I’m two-and-a-half months off. Suffering the usual post-Fin syndrome:
Sexual: ED, lack of libido. ED has improved somewhat. I can have sex. Get morning wood sometimes, but weak.
Physical: Chronic insomnia, severe fatigue, muscle wasting, muscle twitches, lack of appetite
Mental: Chronic anxiety, mental restlessness, brain fog
This site has been great for helping me understand what is happening. But I’m in a place today where I need some hope.
It’s the chronic insomnia, lack of appetite, anxiety that is really scaring me. I’m starting to think Fin has done permanent damage to the hypothalamus, which regulates basic body functions such as sex drive, appetite, sleep.
My question: has anyone suffered severe insomnia, anxiety and brainfog and seen it improve over time? I just need some hope that this state isn’t forever.
Even if it gets somewhat better, I can live with that. I just need to be able to live my life again.
Yes, it seems to be a very slow process, but things like sleep, anxiety, and mental cognition HAVE improved for me over the past 3 years since stopping the medication – albeit I am not my former self, but MUCH better than when I was on it.
I recall I was not really dreaming when I was on FIN (lack of REM sleep), and consistently waking up many times throughout the night and for many months after quitting, I found my sleep was impaired… but with time it has been coming back, slowly… for the past 1.5-2 yrs I have been starting to dream again, and sleeping throughout the night.
The brain fog / out of it /drunkeness state took many months to begin to clear… ie, months 6-8 onwards. It is early days yet for you, and if you do not have bloodwork done I would get some done ASAP to see where things are at.
Time seems to play a certain part, but I’d also suggest Omega 3 fish oils, at least 3 per day, as they can help with neurological health.
Per a post on another website from someone who did a synthesis of research on 5AR inhibitors and their effects on Allopregnanolone production / concerns about neurological health:
Also, from the same document:
Some around here have mentioned feeling improvement on antibiotics… perhaps this is why?
Thanks for those words of encouragement Mew. Did you also suffer from anxiety post-Fin?
I’m about to start a course of mindfulness based CBT to help me deal with what has happened, and I hope that will help lessen the constant anxiety I’m feeling.
By taking antibiotics, you usually increase your risk for chronic
inflammatory disorders. In this case, killing your gut bacteria leaves
abnormally high levels of free DHT floating around in your blood
stimulating your androgen receptors beyond what your body is used to.
Now I think I have found the reason for me to crash
My Dr. gave me antibiotics after the fin treatment.
The short “UP” that lasted for good 8 days was just after 3 weeks and a one week antibiotic treatment. So maybe I had abnormal high DHT Levels witch caused my genitals to grow (bigger than before) and later on my body to crash. Just thinking loud.
Hope I’ll be good again in 2-3 years.
Mental Side-Effects left me 4 month after crash. Sexual side effects are still with me.
