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Member Stories
#1

COPY AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING INTO YOUR OWN POST, then answer the questions.

  1. Where are you from (country)? United States

  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 Search

  3. What is your current age, height, weight? 33,5’10 177

  4. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise? Yes cardio bike 3-5 days a week

  5. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)? Middle of the road

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

  7. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)? 3 months

  8. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride? 32 june 2009

  9. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 32 september

  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.)?
    1 mg a day

  13. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    Wasn’t really sure until recently

  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
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] 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
[ ] 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
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? No treatments

  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)? N/A

  3. Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride? Before and after I was taking saw palmetto but have since stopped

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

I got a divorce this year and decided to try propeica to try make myself feel better about my appearance . The doctor told me that if I experienced any side effects, it would be temporary and would go back to normal once I stopped. I wasn’t sure if I was experiencing side effects as I was still getting morning erections maybe not quite same as pre fin but still decent. I was taking saw palmetto for awhile and recently stopped that about 3 weeks ago. Recently I have gotten a new girl friend and getting and maintaining an erection is very difficult. I am trying to make an appointment with a doctor. I have read the faqs on these forums about blood tests and such, which I plan on getting. I was thinking of trying viagra just so I could maintain a somewhat normal sex life, while waiting to see if any of these other treatments would work.

Will viagra get people in our situation hard?

#2

The answer to that question really depends on each individual case.In my case,I was succesful with Levitra but the problem is that there is just no sex drive whatsoever behind it so I never feel like being bothered.It’s still early for you.Your body might correct itself within a few weeks or months.Don’t get too intimidated by everything you read here.I’m also new here this week but I’ve been in trouble for over two years since quitting Fin.

#3

whalen thank you for your response. Since I have been on here I have freaked myself out a lot more. I still have drive it is just less. When I am in bed by myself I can still get pretty hard. With my new girl friend there is also a nervous factor. Right now as is I am able to get it hard enough to put in just not completely hard most of the time but once again I start to freak myself out and that makes things worse. So there is a good chance I have a psychological component to this. I just had an extremely stressful year, with an ugly divorce and working a lot.

Quite honestly I didn’t think I had much of an issue until the new girl friend. I recall a couple of months ago seeing a girls gone wild commercial and getting real turned on.

That being said even before the girlfriend, I look back there were issues after fin albeit more subtle. My erections were rarely 100%. When I was excited more like 80 -90. Now I am freaking myself out so things have been a bit worse

#4

One of the better docs I’ve seen thinks that fin may effect men that already have marginally compromised endocrine systems. That would seem to fit your case.

For bloodwork, even a primary care physician can order total serum testosterone, and, if you explain the details, an Adiol-G (3a-Androstanediol glucuronide) test. Anything below 400 indicates some form of hypogonadism, and there are several treatments out there. The more common factor seen, is that fin supressed, permanently, our 5 alpha reductase activity as indicated by tests of it’s metabolite. All of us that have low adiol-G are collectively looking for ways to raise it back up. The reductase deficiency may be caused by, or somehow contribute to, androgen desensitization.

Since you still have some drive & capacity, consider horny goat weed. Look for one that has greater than 30% iicarin, the active ingredient. There is a place in Florida that carries 40% iicarin HGW, they assay every batch. I’ve found it to be helpful in increasing ability to maintain.

  • kazman
#5

I haven’t posted in awhile so I decided to give an update. I am seeing some improvements but far from 100%. I have tried androgel several times no luck. I take a different testosterone supplement each day so my body doesn’t get too used to it.
Day 1: tongkat ali
day 2: tribulus
Day3: Catuaba
day4: avena satavia
Day5: Rhodiola
Day 6: Maca
Day 7: nothing.

Daily acetyl-L-cartinine, alpha-Lipoic Acid, a multivitamin and then viatimin D.

I have been dating a girl for awhile she has no idea because I also take ed drugs and/or herbs. Still very fatigued. I am thinking about trying to find a slower paced job. The fatigue is still killing me. I have up my fitness and that has helped.