I AM A NEW MEMBER SEEKING HELP/ADVICE!

Member Stories
#1

  1. Where are you from (country)? Canada

  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 searching Propecia side effects.

  3. What is your current age, height, weight? I am 19, 5 foot 10, 180lbs.

  4. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise? Yes, I have been weightlifting for about 3 years. I also do extremely physical bush work.

  5. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)? Lots of meat and a decent amount of fruit and veggies. I do eat fast food on occasion.

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

  7. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)? About a year. I will look into it soon to find out exactly how long, I just wanted to get on here ASAP!

  8. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride? Just turning 18.

  9. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? Just turned 19, over a month ago.

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

  11. What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic? Propecia.

  12. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? I started taking the 1mg daily, then found out the 5mg would be covered so i cut them in 4. My doctor said there would be no issue with this… and now i doubt it.Unfortunately I took them cut in half for a short amount of time when i didn’t have my pill cutter and was in a remote location.

  13. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects? Not too sure.

  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
[? ] Complete Impotence
[x ] Loss of Morning Erections
[x ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[x ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[x ] Watery Ejaculate
[x ] Reduced Ejaculate
[x ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[? ] 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
[x ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[x ] Depression / Melancholy

Physical
[x ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x ] Testicular Pain
[x ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[x ] Weight Gain
[x - i think its starting? ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[x ] Muscle Weakness
[x ] Joint Pain
[x ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[x ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[x ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[x ] Increased hair loss
[x ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature - I feel the opposite. I will be sweating while sitting still sometimes.

[ ] Other (please explain)

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? I have been pushing myself to workout and eat as healthy as possible and started supplementing again.

  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)? I am very frustrated with the fact that i did not get pre blood tests. I’m sure this would help me a lot now! I have definitely noticed lots of fluctuation in my hormone levels after stopping the drug. I felt there was almost a complete absence of testosterone before i quit.

  3. Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride? How has this drug been available for so long? Why the F*** is it still available.

  4. Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.

    I started noticing my hairline was receding when I was 16. It was frustrating being the only person my age experiencing this. I don’t know if I did something to speed it up or if genetics just screwed me.

By the time I was 17 a few situations came up where friends and classmates had noticed my crown balding. Until I was 18 I didn’t do anything about it besides trying saw palmetto. I started doing research before talking to my doctor and talked to him about propecia (wish I would have came across this site then), hair transplants, and rogain. My doctor sort of turned down all options except propecia due to my receding hairline.

I started taking it and noticed results within weeks. It was working great. I feel that over the course of the next year I had entered into a zombie like state. I felt as though my emotions had been blocked and was constantly exhausted. I was convinced it was due to stress, being in my final year of highschool and all, and that the stress was causing my insomnia/nocturnal sleeping patterns. I felt lost and confused. This caused my marks to drop right near the end of the year and I then took a year off, which has now turned to 2. As for the sexual side affects… it started as a lowered libido which became nearly extinct. I blamed my lack of sleep and focus for this also.

I began drinking heavily because it seemed to open up an interest in the female anatomy. There were a few instances where I lost my erection or it was not as impressive as usual, but I assumed this was due to being intoxicated. Besides the lack of desire for sex I have developed a fear of sexual situations because I don’t think I will be able to perform. I can get an erection, sometimes easier than others, but it is even more difficult to maintain. I am also convinced my penis has shrunk. I pray to god this is just due to lack of blood flow, but even at what feels like max blood flow (if I can even remember what that feels like) it is still smaller. The rest of my side effects are listed above and pretty straight forward. Feel free to ask questions though.

I have been working under extreme conditions and feel I have damaged my body because of this drugs side effects. My work involves extreme hiking and digging in rugged environments for long periods of time. I felt as though I should have quit now that I know what the problem was, but was pushing my self to the max due to the conditions and pay. I am supposed to be working soon for the next 6-7 months and don’t think I can handle it.

My muscles aren’t as strong and quick healing as they were before this mess. My bones, tendons, and ligaments also feel much weaker. I am currently training as hard as I can assuring I also consume proper nutrients to heal properly. I have incorporated testosterone boosting training techniques which I would recommend to those who feel capable. (i.e. deadlifts, shrugs, squats, low reps, and higher weight).

Since I’ve started this I sometimes get morning erections and have noticed slight increase in libido and general erection quality. I have developed a slight amount of chest and belly fat compared to the rest of my body. It doesn’t feel right considering my diet and activity level.

Can anyone recommend a course of action for me PLEASE! I am at the point where I am afraid to buy a gun to go hunting… I do not have a family doctor as I am stationed away from home for work. Please feel free to ask any questions.

I just wanted to also say THANK YOU to everyone on here for publicly dealing with these problems and again thank you for listening to my story!

#2

i am wondering why there is no sticky thread which included some little advices which can help for recovery.
i know there is STILL no “the cure” but we had many sufferes here who talked about healthy diet which can help
and weight lifting would help too.
and where is written that it would be better to avoid stress in any case!!!

i dont know what to say anymore except : DONT GIVE UP , NEVER !

#3

Hey man I am really sorry you had to deal with that at a very young age, those doctors should get killed!
Anyway, I dont want to disappoint you but this site doesn’t offer much, the only advice is to continue living right as you have started and dont stress too much on sexual activities it is preferable to stop them for a while to give a chance for your penis to heal a bit and it will take off the stress!
And dont dig deep into this forum as it can be extremely depressing, just check the recovery section and continue living right!

I know my post seems weak but you wont get much more from others

#4

If you feel so strongly that this site is of “no use”, why did you bother to sign up and post? The type of attitude you display here is not helpful and is disrespectful to others, quite frankly. Not only is this site a beacon of light in generating medical, research and media awareness, it highlights a key problem for certain men after they take and quit the drug: the issue of unresolved side effects. If you are truly suffering from this problem, to say the site doesn’t “offer much” is like a slap in the face to every sufferer on the forum.

Also, this site exists as a place of support and it is through the support of others that many men find the strength to deal with this issue. Perhaps you should take your own advice in this regard, if you feel this site is too depressing for you, and take some time away from it.

Now back to the original poster’s thread…

#5

You Sir, are a jackass.

You’re lucky Mew has the the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job.

Most admins would have you been banned for such comments.

Please make productive comments or get the hell out of Dodge.

#6

I wish Mew has some info too! If people got banned for not making productive comments this forum would be empty!

#7

I signed up because i thought maybe someone had an answer to my problem, and if you check my original post and questions and check the responses you will get why I am telling others to avoid this forum for a while, another member told me that I will get worse with time!

#8

Thanks for the feedback guys! Korombozoo thanks for the warning, I know it is important to keep my focus on the positive. I did do some looking around and had a pretty bad panic attack because of some peoples side effects that weren’t as severe or even present in myself. Although I understand that this experience is slightly different for everyone, I am now worried that worse may be coming? I definitely do find this site helpful! In fact I think its the only sanctuary for me right now, just knowing that I am not alone in this battle.

As far as a course of action. Should I be getting blood tests, taking any herbal supplements, or including/removing any key factors to my diet?

#9

Get bloodtests as indicated here:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=92

Then you can determine next steps.

Also read the the site FAQ if you haven’t already: propeciahelp.com/faq

#10

Alright! Thanks Mew!

#11

My advice (in order of importance) would be:

  1. See a doctor if possible and ask for a referral to a endocrinologist who can arrange the necessary blood tests.
    Check the doctors section for recommended doctors.
    If the doctor is unhelpful or won’t order the necessary tests, don’t be dismayed. Go see another Doc.

  2. Do not consume ANY alcohol.
    If you must have an alcoholic drink (e.g. in a social situation) then have a maximum of 1 or 2 glasses of red wine.
    Ideally no alcohol at all though.

  3. Reduce your intake of refined sugar and caffeine.
    (avoid chocolate bars and coffee). Try to eat fresh fruit instead.

  4. Avoid excessive masturbation. Maybe every 3 or 4 days to keep things working.

  5. Stay calm. Avoid stressful situations.
    Take time to relax regularly, e.g. by having a bath.

  6. Avoid rigorous exercise for prolonged periods.
    Yes, do get some light exercise and do some weight training, but don’t overdo it.
    Give you body a chance to recover between workouts.

  7. Be very careful with taking herbal supplements e.g. tribulus, horny goat weed, arginine etc.
    Some of these supplements may not always be helpful, or may make things worse.
    Avoid any supplement containing Saw Palmetto.

  8. Eat healthy. Become the healthiest man you can be.
    A good start is to incorporate plenty of cruciferous vegetables into your daily diet, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and spinach.

  9. Get plenty of sleep;
    Usually your sleep quality should be ok if you are getting adequate exercise and you are not overly stressed.

  10. Avoid plastic toxins – do not heat food in plastic containers.
    Use stainless steel drinking bottles, use saucepans when cooking, etc.

I would say these are ‘the basics’ for coping with PFS.
Its always a BIG bonus if you have a good doctor who is on your side, ideally a doc who can arrange blood tests, check your hormone levels and prescribe the right medication (e.g. prescribe medication to treat Gynecomastia)

I hope you will get better soon.
If things do not get better, please let us know.

#12

Thank you so much noniman! Ive noticed that caffeine, alcohol, and fatty foods were making me feel much worse. I took a few days off training to recover and felt worse each day I took off, so I can conclude that the workouts helping. Unfortunately I think I’m screwed for finding a doctor here. I have an out of province health card, and the doctors here are all flown in on 1 month rotations, so I can guess that they’re not as concerned or connected to their patients. Worst of all I’m stuck here with not enough money to fly home. I have work coming up very soon. I don’t know if I should go or not. It involves extreme weather and terrain hiking, and if I don’t get to/make the landing zone in time I’m stuck in the wilderness for a night. I’m really getting depressed by how much this pill has affected my life. There is no doubt in my mind that I wont make it if this doesn’t get better. I know you all have been going through this much longer than I have… I give you credit for that, but I can’t live the next 40 years of my life like this. I don’t even feel comfortable talking to anyone about it. My family thinks I just went from straight A student to classic screw up of the family. I don’t even get respect anymore on top of dealing with all this. I’m sorry for ranting. I just felt like I needed to get that out! Again, thanks for the support, I’ll work on getting some tests done and do everything in my power to fight this.

#13

One of my favourite sayings is ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’.
What i’m trying to say to you is: you need be proactive about your situation.
Try NOT to think of the past, but try to focus on your future and bettering your health.

You need to see a competent/qualified doctor and tell him/her about your serious health issues.
If you can’t find a doctor on propeciahelp.com, please have a look at this site: (I found my doc in Ireland, via this website).
http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/canada.htm
Maybe you could find a doctor close to you place of work, or close to your home.

You could have low testosterone, high prolactin, elevated estrogen etc …
thats why you need the hormonal blood tests, to check whats going on.
Basic blood tests should not cost very much. Mine cost just under 100 euros.

I would also include a 24 hr cortisol/DHEA saliva test if possible.
This should detect if you have adrenal fatigue (like i do).
Here is the test that you need:
gdx.net/product/10102
I’m not sure if this test needs to be ordered by a doctor. You could always phone and ask.
The test should not cost much more than $100

If you are short on cash, maybe you could talk to a family relative to see if they can lend some funds?

Good luck.

Please keep us posted on progress.

#14

Hey guys. Just thought I’d update you all on my status here. It was going alright for a while. It seemed that the crashes were getting less and less intense and that my good days were getting better and better. I went to work for 3 weeks solid, hiking 10-15k a day on snowshoes. It was a stressful experience overall, but my body seemed to cope fine after the first week adjusting. I just focused on eating proper and not pushing myself too hard. Since I’ve been back (less than a week) I feel like I am crashing pretty hard again. I’ve been getting an extremely upset stomach almost every time I eat something along with body temp. spikes. (this did not happen before) Mentally I feel alright. Not as clear as I was before, but not as bad either. I think its time to find a doctor and get some tests done. How are you all doing through this struggle?

#15

I’ve been off the drug for almost 2 years now and was on it for about 5. Since quitting, I’ve been through a series of ups and downs and have been through 2-3 really bad crashes. During the bad crashes, my serum testosterone plummets (DHT goes high for some reason); I get terrible anxiety/depression; my junk completely shrivels up; and sex is the furthest thing from my mind.

In my case I fall into the category of “fine while on the drug, destroyed after quitting.” I decided to let nature take its course with me – just let my head go bald – and my system went haywire. I was a total horndog while on finasteride, had a gradual decline when I quit cold turkey, eventually crashing.

The best things for me have been the following:
Good diet, lots of veggies
Take Vitamin E, fish oil, vitamin D3, and Quercetin every morning
Take L-Arginine in the evening

Good luck with your recovery.

#16

Thank you for your response. My situation does not seem as bad as what your describing your as, but through supplement trial and error I have just been taking a good multivitamin along with omegas, vitamin E, and calcium/magnesium. It seems to be helping my progress, along with exercise and proper diet. Good luck in your ongoing recovery and thanks for the input!

#17

Well I have now quit my job because it is too stressful along with it involving 4-6 weeks of work with no breaks. My body can not handle that work schedule anymore, not to mention how unsafe I feel being dropped in the middle of a valley full of bears and wolves when I cant think straight or push myself to get out of harms way. I can’t even tell if this is getting better or worse. It feels like I’m constantly going from getting better to getting worse and it just keeps repeating. I don’t even know what I can do in life with all these crashes. School is not even an option right now, and now I have to look for work in a less stressful environment. I am being forced to quit living my dream because of this drug. Can we take this company to court and get them to work on fixing this problem THEY CAUSED? We should not have to abandon our lives because Merck messed us up.

#18

propeciahelp.com/class-action-lawsuits

#19

Unfortunately, since I took a generic, I cannot participate in a lawsuit.

#20

Did you use steroids?