Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.
Where are you from (country)?
-US
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 Search finasteride syndrome recovery
What is your current age, height, weight?
-29, 6’2",170lbs
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
-topical Finasteride and Minoxidil from Hims
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
- 1-4 sprays a day
What condition was being treated with the drug?
- thinning/receding hairline
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
- 1 month
Date when you started the drug?
- September 2023
Date when you quit the drug?
- October 2023
Age when you quit?
-29
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
-Cold Turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
-I became more depressed when I started using it but didn’t make the connection. Went on a 4 day camping trip at the end of September and didn’t up using it during. When I got back I realized I had ED and no libido. Stopped using it after that.
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
-Anhedonia, brain fog, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, ED, no libido, no orgasm, low appetite, insomnia
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
[ X] Loss of Morning Erections
[ X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[X ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[X ] Watery Ejaculate
[X ] Reduced Ejaculate
[X ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[X ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[X ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[X ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ X] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ X] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[X ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ X] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ X] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[X ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] 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?
-Hill running, cold showers, intermittent fasting, 2-day fast, keto. May be starting Bupropion tomorrow.
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.
Got topical finasteride/Minoxidil from Hims since they advertised lower risk. I even saw the studies and some stories of the side effects, but decided to do it anyway since my brother already was taking the pill and said it didn’t effect him that much.
I’m a climber, and before taking it I had been on a trip to Tensleep Wy at the end of August that was one of the best trips of my life. I had been on a lot of trips in the year and a half leading up to this, British Columbia, Spain, Kentucky, all of which were helping me to have a lot of hope for my future and gave me confidence in my life. At home I was in the works to start a climbing shoe resoling business, and was an active member of my local climbing community. I was looking forward to the next decade, and really felt like I had my life in order.
Unfortunately, the combination of being depressed about a former relationship, and a fragile self esteem connected to how I look led me to be willing to try anything to reverse the little thinning that was happening to my hair. After getting back from Tensleep, the finasteride spray was in my mail and I started using it at the beginning of September.
I remember descending into a deeper depression that month that I had associated with the increased hairloss from starting Minoxidil the month before. I now think it was likely partially due to finasteride side effects. At the end of September I took a trip to Lander WY with a friend to check out the climbing shoe cobbler there and try our hand at Sinks Canyon and Wild Iris. I took my spray for that four day trip, but didn’t end up using it.
When I got back I expected there to be a build up of libido from four days of exercise outside and no masturbating. Instead I felt nothing and had trouble even getting an erection. I immediately realized what was happening and stopped the finasteride. Through the month of October I just went back to my climbing goals and put my mind off it. It was then that I started to realize the entire reward system in my brain wasn’t firing anymore. I would work as hard as I possibly I could to send a climb, but instead of the expected euphoria or dopamine glow, I felt completely flat. I got better at resoling shoes, and by the end of the month I finished four pairs as perfectly as I could. Nothing. No reward. I felt empty.
In November I had already planned a trip to Vegas and then Mexico for the winter. While in Vegas I took a mushroom trip with some friends in the hopes that I could access some emotions, and fix whatever was going on with me if it was just psychological. I wasn’t able to access any feelings with the exception of fear. Fear still worked. I opened up to my friends at the end of the mushroom trip, and that was probably the best thing that could have happened at that point. It took me from being a very guarded person to being comfortable with vulnerability overnight. The next day some of my friends flew home, and that night I had a breakdown. I ended up calling my sister-in-law who is a therapist and crying on the phone for three hours. The next day I called my sister just to help me make the rest of the trip home.
That was the bottom.
Since then I’ve gone back to therapy. It’s helped, and I have made a lot of progress on non finasteride things since I’ve lost whatever was holding me back from opening up about my life. I made an Instagram post shared with close friends explaining what was going on with me and that I believed it to be due to finasteride.
Now I just try and stick to what helps. I run, climb and workout. I take cold showers when I need them. I’m trying keto. I go to therapy. I try to schedule dinners with friends. I borrow a friends dog that I’m close with for company and runs. I’m vulnerable and share with friends who know. I go to bed early. I’ve started a window garden. I’m practicing guitar again.
There are days where my mood is decent and I feel positive about the future. There are days where I think there’s no hope and consider suicide.
I’m trying to keep the plan pre-finasteride me made. I kind of consider him a different person since my personality has changed so much. I re-bought my tickets to Mexico. I’m going to do my best to start my resoling business.
I fucking hate this. It feels like I sent my soul to jail and my body is left here to try and live without it, and hope it’s not a life sentence.
Self-reporting template - ONLY USE FOR FUTURE POSTS TO REPORT ANY TRIALS OF TREATMENTS, NOT YOUR INITIAL MEMBER STORY
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Name of the therapy/substance:
- Dosage:
- How often you took it:
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Status
- Still using [ ]
- Stopped with no lasting change to initial symptoms [ ]
- Stopped with persistent change to symptoms [ ]
- Duration of use: Days [ ] Months [ ] Years [ ]
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Response when you started:
- Greatly improved [ ]
- Slightly improved [ ]
- Stayed the same [ ]
- Slightly worsened [ ]
- Greatly worsened [ ]
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Current response (if you’re still using the therapy/substance) OR Response in the time before you stopped the treatment
- Greatly improved [ ]
- Slightly improved [ ]
- Stayed the same [ ]
- Slightly worsened [ ]
- Greatly worsened [ ]
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Lasting changes to initial symptoms after cessation (if you have stopped for more than 3 weeks)
- Greatly improved [ ]
- Slightly improved [ ]
- Stayed the same [ ]
- Slightly worsened [ ]
- Greatly worsened [ ]