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Where are you from (country)? United Kingdom
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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?)
Finasteride usage, propecia side effects -
What is your current age, height, weight?
32, 5 ft 7” 9.2 stone -
Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Indulge my ageing joints in regular football matches -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Plenty of fish, particularly salmon, trout, tuna, vegetables, fruit. Perhaps too many sugary snacks and takeaways. -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
Simple vanity…the hair
Was prescribed generic finasteride 5mg and cut the single tablet in 3 semi equal bits. -
For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
3 whole days -
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
32, 17th Feb 2011 -
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
32, 20th Feb 2011 -
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Stopped abruptly -
What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Generic manufactured in Hungary -
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1.25mg or there abouts -
How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
Possibly on the second day -
What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Acute Urticaria
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[ ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] 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
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Depression / Melancholy
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
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[X] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[X] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[X] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[X] Other (please explain)
Urticaria (hives).
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
I have started taking cetirizine, which is a common anti histamine and a medicine I take every summer to battle the effects of Hay Fever. I doubled the dosage for the urticaria. Also a topical anti histamine. -
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 started taking finasteride after experiencing progressive frontal hairloss, mainly at the temples and over a couple of years. I concluded a dose of propecia may arrest the recession. Luckily my hair is very thick and wavy on the other sections of my scalp therefore I’m not bald on the crown but the hairloss is very noticeable now at the front. Anyway, initially I thought the doctor had prescribed the wrong dosage but was assured 5mg fin would be adequate, however knowing that 1mg was the standard propecia dosage I opted to cut a tablet into 3rds. My body appeared to be accepting the new toxin but with a little joint ache and testicular pain. On the 3rd day however I succumbed to the most god-awful rash covering huge swathes of my body; arms, stomach, legs, feet, hands, fingers and forehead so I immediately discontinued and sought medical advice. It has now been approximately 3 weeks and I’m still suffering with hives though the spots and rash have subsided somewhat. Now, in their place there’s intense itching. My diet did not differ significantly so I wholly attribute the allergic reaction to the finasteride. I anticipate I’ll be applying the creams for at least another 3 weeks.
In summary I believe I was afforded a soft escape by the powers that be and had I continued apace without an allergic reaction I’d end up a quivering effete man.
Thanks for reading.