3 doses of finasteride

Member Stories
#1

Where are you from (country)?
UK

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 search - Finasteride side effects

What is your current age, height, weight?
33 years old
179cm
88kg

What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Finasteride (I was also using topical tretinoin at the time, but I don’t think this caused issues as I had been using it for a while prior without issue.)

What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
0.25mg one day, 0.05mg about 3 to 4 days later, then 0.04mg 3 days later. That was all.

What condition was being treated with the drug?
Male pattern balding

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

Date when you started the drug?
October 2025

Date when you quit the drug?
October 2025

Age when you quit?
33

How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
It ended up being a taper. After taking my first dose, I read more about finasteride and saw that it could suppress DHT even at very small doses. I also came across reports of severe side effects, which made me think that lowering the dose might help me avoid them. I had heard of some side effects before, but not to the extent of a lot of them here. Unfortunately, I still developed side effects after my third dose, so I stopped taking it then.

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
3rd dose

What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
All that I listed below

Sexual
[:heavy_check_mark:] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[:heavy_check_mark:] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[:heavy_check_mark:] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[:heavy_check_mark:] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[:heavy_check_mark:] Reduced Ejaculate
[:heavy_check_mark:] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

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

Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[:heavy_check_mark:] Sensitivity decrease (Moderate)
[ ] Weight Gain
[~] Gynecomastia (No development yet, but tingling nipples)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[:heavy_check_mark:] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[:heavy_check_mark:] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

Other (please add)
[:heavy_check_mark:] Loss of hunger

What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
None, it doesn’t look like there’s any reliable / universal treatments? I am just going to try and live a healthy lifestyle for now and look into if diet can have an impact.

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)?
I’ve got some blood tests booked in with my doctors. Once done I will post the results to the forum.

Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
N/A

Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
Nothing to add. I took finasteride for hair loss, got side effects as listed and here I am.

SYMPTOM UPDATES:
3rd Nov 2025…

  • Dulled sensation in palms, fingertips, feet, and scalp (noticed when scratching).
  • Abs remain constantly tense. I can relax them slightly if I focus, but they quickly tighten again when I stop paying attention.

4th Nov 2025…

  • Bodyweight dropping fast, down 2.9kg (6.4lbs) in five days. PFS has shut off my appetite but I’m still trying to eat enough.
  • The reduction in sensitivity in my palms, fingertips, feet, and scalp remain.
  • Penis sensitivity mostly returned to the head in the morning but dropped to around 10% by evening. Complete loss of shaft sensitivity.
  • Zero libido and full ED even with attempted manual stimulation.
  • Penis looks smaller, reduced blood flow?
  • Balls / groin has been slightly aching today and have mostly been pulled close upto my body.
  • Chest tenderness has worsened.
  • One plus, my anxiety is lower than yesterday so far; hoping it stays that way when I go to bed, as lying down and closing my eyes to sleep usually worsens it.

5th Nov 2025…

  • Constipation since last night. I still haven’t been able to go despite eating a tin of prunes about 8 hours a go.
  • My body looks noticeably softer. I’ve always been muscular and in good shape from regular exercise and a physical job, but now I seem to be holding water and looking puffy.
  • A dull aching sensation has started in my cheeks for some reason.
  • Chest and nipple tenderness has increased.
  • The ache in my groin has worsened. To clarify, it’s not the testicles themselves that’s worsened, but close to them.
  • Feeling a huge amount of regret and depression today. I don’t feel this is a direct symptom of finasteride like the rest, but more due to the situation I’m in.

I’m not going to do any more updates as things are changing rapidly it seems, for the worse. If there are any drastic or alarming changes I will probably add a new comment to this post instead.

#2

Yes SSRI and Accutane usage is relevant. SSRIs can cause PSSD and Accutane can cause PAS. Not everyone gets these though and that’s what makes these class of meds a dice roll.

#3

Serum DHT levels do not represent tissue DHT levels but it’s still worth getting a hormonal panel done.

#4

Thank you for the replies.

I thought it was worth mentioning my previous medication to give a broad picture. Another thing I forgot to mention was in the past I also developed temporary sexual issues which lasted many months from taking a herbal supplement, Ashwagandha. Again, loss of libido, genital numbness, etc. I had no idea it could do this. This was several years a go now and I had all but forgotten about it.

#5

Crashwaganda is rumored to act on serotonin and can unfortunately cause a syndrome similar to PSSD.

#6

I’m writing this here as a small update because I simply needed to write it somewhere.

The anxiety from this condition feels completely unbearable. I have been experiencing an immense amount of physical anxiety in my chest that just won’t ease up, leaving my entire body feeling incredibly wired.

​This wired state has made sleep nearly impossible for the last few days. I’ve only managed to briefly fall asleep due to sheer exhaustion, getting maybe an hour or so of light broken sleep a night. When that short bit of sleep ends, I wake up immediately with an intense surge of anxiety and overwhelming suicidal feelings.

​This intense mental state is currently my main concern. While the sexual side effects etc are bad, this relentless anxiety and insomnia feels like its destroying me.

I’ve spoken to both my GP and the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT). The CMHT suggested I try Promethazine to get some sleep, reasoning that the severe sleep deprivation is likely exacerbating everything. However, I am extremely reluctant to take any new medication in the fear of causing a further crash. Asking about it on Gemini indicated that Promethazine affects dopamine and prolactin and can potentially cause sexual side effects, so I’ve decided against taking it for now.

I have also booked a blood test with my doctor for nine days from now. I don’t expect the blood work to reveal a treatment path as this is such a complicated issue. Plus, it seems what helps one person can hurt another. Still, I thought the blood test might be worth doing for future reference if nothing else. The test is a general overall panel, plus testosterone (likely just Free T). I asked if a DHT blood test was possible, but the doctor said it isn’t something they can do.

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#7

I can relate to this. My sexual symptoms are devastating but the relentless anxiety, anhedonia, and sleep disturbances drive me insane. Not medical advice but Ramelton may help. It’s a melatonin antagonist.

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#8

I appreciate your replies to my comments. Thank you for sharing how you’re doing and for your thoughts on some of the different things Ive mentioned.

I read through your intro post and the following comments. I can see this condition has affected you massively as well, like so many others. Its truly a devastating thing to experience.

As you’re still relatively early in it, I really hope you’ll see improvements with time. You’ve been experiencing this longer than myself, and even the small amount of time I’ve been experiencing side effects seems like it’s going to be too difficult to go on with long term if it persists. Hopefully we can recover or at least improve like others have. It seems even some people who have had it for a long time can get improvements too, so I think there’s some hope for everyone.

For me, even if I didnt regain full sexual function, I’d be content enough if I could just get proper sleep and relief from this crushing anxiety. I didn’t have a girlfriend at the time of taking finasteride, and if I never have one again, so be it. Hopefully I reach a stage where I feel like I can function well enough in other aspects of life.

Thank you for mentioning Ramelteon, and don’t worry, I completely understand that it’s not medical advice. I appreciate you sharing your experience regardless. That’s all we can really do, describe our symptoms and what has or hasn’t helped us personally, while keeping in mind that others might respond differently.

For now, I’ve decided to go as long as I can without taking any new medication or supplements, and just hope my symptoms gradually improve on their own. I did try some valerian root the other night and it did seem to help reduce the anxiety and improve sleep a bit, but I’m concerned it might cause more problems which currently don’t present themselves, only to suddenly emerge, even if it’s just used a few times in the short term. Certainly it wouldn’t work as a regular thing each night anyway.
I’m also not ruling out trying something else in the future given how extreme this is, but for now I’ll see how far I can go without anything else. I have some clonazepam from a previous prescription which I may end up taking on rare occasions, or perhaps something else just to have a bit more sleep every now and then.

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#9

Of course, no problem. In the early stages, I knew I had PFS but was doing alright because I did not have anhedonia. Anhedonia makes dating impossible but it’s definitely possible without it. I’m living proof of that even if you have ED. Women can be understanding if you’re unfront, even if they don’t understand the severity of the situation.

I’ve personally avoided benzodiazepines and zolpidem (baby brother of benzos for sleep) but I can understand for sleep and silencing the anxiety. I can almost promise you if you can get rid of the emotional blunting/anhedonia that the other symptoms will improve (especially sleep).

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#10

The side effects keep on coming.

As I mentioned in my last thread, I’m no longer able to sweat. My eyes, nostrils, and mouth have become dry, and no matter how much I drink, my thirst never feels quenched.

Now I’ve also noticed a loss of volume in my scrotum. I’m not sure if my testicles themselves are shrinking or if it’s just an overall loss of volume, but it’s noticeably smaller. My groin area is still aching so I assume whatever’s happening is still progressing. My actual scrotum and penis have maybe 10% sensitivity.

I can’t believe how devastating the side effects of this so called hair loss “medication” are. It’s destroying my body. I feel so heavy and drained that it’s hard to get up and do anything, probably from the exhaustion caused by the insomnia and whatevers happening hormonally. My chest and nipples have been tingling most of the day as well so I wouldn’t be surprised if gyno starts setting in soon.

It’s only been about nine days since my crash and I’ve already been wrecked this much.

Well, my username doesn’t fit my outlook anymore… “HopefulRecovery”, I don’t think so.

P.S. Sorry for being so negative, I know everyone here understands firsthand how devastating PFS is. I have to commend all of you who’ve been dealing with this long term. I think I’m still in total shock at the situation.

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#11

You’re not being negative, even if it feels like it. There is really no way to sugarcoat anything more than mild PFS. When I crashed I noticed a bunch of strange things too. I would look in the mirror and I could feel stuff happening on the inside, yet I couldn’t see it visually at that time. Something just felt amiss 24/7. New symptoms would pop up in place of old ones. You can actually feel like you are worsening for quite some time, but it’s extremely like you settle at a baseline and have some symptoms improve.

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#12

Thank you for the reply @waiting1985
I hope the baseline comes soon. My body and its functions are rapidly deteriorating.

I used to be a fit, healthy, athletic man before this. Now I have this syndrome, there’s no cure, and I feel hopeless.

Since the doctors haven’t taken this seriously so far, I’ve decided to start documenting my decline with photos and videos. I’m even considering recording a video explaining my use of finasteride and the onset of all the symptoms I’ve experienced and posting it to YouTube. I just did a practice video before coming to the forum actually.

It’s such an embarrassing thing to talk about however, my body breaking down, especially with the sexual issues, but I also feel this information needs to be out there. To add to what others have shared about how devastating finasteride can be, there needs to be more. This drug needs to be banned but instead its freely given out.

My main concern is my family seeing the video. I think it would break them to know what I’m going through. But at least it would explain my physical and mental decline, and help them understand if anything ever happens to me what the reasoning was. I don’t feel I can go on like this long term. I’m not planning to do anything yet, I’ll likely wait a year to see what happens. But if I continue to deteriorate, that might be it for me.

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#13

you probably won’t deteriorate much more, this is your new normal however. at least that how it went down for me, 2 months of decline and now 1+ year in that has become my new “normal”.

it’s kinda unbearable at times, but there is only one way out and it ain’t pretty…

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#14

I hope it levels off here but I think it’s too early to say. Yesterday was the start of my scrotum shrinking so side effects are still popping up. My penis is very cold today as well, which it wasn’t yesterday.

I’ve seen some unfortunate members develop many other side effects which haven’t hit me, atleast not yet.

I will just have to wait and see I guess.
I appreciate you trying to be supportive however!

I hope you eventually start to make improvements on your current new normal. I’ve seen some people do, although not always a great deal and sometimes with future crashes. I guess we just have to keep going day by day, seeing what the next will bring. It just seems too much however. I will leave it there :confused:

#15

the skin thing hit me about 2 months in, overnight my skin became strecthy and loose, and took on this weird texture, it’s also very dry and flaky not oily like pre pfs

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#16

I just had a phone call with my doctor again today. He was completely dismissive and rushed to get off of the phone call. I have blood tests on Wednesday so he said let’s wait and see what they show - which of course will likely be nothing, atleast from what I understand it seems not much shows up in blood tests as it’s to do with an epigenetic change of the receptors?

I’m still doing the blood tests anyway, but after that I fear the doctor will completely dismiss me. Not that I think he can do anything for me, but I want it acknowledged and recorded that finasteride can cause all sorts of side effects. Hopefully this will help go towards getting this medication eventually removed and more awareness around PFS.

I just reported my symptoms to the UKs medicine regulator agency too. For those who haven’t done so yet for their country, please do.

…UNITED KINGDOM…

…UNITED STATES…

…EUROPE…

…AUSTRALIA…
https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/report-problem/report-adverse-event-or-safety-problem

…CANADA…

If anyone has the links to any other countries regulatory agency for reporting side effects please reply with them here.

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#17

doctors are useless for this, and frankly a lot of other diseases, they cant cure shit

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#18

Waking up from a sex dream to a dead dick is incredibly depressing. I managed to get a mild semi after about 20 minutes of manual stimulation, but there was zero sensation in the shaft and maybe 10% in the head, which is how it’s been.

Is there any consensus about cumming? If I can get to that point, is it actually helpful, harmful, or neutral? (It’s probably variable from person to person, like most other PFS things, right?) I doubt I’d be able to anyway, but I might try again in the future. I stopped as I wasn’t getting past a weak semi and started become frustrated and down. I thought it was best to leave it there. I figured associating negative emotions with it might make things worse.

I’m planning to spend the next week cutting back on internet use and making some lifestyle changes (more in line with how things were). I don’t expect these to fix the sexual issues or anything else, as damage on an epigenetic level is bound to be too complex and deep. But hopefully the changes will help my overall mood and wellbeing.

I don’t think spending excessive time looking up PFS related things has been good for my mental health either.

My goals for this week:

  • Reduce internet use
  • Improve sleep hygiene (hopefully improving sleep too)
  • Start exercising again
  • Stick to my diet plan

I also just want to list my current symptoms as a record here.

  • Total loss of libido
  • Impotence, including no morning or nighttime erections
  • Reduced sensation of penis, scrotum, anus, scalp and forehead
  • Loss of elasticity in penis skin. It just winkles and stays in place if I move it
  • Penis feels cold most of the time
  • Groin pain for most the day
  • Extreme chest and nipple tenderness
  • Insomnia, about 30mins to an hours sleep at a time upto 3 hours
  • Emotional flattening
  • Persistent fatigue
  • Lack of motivation
  • Depression
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Reduced hunger
  • Fat gain
  • Change in body odor to an awful smell
  • Massively reduced ability to sweat
  • Dry skin, eyes and mouth
  • Slowed digestion
  • Diarrhea

Changes

  • I no longer feel like my bodies stuck in fight or flight mode. I believe I still am, that’s it’s not changed, just I can’t feel it as well now due to some blunting. So this is probable an overall negative.
  • I’ve gone from constipation to diarrhea, again, this doesn’t seem like a positive change.
#19

Well, that was a fail already.

A while after breakfast I noticed anhedonia kick in. Before that I only had some emotional blunting, but now it’s full blown anhedonia and hasn’t eased up yet.

I looked into the foods I ate for breakfast to see if they might be the cause, and it seems possible. I’ve seen reports that people have developed anhedonia from fish, fish oil, or omega 3s, and also reports of egg yolks triggering / worsening depression because of the choline content.

I ate a tin of sardines, which apparently has around 3.03g of omega 3s, and 4 eggs with runny yolks which is a load of choline.
I use to eat sardines and multiple eggs daily before PFS, no issues then, but I’m pretty sure they’re what’s triggered this now.

Hopefully this passes.

I haven’t managed to have a work out yet. Its hard to do anything right now, my body feels so heavy too. I’m going to try to at least do some push-ups in a moment.

#20

I’ve had watery and reduced semen volume since I got PFS after two pills of finasteride. When ejaculating a month ago that introduced additional physical sexual issues.

I can fully relate to the sexual dreams. The waking up from them is like torture. I’ve had occasional nocturnal emissions from them but the volume is very low.

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