- Where are you from (country)?
U.S.A - 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?)
Google - What is your current age, height, weight?
30 - Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Yes, cardio and weights - What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
all sorts - Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
hair loss - For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
5 months - How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
21 - How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
21 - How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey - What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Propecia - What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1mg/day - How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
3 days in retrospect - What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
ZERO libido, anxiety
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[X] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[X] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[X] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[X] Depression / Melancholy
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[X] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
-
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
EVERYTHING, see below. -
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)?
See below -
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
-
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I took propecia in my last year at college. I stopped after 5 months when I realized my libido was completely gone and that it was due to Propecia. I had a very minor resurge of libido for a few days 10 days after I stopped. Since then I’ve been living the worst nightmare I could imagine. I have NO libido. None. My dick feels like a rubber attachment with no purpose. I feel totally crazed. I have tried every treatment I can think of. Spent over $100k. I have taken more testosterone with all the docs (Crisler, Jacobs) and nothing has changed my libido by even 1%. I think there is a whole area of my brain that has died. It’s remarkable how black and white it is. Freud would have a field day with me/us. A man without a libido is a bizarre thing. Honestly, I have tried so many different things and nothing has even touched this. In the world of emotions, the idea that something could be as OFF or NOT PRESENT as my libido is amazing. This has ruined my life. I have been close to the edge many times, but always spurred on by the promise of a new treatment/doctor/theory. To me it feels like nerves/neurons are dead. That’s the most plausible explanation for something as ON/OFF as this. Interestingly, I can get an erection if I tug on my dick for long enough, I guess for that I am thankful, but it’s truly useless without any libido.
I am sure you all find yourselves waking up in the morning with that horrible feeling that you get right in the morning when you realize that you feel so profoundly ZERO libido (whether you’re with a girl or on your own, not sure which is worse) and how different it used to be before you took that pill, and then you can’t actually get your head around the fact that this is all real and you did actually take that pill and this did happen and you’re stuck in this mess.
Just so you know that I have not been sitting around for nine years doing nothing. I have done a lot for the cause. I have participated in Dr. Irwig’s studies and done my best to convince as many docs as possible that this is real and we need help. And I’ve spent every last penny I have trying new treatments from herbs to hormones to drugs.
Anyway, onwards and good luck to us all. I just needed to vent.