- 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?)
I Googled “trazodone libido”
- What is your current age, height, weight?
34 6’3" 170lbs
- Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
I sometimes run but very rarely.
- What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
I’m a meat eater but I only enjoy lean beef, poultry, fish, and shellfish (which I LOVE). I don’t like pork, lamb, or anything else. I love carbs and salt and I could eat french fries forever. I hate soda and don’t really enjoy sugar in general, but fresh fruit is good. Also not a big fan of dairy.
- Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
I was starting to notice hair loss and I knew that my mother’s father was bald so I was pretty sure I was likely to become bald as well.
- For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
Over nine years.
- How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
I was 24 but I don’t remember the date. It was too long ago.
- How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
I was 33. I quit late August of 2012.
- How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey.
- What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
I started with Propecia and then a generic Proscar.
- What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
I started with 1mg/day and then 1/4 of 5mg/day when I switched to the generic Proscar.
- How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
I noticed right away that it was difficult to masturbate but that was no longer a problem after a week. Then when I lost my virginity at 26 the sex was difficult but I wasn’t sure if it was because I was drunk or just performance anxiety. After a few more sexual encounters I realized that I couldn’t maintain an erection unless I used Cialis. But I still didn’t have much sensation and having an orgasm was impossible. And wearing a condom made things even worse.
- 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
[X] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[X] Loss of Morning Erections
[X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[X] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[X] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[X] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[X] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[X] 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
[X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[X] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] 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
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[X] Other (please explain)
Yellow semen
- What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
I use Cialis when I have sex because otherwise it’s impossible for me to penetrate a woman. But it’s impossible for me to finish. I’ve only orgasmed through vaginal intercourse once and it took a lot of effort. Also I’ve been wearing an undergarment for over a year that acts as a foreskin substitute in an attempt to increase sensitivity of the glans. It’s called ManHood if you’re interested in looking it up. And yesterday I got a prescription of Trazodone to help with my insomnia. I was hopeful when I read anecdotal reports that the drug also helped ED but the testimonials I found on this forum were discouraging.
- If you have pre or post-Finasteride bloodtests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (pls post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?
I’ve only had my testosterone checked once by a doctor who told me that the results were normal. This happened while I was still taking the drug and I don’t remember any of the actual figures.
- Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
Because I didn’t lose my virginity until after I started taking the drug, I honestly don’t know if my sexual dysfunction is a result of Finasteride, anxiety, depression, alcohol, sexual inexperience, circumcision, masturbation technique, losing my virginity late in life, or other medications I’m taking or have taken (Adderall, Prozac, Zoloft, Xanax, Cialis, Trazodone, etc.).
- Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I started using the drug to stop my hair loss and it worked pretty well. But my sexual disfunction has made relationships with women difficult. I’m able to give them orgasms but I can tell they’re disappointed when I don’t climax. I’ve had ten sexual partners so far. (I just now counted. It’s a round number. How weird!) I’ve never had a long term relationship and I haven’t discussed my problems with anyone other than my doctors. I’ve stopped taking Finasteride and nothing’s changed.