?

  2. Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.

[b]I took finasteride for less than three weeks. I’ve since been off the drug for 6 months. I honestly dont think I’ve had any improvement. Maybe 10% at the most.

My penis shrunk by around 20-25%. Libido by maybe 50% though this is a two-edged sword. I still have some libido in my brain (I still check out girls and even have thoughts about how I’d have sex with them) but if I’m with a girl this libido does not transfer into an erection. I can still get an erection using viagra (usually 25mg) but I’ve lost maybe 70% sensitivity so sex really doesnt feel like anything. I am happy that I can still “please” my gf though but the passion of having sex for me is completely gone.
I am going to see a doctor in a few weeks, get some blood tests and will see how to proceed.
I’ve read countless horror stories on this website and I can only symphatize with u guys who have had extreme side effects. I try to think positively and I think I can lead a somewhat normal life and the fact that I only took the drug for 3 weeks gives me hope for improvement. [/b]

#2

Yeh I took the drug for about 7 weeks.

You took the brand name version. You thinking of suing?

Get all tests + cortisol siliva / cortisol blood and transcortin.

Hows your energy?

#3

If you took brand name propecia then please at least approach any available lawsuits. Merck know very well that men with these issues are more likely to give up than fight.

#4

I took “Finasteride 5mg” which i then put into little pieces of four, so 1.25mg/day.

I wouldnt even know how to go about suing here in Finland. Being in court is very expensive here, especially if u lose.

#5

Exactly one year ago in August I started taking finasteride. I took it for 18 days, quit immediately after having my penis shrink overnight by 25-30%. My member story can be found in the member stories secition of this forum.

I am writing this because I know there are some real smart people on this board and maybe this could help in finding information on why some people get affected by finasteride the we way did and why some people dont. I am of the opinion that we should share all experiences and information that we only can.

I have been vaping (using a vaporizer) for inhaling marijuana daily for 4 years (for three years before taking my first bit of finasteride) During these three years I never had any problems whatsoever with sex drive/achieving an erection/having sex. In August 2011 I took finasteride which changed me exactly as it has changed so many of us.

I continued my daily habit of inhaling marijuana just as I had always done, because it had never affected me before, I could really not imagine it affecting me now. For about 11 months I had all the symptoms: zero libido, diminshed penis size, slurred speech, cold hands, cold feet, reduced body temperature, “spider veins” on my penis, watery semen, no sensation in penis, unassisted sex was impossible… I even had the deteriorating teeth that some of us have had when visiting the dentist… Keep in mind I never had ANY of these problems before taking finasteride.

(Full list of symptoms in member story viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6197 )

I went to a urologist, an endocrinologist and neurologist. Tried all the supplements. Did cardio 2-3 times a week. Ate the paleo diet. Just like many of us here. Nothing really helped.

Four weeks ago, still thinking quitting the MJ would never help, I decided to give it a go. I’m now on day 27 without it, noticed improvements around after being without it for two weeks. I’ve had unassisted sex with my girlfriend every day-every other day for the last two weeks… The difference is like night and day compared to in what state I was before. I am feeling way more confident, my speech is much much better, I dont stutter anymore, I feel smart again, just like before finasteride.

Penis length and girth has also gotten better, although not at the same level as pre finasteride yet. I’m hoping for a full restore… We will see. Everything points to me getting better. It’s like all my PFS symptoms are slowly vanishing and I am becoming my old self again. I have morning erections again, even the spontaneus erections are slowly coming… though they are not full erections but I can feel the tingling sensation in my scrotum again and feel the blood flow in to my penis. I am constantly checking out girls again, etc etc.
It all probably has to do with MJ inhibiting dihydrotestosterone binding to the androgen receptors. How this entire process works, you probably can explain it better than myself.

I am afraid to try marijuana again, I think I will be without it for the next 3-6 months and see how I continue to improve. Keep in mind, I never had any problems prior to finasteride, eventhough I was inhaling MJ daily for over three years. And somehow after quitting MJ now after suffering from PFS for 11 months, I am now getting better.

A study on the endocrine effects of marijuana ukcia.org/research/EndocrineEffects.pdf

Stopping the MJ seems to have reversed all what finasteride had caused. Too bad this wont be the solution to everybody elses problems on here.

I just wanted to post this, this forum has been really beneficial during my darkest days, Ive probably spent 50-100 hours reading posts by all you guys. If you guys have any questions I will try to answer them the best I can.

I wish all of you well and hope that someday we all will be cured. I will never forget this experience, and will try my best to raise awareness against finasteride.

Peace.
-vittujoo

#6

Thanks for the post, but I really don’t think Marijuana has anything to do with your recovery if anything it will prolong your recover. Yeah sure you might get relaxed. But no.

#7

I think you misinterpreted my post completely. Please read thru it again if you misunderstood.

#8

i heard MJ is quite estogenic maybe removing that has helped a little?

#9

That’s pretty damn interesting. Are you going away for awhile? I don’t remember if i had your email address… well, i think your plan is good, you should definitely see how dropping/weening of MJ helps you. Another good idea is to see all literature (if you can with your brainfog/tiredness) in pubmed or else of effects of MJ. I think you are the first guy who has reported on such elaborately about it but i think there’s another guy who reported good things on it here in forums. Find it with the forum’s search function in top right corner.

EDIT: wait, WITHOUT it? do you mean that since you stopped it you had all these gains or that you tried it again once or for some period and now you have all these gains now that you’re without?

also were you the guy who posted that body fat composition - picture?

#10

yes gefinauser, now that I have stopped MJ completely I am having these positive gains!
I dont recall posting anything ever on body fat compostition. we did exchange pm’s though around 6 months back with you!

I will be around the forums in the future as well, I want to see how this entire thing further developes.
my email if someone has urgent questions is razor1911 at suomi24.fi

#11

interesting that as some of us resemble to MS and get relief from marijuana. I here are some users are claiming to have positive gains from marijuana
ms.about.com/b/2011/07/19/complementary-medicine-for-ms-what-have-you-tried.htm
ric, I also smoke marijuana for all of my MS symptoms…I was on about 12 different Meds on a regular basis and I was just getting worse…so I stopped EVERYTHING even the CRAB +Tysabri, now my neuro is “concerned” but I have to go with what makes me better and stooping all the “prescriptions” was the answer for me, I am able now to have a GREAT quality of life but the only thing that interfers is the fact that “they” have made a plant illegal! What a shame!