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Where are you from (country)?
UK -
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 -
What is your current age, height, weight?
28, 165cm’, 58kilos -
Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Yes - I run a lot, do some yoga (more since coming off Finasteride), swim and go to the gym to do some light weight training -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
No special dietary requirements other than am allergic to certain seafood -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
Prevention of hair loss - but didnt really need it -
For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
1 year, 10 months -
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
Age 25, Sept 10 -
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
Age 27, July 12 -
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Pretty much 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?
Some pain in my prostate early on and throughout, but only had a panic attack at the end of my use - so in July 12 which brought on the onset of my symptoms -
What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Anxiety, heart pain, heart pounding / throbbing / palpitations, left arm numbness & panic attacks
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[ ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] 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
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[X] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[X] 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
[X] 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)
Heart palpitations
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Just over-the-counter herbal remedies for anxiety (worked OK) and some sleeping pills (worked OK), and magnesium supplements (no noticeable change) -
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 have had various hormonal blood tests including Testosterone, FSH / LH, estriadol, adrenal glands urine test, test for Lyme disease etc, all come back normal. -
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
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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.
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to share my story and to know whether anyone else might be able to recommend any natural remedies or supplements that might help to alleviate my symptoms.
I took Finasteride in 2010-2012 (ages 25-27), after being recommended by a friend to take it as a hair loss prevention medicine. I didnt really need it, since my hair was receding very very slowly, but not that badly.
Anyway, after taking it, I noticed some brain flog and prostate pain at the beginning, but nothing so severe that concerned me at the time - just figured it was my body adjusting getting used to it.
In July 2012, I had a heavy day of drinking at a music festival when I must have polished off half a bottle of vodka over maybe 12 hours. I went to sleep at around midnight, feeling fine, and woke up at 3am feeling horny and started to masturbate. After a couple of minutes, I suddenly felt something “trigger” in my brain, like a switch had just been pushed, and suddenly - out of nowhere - I had a panic sensation, I felt dizzy and couldnt focus, my heart starting pounding in my head and chest. My heart beat wasnt accelerated at this point - I just became acutely aware of a pounding sensation. Sitting up in bed, I felt breathless, and then my heart beat started to accelerate as I was panicking, and I wondered what the f*ck was going on with my body.
After a while, I got some fresh air, started to steady myself, breathing deeply, etc, and calmed myself down. I managed to go back to sleep a few hours later, but the heart pounding continued.
Over the course of the next 2 weeks, my symptoms extended to include hot flushes, increased frequencies of going to the toilet (defacation), dizziness and extreme fatigue caused by insomnia. I made 2 trips to A&E over those 2 weeks (UK version of ER), to have heart tests done. All ECGs, echocardiagrams etc came back normal. I then went to see one of the best cardiologists in London, who said my heart was 100% healthy and he even did an ultrasound to prove it.
A year on, and my symptoms have slightly improved - in that I am sleeping though most nights now, only waking up once but going back to sleep - but they still persist. My symptoms include:
Anxiety (was off-the-scales, now just bad)
Heart palpitations / throbbing / pounding - gets worse after a meal with carbs and TERRIBLE with alcohol. Cant drink anymore. Sometimes wake me up but now I can normally go back to sleep afterwards
Heart pain - localised, comes and goes during high anxiety spells
Shortness of breath
Left arm / hand numbness
I suppose in a sense Im lucky that I dont seem to have any of the sexual side effects most users report - at least none that Ive noticed. My side effects have all been cognitive.
I have learnt to manage my symptoms better by laying completely off alcohol and trying to eat a more high-protein (less carbs) diet, but am keen to make more improvements, more quickly. I am not currently on any medication although will be seeing a neuroendocrinologist soon.
Does anyone have any tips / advice for me?
Thanks 