25y 8 weeks since quit

Member Stories
#1

  1. Where are you from (country)?
    Spain

  2. 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?)
    GS, Finasteride effects

  3. What is your current age, height, weight?
    25y, 1,89m, 81Kg

  4. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    Not lately, some weight lifting.

  5. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    Standard, variate

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

  7. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    2 periods separated by 1 year.
    First period last for about 2 months
    last period of 5 months

  8. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
    22y 2007 (first period)
    25y October 2010 (second period)

  9. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
    25y, 8 February 2010

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

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

  12. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
    5mg/6 = 0,83mg/day

  13. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    They weren’t severe in the first period, neither in the second before quiting, so I thought I could afford them.

  14. 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
[ ] Complete Impotence
[x ] Loss of Morning Erections
[x ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

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

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

[ ] Other (please explain)

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
    Zinc,L-arginine and siberian ginseng

  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)?

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

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

Last years I have a very active sexual life, I was proud of my performance, been able to eyaculate 5 times in half a night with my partner and getting fast hard erections without physical stimulation.

I am using minoxidil, and I was using ketoconazol shampoo.

I am very worried about my recovery from finas, its been 7 weeks since I left finasteride. I quit it because I thought it wasn’t helping my hair lost enough and it could have side effects, but I wasn’t feeling them.

One week after quit I started having brain fog with lot of headp pain, and problems to sleep. I haven’t experienced that before the quit.

I had the worse side effects 2 weeks after quiting, that was when I first tried sex with my partner. I couldn’t get a hard-enough erection, I have to say, It was a Saturday night and I had been drinking quite a lot so I thought it was normal.

After that, I got a bit worried and quit also Ketoconazol shampoo for the hair, and later minoxidil.

Second try, 3 weeks after quiting I it started well but with the position of ‘cowgirl’ it ruined all (have to say at that position I don’t get specially hard erections), I lost the hardness, the condom was bugging me, I got nervous… couldn’t recover hardness but after HARD masturbate I cum very flaccid, and without pleasure.

Third try, 4 weeks after quiting, a Saturday night, with few alcohol, 2 red bulls. I was very scared, I got easily a proper erection but I lost it when putting the condom, I couldn’t even penetrate.

At that point I started taking zinc, Siberian ginseng and L-arginine, DESPERATE cause I don’t want to lose her. I went once to gym, I think it helped me with libido and hard erections.

I try to ejaculate about 4 times/week and get hard erections by touching myself everyday. I don’t know if porn will help me or not with her, I need hard stuff to masturbate cause my low libido, but she is a sweet girl that just do normal stuff.

I had also some prostate inflammation, problems to urine… now I think they are fixed.

I have lost weight and have constant headaches.

#2

Read FAQ at top of site, get hormones tested.

#3

GHUA,

I think you should tell her. Most woman are very supportive. She would probably surprise you with a desire to support you. My girlfriend knows about my problem and supports me. There are quite a few guys on here that have girl friends that know about the harm that propecia caused and they have stayed with them.

Women are much more emotional than us men. Sure they want good sex, but the emotional and spiritual connection that they get from a relationship is very important to them. Besides, if you do tell her and she does not support you, then maybe she just isn’t the one for you.

#4

Thanks bostonusa2009, I guess I will tell her after next try, even it if goes well, but not before, cause I think it will give me more anxiety.

By the way, today I am feeling some prostatis and I have realized I am more sensible now to caffeine than before. :frowning:

Its been 8 weeks since quit! I just wish time fix it all…
How many time do you think most of the people that recovers successfully need?
1 month? 2 months?

Thanks guys

#5

Stop masturbating if you want to see her and have sex. I had to do this also and it has helped greatly!

#6

Ok then, I will try.
But I have read somewhere else that masturbating increases testosterone levels, and lack of sex lowers libido.

#7

I have noticed that each time I get an erection I also get a terrible headache, and as consequence I lost the erection.

#8

I get headaches, if I get very powerful orgasms (which haven’t happened after Propecia use btw).

#9

Yes but that is for non-fin damaged individuals. Everyone is different. I can tell you that I don’t have enough in the tank when I masturbate and then try to have sex. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose?

#10

I was done some medical tests, including blood test (I am afraid nor hormonal).

It was all more or less normal but the blood pressure. I got 18 which I was told was VERY hight and normal level at my age is about 12. I have to say I was not nervous at all at that moment. About 2h later I got 16, one our later 14.

The doctor told me it could be that since finasteride lowers blood pressure without it the body needs some time to equilibrate. High blood pressure could lead in head pains, and sometimes ED.
I have to say, I also left minoxidil in order to clean the body, which also lowers blood pressure.

Maybe a temporally high blood pressure is my problem, (I hope so)

I also had slightly high transaminase and creatinine.

#11

I’ve got now some of the results of the blood test, I am still waiting for another analysis more specific.

This was at 8:00 AM

hormone result Normal Range units

TSH 1.53 0.35-5 uUI/ml
Testosterone (total) 6.87 2.30-9.90 ng/ml

albumine 46 34-48 g/L

I guess this are good news! In the last 2 weeks some of the symptoms impooved, although I still have low sex drive and some ED (I find difficult to have STRONG erections). May that be just in my head??

#12

Whats your DHT and Androstandiol Gluc. levels?

#13

I have coagulation, bioquimic and hematologyresults, but I STILL don’t have all the hormones info, just those 2 by now. I don’t know what that Androstandiol Gluc is.

#14

Let’s use this thread positively. Everyone who has contributed to this thread needs to sign up for Dr Irwig’s excellent trial.

We NEED PEOPLE to sign up for this. WE NEED NUMBERS. Please.

It is easy. This is how I did it.

  1. Print off the consent form. Sign it and fax it to Dr Irwig. The fax number is highlighted. If you have no fax, please email it or scan it to propeciastudy@gmail.com

  2. Send an email to propeciastudy@gmail.com with your name and your telephone number.

It took me 2 minutes. Maybe 3 minutes.
THE DOCTORS WE RELY ON TREAT US NEED A SIGNIFICANT STUDY. We need this study.

Please.

I am desperate. I have a brother and sister who I love dearly but haven’t been able to love them properly for 9 years. I now live in a different country to them cos I ran away cos Finasteride ruined me.

I weighed 48kg in 2004 before I started TRT.

I have a lovely girlfriend I can’t have sex with because my dick is too limp cos of Finasteride.

Any of this sound familiar?

Every person in this study is a DIRECT stepping stone to getting this sorted.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE fill it out and send it. Yes, you. YOU.

My interview is on Monday 26th April. He phones me. Easy.

JN

This is the link. Do it now. Not tomorrow. You do it now.

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33

#15

I just come from a endo. He told me that since my T is fine I shouldn’t worry, give more time and don’t think about it. He wants to see also the 17B estradiol, prolactine, FSH and LH.
He is a man of 50-60y and told me that he had many consults because finasteride, all very similar, and in his experience with normal T levels is just about months.
He don’t believe in permanent side effects with normal hormone levels, normal dosage and sort periods of time, but he have seen some people with hypogonadism apparently due finsteride use.

He is generally against the use of finasteride for cosmetic reasons, and specially combined with with tamoxifen.

#16

What did he tell you about the people with hypogonadal levels, and what has he done to treat them?

What did he suggest for you personally?

#17

He didn’t told me since is not (GOD HOPE SO) my case. But also told me that those cases were people that somehow had unknown syndromes that make them more vulnerable.

Get all the analysis, specially the estrogen, he believes that since the T is normal the rest of the axis must be also normal (FSH, DHT, LH and so… ).

He warned me that if I am not positive, although I could be “healed”, I could damage myself and symptoms would for sure remain.

One thing that surprises me a lot is that Dr Crisler “Office or Virtual” consult is only $60, my local endo is 100€, and I think is the average…
He works for spanish public health insurance but also has a private consul. (he is bald, NW5)

#18

you need to get 3-adiol G done, since a lot of us have normal to normal high testosterone and still suffer ED…Our pathology is off for some reason…Many of us have lack of 3-adiol g(3-androstanediol glucoride, which is the DHT metabolite for 5 AR II activity.

These doctors claim they know it what their talking about…but in this particular case, they DO NOT. Dr. Crisler and Dr. Shippen are the only one’s who have treated many many individuals with this syndrome. They have a better knack of understanding.

#19

:frowning:
They don’t have 3-adiol G and I don’t know where can I get it in Spain.

#20

This sucks so much… yesterday I as unable again to perform in any way. My GF is very nice with me, but I need urgently a temporal solution or I will have a to split.

I ordered horny goat weed, Tribulus Terrestris and Maca and I am thinking on viagra or ciallis… but I don’t trust online shops.