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Where are you from (country)?
Australia -
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 searching hair loss treatments -
What is your current age, height, weight?
28, 70kg, 175cm. -
Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Yes, weight lifting approx 3 times per week. -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
meat eater, but as healthy as i ca be. Fast food intake is limited. -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
hair loss. -
For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
3 months @ 1mg per day in late 2009
22 months straight from August 2010 to June 2012 @ 0.5mg per day; then
4 months straight from July 2012 to October 2012 @0.5 EOD; then
2 months straight from November 2012 to 6 January 2013 @0.25mg 2x a week. -
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
24, starting in late 2009, although i only took it for 3 months and then stopped. I was 25, staring in August 2010 whereby i took it continuously (albeit lowering the doses in steps until 6 January 2013. -
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
27, quitting on 6 January 2013. -
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Tapered off gradually for months. See point 6. -
What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Generic finasteride - Finpecia from Cipla. -
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
3 months @ 1mg per day in late 2009
22 months straight from August 2010 to June 2012 @ 0.5mg per day; then
4 months straight from July 2012 to October 2012 @0.5 EOD; then
2 months straight from November 2012 to 6 January 2013 @0.25mg 2x a week. -
How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
Within a week. -
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
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[x] Watery Ejaculate
[x] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] 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
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[x] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] 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
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Multivitamins, Zinc 40mg/day, Vitamin D-3 3000 Iu/day -
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)?
Post finasteride blood tests taken approx 2.5 months after quitting. Will post results. -
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 started taking finasteride in late 2009 after i read about the drug on a hair loss website. I decided to skip using minoxidil and go straight to finasteride after reading about the improved effectiveness of finasteride and seeing various user accounts of success. I read about how it had the potential for side effects, however these apparently only affected a small percentage, and those that did experience side effects would likely see them subside after continued use (worst lie ever) and ESPECIALLY once you discontinued use of the drug.
A summary of my usage patter is as follows:
3 months @ 1mg per day in late 2009
22 months straight from August 2010 to June 2012 @ 0.5mg per day; then
4 months straight from July 2012 to October 2012 @0.5 EOD; then
2 months straight from November 2012 to 6 January 2013 @0.25mg 2x a week.
During the first 3 months i saw great progress in hair growth, although after i didnt see side effects (mainly sexual) subside, i quit using and within a week saw my sexual function return to its pre-fin state - my mind was relieved as i was not one of the dreaded “few” who saw persistate effects. Life went on.
In August 2010, i went through particularly stressful times during my post graduate studies (failed an exam) and put extreme pressure on myself. I saw a massive increase in hairloss during this time and panicked. I started taking fin again, but this time thought “if i lower the dosage to 0.5mg/day, maybe i will not get sexual side effects”. Sure enough, sexual side effects returned quickly. Instead of quitting, i convinced myself that the side effects might subside if i persisted with the drug…just as the studies claimed! It didnt quite work out that way, however, seeing as i wasnt in a relationship, i managed to get by, by skipping a day or 2 if i had a sexual romp with a girl “planned”. This seemed to work out relatively well as i saw the majority of my sexual function come back from skipping a day or two. Of course, side effects would resume once i resumed use.
In May 2012, i met my girlfriend of 7 months. I decided that i would again lower the dosage to combat the side effects. After some initial response, my body “adjusted” and the side effects remained just as strong. By November 2012, i was becoming increasingly depressed that i couldnt have sex with my girlfriend spontaeously as maintaining an erection for any length of time was impossible. I chose to limit my use to 0.25mg 2x a week with the intention of tapering off for good. By the end of december 2012 i had broken up with my gf (surely sexual frustration played a part) and on 6 January 2013 i took my last ever 0.25mg dose of that poision.
Looking back, i was terrified that if i stopped my fin use, my hair loss of August 2010 would return, even though a good portion of that hair loss was stress related. In October 2010 i started using minoxidil foam which i still use to this day. Needless to say, even after quitting fin, my hair is still in good state, and definitely not in the state in was at August 2010. Whether this is purely due to minoxidil or whether my hormones have been “supressed” i cant say for sure.
Since quitting, i experience peaks and troughs in relation to my side effects. The first 2.5 months after i quit for good were scary. I thought i ruined my body and struggled with the PFS crash. I got my bloodwork done and then for the next month i felt like i was on the road to recovery. Erections were noticeably stronger and longer lasting and i was feeling more energetic. However, the last week or so has seemed to be a bit of a downturn again. Im not sure why my body is doing as my bloodwork has come back with “healthy” levels. The doctor told me he has spoken to an endocrinologist who has seen a patient suffer with the same PFS symptoms for 4 months before recovering. The doctor seems optimistic, but after reading stories on here, i am less so. I will post my bloodwork 2.5 months after quitting shortly.
The inability to maintain an erection, combined with the peaks and troughs of recovery and side effects leaves me doubting myself all the time sexually (which further compounds the issue).