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)?
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?)
What is your current age, height, weight?
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
finasteride, azelaic acid
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
What condition was being treated with the drug?
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
10-12 days
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
36
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
36
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
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
[] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[x] Confusion
[x] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[x] 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)
[x] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[] Testicular Pain
[] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[x] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[] Weight Gain
[] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[x] Muscle Wastage
[x] Muscle Weakness
[x] Joint Pain
[x] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[] Prostate pain
[x] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[x] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[x] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[x] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[] Hearing loss
[] Increased hair loss
[x] Frequent urination
[x] Lowered body temperature
Other (please explain)
irritable bowel, large number of polyps in my colon, gallstones, dry skin, loss of body odor, muscle twitching, exercise intolerance, sleep problems
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
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.
First off, to clarify, yes I was an extremely severe case with every major side effect possible except gyno, and no, I was not hypogonadal. The first two years, my stories and symptoms are journaled at a different forum under the same username. After two years, I have spent my time in a private group and made the occasional post here. I also made a youtube video. https://youtu.be/i8BLqVqvKKw
I can say now that my libido is pretty close to 100%. Depression and anxiety maybe 80%, weakness and fatigue maybe 70%, Gut issues 80%
My current protocol:
DIET - mostly plant based with lean meats and fish- too much saturated fat causes problems. Lots of cruciferous vegetables, beans, fermented foods, berries, avocados, non-gluten carbs and even red wine. No carbs until the afternoon to get some of the benefits of ketosis.
TRT+HCG - Some don’t respond to this, I did. My muscle weakness, mood and skin improved a lot.
Creatine - Huge impact on strength, energy, mood and skin. Probably did just as much as TRT to be honest
Ipamorelin - Since being on this, my sleep quality mood, energy, libido and exercise tolerance have all improved. I also have been getting regular morning wood again rather than just occasional.
Penis pumping - it increases sensitivity for me
Exercise, sunshine, fish oil - no brainer stuff
Sleeping pills - Not recommending, but personally, I HAVE to get good sleep. Sometimes you just gotta weight the benefits vs the negatives.
Thats really the stuff worth mentioning, I do other things too but prefer to keep this as brief as possible.
Peace