FIN Side effects after oral intake of only 1mg x 4 times

  1. Where are you from (country)?
    Switzerland

  2. 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 Research

  3. What is your current age, height, weight?
    27, 175, 75kg

  4. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    I did a lot of weight training, but stoped for a period of good 4 month (this was before taking FIN)

  5. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    Just about everything, but mostly healthy

  6. Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
    har loss

  7. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    4 days

  8. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
    27

  9. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
    27

  10. How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
    quite away

  11. What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
    Proscar 5mg cut to smal pieces of 1mg

  12. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
    1mg for 4 days

  13. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    on the 3 day. Because of the doctors advice to take a minor portion if side effects appear, i took 0.5mg on the 4th day

  14. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?

Put an X beside all that apply:

Sexual
[X] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[X] Erectile Dysfunction
[X] Complete Impotence
[X] Loss of Morning Erections
[X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[X] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[X] Watery Ejaculate
[X] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[X] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[X] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[X] Confusion
[X] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[X] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[X] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[X] Suicidal Thoughts

Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[X] Penis curvature / rotation on axis (think size changes from time to time)
[X] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[X] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[X] Muscle Wastage (i think so)
[X] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[X] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes (light circles)

Misc
[X] Prostate pain (if it is)
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[X] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)
I know maybe some Users will think this is totally over the top but it’s real.
My worst period was about after two weeks of quitting.
Most people don’t really believe the curent damage.

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
    Trying to do more sports, less smoking, more sleep (also seem to be tired all the time)

  2. If you have pre or post-Finasteride bloodtests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (pls post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?
    Will go for an other one tomorrow, but my first blood test showed a low DHT level, but i think the doctor didn’t really mention it btw. didn’t see a connection to the problems.

  3. Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
    Will mention my Story in point 17

  4. Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
    I started to suffer from hair loss over december 2012 that i had the feeling of not going out anymore because I felt unsure and was ashamed to show myself in public without a cap.
    Somehow I started to generate a light depression because i was so focused on this problem that every word somebody said in context to hair I took personal and maked me even more unsure and depressed.
    Then came the pressure of the media that I told my self I want to keep up to men like Gerald Buttler or Bradley Cooper not last because my GF loves their looks too, Because I felt so unsure I took so much personally that I tried to find a solution to feel my self good again.

I visited 2 different doctors - both advised me to take finasterid. For first I didn’t want to take it because I was afraid but after a second advice with state to congress XXX and the promise that he knows several persons that he gave this pill and no side effects and if - they go with time again i told my self to just give it a try. I hate my self for that decision and that naivety too.

After taking FIN 1mg for 3 times i recognized something sexual is wrong and after taking the 4 pill x0.5mg nothing at all happened anymore like it should be. No erection, shrinked penis etc.
I was scared to death.

Followed by little ups and downs after quitting and a strange pain at the lower stomache.
I had mornings that it took really really long to get a “stiff” one but it worked and mornings that nothing worked at all (really freaked me out). Libido still was quite OK.

After two weeks of waiting and not seeing an improvent i went to the doctor. (This was my worst time psychic too - Low Emotions, Not feeling my self, Suicide thoughts) He suggested a prostate inflammation and gave me antibiotica and cialis. I started taking the anticiotica. Then something strange happened. After 3 weeks my GF just spontaneously lied on me and i had an erection like before i took this f****** FIN and next day again and everything worked normal.
But somehow i recognized that i had a bigger one. Well, didn’t bother me. It worked and that was all that was important to mee and I felt a lot better.

The next week was the best week ever i had. Sex worked for 3 times just with a little wine and I felt normal and healthy and stronger again. Had more motivation too.

Tragic is that I only could keep this feeling and condition up for 1 week and then I felt something like a “system crash”.

My Libido droped to 0, ED came back more and more again, my feelings got colder, depression was there again and I couldn’t feel something like luck or happyness at all and even more frightening - I had moments I thought i defenetly have to much female hormons. This state persists but isn’t same strong all the time (psychic symtoms). But I don’t feel like the same person that I was before.
I had at least a few moments and things during the day that could make me happy or laugh or emotional. And now it sems so much leaves me cold.

Sexual: Now I had moments I could watch Porn and it was like looking at a Newspaper. Didn’t tell me anything at all. So strange I can’t explain. Something is going wrong with me.
I got my memories of a nice and good life (without or with hair does nothing to this anymore - at least it gave me Scope for what’s really important) which keeps me going and I know I really love and loved her what keeps me going too. Much memories that tell me there must be a solution somewhere. I just want my life and Emotions bevore FIN back.

Next Step for me is to do a Multivitamin Cure and start of with ZMA and Tribulus, Broccoli and Gym and Jogging - my Memories in my head.

What is really strange to me is this short Period that everything semed to be normal and then this crash again that changed everything upside down.

At least I got my self to working again to not have more damage in the relationship and financial.
I’m hoping for better times and if they come I would regret the decision to do nothing at all anymore.

I’m thankfully for every help or reply from persons that somehow had the same process over good 5 weeks and good advices anyway. I somehow just don’t want to believe this was it. I’m now fighting with the good recovery stories anyway.

It sems strange that I really had and still have the full range of side effects of such a little dosage of FIN.

Sorry for my terrible englisch in advance. I’ve decided to start a protocoll on my journey to recovery and hope to help some of you guys with my experiance because I know this state is like going through hell.

Will try to keep to the main points, because I don’t want to start in all the details. I know you guys know what symtoms we have to fight against. I’ve now got my mind to fight this symtoms. I now know I was a good looking athletic guy and not a depressed couch patatoe with no goal in life anymore.

To start with the story:
I took Finasterid for the period of 3 days because I knew my GF didn’t really like bald men and I wanted to do her a favor by maintaining my hair because hair loss bothered me for years uptil then and I took Priorin and everything. Like you guys know two doctors didn’t really tell me the truth about all the complications this can have. All in love I started from (03.02.2014 until 06.02.2014) and after that immediately noticed side effects that included:

  • impotence
  • low sperm volume
  • shrinking
  • emotinal changes
  • loss of libido
  • no sex drive
  • puffy nipples

I straight on quit this shit but nothing happened and started to get slightly better after 2 weeks. At that time I had strange nightly erections without having a sexual thought but couldn’t really get it up for my self.
After 3 weeks I had a “high” that I was more than only horny and I felt my self like superman with even a larger penis (that’s what my GF told me too). Yes, sure had something to do with the DHT coming back in a big amount.

I thought that all was for good again and I’m balancing into normal again but like you guys know the worst part was to come.
After a period of 6 days I felt something strange happen. Like something (Guess DHT) is leaving my body. I was full of power and then couldn’t lift anymore because I had to cary around some furniture.

The next day I woke up and had balls hanging down to nowhere in a fire red color. Now I have something like dancing balls and really wrinkled skin. I hate looking at them because they really look sick. Before I had really nice skin there and round balls and was really potent.

Things got worse the coming monday. I was shopping with my GF and then suddenly realiced like my soul is somewhere else leaving me. I felt like dying with ear ringing, didn’t feel something like emotions, couldn’t think and really see something and actually felt like a zombie with no soul. Everybody else would say you have had a burnout but we know it isn’t.

Following days I had pains in my growing area and chronic anxiety and I couldn’t feel something like female atraction. It is really hard to try to stay your self and keep things running with my GF the best possible without really feeling something like being happy or emotions. Because she was and still is in my hope and future the girl I wanted to mary and get a family with. This keeps me fighting because I still know who I was and how I loved her over all in my life. She doesn’t feel the same anymore by now but is still with me going out of my way and told me I’m not the person she felt in love with. Even my parents told me this isn’t you in conversation. But she still believes in me and that I’ll be coming back. Worst thing is that we were planing to go to a new place and now we are here and I really was looking forward to this step with her and now I’m not able to be my self, really enjoy it with her or just have sex to keep things goin’. And all because of 3 freakin’ pills!? Something that can’t go in my mind and not even the doctors believe me. Sometime I even felt like a girlie what defenately isn’t my world.
The Dr. only told something like an 0.5% chance of erectile disfunction and that’s reversible after quiting the pill.
Yeah, f*** you. I’ll do everything to fight this state.

Now the main things:

  • What did I do until now?
  • What things helped?
  • What maked things worse?
  • What am I unsure about?
  • What are my blood test results until now?

what helped?
First thing I did was to stop reading all thouse horror stories and put my mind to the recovery stories that are in this forum too.
This one personal I find the best one because it sems like a natural recovery and realistic: http://www.propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=5042

I started to take vitamin infusions at a dr. place that at least somehow healed me from brain fog for a few hours and maked me dream for 2 days again, but didn’t hold. Now i’m taking a supplement called pro vital with vitamins and ginseng because the infusions were quite expensive.

I found out that if I don’t eat anything for one day and then some chicken with rice in the evening I’m having a short high of vision that not stays long though.

My morning procedure now is to take some soy shake with a spoon of creatine monohydrate and 3 tablets of maca throughout the day.
Don’t really know if it’s ilusion but somehow i feel fitter.

As next step I will start running in the morning with pushups and everything allthough i feel like shit, hope my body will function again like in some other recovery stories by forcing the body even more allthough you feel like shit until it “resets?”
http://www.propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5889

At least this is a beginning to regenerate for me.

What made things worse
I tried the supplement ZMA with Tribulus and Maca and had something like an total aggression later with hitting in the wall and punching my self in the face that i had a blue eye. Think this is because my body couldn’t deal with T.

I tried taking Tribulus it maked a well being for some time but when i woke up my penis and balls were all in red (even more). I read something about Tribulus having more an effect on highering oestrogens and I think this is one piece to my current problems.

What I’m unsure about
I bought a supplement named Free Test and took it for one day. It is known in bodybuilding to increase Testosterone and managing oestrogen and can be used as PCT too by Bodybuilders. It optimises androgen receptors too btw. I don’t know if this is the right way because my prostate and balls started hurting even more that day i took it and when I woke up i felt worse.
So I don’t know if it’s the right way to stick to it and make an 8 till 12 weeks pct with this supplement or just to leave it because symtoms got worse for the first day.
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/applied-nutriceuticals-free-test-100-capsules/a4-1009#.Uz09TlODbDc

What I don’t want to take until now
I’ve heared something about a supplement called sustain alpha in the forum that’s a gel. I’m afraid this might have impact on my own body to produce the real amount of T in future and all falls down again in a periode of some weeks. I’m still hanging on the thought of family and kids sometime when this problem is solved.

Next Dr. appointments

  • Naturopath (for having a different view of things)
  • Andrology Dr.
  • Chinese medicine

Which Dr. visits didn’t bring me further

  • Urologist (just told me organs are ok)
  • General medicine (just told me organs are ok, got some blood test done too - see results below)
  • Bad thing is that my “house dr.” has the hormon status bevore the crash but doesn’t take reference to them comparing the persent values and doesn’t really be open minded to PFS) “Hormonal ups and downs are normal and have nothing to do with sexual problems” He is a gr8 guy and helped me with a lot of things but he doesn’t give PFS a chance in his mind. Like the urologist too. He told he’s treating patients with a big postate from all over the place with 5mg and has no sides.
    So nobody really believes. I told thouse too Dr. that I was doing sports for ages and knew my body well. This stuff didn’t happen until the point where I took Finasteride. But somehow I think I’m talking to a wall there.

General thoughts

  • PCT

My until now blood test values
GOT (AST) 20 U/l < 50
GPT (ALT) 18 U/l < 72
y-GT 26 U/l < 78

Testosterone: 16.0 nmol/l (9.9 - 52,4)
Free Testosterone: 53.2 pmol/l (31.0 - 94.0)
Dihydrotestosterone: 350 pg/ml (300-850)

Oestradiol, 17-Beta 76 pmol/l (18 - 97) --> Think this is one part of the puzzle.

I don’t take reference to my organ values because theire all ok. But maybe someone has some advice out of thouse first T and oestrogen mesures. All welcome.
I will keep you updated in a 1 to 2 week basis and my experiance with sports too,

This could be part of the problem.

It would appear you have low Testosterone/DHT levels, plus elevated Estrogen levels. Getting Estrogen levels down may help increase Testosterone production.

update: 04.04.2013

Went running yesterday and did some gym training. Funny enough i still have power from previous gym exercices (pre fin).
Scary enough was the thing that i had really bad shrinking during the session where i started to do heavy things like pull ups and stuff.
And Pains got worse later on before sleeping.

Had a really bad talk to my GF and she told me that she can’t handle this anymore.
I’m just trying to keep her calm and telling that I’m really trying to get back to like everything was and that I’m fighting for it.
She told me she can’t handle this state and can’t promise me anything anymore if this lasts for some more month.
This Pill just took all of my life away.

Anyway…
New thoughts:

  • Had an other nighttime erection without dreaming or anything after gym session like i did after stopping finasteride (I think I must take this as a good sing) But can’t explain this either.

Yesterday I looked for T-Boosting Supplements and found out that Red Macca can have a bad impact on prostate so I’m looking for a yellow one and maybe will start cycling T-Boosters with the goal - Tup will manage to lower estrogen later.

I don’t think medicine can do something to this state like some other guys too.
Your body needs to heal naturaly and this is my curent goal. I’ve seen plenty of posts where Clomid etc. helped for a period of some days or even weeks and then guys ended up with more penile shrinking or even worse.

Last Dr. my parents talked to mentioned he knows what happened to me and I just have to sit this out. Things will get better.

Will come back to you.
Regards

Hi.
Thanks for your help.
Think this is one of the reasons things doesn’t work.
I’m just afraid of taking tamoxifen or clomid because i’ve read plenty of stories of guys that crashed even worse later on end ended up with even more shrinking during the period of taking oestrogen blockers.

My goal is to try to get T up and body to manage to regenerate.

Thoughts:

  • Lowering Oestrogen with DIM or Brocoly Treatment
  • Gym Training and cycling T-Boosters (can’t get thouse here in europe of the site with how to boost your low testosterone)

Other Information:

  • LOW T Because of not right functioning prostate or prostitis
  • LOW T Because of bad guts
    Maybe this are other parts of the not right functioning body.

How would you try to lower Oestrogen levels?
Thanks for your reply.

Regars

man these kind of logs are useless for the forum. refrain from posting for sometime and come back when you find something that works. If we all were posting our everyday life here it would be so vague for people to understand what is going on.

My Tests Values 2 weeks just after stoping FIN:
DHEAS-S: 17.10
FSH: 3.6
LH: 2.6
Prolaktion 12.5
Testostosterone: 26.6
Free Testosterone: 77.7

My Tests after Post Crash crash:
Testosterone 16.0 (lo2)
Free Testosterone 53.2
DHT 350 (low)

Will Visit an Hormon Specialist on Wednesday.
Update will follow.

  • Arimidex gave me help with blury vision but shrank up genitals. Don’t use it.
  • Wellbutrin with taking over 2 month now helped with brain frog and moode
  • To sleep i Use a Gaba Stimulator Xanax
  • Else no Improvement, Still lossing life.

Update 4 Month marc

Improvements:
What did I do?

1 Week on DHEA
-Gave my Libido a boost.
-Sperm Amount increased after stop
-Brain Fog is mostly gone
-Erections hard to maintain but Ok with own manual stimulation, still lack of sensitivity
-Looked at a report that DHEA helps with prostate isues and can grow prostate too

Multivitamin complex
-Helps with concentration

Next steps

  • Colostrum
  • Vitamin Complex
  • Longjack
  • Yellow Maca
  • Muira Puama
  • Reservatrol

Stop Smoking!

Hope with this regimen I’ll be fine in one to two years.
Keep your Fingers X.

I’m off this Forum for a while.
If you have any questions, ask away.

Summary of all steps

Because I received some private messages, I want to write a more detail summary here based on my own experiance until now

CNS
Vitamin B9:
One vitamin that might help promote nerve healing after injury is vitamin B-9, or folate. Consuming folate can affect the activity of genes within your nerve cells, helping to regulate genes involved in healing

Vitamin B12:
Although the effect of vitamin B-12 on human nerve regeneration has not yet been fully investigated, vitamin B-12 might supplements might also aid in nerve healing after physical damage during surgery

Vitamin D:
vitamin D synthesized in plants, had a positive effect on nerve regeneration

Receptors
This report is from a hospital in switzerland for the regeneration of neuroreceptors

Components init: Phenylalanin, Tryptophan, 5-HTP, Taurin, Glycin, Glutamin, Vitamin B6, B12, C, Folsäure, Niacin, Magnesium, Zink, Selen , L-Theanin

Components receptor balance and for keeping balance afterwards: Tyrosin, Phenylalanin, Tryptophan, 5-HTP, Taurin, Vitamin B6, B12, C, Folsäure, Alpha-Liponsäure, Pantothensäure, Riboflavin, Niacin, Magnesium, Calcium, Zink, Selen

Libido
My best experiance with giving the Libido a boost was with DHEA. I do have a lot of sexual thoughts now and also I’m very atracted by girls again. 3 month back I didn’t feel anything while looking at a porn movie or a girl. Didn’t even catch my eye. This was very bad post crash. I took the supplement for 1 week (as long I took this poison too and tapered off slowly. As a side effect of DHEA it can grow prostate which I thought isn’t a bad idea. Erections got better too without any cialis or other meds. I took 200mg/day

Muscle loosage
An other reason for trying DHEA. Since loosing a lot of muscle, I’m sure this one week on DHEA reversed a little bit and I feel stronger again. Also my bones don’t crack that much anymore. But still I’m far away from before. But since tapering off I’m kind of more stable.

Brain Fog and Sleep
Biggest progress was taking a GABA stimulator for a period of 4 weeks. Benzodiazepine Xanax. This gave me dreams again (REM). I stoped taking it 2 weeks ago and my sleep is stable again. Even some erotic dreams (once a week), what I didn’t have since the “crash”. I think the brain fog is either directly asigned to the sleep or it’s by a lack of DHT in the brain. But point is it got better since taking a GABA stimulator for a period of time. I can also drink some wine now again.

Sexual Sides
The problem that stays with me: Having sex with cialis would be possible but there is still a lack of sensitivity and I think this is because of the CNS. So try supporting regenration of the CNS should be my biggest goal first.

The next steps:
Colostrum
Colostrum is nature’s perfect first food. It supplies immune and growth factors along with a perfect combination of vitamins and minerals to insure the health and growth of the newborn. Also it should help to show the body where a problem occurs and support regeneration.

Vitamin Complex
Since regeneration of the CNS and receptors is my first goal and the reports above I’m sure this isn’t a bad start.

Longjack
Longjack raises your body’s levels of free testosterone naturally. A large proportion of the testosterone that circulates in your body is bound by a protein call SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin).

Benefits:

  • A high sex drive and libido
  • Longer, harder and more spontaneous erection
  • Improve muscle mass and strength
  • A boost in energy and vitality
  • Increase bone mineral density
  • A sense of well being
  • Improve cognitive function.

Yellow Maca
It’s well worth noting that Maca in general helps with hormones and fertility as it is an adaptogen, however, meaning it is able to work with your body to provide the results it needs regardless of its current state. Other benefits of Maca in general include the ability to control blood glucose levels, increased stamina, plenty of protein and amino acids for muscle building and a high overall level of mineral content.

Muira Puama
Muira Puama is one of the most active botanicals with a long history of traditional use as an energy tonic, general health improver and remedy for impotence & sexual insufficiency. It is known in some circles as “the Viagra of the Amazon” and in fact, many people now consider it the new Yohimbe but with considerably less possible side effects

Reservatrol
Resveratrol is a member of a group of plant compounds called polyphenols. These compounds are thought to have antioxidant properties, protecting the body against the kind of damage linked to increased risk for conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes, but other sources include peanuts and berries.

Hoping that with this regimen I’ll be fine in 1 or two years. My plan is to take Maca, Longjack, Colostrum, Muira Puama in the morning and a strong dosage of vitamins with reservatrol in the evening for regeneration over night.

If I feel stronger because of the longjack I’ll start hitting the gym again.
If you have any questions ask away, if you have further inputs, I’ll be very glad to hear of them.

Cheers and hope we’ll all recover and get better and stronger persons.
Ric

Very nice post! i think ur protocol is so nice, hope u writte here ur improoves, srry but my englihs is poor as u can see XD, u had bone sides? u have recover some on this?
thanks u so much and keep strong