Hello everyone, since 2016 when I finally was able to pinpoint finasteride as the cause of my illusive health issues I like most here have been using trial and error with supplements/drugs in an attempt to make life tolerable again. Below I’ve made a list of everything I’ve tried since and what effect (if any) it has had on my body/mind.
Note: I do not have the sexual side effects that many here do, my problems are on the physical/mental side only (e.g. extreme fatigue, memory loss, brain fog, testicle pain, eye issues and so on)
Tribulus Terrestris
- Dosage: 250mg
Result: This was the first supplement I tried and I bought a very cheap low quality brand not knowing that not all Tribulus is made equally so perhaps unsurprisingly this had no notable effect. I’m currently awaiting a Vemoherb order to give this another try.
Creatine Monohydrate
- Dosage: 2g
Result: ‘Crashed’ me quite hard, testicle pain intensified and almost all symptoms became worse. Also worth mentioning I was a regular user of creatine for 5+ years during my gym days before I ever took finasteride and had no issues whatsoever.
Pine Pollen Extract Tincture
- Dosage: Various
Result: No notable effect.
Bacopa Monnieri
- Dosage: 500-1000mg
Result: Small but significant memory improvement for the first few months but effect has diminished since.
Inositol
- Dosage: 2-4g
Result: No notable effect.
Omega 3 Fish Oil
- Dosage: 800mg EPA/400mg DPA
Result: No effect on PFS, slight relief from depression.
Curcumin
- Dosage: 665mg
Result: No notable effect.
Phosphatidylserine
- Dosage: 100-200mg
Result: No notable effect, sleep issues if taken at night.
ZMA
- Dosage: M450mg, Z30mg, B611mg
Result: A little better sleep, slight depression relief.
Zeaxanthin/Lutein
- Dosage: 30mg
Result: Taken for eye/visual problems but unfortunately no notable effect.
Thea Thealoz Duo Eye Drops
- Dosage: N/A
Result: Taken in an attempt to relieve dry eye symptoms, somewhat works but vision issues persist.
Phenibut
- Dosage: 250-500mg
Result: Very mild relief from fatigue, considering trying again with higher dosage.
Vitamin D3
- Dosage: 10,000IU
Result: Although early blood tests showed a vitamin D deficiency once corrected through supplementation I didn’t notice any difference.
Pregnenolone
- Dosage: 100-200mg
Result: Started this week but have been really dizzy on it, think the dose is too high so coming down.
Glycine
- Dosage: 3g
Result: Taken to help with sleep issues but didn’t seem to have any effect.
Huperzine A
- Dosage: 100mg
Result: Bad headaches.
CoQ10
- Dosage: 200mg
Result: No notable effect.
5HTP
- Dosage: 200mg
Result: No notable effect.
Pumpkin Seed Oil
- Dosage: 1000mg
Result: I use this strictly to get rid of testicle pain and it usually works. Be warned some users have reported crashing on this.
DHEA
- Dosage: 50-100mg
Result: Occasional increase in testicle pain but no improvements.
Ginkgo Biloba
- Dosage: 6000mg eq
Result: Only taken for about 2 weeks so far but no changes to note.
Modafinil
- Dosage: 50-200mg
Result: Saved the best for last - I started taking Modafinil (Modalert) and an anti-estrogen/cortisol control supplement called Nolvadren XT on the same day towards the end of last year, what followed (after a day or two) was the closest thing I’ve had to a recovery since all of this PFS stuff began. This was an 80-90% improvement in all symptoms - brain fog almost gone, fatigue lifted, energy back, and so on. So what happened? Well, all this lasted for about a week and then for whatever reason I gradually started returning to full PFS mode despite continuing to take both supplements. I doubled the Modafinil from 100mg to 200mg, still nothing - I doubled the dosage of the Nolvadren yet still it wouldn’t work like it did the first time. I cycled them both and still nothing although I will say this - Modafinil does help your mind feel sharper and can provide some relief albeit usually as the expense of very bad headaches; if you are to try it then I recommend 50mg 2x a day which should be enough to provide the desired effect but avoid the headaches.
I thought I would share my experiences with these supplements in an attempt to help out others looking for feedback into potential remedies.