American 23 yo male struggling with PFS

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?)
Reddit

What is your current age, height, weight?
23, 6’0” , 180 lbs

What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Fin

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)?

11 months

How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?

Started at age 21.

How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?

Shortly before turning 22 I stopped

Stopped shortly before
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?

I first quit for a few weeks, then restarted for a couple weeks and then permanently stopped.

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?

Sexual sides from the onset, but the rest of horrors of PFS came after stopping.

What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?

Severe lower back pain, sexual dysfunction, frequent urination & urinary incontinence, inability to digest many foods or have bowel movements, painful sitting.

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

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

Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] 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
[ x] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ x] 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?
Flomax, helps when starting treatment but effectiveness tapers off.

If you have pre or post-drug blood tests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (please post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?

Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?

Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.

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I’m sorry to hear that you are having these problems. Please feel free to reach out if you would like to talk to someone.

I would really appreciate it if you filled out the patient survey (if it has been 3 months since you have discontinued Finasteride). Unfortunately, the medical community at large does not acknowledge PFS as a condition, and this is one thing you can do that will help us to legitimize it, and fix it. You can find out how to do it, and more information about it, here: Post-Drug Syndrome Survey FAQ. Survey NOW LIVE - Please Participate

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