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
[
] 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 or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[] 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
[] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
Other (please add)
[] 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.