Hello,Scared and have many questions. Trying to prevent things from becoming worse.

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)? 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?)

What is your current age, height, weight? 28 5’11" 140lb

What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)? finasteride

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

What condition was being treated with the drug? hairliss

For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)? 8 months

How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug? 28 march, 2021

How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 12 of December, 2021

How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Still tapering off

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? * months

What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation? Loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, very mild brain fog

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
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[X ] Reduced Ejaculate
[X ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] 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
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[X ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)

What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? None yet, trying to find answers to questions

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)?

Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?

Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I have come to this great community to learn more about the problems I have been having and trying to prevent a complete endocrine crash if I withdraw from using the drug. My current side effect have been quite manageable but are possibly still in the early stages. I need to know what I can do to prevent more serious side effects from occurring during a complete crash of the system.

Hello, I have been using Finasteride for about 8 months with minor side effects until recently. I have been hit with a minor bit of brain fog (nothing debilitating) as well as a decrease in libido compared to previously. I have been microdosing for a few days, (about .20 mg). And feeling pretty alright, but I have heard that this happens to many before a major crash hits 10 to 20 days later from which there is no recovery. Obviously this has me very frightened. Is there any known way to prevent or lessen this crash? What do I need to do other than just wait and hope? Is it possible to have these symptoms go away if I stop taking it with no crash? How will I know if a crash is coming?

Hi @Mercent - and I’m sorry this is happening to you!

(I merged your two threads to keep the conversation tidy.)

To my knowledge, the consensus seems to be that tapering does not work, because finasteride is so “powerful” at low doses.

See thread - Quitting Finasteride by Tapering

And if you search the forum, you’ll find many other threads about it.

Having persistent side effects long after quitting finasteride is rare, so don’t count yourself as one of the unlucky ones yet. Give it a few months, and take good care your health. Then come back and update us on how you feel.

Nobody knows for sure.

Make sure you’re taking care of the basics - sleep, diet, lower stress, moderate exercise. Try not to let the fear of PFS consume you.

That’s the most likely outcome, I think.

The onset is usually pretty quick, so I don’t think there’s a way to know in advance.

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Thank you for the advice and encouragement. Other sources I found on the internet seemed to imply the the crash can hit you over a month later after you are already feeling fine, but I tracked down the info to originating from a law firm advertisement so it might have been a rare case scare tactic.

The fact that my symptoms are minor gives me hope so I’ll see how it goes. Even if it turns out fine, thank you for having this website for people to ask and get support.

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