ED after 2 pills spaced out over one week

Symptoms
#1

Hi,

I’m a 24 year old male seeking advice. I took finasteride for the first time on November 2nd 2019. Took 4 pills. Started experienced ED around a week after my last dose. It all became fine around November 20th. Now, I must point out I had read a lot about the side effects before taking finax including stuff on this forum, research studies and was a bit freaked out(rightly so). Nevertheless, I took it. I worked out daily and kept myself very busy at work after noticing the side effects and then they finally disappeared somehow.

So I thought it might be psychological. I took it again, one pill on Jan 28 2020 and another on Feb 4th. I was still very very anxious but took it. Started noticing effects around Feb 7th/8th. I was very negative after taking finax because I felt I was finally cured after a scary two weeks in November. These effects have still not gone. No brain fog, fatigue etc but ED with a downward bend. Took viagra last night and while it helped somewhat, my erections weren’t like the pre finax ones at all. Testosterone level is normal.

I don’t have morning erections but my libido is not too affected. Got an ultrasound done too, doc said its all fine and the problem is probably psychological. But i know this is understudied and I’m wondering if I can be cured after 4 consecutive pills then could I be cured after these two spaced out over a week too?

What kind of tests or treatments did you guys go through after the onset of the problem? What are my options? mI don’t know but is there a way to find out whether this is psychological vs physiological?

I don’t know if anyone has a similar story or otherwise but I genuinely believe this forum might be able to help somehow so I would really really appreciate some help/insight.

#2

Hi,

If you’re questioning whether it’s physiological or psychological, you’re in a really good spot. Finasteride has a pretty significant impact on endocrine functioning, even in normal individuals, so in all likelihood your hormones are currently not at your baseline levels and you should be feeling completely fine in the next couple of weeks.

The best advice I can give you is to avoid any radical lifestyle changes (such as diet, exercise, etc.), to relax, and to avoid any 5AR inhibitors.

I’m assuming you’ve taken Finasteride for hairloss, but trust me, if you keep messing with these drugs/supplements to treat it and you’re unlucky enough to be predisposed to PFS, you will be in a horrible situation. You’ve seen a tiny taste of what it can entail, so do you really want to risk that?

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#3

Thanks for your detailed response.

So are there any tests I can get done to know whether this is psychological vs physiological?

Also, given that I took 4 pills in 4 days in November and recovered in 14 days but now I took 2 pills over a week and have still not recovered after 45 days makes me nervous. I’ve been more anxious and negative compared to November. Also, in November I masturbated once in two days whereas now I’ve been trying a lot, 3 times a day sometimes.

Does this info provide any clue as to what this might be? Also, yes I did take fin for hairloss and would never go back to it having already gone back to it once and seen worse effects.

#4

Was spaced out for 6 months consecutively, took a while before that feeling started to dim, should be a gradual decrease in not too long, you’ll be fine bud

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#5

what do you mean by spaced out for 6 months? How many pills did you take and what was your trajectory like if you’d be kind enough to tell. Thanks!

#6

As I stated in my earlier message, even for normal people, Finasteride does alter their endocrine system. For some people, this balances out immediately and they don’t even notice a difference, for others it takes some time, some only feel better after getting off, a very few end up with PFS.

Even after getting off (for people who don’t develop PFS), it might take a while for things to go back to the way they were. I think the best thing you can do is to wait it out, live generally healthy, avoid any major changes in diet/lifestyle, and don’t take these drugs/supplements. You should be ok, Inshallah.

There are no tests at the moment for PFS, all you can do at the moment is wait and see how things progress. I would avoid this forum since at the moment you appear to largely have sexual symptoms (and some mental ones but you didn’t mention them in your first post so I’m assuming they’re not unbearable/too bad), and I doubt there’s any good, proven advice you’re going to find in your situation besides what I’ve stated above.

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#7

Thanks a lot man. I meant to ask if there are any tests such as those for testosterone/other hormones/radiology or blood tests that I can do to find out if my body has been impacted by finax?

For example can I find out if my endocrine system has been impacted through some test? And what do you mean by “even for normal people”. Yes, the mental effects are not too bad yet but could worsen if the condition does too. Thanks a lot again.

#8

If you’re doing alright for now, the best move in terms of risk-reward is to just let things be and give it some time.

If you’re in a good position financially and really want to do something, maybe get a hormonal panel (Testosterone, E2, etc.), so that just in case things get worse (very unlikely from your description so far), you know what your baseline values are. As for whether they’ve changed since before you took Finasteride, there’s no way to know unless you have a hormonal panels from then. That’s the most I’d spend on, I wouldn’t bother with anything else.

Once again, try to keep yourself busy, and give it some time. Chin up, things look promising for you.

#9

I also have a narrower penis when flaccid. What really bothers me is that I recovered in 14 days after taking 4 pills in November but now I have gone 45 days, since Feb, after taking just 2 pills. There’s also a downward curve on the penis when trying to get an erection and when I try to masturbate I need to stroke the glans, or the top of the penis, for it to start enlarging. It’s also shortened. Don’t know if any of these symptoms offer any further clue into my condition or if anyone else can relate.

Thank you so much for your time and comments here, I really appreciate it. I will try to get a hormonal panel and see what’s happening maybe.

#10

Felt like I had amnesia, and I’d space out, completely forget about where I am, what I’m doing, and who I am lul, some weird shit. Took 1 month before it started to decrease, and I’m pretty close to normal mentally now, I took 1 pill of fin

#11

Sorry to bombard you with questions man, and again I really appreciate your time and patience here.

My Testosterone is at 530ng, blood test taken at 8 am. I think for someone 24 yo it should be around 700 at its peak, given I work out almost daily? Would boosting T help improve with ED? However, I don’t sleep much, around 6 hours a day but that’s not because of insomnia or anything just my work.

#12

Hi man, honestly from the side sounds more like you are really stressed about the possibility of having pfs (rightfully) but I can guarantee the longer you will obsesse about it, more likely you will have some sort of atleast psychological sides (Anxiety can make your dick go limp for sure, if focusing enough on it) my honest opinion is to let it go at the moment. This forum won’t dissapear in any case you might have pfs (and I really doubt it) stay away from the forum, try to relax and don’t touch any supplements/drugs.

I think that at some point after truly relaxing you might even forget you stressed about having possibility of having pfs.

Good luck man.

#13

Thanks man I appreciate your time, concern, advise and help.

But my concern is that i do not having morning wood.

secondly, I recovered from 4 pills of finax after 21 days, and now i haven’t recovered from 2 pills after 45 days.

and say I get a hormonal panel done, if everything is fine, or in normal range, does that mean my problem is psychological?

#14

Not necessarily, but doesn’t mean you have pfs also.

I would really give it 90 days before concluding anything, now you can simply not know whether you have permanent side effects or not.

But you know what, let’s go with the case you do have pfs. You have libido, and OK erections, but just not morning wood. Does it dampens your quality of life? Maybe a little. Will it be worth trying things and potentially making your (non confirmed yet) pfs worse? Probably not.

Either way there is not use stressing about your symptoms at the moment, and if you do have pfs I’m sure you can make peace with the fact you might be very very mildly affected. As I mentioned try to be stress free as much as you can.

#15

I don’t have spontaneous, normal or morning erections. My point is that there must be a way to tell whether one has PFS or not. In the sense that if all hormones are fine, blood tests, radiology etc are fine and normal it’s more likely that the problem is psychological? Like if the body is normal and nothing has altered overall, it’s more likely it’s psychological than physical?

#17

Only after manual stimulation do I get erections, that too with a downward curve and soft.

#18

my doctor says that the problem is likely psychological. He says blood tests and radiology is fine. So I want to know whether fin has impacted my endocrine system or if it’s all in the head. Lack of morning wood makes me feel that the problem is in the body and not the mind although mind might make it worse.

#19

I agree with a lot of what Dvir says, we can’t give you answers besides try not to stress and don’t take anything.

I’m afraid there really isn’t a test for PFS because:

  • Most of the medical community doesn’t acknowledge it’s existence.
  • Even if they did, I believe so far the biomarkers that’ve presented in studies done on PFS patients are abnormal expression of the androgen receptor (in penile tissue, the degree of which correlated to symptom severity), much lower neurosteroid levels (not sure if this was for all subjects but I believe it was) and methylation of the 5AR2 gene (in the sampled tissues, and not in all of the subjects). None of these are things you can get tested at the doctor’s as far as I know.

But listen for a second, and pay close attention. You’re questioning whether this is the cause of your problems, and that alone seems to indicate that you haven’t experienced relatively severe symptoms. So that’s a good sign. When I first crashed, I felt like I was on a bad trip, my dick went numb, I had the kind of anxiety that seems to have no logical reason behind it, I had terrible anhedonia, and basically nothing felt pleasurable. It was so obvious to me something biological had changed because I’d never experienced anything like that. Just try to remind yourself that you appear to be in a much better spot than most people here, and a lot of people here (even with PFS) get better to some degree. If you don’t have PFS, which it really looks like you don’t, you’re definitely going to get better. It’s just a matter of time.

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#20

There are no test to determine if you do, or dont have pfs atm. The only test you can do is time, if in 90-120 days you still have your symptoms you probably have a mild form of pfs.

Btw i really recommended taking pictures of your dick as ridciouls as it sounds. You can efficiently compare if things change. But as I said you gotta try and keep this issue of your mind- for atleast the few more months ahead, and I know- you just need an answer, no matter what I’ll say you will keep thinking about it because you just want an answer right here right now. But you won’t get one, so better just wait, nothing else to do in the meantime.

#21

Thanks so much for sharing man, you guys are so nice and helpful here.

I’ve taken note of what you both have said and am going to try to be more positive from now.

I guess when I keep talking about tests, I mean to ask about what I can do to find out how and to what extent fin has impacted my body, if at all. Also meant to ask if there’s a way I can find out whether my ED is caused by physiological factors or if it’s all in the head.

I agree I am not mentally impacted much yet but that could change if my ED doesn’t improve.

Plus I have noted some people here experience only sexual symptoms and not others.

A wait and see approach is ideal for now as you and Divr say. Thanks so much for all your time and help, it’s really invaluable to me. I am going to work out a lot, eat healthy and try and be positive. For what it’s worth you guys have been very helpful and put me in a much better mood.

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