Where are you from (country)?
USA
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?)
Other
What is your current age, height, weight?
33, 6’5’’, 195lbs
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.)?
1 mg/day
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Hair Loss
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
6-7 months, some days missed
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
32
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
32
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold Turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
Never, only once quitting
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Had no side effects during use
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
[x] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[x] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[x] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[x] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[x] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[x] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[x] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
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)
[x] 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
[x] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[x] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Natural herbs and supplements
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
After debating about it for months, and with my hair beginning to fall out in clumps, I decided it was worth it to try finasteride for just a few doses to see if I had any side effects. I considered the odds were in my favor, and even if I noticed something I could immediately stop.
I was delighted to see that I had absolutely zero side effects after weeks of usage. A very minor tingling sensation in the prostate area is all I can remember, which I just denounced as nothing to worry about or fabricated in my head.
Since I had no side effects, I kept taking Finasteride for about 6-7 months. There were many days were I did not take the dose. Either I would forget, or the nagging feeling in the back of my head about not trusting big pharma would win and I would skip. My hair had stopped falling out, and it appeared Finasteride was working perfectly.
However, considering the events of 2020 and what’s going on now, that feeling about not trusting big pharma eventually won. In a fit of rage I said fuck the hair, and I threw out the rest of the Finasteride.
That was about 2 months ago, maybe slightly less. I didn’t think anything of it until I had indigestion after eating wild Alaskan salmon. My gut has always been an invincible beast, and I’ve never had problems eating the salmon before. It was a red flag, but I didn’t think about Finasteride until the next morning when I woke up in a completely depressed state with zero libido.
It’s probably food poisoning I said to myself.
No, here it is days later and I have no libido (which used to be off the charts), no drive, and no energy. I was never in amazing shape, so lack of exercise could be to blame. With how sudden this came on though, having never felt this way before, my gut instinct is telling me I should never have taken Finasteride.