bostonusa2009's story

Member Stories
#1

re: propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2464

I read your story and I have to say it sounds similar in many ways. I noticed the reduced libido, weaker erections and realized those were related to propecia. I dismissed those, because I figured the propecia was doing it’s thing with my hair and I could always stop.

Eventually I felt like I could care less if I had sex. It was only after going online and reading message boards that I realized other things I was experiencing were related to the propecia. I have the brain fog, bad memory, joints pop also. I also have had the sensitivity of my eyes to wind and light and often dry.

My life also turned for the worse in many other ways after taking this drug. I was fired from my job, for the first time in my life. The memory, energy and concentration being the cause of it. I wake up every day and have no energy and everything seems difficult. Before I began taking the drug I weighed 185 and was very lean muscular. I am now down to 163 and very skinny. I still try to go the gym, but I usually do half of what I used to do.

I have been off of the drug for about 7 months and feel no real difference physically. I haven’t really noticed my hair falling out, but imagine it will be coming sooner or later.

When reading your post, I was surprised not to see any mention of a testosterone level test. You mentioned that they did a blood test, but did they do a testosterone/ and free testosterone test on your blood?
I have read countless boards in the past couple of weeks that mention low testosterone levels as being the culprit for nearly all of the problems.

I decided to go have the test done on my testosterone levels last week. I need to wait one more week for the results to come back, I will have them on Thursday July 9th. I am 100% confident the results will come back with my testosterone level being very low. I will post the results when they are provided to me next week.

I plan on asking my doctor for a prescription for testosterone cream the same day. I have done a lot of reading on which testosterone therapy to consider: Shots, cream or pills. The shots need to be given every two weeks and usually are not covered by insurance and cost about 200.00. We all know the dangers of pills. The cream is covered by most insurance and majority of men, 85% see results relatively quickly. From what I have read the cream may also induce dht as well, so that is the downside of the cream.
I hope you do post again. I enjoyed reading your story. Try to stay upbeat, I personally do not intend to give into this drugs wrath.

Good luck, kevin

#2

Not to hijack the original poster’s thread, but IF your T levels come back at hypogonadal levels, you should consider Tamoxifen, Clomid or hCG to jumpstart your own production (Studies in Drug Therapy section) before considering going on TRT for the rest of your life.

#3

I had made my first post on this board and clearly did not have enough knowledge of what would be best for my recovery. I was under the impression that Testosterone cream would be best.

After being informed that Clomid, Tamoxifen or HCG would be better alternatives for helping my own body to generate it’s own testosterone.

Does anyone have any advice regarding additional supplements that I should take with Clomid? I am currently taking Zinc & Mag. I exercise very regularly, lifting weights, tennis and walking. What other things have been shown to help people recovering from the wrath of this horrible pill.

I should have my blood test results this Thursday and am expecting low T and high E. I just want to get on a regimen to improve things as quickly as possible.

#4

Administrator, Do you think I should simply take one of these only(clomid, Tamoxifen HCG) ,Should I combine it with anything else? I will be getting my blood test results on Thursday and want to have as much information as possible for the doctor. I only had a test done for Free Testosterone and total. I found a post on this site that list a whole slew of other things guys should test for. unfortunately, I had the test done before I found this website. I’m assuming I should probably run another blood test for the other items as well. What other items should I specifically have tested other than free & total T.

The doctor I went to for the problem is my primary care doctor. Would you recommend seeing a Uroligist instead?

Thanks, kevin

#5

I don’t know, I’m not a doctor. Best to ask someone like Dr Crisler or Shippen. Dr Crisler’s forum is over at musclechatroom.com

If you can, get everything in the list on this site. Otherwise, the shortened list should be a good starting point:

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewt … =3534#3534

If you can, try and get the Rhein 24hr urine panel done (read thread above).

See an endocrinologist or better yet, neuroendocrinologist.

#6

I will be meeting with my primary care dr tomorrow and I will see blood test results. If it shows that I have low T, I’m mulling my options. There have been a couple of people on here that have told me Clomid, Tamoxifen or hCG are the best option.

However, most of the cases I have read about on this board are of men who have taken the drug for a few years or less. I took propecia for 9 years, so I was hoping to find someone that has taken Clomid, Tamoxifen or Testorone Cream and been on Propecia for beyond a few years; and had success with one of these treatments.

I guess I am looking for an improvement in my overall state of being as soon as possible. I do have a diminished sex drive, but don’t have trouble keeping an erection or having sex. I am very tired all the time and have a hard time completing simple tasks. I also have had memory problems and overall feeling of ambivalence.

#7

Print out the studies and bring them with you.

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=971

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7587

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=66

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=68

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=836

#8

Mew,

thanks for the articles on studies for Clomid. I will bring them with me. Those studies certainly beat, “I read about it on a message board”

I’m just curious about your personal situation with recovery; Did you use clomid and if so how long before you began to see an improvement. How long did use propecia before you quit on the road to recovery. I looked for your story on Member stories, but could not locate it.

Also, how far along would you consider yourself in the recovery process, 60%, 75%…?

#9

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11

#10

Well for anyone that cares, I got my blood test results back today.
Total Testosterone 754, Free Testosterone 9.3, B12 extr low. Didn’t give me an exact number for the B12, but I’m going to get it.

I mentioned everything I had learned from my research on this website and online and I mentioned Clomid as having a good result in stimulating test production. He wanted me to see an Endocrinoligist rather than prescribe Clomid, as my body is producing enough testosterone it’s just not getting released.

I’m not sure if other guys on this website that have had a positive result from clomid had low free T/ Total T or both. I will research that more, but if anyone knows wether Clomid stimulates free testosterone please let me know. I read several articles about clomid, but none mention if it improves free T. Some mention an improvement in libido and overall energy though.

Anyway, I got a shot of B12 and was advised to come back once a month for another shot. Has anyone had an improvement in energy from B12. The dr mentioned B12 should improve energy, which right now is my biggest compaint.

I was given a referral for an endo dr, but now I’m having a hell of time trying to get an apt in the next few weeks. I’m very frustrated, the earliest apt with a local endo was in OCT. That would mean another blood test and another three weeks to wait for results. I should have some medication before christmas.

:frowning:

#11

Can you post your full bloodtest results WITH RANGES. Also, what time were the tests taken?

propeciahelp.com/forum/viewt … 1711#11711

#12

The blood test was taken at 8:45 am. I will get the results with the ranges as well. I’m not sure why the dr was so secretive with the test results; after all it’s my data.

I didn’t get tested for a lot of the other item’s you had on the short list like, bio available, Androstenedione, dht, 3 alpha etc. I was unaware of those when I first had the test taken. I will be getting a detailed blood report of those as well, if I can ever get an apt to see an endo dr

#13

Well I finally felt I have seen enough signs to even begin to post about my recovery. I had been beginning to feel the morning wood again and having dreams again. The brain fog is completely gone and as the feeling of blurry vision as well.

I needed to travel to China for a couple of weeks for a business trip and was looking forward to that. When I got to China, I ended up meeting a 24 year old Chinese girl in Zhong Shang city. I had sex with her for about 2 hours. It was the best sex I have had in many years. She even commented that I was very good. :slight_smile:

I had sex 4 times in 3 days, which for me since taking this damm pill is phenomenial. The best part is I was getting spontaneous hard ons even just looking at women in public. It has been quite a while since I had this as well. The hard on’s that I did have were very hard.

I’m not currently taking any pills or testosterone treatments for my recovery. I have serious attraction to pretty asian women, so I’m not sure if this has something to do with it. It was like my brain and my dick were finally operating together. The fact that my brain interacted so well with my dick does make me think more about the surroundings I was in and how that influenced the way I felt. I just arrived back in the states, so I will have to guage how things go from here.

Things are definitely improving. I still feel, I have some sensation that has not completely recovered yet and my memory is not completely back either. I am happy that I am moving in the right direction and I am getting excited about sex again.

I have an apt scheduled to see an endo dr at the end of the month. It was very difficult to get an apt with an endo dr in this part of the country. I made the apt 3 months ago. At this point, I don’t think I want to try any medication. I just may let them run a blood test, to see if my levels are getting better.

#14

hey boston can you quickly run over again what worked for you

#15

how long were u on the pills and how long did u stop the pills?

#16

Depressingly I took the pills for almost 5 years. I took it for four years, quit for 5 or 6 months and then went back on it.

Initially, I had a mild loss of libedo, but was stilll able to have good sex. Then it was like I dropped off of a cliff and didn’t care about sex at all. It was like I felt like I had no interest in it at all.

I guess looking back on it, I have to say I was in denial about what I was experiencing.

Regarding what I’m doing for my recovery. I haven’t taken any medication as I stated. I have always eaten a very healthy diet; lots of whole grains, fruits, vegtables, nuts, beans and only lean protein like chicken and turkey.

I have also been a workout nut, lifting weights 5-6 times a week since I was a kid. I think this may have kept my testosterone levels higher when I was taking the propecia. I have read that lifting weights stimulates testosterone development. I have no proof, but I believe this is why I experienced less of a side effect early on with this drug than most other guys. Eventually, this horrible drug caught up with me as well. I used to go to the gym and train two body parts a day for about and hour and 15 minutes. I had no motivation to go the gym at all, but somehow I would sludge it out and do one body part for about 30 minutes.

I have been off of the drug for 9 months. I occasionally wake up in the morning with a hard on, but still not frequently enough. Almost every night lately I feel like I’m having a sensation of my dick getting partially hard when I’m sleeping; not a wet dream, but I’m having a sexual experience while I sleep. I am guessing that my body is beginning to produce more testosterone.

I have an apt with an endo dr on sept 29th. I would imagine she will want to run a new blood test to see if my testosterone levels have increased since my last test.

#17

hey boston is she a good endo? where is she located because i need one

#18

just as another notation.

I know it sounds a little strange, but as I had mentioned in my initial thread regarding the recovery. The fact that I was so sexually stimulated by the girl I met in China is encouraging to me. I was rock hard and had very good sex with her. As we know already, if you can have sex and release semen it forces the testicles to produce more semen.

It’s rather simplistic in nature, but what ever you can do to stimulate your brain to want to have sex may help us with the recovery process. The unfortunate thing for me is I won’t be back to China for another 6 months.

What again have you guys done for your recovery? What have you felt has been the most positive influence to your recovery?

#19

chiller20,

I’m not sure becuase this will be my first visit. Her office is in Providence, RI. I will let you know what I think after I meet with her.

I don’t know what it is with endo drs, but there are very very few drs in this area. I went to primary care dr, he ran a blood test. That whole process took 3 weeks. He gave me a couple of referrals and the best either of them could do was three months out.

I was completely frustrated, knowing that surely the endo dr is going to want to run their own blood test. By the time that is done, it would be 5 months before I could even try any type of medication.

I literally searched on line for every endo dr in the area and spent two days trying to find one that had an apt available sooner than two months and seemed reputable.

#20

oh i see… i live in ny i went to an endo but i thought maybe you found one that knows about finasteride