Hi, I’ve been using Proscar for about 8 years, with great results but many (mild) side-effects - and a more recent one that is scary! Story below…
1) How did you find this forum? Google
2) What is your current age, height, weight? 44, 5’10 1/2", ? (thin, though 
)
3) Do you excercise regularly? Moderate - just regular walking
4) What type of diet do you eat? Very little red meat, a lot of cereals, fruit and vegetables, pasta, chicken, fish, eggs (plus occasional junk food).
5) Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)? Hair loss, but the reduced libido and anxiety were also positive bonuses.
6) For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)? About 8 years now.
7) How old were you when you started Finasteride? Around 36.
8) How old were you when you quit? I’ve taken short breaks and am about to embark on another one. Whenever I take a break I experience significant hair loss 
.
9) How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Tapered off carefully - alternated days and reduced dose, and took Zinc to block symptoms such as nipple tenderness.
10) What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic? Generic Finast bought over the Internet - two different brands, depending on availability.
11) What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? .8 to 1 mg for 4 days, then one day off, then 4 days on, etc.
12) How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects? In the first week or so, some testicular pain, then an initial burst of testosterone (good time to exercise) in the first few weeks, then settled in to the usual long-term side-effects. Nipple tenderness and slight breast swelling is experienced when I take breaks, but does subside.
13) What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation? I haven’t discontinued, but have taken breaks in the past. After 1-2 weeks, my libido returns. Hairloss is experience almost immediately.
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[x] Erectile Dysfunction (overnight, but still okay when I need it)
[ ] 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 (I find this a bonus at times)
[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 (I suffered this before, but it actually helped with this one)
[x] Depression / Melancholy
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x] Testicular Pain
[x] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness (definitely!)
[x] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease (again, not when it matters)
[x] Weight Gain (seem to get bodyfat more easily)
[x] Gynecomastia (slight occurence on reducing dosage, but subsides)
[x] Muscle Wastage (possibly, but skinny to begin with)
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[x] Joint Pain (knees most of all)
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[x] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[x] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[x] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[x] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness (increased floaters in eyes?)
[ ] Increased hair loss (a little initially, then great success)
[ ] Frequent urination
[x] Lowered body temperature
[x] Other (please explain) Low blood pressure. Recent breathlessness, tightness and feeling of cramping in the chest - possible angina caused by low blood pressure? I can’t seem to get my pulse up when exercising lately. The worst chest pain episodes have been nearly two years apart, but I often feel like it could happen. Indigestion also, which seems related to the breathlessness.
14) What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? On my cyclic day off (every fifth day) I take Zinc, which does help block the breast sensitivity. I’ve also taken l-arginine at times in the past, and it’s good stuff, but you’ve got to know the occasion is there in advance .
15) 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)? The only blood tests I’ve had (while on it), showed high cholesterol.
16) Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride? The hair maintenance has been fantastic - it reversed balding just slightly initially and, for nearly a decade, it has maintained exactly the same hair distribution, only thicker. I was willing to put up with most side-effects for this result, but the chest pain episodes really scare me!
17) Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
That pretty much covers it. I’ve used generic Finast by cutting 5mg Proscar tablets into 5 or 6 parts. I take one piece for 4 days, then have a day off to allow my body to recover a little (and this has no effect on hair gain). I’ve experienced changed libido, overnight erections, etc. However, I have found this a boon in many respects - I’m married and still have great sex when it’s on offer, but feel less frustrated the rest of the time - seriously . This recovers quickly if I take a break.
I also got onto Proscar coming out of depression, and it worked better than anti-depressants in making me feel less anxious. However, I do feel lethargic, to the point of getting positively reptilian and feeling like I don’t want to do anything. I also have lowered blood pressure. I suffer breathlessness, indigestion and general chest pain, including two really frightening episodes of chest constriction, which I suspect are angina caused by extreme low blood pressure. Working at a desk all day I feel increasingly lethargic (and foggy), but exercise helps alleviate this.
I’m taking another short break, but feel really conflicted. Proscar has kept my hair this long, but at what cost?
Thanks for this forum, guys!