7 months of mental sides only (my story)

Member Stories
#1

  1. How did you find this forum?
    Google

  2. What is your current age, height, weight?
    30yrs old, 6ft, 180 lbs

  3. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    Cardio, 30 mintues a day about, no less than 3 times a week

  4. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    Green smoothie every day, generally healthy. I take Magnesium, Vitamin D3, Mens 1 a day and omega 3’s

  5. Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
    Hair loss

  6. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    2.5 yrs

  7. How old were you when you started Finasteride?
    27

  8. How old were you when you quit?
    29

  9. How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
    Cold turkey

  10. What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
    proscar

  11. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
    1.25mg a day

  12. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    2.5 yrs

  13. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?

Put an X beside all that apply:

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

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

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)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[X ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[X ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[X] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[X ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)

Ive been a lurker on this forum since this all started about a year ago. It doesn’t seem like a whole lot of guys suffer only mental side effects so I figured Ill throw my story out there. I am looking for a little support…If I know Im not the only one dealing with this maybe I can rest reassured.

Starting the drug:
Very first day had brain fog. I thought it was my body getting used to the medication so I continued taking it. After the 3rd day I felt fine and had no problems for the following 1.5 yrs.

Prior to quitting the drug:
About 1.5yrs into usage I began to develop dizziness in the mornings. The dizziness continued to get worse throughout the following 6 months lasting longer and longer into the day. It turned into vertigo. I did not know what it was from. I read the side effects of the proscar and I saw dizziness was on there, but I read it was caused from standing up too quick…this was not that kind of dizzy. I went to several doctors and they said it was do to a cold I had at the time so I continued on. I began to urinate non stop, crazy amounts, way more than the liquids I was putting into my body. One day I was taking a piss and a strange feeling came over me. I thought I was having a stroke or something so I went to the ER. All tests came back normal, the doctor recommended I stop taking the proscar. Stupid me I didn’t listen. About a month after that I developed horrible brain fog (scariest moments of my life) this continued for a few weeks and I decided to stop taking the med.

After stopping(months 1-2):
So I stopped taking it and the brain fog continued and panic attacks started. I was on the highway on my way to my brothers house and I had my first panic attack. I freaked out and had to turn around and go back home. Extreme anxiety set in and I began to feel like I was loosing my mind. Any shock to my central nervous system I would sit on the couch just shacking and freaking out wondering if I should go to the mental hospital. I had a immediate intolerance to alcohol, caffeine (been drinking every morning for 10 yrs) and exercise. I backed into another car in the driveway right after looking at it. I was seeing flashes of pink light. Talking to people was extremely weird, I forgot all my passwords at work, I couldn’t figure out how to use a redbox machine one night, even watching a simple movie gave me a odd feeling and would want to cry. I found this website and figured out it was most likely from the proscar. I made a doctors appointment and he ran several blood test (thyroid, diabetes, vitamins, and testosterone. All came back normal except low D3 and magnesium. He said my testosterone was ok, although it looks on the low end to me. The panic attacks and anxiety where killing me. I went to another doctor. I went into the office and started crying and loosing it in front of the nurses. The doctor came in as I continued to cry and told him everything and I asked him “is there any way the proscar messed up my hormones” as I was crying desperately looking for help. He simply looked at me and said “its possible” and walked out the door leaving me in the office feeling helpless. He gave me a weak anti anxiety med (antihistamine)…it didn’t help. I called Merk looking for some help and explained all my sides. She rambled on reading all the side effects the FDA reported during their tests, she said she hasn’t heard of these sides before and said “I hope you feel better”.

Continuing on (months 3-4):
The disabling brain fog began to subside but left me constantly dizzy all day every day. I still felt out of it and the bad anxiety was still there but the unusual thoughts subsided. Panic attacks began to occur less frequently although still happened around a lot of people or when I got my haircut. I had always hated my job of 7 yrs and thought it might be contributing to my stress so I took another job, I think this might have been a bad choice now. At this point I was on a constant exercise routine of 30-45 minutes of cardio everyday. I no longer get that good feeling after cardio or a few drinks anymore. I was feeling a odd dulling pain in my butt hole (assuming prostate) and my testicals sometimes felt like they where pulled up tight to my body. But other than that, no sexual problems. Every day was hell.

Tolerable weeks and bad weeks (months 4-6)
I began to have a few days here and there that where tolerable. Dizziness still there most of the time but not bothering me. Noticed I started to feel normal on my days off from work. A couple of weeks of severe depression, comes and goes now, magnesium seems to help. Still have cognitive issues and forgetful memory. Seemed to be 3 bad weeks would give me 1 week of relief. I remember having one weekend thinking Im getting back to normal and through this mess, just to come crashing down a few days later.

Good or bad? (month 7)
The 2.5 weeks prior to the 4th of July I felt amazing. I began to drink small amounts of caffeine again. I started working around the house again. Dizziness was still there if I thought about it, but otherwise completely tolerable. I thought I was almost 100% recovered again.
My Mom is schizophrenic and is getting much worse. My dad was telling me how bad its getting and all the weird things that are coming out of here mouth and after that sunk in to my head for a day I feel like my body has completely crashed back to square 1. Since Monday I feel like I developed a panic disorder fearing that Im becoming schizo. from all these sides. My hands shake, Im questioning every single little thought in my head and feel like Im on the verge of psychosis. I went to a therapist on Wed. and told her everything. She said she was going to talk to some psychiatrists in the office and get their opinion on the proscar and a plan of action. Im feeling really helpless at the moment. This has been the hardest 7 months of my life. I really feel like I need some depression meds but Im afraid it might make things worse. Any one else have symptoms like this? Im hoping these are waves and windows similar to benzo withdrawals.

2 Likes
#2

Mate just letting you know there are a bunch of similiar people out there - myself included. It’s good you’re feeling a bit better. To be honest sućh is the nature of this thing that it may get bad again before it gets better. That being said, extremely few people on here have long lasting mental side effects, and the vast majority of us with these sort of symptoms get better. The two year mark is the time when a lot of people say they had totally recovered, and I can say after having passed this mark that I feel a lot better at this point. Just be thankful you managed to dodge the sexual side effects which seem to have a tendency to stick around much longer.

In terms of treatment, I’d recommend cleaning up your diet and trying to avoid dairy, sugar and refined carbs. Also make sure you have a good hit of protein for each meal. If you go the antidepressant route, a number of people say remeron really helped them. It is tough with your family history, as doctors can look at our symptoms and conjure up any diagnosis, but try to stay off anything stronger.

I know how dark this can get mate so feel free to PM me if you need to.

2 Likes
#3

Thanks for the reply, it helped. What do you mean it may get worse before it gets better?

I went to see my therapist this morning and she said she talked to a few psychologists in the office and she was disappointed on their reaction because they couldn’t recommend anything. She said its up to me on taking any meds at this point. I told her lets give it a while longer before going that route.

It sucks not knowing if my screwed up head is from hormones or neurotransmitters, I don’t even know what route to take.

I am going to continue seeing her and we are going to try some cognitive behavior therapy. I am trying to stay optimistic about it…its all I got for right now. Medical doctors just don’t seem to care a whole lot when I see them.

#4

So I guess I’ll post my progress also…

Month 8-9

I have continued going to therapy to help keep my anxiety under control. Maybe its working maybe its not. Some mornings it just seems like I wake up feeling like crap with no reason to cause it. Anxiety sure seems to be a lot better. For a while there on my way into work my anxiety was through the roof, a few times almost calling in sick. I think the cause for it was the brain fog and constant dizziness. The last 2 weeks or so I haven’t felt dizzy at all. Im much more calmer and Im able to successfully concentrate and work on school projects and study. I am also able to have normal conversations with people at work and even laugh and have a good time. I haven’t had a full blown panic attack in a couple of months now. I have been waking up with horrible depression but it seems to completely lift after 3-4 hours into the day. Things are not perfect but seem to be getting there.

For the past month I have not had any pain in my testicles or prostate. Sexual function still is ok. Body temp still a couple of degrees low at times.

My only regimen is vit d, magnesium and mens one a day, and a green smoothie every day and 30 min. cardio 3x a week.

Im going to continue therapy. Even if everything is physical it helps to talk it out with a professional that believes me. I don’t think its a waste of time and if you have insurance I would recommend it.

Ill keep this updated…crossing my fingers I don’t crash again.

#5

Months 10-15

Its been a while since I have updated and there is a reason for that, I am no longer on this website all week long. I did have another crash after writing my last post, but as usual had subsided within a couple of weeks. I am happy to say I no longer have brain fog, dizziness and weird pain/feelings in my nuts and butthole, erections and libido are fine. My mind is thinking very clearly and I am motivated and enjoying life again. I am able to drink caffeine and alcohol again, im afraid of over doing it so I take it easy with them.

I still have some slight anxiety left but it is completely bearable. The weird panicky feeling when talking to people is totally gone. I just don’t like doing a few things like being in meetings and getting my hair cut, but I think that might continue to get better in the following 6 months. I think this is going to be a pretty nice summer.

I do believe the side effects I had where do to a down regulation in neurotransmitters and the appropriate healing time of 18-24 months seems to be right on track with drug withdrawl research I did on other sites.

I did read another post on here about cerebral salt wasting caused by excessive urination, which I had. I was pissing crystal clear fluid the months before my crash, more fluids then I was drinking. I would be interested to see a poll to find out the correlation between mental sides after a period of excessive urination from other members.

I hope this helps a little with anyone else out there that is suffering with the same symptoms as I had.

#6

18 months out…

Still struggling with anxiety and weird negative thoughts. I am starting to wonder if this is my life from here on out. I had a lot of progress the first 14 months but just seems to be no progress the last 4-5 months. I’m starting to wonder if I am the only one with a story like this???.

#7

Hey rdwaves,

You’re not the only one with a story like this .
I don’t use finasteride since January (8 months) and since then I have been following your post as a kind of inspiration, because I feel the same mental side effects as described, such as 3 or 4 hours of sleep and waking up with depression and anxiety, but it seems to completely lift after 3-4 hours into the day. Fortunately I do not have sexual problems.
It is sad to read that has not yet recovered because I see I’m going to the same way.
My side effects improved slightly since January, but I think that was due to the supplements that I took (omega 3, magnesium and 5Htp).If I Withdraw the supplements, my extreme anxiety will be back. I’ve done the test.
I hope to improve, for at least the next seven months, as it was in your case.

#8

I have absolutely 0 sexual problems but occasional anxiety and negative thoughts when I am stressed and/or overdo it on the sugar or the dairy. These feelings typically appear the next day and can be offset somewhat by a high protein low carb diet.

Cleaning up your diet and minimizing stress in your life does wonders for your recovery.

#9

Well it’s been a almost two years since my last post…

I wish I were writing to say I’m healed but unfortunately I’m not. I thought I was healed for about 14 months until about 4 months ago. Life was great I had no anxiety or depression and I would have said I was 100% healed and then out of the blue sides came back after a heavy night of drinking.

After a night of bowling and drinking I went home and consumed a few more drinks. I didn’t get shit faced or anything but consumed about 10 drinks over the course of 6hrs. I woke up Monday morning and was standing in the shower and all of a sudden a wave came over me. I feel like I’m in the first year of recovery agian…wtf!.

Anxiety symptoms are full blown again, had to cut out junk foods and coffee again. I have horrible head pressure at work, racing thoughts, can’t think clearly.

To be clear brain fog has never returned after my first year of withdrawal , digestive system seems to be okay, urination frequency seems to spike some days and still have never experienced sexual sides. Thinking seems to be way off, like I’ll loose my tape measure or keys and be looking all over for minutes and then find it sitting right in front of my face. My job is very technical and this greatly interfers.

Anyways, I hope I have better news to write in the months ahead. Any advice or similar stories greatly appreciated.

1 Like
#10

any news？