22yo experiencing FDS

Symptoms
,
#1

Where are you from (country)?

France

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?

22, 73kg, 1m75

What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?

Finasteride

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

1 mg per day for one month, 0.25mg/ day for 5 months

What condition was being treated with the drug?

Hair loss

For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?

6 months

Date when you started the drug?

1st february 2026

Date when you quit the drug?

Around 15th of August 2026

Age when you quit?

22

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

cold turkey

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?

A month

What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?

no libido, ED, fatigue, brain fog

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
[x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[x ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[x ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

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

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

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[X] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] 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?

None

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.

Hi everyone,
I’m 22 and I took finasteride for about 6 months. I started on February 1st, 2026 at 1mg/day for the first month, then dropped to 0.25mg/day because I was already noticing side effects. I stopped around 15/08/2026.
Honestly, the drug worked really well for my hair. My curls got their definition back and my hair was noticeably thicker. But my libido kept dropping, so I decided to quit.
The problem is that since stopping, it feels like I’ve crashed. I have no natural erections anymore, apart from one morning two days ago when I woke up with one. Tonight I went out with a friend and some girls, and there was one I clearly had a chance with. We flirted at the bar, but when it came to actually making a move, I felt absolutely nothing. No desire at all.
Before fin, I’d want to talk to half the club and try to kiss someone or bring a girl home. Now my libido is at zero. It’s a really strange feeling to be 22 and feel nothing when looking at attractive girls.
I honestly thought that once I stopped the pill, the side effects would go away and my libido would come back. Instead it seems worse.
So I’m asking: are there any solutions, short, medium or long term, to at least reduce this or ideally recover fully? Any advice or experiences would really help.
Thanks.

1 Like
#2

Sorry that you’re going through this, but the bad news is that there is no easy fix. There is very little chance that taking anything will make you better, but significant chances that taking substances to improve can make you worse. I don’t want to make light of your situation, what is happening to you sucks, but believe me when I say that there is very much a worse when it comes to PFS. Do not attempt to take fin again or any other similar substances. I cannot state this more emphatically, you will be putting your life at risk.

The good news is that you can improve. I have been in your situation and I am vastly improved from that point. However this affects us all differently and I do not claim to be an expert. My advice (at least in the short term) would be to not do anything except life a healthy life style and see how your body reacts. Some people (like me) naturally improve over time, but it may take a long time. As an example I had vastly worse symptoms than you, and I am now over 5 years later mostly recovered. Still not 100%, but enough not to care so much. I focused my recovery around dietary changes and exercise. No idea if it helped, but it worked out for me.

Sorry I can’t give you better news or advice, but wanted to share what I can. Best of luck to you.

1 Like
#3

Thanks for your answer. I’ve read so many stories over the last few days and some of them are really scary. Honestly, I don’t know where this is going or how far I’ll get through it.
For now, falling asleep has been really hard for the past 3 days. I’ve been taking melatonin and it helps a bit (is that a bad idea, by the way?). My energy was pretty good today, which surprised me, but last Saturday I was completely exhausted, so it’s up and down. I’ve also lost some appetite and get stomach pain from time to time. But the scariest part is the sexual side. It feels kind of dead down there: no spontaneous erections, zero libido, and masturbating feels pretty flat. So I’m planning to see a French doctor listed on the PFS Foundation website, and in the meantime just take care of myself and hope for some improvement over the next few months. I think I’ll wait until I’m 3 months off before trying any supplements. For now I’m just working out, eating as clean as i can (despite the lack of appetite) and enjoy Life as much as i can.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

#4

So I went through what you are. My sleep slowly got worse, and I lacked appetite with mild anxiety as first symptoms. You have already read things, so you know some of how bad it can get. I want you to mentally prepare yourself that you may get worse. You may have a false recovery, followed by a worsening of symptoms. This is what I experienced. Nothing that anyone could have said would have ever prepared me for what happened, but I will still try with you. Just try not to panic if it happens, and remember that you can get better. I think many people at least see some improvements, particularly over the first year.

For my crash I didn’t sleep for basically two weeks straight, complete insomnia. Terrifying levels of anxiety and depression, that I cannot believe are even possible, and of course the sexual symptoms as well but those were the least of my concerns. Despite all that, I am also here now glad that I didn’t do anything drastic. I place myself around 90-95% recovered. I am one of the lucky ones though.

I did take melatonin, I think I also took vitamin D, and probiotics but that’s all. I still avoid a few things in my diet like flax seed, tofu/miso, soy milk, alcohol. The only one that I’m sure negatively affects me is alcohol. The rest are just guesses. I’ve laid it all out in my story if you want to read. Other positive stories that helped me through are Chi’s, Ozeph’s and Captain’s. Everybody’s experience is different though.

Again, I’m no expert, but I have been through it and come out the other side. It you have any questions just reach out, I’ll answer anything that you think may help you.