disclaimer: i found out about PFS after i had finished taking it, and i was on it for the majority of my adult life… meaning finasteride-life is honestly all i know, take that with a grain of salt, so if i say something that comes off odd its probably due to the fact that i don’t know another way of life if that makes sense? i didnt think there was anything wrong until the aging process of becoming a REAL adult set it. and i was a wild 20-something year old adult. 100% wild child. ok let me use this template so things go smoothly… if i answer a question generically and don’t mention a medication, i’m referring to finasteride for the record. thanks for reading.
Where are you from (country)?
USA
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?)
Reddit lead me here a while ago, and I’m back.
What is your current age, height, weight?
35, 5’ 7" ~180lbs
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
I think the list of meds I haven’t taken would be shorter: finasteride, fluoxetine, duloxetine, wellbutrin, sertraline, citalopram, que the song “and it goes on and on and on” - blackeyedpeas
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
i’ll get to the time i took each after, but to answer this question: 1mg finasteride/day, duloxetine i was 30mg, tried 60mg/day but that was a nope, sertraline i think 50 or 100mg? (its been a while so i’m trying to think as i go here) fluoxetine i’m currently on but will hopefully stop soon, appointment to come. 20mg/day for fluox. citalopram 5mg then tried 10mg, jaw-clenching was too intense so i stopped that, i can’t remember the dosage of wellbutrin
What condition was being treated with the drug?
hair thinning, depression, anxiety
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
finasteride i was on for about a decade. late 2000’s i think i started and i stopped about 2 years ago. sertraline maybe 5 months total? a long time ago. duloxetine, about half a year. citaprolam like a month. wellbutrin probably a month as well…
Date when you started the drug?
beats me. it was around the time britney spears shaved her head if that helps. 2000’s era.
Date when you quit the drug?
2023 officially? there were times when i was careless wth medications, and probabyl didn’t take it for periods of time. would happen every so often over a decade…
Age when you quit?
33
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
i honestly cannot answer that question… i’ll say i didnt notice anything wrong until about the year 2015. but not enough to really read into it much
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
E.D. brain fog, anhedonia, urinary frequency/hesitancy/retention (but not physically noticeable retention however i can feel it when its bothersome)
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
[x ] Loss of Morning Erections <–i get these very seldomly
[x ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections <–same with these
[x ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections <–very seldomly
[x ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[x ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
—i’m adding premature for something i’ve noticed recently that hasn’t always taken place for me, its new–
Mental
[x ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[x ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[x ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ x] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[x ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ x] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[x ] Muscle Weakness
[x ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[x ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[x ] Increased hair loss
[x ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
-i used to be so social, genuinely enjoyed being around people, life of the party, loved to make others laugh (still do somewhere deep down but) never an anxious bone in my body but it just flipped eventually and now i isolate, have anxiety (its improved but still lingers here and there) etc.
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
-The SSRI’s i mentioned earlier, an duloxetine (SNRI) and also countless supplement trials, wellbutrin i mentioned before too. benzodiazepines. aside from those, which i do not abuse, i had addiction issues to numb my anhedonia and just misery of life - i say that with dry humor, i’m depressed but i’m not depressed as a walking wet tissue… i just am numb to mostly everything
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’ve had so much bloodwork throughout the years, not all hormonal but some, i’ll try and summarize that and take a peak at the blood tests section after i’m done with this. i’m still figuring this site out so bare with me. idk if i’ll be able to organize that in a way thats legible and can be understood… but i will attempt.
02/28/2023
TSH: 3.26mIU/mL
01/30/2024: bloodwork
Testosterone FREE: 21.8 ng/dL
Total Testosterone: 592 ng/dL
TSH: 1.46mIU/mL
03/20/2024
total testosterone: 366ng/mL
04/17/2024: went to get an ultrasound of my bladder due to frequency, nighttime need, hesitancy, weakness, retention, etc. - findings were normal
**04/24/2024: bloodwork
Testosterone, Free: 14.6ng/dL
Total Testosterone: 445ng/dL
05/07/2024: went to see a men’s health center & had bloodwork
prolactin: 34.5 ng/mL – HIGH
total testosterone MS: 454 ng/dL
TESTOSTERONE FREE: 101.2 pg/mL
SHBG: 20 nmo/L
Estradiol: 39pg/mL
PSA, total: 0.48ng/mL
Thyroid panel with TSH:
-T3 UPTAKE: 30%
-T4 (thyroxine) TOTAL: 6.2mcg/dL
-FREE T4 INDEX (T7): 1.9
TSH: 3.44mIU/L
FSH: 3.6mIU/mL
LH: 4.7mIU/mL
05/17/2024: went to a dr. i was seeing for routine follow-up
prolactin: 25.2ng/mL HIGH
T-4 (FREE): 1.4 ng/mL
TSH: 1.49 uIU/mL
this doctor ordered an MRI of my pituitary gland due to my high prolactin levels, the results were normal
09/03/2024
TSH: 2.64ng/mL
02/28/2025: primary care bloodwork I had requested at an appt
TSH: 2.42mIU/mL
Cortisol, AM: 18.3 mcg/dL
04/25/2025 had more bloodwork done
T3, FREE: 4.3pg/mL
HOMOCYSTEINE: 9.8 umol/L
DHEA Sulfate: 165 mcg/dL
TSH: 1.97mIU/L
05/05/2025 went to my primary, requested more bloodwork making sure everything looked like it was aligning in regards to credibility of labwork
TSH: 1.74 mIU/L
testosterone free: 18.3 ng/dL
total testosterone: 551 ng/dL
DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE: 288 pg/mL
PROLACTIN: 10 ng/mL
PSA: 0.702 ng/mL
Creatine Kinase (CK): 150 intrnl units/L
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
-since about the time i stopped taking finasteride is when things really started to bother me, i’m just not motivated, complacent, my sex life/drive sounds like a chore in my mind, there are so many elements that i’m not scratching the surface of, so be gentle and i can really answer any questions if you have any. you name it, i’ve probably researched it, own it and haven’t tried it yet, or have tried it/am taking it (supplementation).
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
-i’m unsure if i’m doing this post right, its 4:45am - thats another thing, i dont have insomnia, but i do have delayed sleep phase syndrome which could be unrelated, i’ve always been a night owl but i go to sleep extremely late, later than most people, and i do not like waking in the morning. i feel like there are cement blocks on my shoulders sometimes if i try to wake up early. other than that just sexual side effects that come and go like the seasons, anhedonia x100, and panic/anxiety attacks that i never had pre-30’s. health anxiety is another thing that will kick in every so often and i spiral and get paranoid at any little symptom - OH 2 more things, lately which is new i have premature ejaculations that started within the past maybe 2 months? i also stopped drinking around that 2 month mark. was heavily drinking, a story for another time. and throughout the past few years i have had urinary testing due to bladder problems, i’ve had biliruben, protein, ketones, mucus, turbid appearance (all in medical records) but my kidneys don’t show any issues. there is no explanation as to why i have abnormal urinary tests but i havne’t had a normal one in quite a while. i’m not in pain, but there’s always a feeling of “i kind of have to go” – and i usually actually do but minimally… oh my ADHD has progressively gotten worse, if ya can’t tell too, cant focus, juggling multiple things at once, etc. and i’ve had xrays of my neck, wrists, and spine within the past year or so and nothing explains my joint pain either. i’ve had physical therapy, and just got approved for a full spinal MRI of which i need to schedule before the weekend. this will be the first time i’ll have an MRI of my spine, so interested to see what that will show.
i think this is where i stop. if you made it this far, awesome. i feel like i said so much but also not enough.
TL:DR = on paper it probably doesn’t look so bad, but i’m in joint pain daily, muscle fatigue, sexual flatness, emotional flatness, yet i’m still dramatic AF if that makes any sense. and bladder problems up the wazoo. now that its 5am i’m going to attempt to sleep before my alarm goes off at 9am for a derm appointment. i wish i could tell my younger self just to shave my head, its much better this way. and i also wish i could rememeber the dr. that prescribed me as a 20-or-so year old finasteride without really explaining it but i cant remember… i could just be like this -idfk.
signed, me.