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How did you find this forum?
I found this forum after reading the Wikipedia Propecia page. I googled any possible results from the Swedish Medical Study, and this forum was the first hit on the results page. -
What is your current age, height, weight?
I am 27. 5’7’’ & 145 lbs. -
Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Yes. I lift weights, run, and play various sports; appx 2-4 times a week. -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Well rounded diet. I have leaned towards organic food lately. I have been shopping at Trader Joes a lot. -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
I was starting to lose my hair and I thought my whole world was ending. If I would have known what was to come, I would have just taken my chances going bald. -
For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
1.5 years. -
How old were you when you started Finasteride?
I started on 9.23.05 – I was 24 -
How old were you when you quit?
I quit on 3.17.07 – I was 26 -
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold Turkey -
What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Propecia -
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1 mg/day -
How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
I was made aware of my side effects in Jan 07. -
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
[ ] Complete Impotence
[X] Loss of Morning Erections
[X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[?] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Depression / Melancholy
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] 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
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[X] Frequent urination (did not used to happen B4 Fin usage.)
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
None so far -
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)?
See #14 -
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
I am so glad I found this forum. I was thinking that I was going crazy, I thought I was alone, like maybe I had some sort of mental deficiency. However, in my subconscious I thought “What if there is a chance of a possible Propecia-related chemical imbalance?” So, I did some poking around and found this forum. It is such a relief to find out that I am not alone. Although ALL of our circumstances are tragic, and I would not wish this upon ANYBODY, I am glad to know I am not alone. I am glad to know that I am not going crazy. Hopefully, with the combined knowledge and insight of the 1000+ members, I (and everyone else) can get the help necessary to get life back to the way it used to be (pre-finasteride days). -
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I have always had a strong sexual appetite. I was dating this girl I met from Halloween 05 to Feb 06. Normal frequency (1-2 times each time we saw each other); passionate, vigorous sex. Then I was single from Feb 06 to Jan 07, during which time I didn’t have ANY intercourse, which, in retrospect, was very strange. Then I started dating this other girl in Jan 07 till Mar 07… we only had intercourse 3 times total when we dated. Additionally, it was very weak and awkward. The best way to describe it was DETACHED, I felt (mentally) like I was not even there. Even when I orgasmed, I just felt NUMB.
I knew at that time that there was (and probably had been) a BIG problem. I quit Propecia cold turkey on St. Patty’s day of 07.
Anyways, since then I have tried dating a couple of more girls, and am actually currently in a relationship. It is still awkward, and I have actually had to start using Viagra as a crutch… I AM ONLY 27 YEARS OLD! I am so embarrassed that I even have to do this, I have not told her about the blue pills; I just try to time it out so that everything seems normal… I hate this… I shouldn’t have to do this.