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How did you find this forum?
I found it googling finasteride side effects. -
What is your current age, height, weight?
30, 6’1", 185 lbs. -
Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Usually a couple of times a week. Walking, riding bike and occasionally lifting weights. -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Meat eater/pretty healthy -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
Hair loss -
For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
8 days. From 12/2/2010 - 12/8/2010 -
How old were you when you started Finasteride?
30 -
How old were you when you quit?
30 -
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 started to notice the onset of headache like symptoms on day 5 which I attributed to the sinus pressure. On day 8 of using the medication I found that I had lost all sexual function. -
What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
I had a lot of very severe side effects. Everything cleared up about a week after I discontinued it’s use except for the sexual side effects which have returned.
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive no libido at all
[x] Erectile Dysfunction
[x] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[x] Loss of Nocturnal Erections I got some but they were soft.
[x] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat I felt like I was losing my mind the first 4 days off the meds
[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) Lasted about a week.
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x] Testicular Pain Severe pain
[x] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[x] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[x] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[x] Prostate pain
[x] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[x] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[x] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[x] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[x] Frequent urination
[x] Lowered body temperature
[x] Other (please explain)
Insomnia
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
I had a doctor’s appointment on 12/12/2010. Physician suggested I wait 2 weeks for side effects to abate. -
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 had blood work done prior to taking the medication but I don’t believe they tested my hormone levels. It is my understanding that the blood work was merely to rule out my thyroid being the cause of my hair loss. -
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
Only that it is poison. Do not take it. -
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
[b]I started taking the drug on 12/2/2010 and was on it for 8 days ending 12/9/2010. Within a couple of days of starting the medication I began to notice that my head didn’t feel right. I assumed it was the start of a cold or sinus problems because it was about 15 degrees outside and windy. On the 8th day I realized I had no libido or sexual function and that my penis and genitals had shrunk. I immediately stopped taking the drug. The first 4 days after discontinuation were the worst. I had severe confusion/brain fog, depression, anxiety, mood swings and was unable to concentrate, eat or sleep. I saw a doctor on 12/12/2010, by then the brain fog/confusion, depression and anxiety had lifted. He suggested I wait two weeks and if my other symptoms did not clear up to make a follow up appointment. He felt that my symptoms were being caused by lowered testosterone levels and that within a couple of weeks my body would adjust itself naturally.
A little over a week after discontinuation all of my symptoms went away and I was back to feeling normal again. From about 12/18/2010 - 12/24/2010 I felt fine. I had normal sexual function and none of the other side effects. Now, 12/26/2010, it appears the sexual side effects have returned. I read the page on this side that described post-finasteride syndrome and how some men have experienced a brief recovery followed by a ‘crash’ and I fear this is happening to me.[/b]