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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?)
reddit.com/r/tressless -
What is your current age, height, weight?
23, 5’10, 158 -
Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of exercise?
cardio, push ups, squats -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Organic, gluten-free, meat, veggies, fruits -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
Hair loss -
For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
12 days -
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
23 years old, 5/14/15 -
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
23 years old, 5/25/15 -
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey -
What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Proscar cut into 4ths -
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1.25mg/day -
How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
2-3 days -
What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[ ] 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
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[X] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[X] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[X] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[X] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[X] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[X] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[X] Muscle Wastage
[X] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[X] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[X] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[X] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[X] Other (please explain) – Body hair loss, cold testicles
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Continued with a healthy diet, exercise, acupuncture -
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)?
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Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
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Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I saw my doctor concerned about hair loss and she prescribed me finasteride. She warned me of the potential of erectile dysfunction but said it would go away with continued use or if I stopped taking the drug. Around the second day I took it I experienced a temporary brain fog. Third day I noticed my penis shrunk but I just thought it would go away. I also had difficulty getting an erection. I noticed in pictures that I developed a bloated face around day 4 or 5 but I wasn’t paying too much attention to my body and was keeping busy. Day 12 I came across this website and read about the side effects that corresponded with mine and immediately quit the drug. It’s been 2 weeks now but I’ve seen little to no improvement in my side effects. In the past week I’ve noticed constant muscle twitching and I’ve lost a lot of muscle in my legs, arms, and chest. Today I feel less muscle fatigue but the twitching continues. I also noticed that my body and pubic hair is starting to fall out easier. I sometimes wake up 2 times a night to use the bathroom. Penis and balls still shrunk although I did wake up to a firm nocturnal erection last night. Experienced suicidal thoughts but I think that has more to do with the horror stories I read of PFS sufferers. My heart goes out to anybody going through this right now. I’m praying every day that this is not the start of PFS and that things will get better soon. Should I give this more time? What steps should I take in order not to have a Post Finasteride crash?