Not sure where best to post this update, so I’ll leave it here.
What is your current age, height, weight? 23y/o
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Finasteride
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? .5mg ED
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)? 1.5 months
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Cold Turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? Couple weeks (noticed I felt increasingly drained all the time)
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Check the boxes that apply. You can save your post first, then interactively check/uncheck the boxes by clicking on them. If your symptoms change, please update your list.
Sexual
[ x ] 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
[ x ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
Severe Depression / Melancholy
Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ x ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
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
Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
Hearing loss
Increased hair loss
Frequent urination
Lowered body temperature
Other (please explain)
Hey everyone,
I posted here about 3 months ago after stopping finasteride. I was an absolute wreck, probably the darkest time of my life. I’m here to say that I am not 100%, but I am much better and what’s left has become manageable.
At first, my symptoms were some what bad. “different” erections, weird morning wood that would fall upon waking, no libido, severe panic/depression/suicidal ideation, penis curved slightly with some darker veins showing through, and arguably the worst for me - a CONSTANT feeling of no energy or drive. I did not have some of the harsher sides like complete impotence or anorgasmia (although i did experience some numbness that has since subsided).
It took about a month before the mental side effects drastically subsided and I wasn’t waking up in sheer terror every morning and living in constant fear. Once school started about 2 months later I thought it best to try to live life like I always have (Go out on the weekends with friends, bury myself in homework as a distraction, and continue living a healthy life). This made me feel “normal” despite what was happening.
I can now say after roughly 3 months that I feel basically like my old self, however, I still struggle with the lack of energy/exhaustion. It feels as if I have a smaller battery now. Like the feeling you get when you wake up in the morning, (physically weak and need to get moving to wake up) but all day long. I can’t say this is better, but it’s either improved greatly or I am just used to it now. Some days are worse then others and often times stimulants like coffee don’t seem to help much. The curving is also still there but does not affect things. My libido is smaller than it use to be but does not cause me problems. I’m giving it my best in school and I am optimistic about the future again.
I hope that things continue to improve and that for some of the newbies here that this gives them some hope. I remember how terrified I was just months ago, but I can honestly say that I feel great, even with some of the lingering problems. I will continue to monitor my progress and hope to be back in the future with more improvements.
Take care everyone,
IWBOK