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)?
Switzerland
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?)
Google, RayPeat Forum
What is your current age, height, weight?
21, 1.78m, 70kg
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Roaccutane
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
20mg/day
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Mild Acne
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
about 3-4 months
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
2015, so I was 15
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
15, after I started noticing side effects
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold Turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
A few weeks
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
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[X] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] 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
[X] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[X] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[X] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[X] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[X] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[X] Other (please explain)
Extremely dry skin and lips in the beginning, followed by sun sensitivity and permanent dry skin (gets better if my diet is on point) until now.
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Cialis
Viagra
Almost every herb/vitamin there is (Tongkat Ali, Maca Root, Gelatinized Maca, Ginkgo Biloba, Tribulus, L-Dopa, Omega 3, Vitamin D3, Tyrosine, Vitamin K2, Creatine, Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin A, P5P, B5, B12, Niacin etc.)
I also fasted for 1 whole week in 2019, which did help with some symptoms.
Other than that, I try to follow a high fat healthy diet, which has helped immensely. Especially when eating organic raw meat!
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)?
I had a blood test done a few years back, which showed that my Testosterone was totally normal, in fact it was in the highest category (27.5 mol/1). Everything else was normal except for Prolactin, which was way above average at (22.9 ug/1) Normal= 4.0-15.2
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
My story started back in Highschool. I was living in South Africa at the time and was a happy and healthy young man trying to get on with life. At about 15 years old I started to notice some mild acne on my chin and neck, which wasn’t too bad at all really. However, the stupid thing I did (if you have acne trust me on this one) is using all kinds of creams and face wash products to try and combat these outbreaks. Huge mistake! Acne just got worse and I grew more insecure about my complexion. Bad acne was hell on earth for me as an otherwise healthy dude. My parents also showed concern about my skin and eventually my father got his friend (Medical Doctor) to give me a prescription for Roaccutane at 10mg building up to 20mg. I was desperate for a solution so I gladly took the pill of the devil.
At first my skin got a lot worse, which apparently was normal so I brushed it off. I remember having extremely dry skin and lips which would actually crack and bleed a few times. I also started to look very skinny and “drugy” if you get what I’m saying. This may also be due to the diet I was on (was extremely restrictive and “healthy”). Now this is where the sexual sides come in. I used to go for long runs around my school campus and I started noticing that my penis would shrink quite a bit (normal during exercise, but this was not normal) I used to masturbate every other day and had a fairly active sexual imagination before Roaccutane. However, now I somehow lost that ability and getting an erection was nearly a mission impossible. Of course I panicked and immediately stopped the medication cold turkey. The symptoms did not go away…and after a few months I did the hardest thing I had ever done, which was telling my parents about my situation. I called my Mother and cried my eyes out.
They took my situation seriously, which I am very thankful for. But even my parents aren’t magicians so they couldn’t really help in any substantial way. Over the years I have minimised speaking with them about my situation, because being open about such a personal and intimate thing is hard to pull off.
I’ve been battling this condition for 6 years now and I would say it has definitely made certain situations a lot harder for me. Even though I’ve had two girlfriends in this time, I never was able to regain that true sexual attraction I used to have. I still found them physically attractive, but my libido and penis weren’t in agreement with me, so it was hard to pleasure them. In both relationships, I believe my fear of letting them down is what led to both break-ups. I never told them about my condition.
Now that I’m 21, I have found a few things that have helped me through my battle and sometimes made me feel better again…even if it only lasts a few days.
The following has helped:
-Clean, high fat diet, raw organic vegetables and meat
-Accepting you condition (of course I still struggle with this) and believing that you will get through everything that comes your way, no matter how bad you feel
- Lifting heavy weights and HIIT workout, helps to keep your mind and body in the best possible condition
-Stop watching porn and try to find a more natural way of exploring your sexuality, using your mind and ofc the best thing would be a real girl who understands your condition and is willing to work with you - Supplements: Vitamin D3 was one of the most effective ones I’ve tried until now, but be careful of the dosage and take Vitamin K2 and Magnesium with it. Lowish dose of Zink helped me out at times (DON’T OVERDO IT!) Magnesium has been excellent for relaxation and anxiety as well. Creatine made my libido go up at times, but wasn’t consistent.
-Then again, just eating healthy and AVOIDING ALL SUPPLEMENTS also made be feel better again, however this was during a period where I abstained from masturbation and had things “going on” with a girl at my university. Remember: Porn is not real, one has to explore ones libido around REAL WOMAN
This battle is a tough one and sometimes I ask myself why I ever took a drug without researching it properly myself. I was young and trusted the knowledge of the doctor. I couldn’t believe that my fundamental human sexual desire could be diminished by a drug for acne. BUT, things do get better overtime and I still believe that one is able to recover, if not fully at least to a certain degree.
I will keep on experimenting with different things and let you guys know if I see any improvements!
-Daytona