Brain fog: Is it only the beginning?

Hello Everyone,

I’ve been browising around this forum for a few days now and needless to say I’m a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information. It’s hard to tell what pertains to my situation and what doesn’t, so I thought it might help to share my situation in an effort to get some pertinent feedback.

I began taking propecia about 20 months ago and was pleased with the results. Before taking the drug, I researched side effects on the web and was therefore aware of potential dangers. Unfortunately, after much deliberation, I threw caution to the wind, let my vanity get the better of me, and blew off the warnings. Over the course of 20 months usage, I experienced no major side effects that could definitely be attributed to the drug, although I did experience testicular sensitivity for about a month long period and in retrospect propecia may have been the culprit… Last week, I started experiencing symptoms similar to what this forum calls Brain Fog. It’s an extremely bizarre state that comes about an hour after waking up and involves short-term memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and a general dissassociative sensation that feels almost dementia-like. As soon as I experienced this, I remembered the warnings and have since quit propecia. Even if the brain fog is symptomatic of something else, I feel and have felt for a while that keeping my hair does not warrant the possible damage i’m doing to my body. I’ve been off the drug for 5 days but the symptoms persist.

Given the relatively short amount of time I’ve been off the drug, I know it’s hard to make a accurate assesment of my situation. I realize that I might be in for real problems, given the number of people whose symptoms grew worse after cessation. Could any of you respond to the following questions:

  1. Should I expect things to get worse - will the brain fog persist, am I likely to experience erectile dysfunction and other severe side-effects?

  2. What should I be on the look out for in terms of monitoring my brain fog?

  3. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and realize tihs could be exacerbating the situation - is it likely that it’s all in my head?

  4. I quit propecia cold turkey 5 days ago but have since read it’s better to ween oneself off the drug? Should I start taking low doses or should I just continue with cessation?

  5. I’ve read so many things about raw diets, supplements, injections, etc, etc…When should I start to consider various treatments? Is it too early to drasitcally change my lifestyle in response to my symptoms? Do most people attribute the brain fog to liver problems? I haven’t had my blood tested in 10 months - what should my GP be looking for if I do get a blood test?

  6. What percentage of men experienced irreversible symptoms? Does it bode well that until now I never experienced severe symptions despite being on the drug for 20 months?

I apologize for asking so many varied, vague questions. Unfortunately, I’m finding it difficult to read through this forum due to the brain fog. Any answers to these questions or general feedback would be much appreciated.

Many Thanks,

Whatsnext

I took the drug for 12 years and had brain fog (fairly similar to what you describe) for the past 2 years. It took me some time to figure out Propecia was the likely cause. I have now been off for 4 months and feel as though I am slowly returning to normal. I also suspect my general cognitive condition slowly deteriorated while on the drug - I’m guessing this could take quite a bit of time to normalize. I personally wouldn’t worry about weening off - my DHT levels were the same on .5mg as on .125mg…the drug is just not very dose dependent. I am getting more positive signs every week - lately I’ve been dreaming again, I get nocturnal erections again, and the fog has definitely lessened.

Give yourself a few weeks before making any judgements. Most men find they recover within a short time of discontinuing the drug, but it could take weeks or longer for others. Since you’re only 5 days off, DHT has yet to even return to your body (7-10 days post-drug) so it is very early days yet.

Nobody can predict the future regarding what you may or may not experience. Generally speaking though, brain fog tends to clear up over time – however, amount of time varies for each individual.

Speeding up of thought processes, mental clarity, humor/personality coming back, ability to feel pleasure and excitement, improved memory recall are usually good signs that mental symptoms are improving.

Only you can decide that. You know your body better than anyone else. You also know the state your body and mind has been in while on the drug, compared to being off it. If you find a major improvement in your cognitive symptoms, I’d say it’s not “in your head”, but rather the lack of 5AR inhibition/neurosteroid inhibition since discontinuation of Finasteride which is helping.

Nobody can tell you, but if you prefer to ween off then its best to space out dosing over days/weeks. There is a section in the FAQ about weening off, have a read: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=7

That depends on the individual and if they are satisfied with their recovery after quitting the drug. As mentioned, it’s very early days for you and things will likely go back to normal. If you find they do not within months, then it may be worth investigating further.

Cognitive symptoms are due to Finasteride inhibition of 5AR-neurosteroid metabolism. The drug inhibits Allopregnanolone (low levels correlated with depression, cognitive dysfunction, mood disorders) and THDOC (low levels correlated with anxiety, seizures, panic attacks), both vital neurosteroids which normally act on the brain’s GABA-A receptors/GABAergic system. By inhibiting these neurosteroids’ synthesis, the drug affects cognitive function in a negative manner.

Review:

blog.alanjacobsmd.com/alan-jacob … n-men.html
blog.alanjacobsmd.com/alan-jacob … erone.html

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=38
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=668
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1387

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=92

Nobody has an answer for that since this problem has yet to be investigated by the medical community on a large-scale basis. However, it is likely we with permanent issues are in the minority of the overall consumer base of Finasteride users.

Possibly, but then again it could be that it simply took that long for the drug to push your system past the tipping point, hormonally-speaking.

At any rate, its very early days for you yet, so do not panic. Odds are likely in your favor that things should improve and recover to pre-Finasteride state. If you find they do not within an expected timeframe, then consider investigating further.

Cheers.

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It seems I am very much in the same boat as you. Have just quit propecia after simmilar ammount of time on drug and side effects as you. Have been getting really bad brain fog, memory loss etc recently - triggered I believe by upheaval of moving to new city and new job and a new social circle.

Anyway I would be very interested in how you are getting along after quitting the drug - Do you feel you are getting back to normal again?

While the above may be stressful life situations, you are probably looking to blame the wrong scapegoat.

Finasteride has been documented to directly affect mental health via its inhibition of 5AR-neurosteroid metabolism. The drug inhibits Allopregnanolone (low levels correlated with depression, cognitive dysfunction, mood disorders) and THDOC (low levels correlated with anxiety, seizures, panic attacks), both vital neurosteroids which normally act on the brain’s GABA-A receptors/GABAergic system. By inhibiting these neurosteroids’ synthesis, the drug affects cognitive function in a negative manner.

Review:

Dr. Alan Jacobs’ (Neuroendocrinologist) blog posts about Finasteride side effects:
blog.alanjacobsmd.com/alan-jacobs-mds-blog/2010/04/a-neuroendocrine-approach-to-finasteride-side-effects-in-men.html
blog.alanjacobsmd.com/alan-jacobs-mds-blog/2010/06/the-plot-thickens-along-with-the-hair-when-you-mess-with-dihydrotestosterone.html

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=38
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=668
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1387
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=202

1 Like