I’ve been reading this forum for a while and finally decided to get into the discussion. I’m so glad this site exists, my Dr. said he is aware of it, so it is making a difference.
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How did you find this forum? searched google trying to figure out why my libido took a nose dive and erectile dysfunction came out of nowhere.
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What is your current age, height, weight? 30, 6’0". 175
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Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Yes, 1-3 times per week. Weights. -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
meat eater, fast food. -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)? hair loss
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For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)? 2 years, 4 months
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How old were you when you started Finasteride? 27
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How old were you when you quit? 30
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How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? cold turkey
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What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic? just generic finasteride
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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?
1.5 years. -
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
[X] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[X] Erectile Dysfunction
[X] 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 to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] 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
[ ] Depression / Melancholy
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
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[X] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
None, just praying and waiting -
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)? n/a
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Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?no
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Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I might be a little rare on this site as I took Fin for 1.5 years with no side effects - seems like most guys experienced it much quicker. After about 8 months on it I got a girlfriend and actually had the chance to have sex regularly. At first things worked fine and I was a normal horny man. Then things started to taper off and act weird. My penis completely shut down and I had no interest in sex. It took me probably 6 months to discover this site and realize the Fin was causing all the problems. We went through a traumatic period where she thought she was the problem, that I wasn’t attracted to her.
Saw my Dr. and he said to quit cold turkey. After 3 months went back and he referred me to Urologist and gave me some viagra samples to try with my girlfriend. The viagra episode was a complete nightmare as not even that worked and allowed me to get an erection to have sex. Plus I had ridiculous headache side effects from it. This is very difficult for my girlfriend and I as we don’t have a sex life right now, but things are so great otherwise.
The Urologist ordered blood tests, which all came back fine. Now I’m referred to an Endocrinologist. I’m not very enthusiastic about all these doctor appointments and tests because it seems like many other guys on here have already gone through the exact same thing. There’s no answer for this, there’s no one thing we could do that can cure us.
I am not into experimenting with strange supplements, broccoli juice, or other medications to fix this like some postings I’ve read - I’m done messing with my body.
Overall I’m having the same frustration and despair as all the other guys on here. I feel helpless and powerless. I can’t believe this is all just because I didn’t want to go bald so maybe girls would like me more. I would take my bald head or receding hairline any day over this crap.