1) How did you find this forum?
I did a google search for propecia side effects.
2) What is your current age, height, weight?
23, 5’9, 170 lbs
3) Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
I just started running 3-4 times a week at the beginning of August, and plan to begin lifting weights.
4) What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
I tend to eat very healthy. I rarely eat sweets. I eat a lot of salads, tuna, fruit, and nuts.
5) Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
Hair loss
6) For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
2 years
7) How old were you when you started Finasteride?
21
8) How old were you when you quit?
23
9) How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold Turkey (about a month ago)
10) What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Propecia
11) What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1 mg
12) How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
1.5 Years
13) 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
[ X ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ X ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ X ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ 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
Physical
[ X ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
Misc
[ X ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
14) What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
None
17) Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I began taking Propecia in the Summer of 2007 to combat a receding hairline. In the spring of 2008, I began having serious trouble focusing and my performance in school was adversely effected. In the late winter of 2008, my fingers, toes, and penis began getting very cold. This was something that I never experienced before. By the early parts of 2009, I began occasionally stuttering. I also would have random bursts of anger for no reason and would break things. I couldn’t control myself. About 3-4 months ago, I noticed that my erections were weaker than they used to be, and I was no longer shooting out ejaculate, but rather, it would just sort of dribble out. Soon after, I noticed that my scrotum had lost much of its elasticity and my testicles felt smaller. My scrotum is no longer full. It just hang rather low. I’ve also had some gynocemastia since late 2004. I believe, however, that the Propecia has made it worse. My nipples seem slightly larger.
Last month I realized that it was most likely the Propecia causing all of these problems by screwing up my hormones. I quit cold turkey. It’s been about a month since I have stopped taking Propecia, but have not seen any improvement in symptoms.