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)?
United States
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?
27 6’1 185
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)? Topical Finasteride
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? Topical Finasteride 0.1% with 6% minoxidil. 2-3 sprays on effected area per day morning and night.
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Thinning hair in crown area
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
Approximately 36 days total
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
I am 27, started it June 25, 2019 discontinued August 3, 2019.
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
27 years old stopped 36 days after initial August 3, 2019
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
By the 2nd or 3rd week I noticed erectile issues but not significant enough to stop.
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
I have been off for a total of 3 days and My biggest issue is the brain fog and lack of concentration with strange vision. This leads to heavy anxiety and depression. I also totally have erectile issues low libido, difficulty getting hard etc.
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
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[ X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[X ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ X] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[X ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[X ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[X ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ X] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[X ] 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
[ X] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ X] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[X ] 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?
My lack of sleep has Been detrimental as I run a business and need to focus so I took lorazepam for anxiety and that seemed to help calm me down a bit and not cause any worsening symptoms.
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)?
I went to a urologist and took blood tests 2 days ago. I’m waiting for the results. I plan on seeing an endocrinologist as well.
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
I am a fighter, and I’m willing to fight this out of my system. And I’m willing to help others along the way. We need to do this together, no one should feel helpless or alone at all. I know some people are worse than others, I’m hoping that since my experience was a low dose of the topical version that my side effects will go away sooner.
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I am a very outgoing guy running my second business and had been dealing with hair loss for about 5 years. Decided to try the topical version of finasteride dude to the known side effects from pill form of propecia and dutasteride. I was told that there were no known side effects from the topical form because the systemic absorption into the body is much lower than the pill versions. 38 days later here I am suffering 4 days after stopping the topical finasteride. Has anyone else had this experience with topical. Has anyone else on here noticed any kind of reversal or regression of symptoms since i only used the topical for a short time? All positive vibes here for myself and everyone. We can get through this and we will. Any advice or pointers I would love to hear from you guys please!
Thank you
Christian