First, I have a correction to my story: I had originally thought the first year I took Propecia was in 2006. But after my attorney discovery of records, they found I had actually started Propecia in 2003 and another script in 2004. So, The total time I’ve taken Propecia is 7 years, not 4.
I saw my Sex Med Doc a few days ago (6th visit). Told him how I’m feeling and how things have gone since my last appointment, no motivation, unhappy, never smile, angry and irritable. His first comment was “we have three more patients today from finasteride use, with similar complaints/symptoms”.
He made a HUGE adjustment to my treatment, HRT. Please keep in mind that it’s only been 2 days. As you well know, each person is different and what I’m sharing may not work for you.
Modified HRT plan:
Boosted Testosterone Injections from .35 to .70 weekly. (doubling it) started out originally with .25.
Doc said there are other guys he’s treating who also needed to boost T up to around 1200 to 1300 in order to get DHT, LH and FSH back to a normal level.
Refilled Clomid (Clomiphene Citrate) 50mg 3 times a week.
–Increases LH(Leutenizing Hormone) and FSH(Folicle Stimulating Hormone) in men.
LH is responsible for endogenous Testosterone production in men.
FSH is also critical for sperm production. It supports the function of Sertoli cells, which in turn support many aspects of sperm cell maturation.
Added Anastrazole, new script, 1mg twice a week.
–Lowers Estradiol (estrogen) which gets boosted as a result of high T injections).
Added HCG, new script, injections twice a week.
–HCG improves fertility and may keep my testicles from shrinking further, possibly improve size.
Will be having labs taken on a monthly basis until Doc gets my hormones stabilized at the right levels.
Read somewhere on Propeciahelp that taking ZINC can interfere with reducing Estradiol. I’m quitting that one for now, or at least until I can verify whether it’s true.
I bought the supplement Pregnenolone 50mg. (Don’t take this if your already taking DHEA)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21549182 Even though this study is on Schitzophrenia, read it and decide for yourself if you notice the potential benefits for PFS.
Here’s another site which includes user comments of their experience.
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-the-most-common-pregnenolone-side-effects.htm
It would be safe to say that I’m on a rampage to recover, and continually researching, revising what I take and revisiting my list of supplements for necessity or potential interactions.
Did I notice any improvements or changes?
Yep. In just 2 days. The first time in years I’ve had a positive mood, not depressed, have energy, can think much more clearly and I’ve even noticed an improvement in verbal communication/cognitive improvement. But this is only 2 days. I’ll come back with followups and post lab results to this post as time passes. Hang in there guys!