I'm trying Progesterone and Xyrem.

Member Stories
#1
  1. Where are you from (country)?
    United States, specifically California
  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
  3. What is your current age, height, weight?
    21; 5’7"; 155 lbs.
  4. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    rollerblading, road bike commuting, running.
  5. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    mostly vegetables, meat, few carbs.
  6. Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
    Male Pattern Baldness
  7. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    1.5 years
  8. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
    19, November 2010
  9. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
    20 May 2012
  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 day
  13. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    1 year
  14. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
    Brain fog, poor memory, poor motivation, lack of concentration, fatigue, low libido, erectile dysfunction,
    Put an X beside all that apply:

(I’m marking everything I experienced from the beginning, some of these things have resolved themselves with time, for these I put a lowercase “/”)

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
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[X] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[X] Confusion
[X] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[/] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[/] Slurring of Speech
[X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[/] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[/] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[/] Suicidal Thoughts

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

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[X] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion <---- This is the worst symptom for me.
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[/] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination <— I have difficulty urinating because of my shrunken genitals, once I get blood in it it works fine
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[/] Other (please explain)
headaches in the front of my head for a year, but I haven’t had them in a month so I think they’re gone.

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
    5mg of progesterone cream every day, and exercise therapy. Things I’ve tried but discontinued are high doses of Vitamin D, high doses of B12, and trying not to masterbate for long periods of time.

  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)?
    My blood tests all turned up normal except my Vitamin D was low normal. I also took a sleep test which showed that I have narcolepsy, I’m not sure if this is caused by finasteride or not, but my narcolepsy symptoms occurred around the same time as my other PFS symptoms, ie. sexual side effects.

  3. Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
    My worst issue since I started having side effects has been my constant fatigue, I’ve been spending most of my day in bed and had to discontinue school because I can’t stay awake or focus for more than 3 hours. It’s gotten a little better since I started the progesterone cream, but this could be from the placebo effect. I’m not entirely sure.

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

I started taking propecia during my sophomore year in college when I was 19. I took it because both of my older brothers were taking it, and every male on my moms side of my family is bald. I started having sexual sides but didn’t really notice about 7 or 8 months after using fin, I didn’t really notice too much and thought I just wasn’t into my (then) girlfriend anymore. My mental side effects started the week before I turned 20. I remember it vividly. I couldn’t focus in school, I was constantly tired and spent more time then usual in bed. My doctor tested me for mono and that came up positive so I went on believing that until the following May when it never went away, that’s when I stopped taking finasteride. I thought my problems would for sure go away after, like all of you they never went away.

Now it’s been 8 months since I quite taking fin. I’ve tried many of the suggestions on this site and none of them have worked so far. As of writing this I am trying Lightattheends protocol of 5mg of progesterone cream every day for 2 weeks on 4 days off. I’m currently on my fifth week on the protocol, and I’m not completely sure… but it seems to be doing the trick. I haven’t had anxiety or headaches since, my brain fog is still there but it seems more manageable. I’ve also had a few days where I feel really horny and have to have sex. My girlfriend really likes those days lol.

I’m also about to try Xyrem soon, my first bottle of the stuff is supposed to arrive in the mail in 2 days so wish me luck. I’m pretty apprehensive about it but if it will bring back my energy I’ll do it. I just hope it works for me like it did for ithappens and Chi. BTW, The number of hoops I’ve had to jump through to get it has been ridiculous. I’m pretty sure they even did a criminal background check on me, which of course was clean. woo.

#2

Best of luck with Xyrem.
I’d be interested in trying it too, if it works for you.

#3

Good luck! Keep us posted.

#4

allopregna_no_bone
go for your thyroid tests (TSH, T3, reverse T3 ). If your hands and feet are extremely cold, feel pins and needles in hands and feet then you might be hypothyroid,even though on papers every thing looks normal. If your TSH is close to 2 or above 2 you are still hypothyroid. Sometimes symptoms appears months or years before the proper diagnosis. I would suggest you to include thyroid meds in your protocol.

#5

Where you bought online Xyrem?

#6

Hey all,

Thought I’d check in and fill you in on my experiences and hopefully answer a few questions you might have. I’ve been on Xyrem for a week now. I don’t have a lot to say about my progress with it because it’s only been a week, but what I can tell you is it works when it works and fucks you up if it doesn’t (this usually happens when I wake up in the middle of a dose). But so far my “ups” have been pretty awesome. On those days I have zero brain fog, more energy, I’m able to focus, I don’t eat like a pig, and I socialize a lot easier with my friends. GHB is a really weird drug, I feel drunk for about 20 mins after taking it and fall asleep 10 mins after that. The sleep hits me fast one moment it’ll be bedtime, then I’ll blink and it’ll be 2 or 3 hours later. It’s a trip. Also if you care for some useless info: For the past two days the xyrem has only been putting me to sleep for 2 hours a dose (4 total) so I called my doctor and raised my dose from 2.25 to 3 grams a dose.

One thing I feel like I need to point out is I’m not sure if I have narcolepsy. I definitely have PFS, and my N symptoms could be a result of PFS because they manifested around the same time. However… I might also have narcolepsy because, along with my low libido, I have many narcolepsy symptoms many of you don’t seem to have such as sleep paralysis, hypnogogic hallucinations, vivid dreams, and excessive daytime sleepiness. If any of you do have those symptoms please let me know!

To those who want to know how I got Xyrem:

I’ve gotten a few PM’s inquiring as to how I got a perscription for Xyrem, so I’m going to explain that here. I got my script the long way by seeing a sleep specialist and telling him all about my “narcolepsy symptoms” while holding my tongue about my propecia use (I didn’t want him to dismiss me like all of the other doctors I’ve told). Since I don’t have cataplexy (a type of sudden body collapse) and I don’t have the gene for narcolepsy I was a very suspicious case, and my doctor was hesitant to have me take a sleep study. In the end my doctor decided to have me take it anyway.

The day of my sleep study was also odd… My nurse who hooked me up to the equipment said I “set a new record” for entering REM sleep durring MSL test at the facility, and she ended the test 5 hours early because, according to her, my “results were conclusive.” So to say the least my narcolepsy is abnormal, which makes me think it’s caused by my year and a half on finasteride.

spstriken:

I have had my TSH, T3, and T4 done 3 separate times, all of them came back normal. I’ve also tested my T level and that came back normal too. I plan on testing progesterone at some point and I’ll post those results here when I get the chance.

Progesterone Crem:

And finally I want to share with you guys my 1 and a half month experience with Progesterone cream. I’ve noticed some changes since I started it, My penis holds a little more blood now, It feels slightly plumper, but it’s still difficult to maintain erections. I’ve started growing chest and back hair; meanwhile the hair near my temples is falling out! I’ve never been so happy to lose my hair haha ヽ(^。^)ノ My fog now lifts 4 hours before bed rather than 1. And by far the best part, and I completely attribute this to progesterone, is my voice is sharper. I can sing and talk a lot more clearly and hit a wider range of notes. I play guitar so the singing part surprised me and my friends/family. Basically I feel like I’m going through the final stages of puberty I never had! I think Light at the End said something like this on his thread. Despite this progress my meat cannon is still just a pistol and if my luck continues that’ll change too. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Lastly, my two older brothers had less than ideal experiences with Propecia, and if anyone is curious I can post what I know about their stories on this thread. But this OP is far too lazy to do that right now, sooooo some other time haha. Also thanks for your encouragement guys, it really helps. Hopefully I’ll have some good news to share with you the next time I’m on here.

#7

Hey guys,

I’ve been getting a lot of PM’s lately about Xyrem and not a lot of posts on this thread. I just want to let everybody know that you should ask your questions on here so everybody can see them. That way #1: I won’t have to answer the same question a dozen times, and #2: I want other people who are lurking to be able to read this stuff too. I’ve been getting some really great questions, and you guys are awesome, but I’d rather answer stuff on here.

Thanks,
Allopregna_no_bone

#8

Just a quick update,

The Xyrem has still been going well and I just upped my dose again. Now it’s at 3.75 grams twice a night.

I do have some bad news. Last night I decided to have a beer with my dad (my first one in 5 months, and first one since turning 21) and it definitely did not agree with me. I’ve felt anxious and foggy since then. It tasted great, but I think that’ll be my last beer until my PFS clears up. Thanks Merck, you bastards.

#9

What symptoms has the GHB improved? Namely sexual.

#10

I don’t think Xyrem has done anything for my libido. I feel really normal mentally though, and that’s important to me. I agree with Chi when he said it’s better to get your mental side’s cleared up so you can go about your life normally. However, Xyrem does help my libido substantially right after taking it. I start to feel a drunk-like high, and I get really horny. But otherwise I’m still pretty small and not very horny throughout the day, but that comes and goes. I’ll have good days and bad days, and I attribute that to the progesterone cream. I do get “sit down” erections now though.

Also, Cap, I’ve read your comments on Lightattheend’s profile. You seem interested in using progesterone but are afraid of the possible gyno side effects. I was too until I did some research on it. It turns out the progesterone used to “chemically castrate” sex offenders is called Depo Vera; you should look it up. Basically it’s a much higher dose than you or I would need. Also (best part) Depo Vera is reversible. That’s why they have to give it to sex offenders at least once every three months. So if progesterone does cause us gyno and doesn’t actually help us, we just should stop taking it for three months and whatever negative effects it’s having with us should no longer occur.

#11

Have you tested your Reverse T3?

#12

Has Xyrem helped much?

#13

I’ve been trying the same for a week now with mixed results. The Progesterone seems to give me extreme anxiety in the mornings. How is your progress?

#14

Any updates with the xyrem?

#15

Guys, I want to say, I don’t beleive taking progesteone is the answer. Again my theory is that there is a critical imbalance of progesterone to estrogen at the receptor site in the brain, again this is my theory. It’s also my belief that dabbing progesteone cream won’t fix this. I also believe that progesteone and estrogen ratios or test numbers will show anything

#16

Has progesterone improved ur sexual symptoms at all?

#17

Hey 19,

How long were you on xyrem? What was your experience?

#18

Didn’t do much for me except send me to sleep. Tastes terrible. No real changes in sexual or mental symptoms

I used it for a good few months.

#19

I havent used progesterone…actually once again I was away this past weekend and did nothing but drink vodka. That was about 5 days ago, the last 2 days have been amazing. My libido is through the roof, I have the urge to masturbate, penis warmer and thicker, even harder, hair is itching, eyebrows itch a little bit, sweating more, skin not as dry. Last night I even slept for over 7 hours last night which has not happened since this nightmare has happened. Clearly something is getting upregulated or increased.

#20

Maybe the vodka relieved stress and thats why you feel better ? Sometimes I feel better after a night out I think the main reason for this is that the alcohol makes me forget about PFS.