I woke up in the middle of the night and got nothing to do, so would like to make an update.
Improvements:
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Have not suffered from cold hands or hot head for a while.
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My voice seems to have deepened.
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Body seems to get hairier still.
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I am able to eat carbohydrates without crashlike symptoms.
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My adam’s apple looks and feels more prominent, although I am not sure about this.
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Standing imbalance seems to be slightly improved.
Ongoing/worsening symptoms:
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Insomnia is getting a little worse, woke up 2 hours ago after 2,5 hours of sleep and did not feel at all tired.
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I can still feel my heartbeat when lying on the bed, and resting pulse is usually elevated (60 when it used to be under 50).
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I’ve been feeling somewhat depressed and and a little anxious lately. Don’t have the energy to go out and meet people after work.
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My genitals still react to competitive sports. Penis becomes cold and smaller and testicles start to hurt.
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I’ve gained 5 kg in my stomach area in the last month, currently weighing 102kg.
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My penis is still wrinkled with prominent veins and softer skin, and sometimes curves to the left and displays an hourglass form.
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I have dark eyebags and loss of fat around the eyes.
Here is some information about my usage history:
I started Propecia for the first time in May 2002 and took 60 tablets. I noticed more frequent urination, dribbly penis and watery ejaculation soon after starting.
However Finasteride stopped itching and burning feelings in my scalp, which was a big relief. I used to hold a bag of ice on my head during the worst burning sensations. Besides itching I also got pimples in my scalp that were really painful, but on Finasteride they too disappeared. I have later speculated that eating gluten might have caused/worsened the scalp problems, I’ve been gluten free since 2008, after which constant itching in my throat and palate stopped.
I am not sure if I renewed my Propecia prescription after those 60 pills, but in March 2004 I started to take generic Finasteride and would cut the pill in 4 pieces. I remember being very nervous and anxious in September 2004 during a sports tournament, and now think it might be because of the drug.
In 2007 I remember noticing that I should only take the pill every other day to avoid negative symptoms (don’t remember what they were though), and a dose of 1/8 of a pill is enough to keep the itching of the scalp away.
Since I ruptured my achilles tendon in the autumn of 2007 I have been overweight. I suspect Finasteride has something to do with either weakening of tendons of tightening of calf muscles. I used to be 85 kg before, but my weight crept up to 102 and stayed there despite a lot of sports and low-carbohydrate diet.
Also since 2008 I have been unproductive at work, required naps during the day. I’ve also felt anxious, less motivated and difficulty to concentrate.
I consumed a total of 60 pills of 1 mg (Propecia) and 360 pills of 5 mg (generic) in little over 11 years, which makes it (1860 mg / (11*365)) = 0,46 mg of Finasteride daily. I did stop for a few times during those 11 years, but itching of the scalp always made me start again.
I stopped the drug during summer 2013, wanting to see what would happen. Did not take any pills for a few weeks, and started noticing heart palpitations. I went to the doctor and had my heart monitored, but they found nothing except that my resting heart rate was 60 bpm, when it used to be 47-48 before.
For some reason (might be itching of the scalp, don’t really remember) took a single dose of 1,25 mg the 20th of September 2013. I remember lying on the bed after taking the pill, and realizing that there is something wrong with me, and went to Google Finasteride side effects. That’s when I found this page, and have not taken any pills after that.
10 days later I crashed (see my first posts for details), could not have an erection at all for 3 days, and was at my sickest during the 3rd day of the first crash. On that day I thought I was dying, was hyperventilating and had strong waves of tingling going through my body. I was barely able to drive to the emergency room, and the doctor thought I was suffering from mental problems. During the evening of that day I could not remember my bank account number, which I had always remembered. However the next day I was feeling better and my memory recovered.
I had another severe crash 12 days after the first crash, and some small crashes after that. I have contacted the doctor who prescribed my the drug, and he has filed a report to the officials and the manufacturer. Hopefully this poison is pulled from the market some day.