Lurker turned Member

Member Stories
#1

Hey guys, long time lurker… finally joined.

  1. How did you find this forum?

Google

  1. What is your current age, height, weight?

41, 6ft1, 180lbs

  1. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?

Walking.

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

Lots of fast food, but, try for healthier choices… chicken, subs, salad, etc.

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

Hair loss.

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

Off and on for about 8 yrs or so, hard to remember. Sometimes only taking for a few months in a year. Then I took it pretty regularly for about the last 3 years prior to me stopping.

  1. How old were you when you started Finasteride? 32

  2. How old were you when you quit? 40

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

Cold turkey.

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

Propecia.

  1. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?

Probably averaged about 1mg every other day over the course of the 8 years… Sometimes daily, sometimes quitting for months.

  1. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?

Not until I was 40… but, I’m sure some symptoms were present earlier, just didn’t know it was due to propecia. Probably 39.

  1. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?

Discontinued June/09…

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
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[x ] Watery Ejaculate
[x ] 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
[x ] 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
[x ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[x ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[x ] 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?

I saw my Dr in June/09 when I quit the drug and he told me it can take up to 6 months for the chemicals to leave my system. I have not had any medical treatments to help in recovery.

  1. 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)?

Never saw my blood tests. I’m sure my bloodwork fell short of what I should have had checked, however, my doctor said my free test was “as high as it could get” or something.

  1. Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?

I think supplements have helped me get better faster. Despite the x’s in my checklist above, I think I am about 75% recovered anyways.

From June/09 to present, these are the vitamins and herbs I took:

Tribulus, Maca, ZMA, Arginine, Lecithin, Lysine, Horny Goat Weed, Ginseng Root tea, Vitamin B Complex, C, D, E, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Ester-C, NAC, Tyrosine.

Here’s what I think I learned from the above… ZMA and Zinc (I was taking up to about 30mg a day) I think made my penis less sensitive… so, I stopped taking zinc.

Of all the things I took before bedtime, I found 250-500mg of magnesium (to help sleep) combined with 500mg of C + 400IU of E worked best at giving me morning erections… which were previously few and far between.

Ester-C 1000mg + D3 1000IU + B Complex 100mg + E400IU in the morning definitley helped with my energy levels. Adrenal fatigue?

Sometimes I can get a bit of an erection just thinking about it… but, when I take a certain supplement, I can get a full erection without touch. I found out about this from my hundred of searches at forum.bodybuilding.com… which I believe may have some useful info.

Funny name, but, that certain supplement was Ejaculoid. Unfortunately, the product has changed formulas 2 times since. I live in Canada and can still find the original formula in a small bottle size. The ingredient in the original that the new forumulas are missing is yohimbe bark extract. I believe it is illegal to bring anymore in Canada.

Yohimbe works great for me… but, if you have blood pressure problems, heart probs, I would say avoid this. Occasional headache, I can live with… or just pop a tylenol.

That’s basically all I take… but, the Ejaculoid, is not a regular thing. Maybe 8 days a month. However, I am thinking of taking it more regularly if I knew my body would not become dependant on it and there was no long term side effects.

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

No question the sides of this drug snuck up on me. They started with the mental fog - and how was I to know it was from propecia? It was crazy to see my facial hair need shaving about once a week. Watery ejaculate… little ejaculate… hardly any penis sensation… feeling almost girly emotions. Morning erections gone… hardly ever getting an erection without touch. All these sides from this drug. Why have they not came up with a drug to fix this yet?

Fast forward to today… like I said, I feel I am about 75-80% back. I’m hoping yohimbe in small doses (either through ejaculoid or prescribed) taken regularly will get me to 100%.

I have probably spent about 300 hours on the internet trying to search mostly group forums looking for answers, help, advice.

I would very much like to thank those people that are not only responsible for this site, but, those who have shared their stories. Good or bad, they are helpful… and I wouldn’t be surprised if for every member, there was 100 lurkers looking here for help.

#2

Nice first post, and it’s good to see that you have recovered quite a bit. Have you tried dropping all the supplements for a month and seeing where your at?

#3

Yes… my energy is a little down and the erection/libido probably stays at around 70%.

This gets me to 75-80%, and I think is very safe to take, to I’ll keep on doing it:

At bedtime, 250-500mg of magnesium (to help sleep) combined with 500mg of C + 400IU of E

Morning, Ester-C 1000mg + D3 1000IU + B Complex 100mg + E400IU

I have read on here about Vitamin D helping with scrotum sagging, which I still have sometimes, so am tinkering with taking up to 4000IU a day split up at morning and night.

It’s just that when I take those Ejacloids with the yohimbe ingredient, I feel back to normal. I have tried the other ingredients in Ejaculoid (tribulus, maca, hgw, etc.) on their own and I don’t get to the yohimbe level.

That’s the one supplement I want. I don’t really count the other stuff since it’s just vitamins and probably very safe.

#4

Forgot to mention I take a tsp. of NutraSea fish oil in the mornings as well.

#5

Welcome bluejaysfan,

It seems as though you have begun recovering already, so at least you have a leg up on most.

It’s interesting that you would be supplementng these. My most recent blood test that I had done showed that I was deficient of Magnesium & Vit C. There were other things as well, obvoisuly. THe doctor advised that I take Magnesium and Vit C suppments.

I agree with your assertion about the large number of lurkers on this site.

#6

Mag and C recommended by a doc… maybe I am on the right track… I sure have tried enough different things.

Tonight will be my first night adding 750mg of GABA. I read about it from here and forum.bodybuilding.com. I am cursed with being a shift worker and combined with the number propecia does on your sleep - when I have to wake up early in the morning it is tough.

It used to be really bad. Like I have read from guys here, the constant waking up after a few hours, never sleeping straight through. It’s definitley improved for me, but, still maybe 2 or 3 times I wake up and in the morning don’t really feel like I got the deep sleep needed.

I’ll probably drop down to 250mg of mag.

Last Wednesday I wasn’t feeling much libido and no way I could think an erection up past about a quarter of the way…Took an ejaculoid, 2 more on thursday, 1 more friday and 1 on saturday.

Major improvement by friday… good sex on saturday and today I am not a master of my domain… had a good wank. So it’s Monday and I am either still feeling the effects of the yohimbe in those ejaculoids or my vitamins are kicking in. The B-complex, Ester-C and night time E were all added in the last week or two.

I did some searching on the net and found out that yohimbine hcl is available by prescription here in canada… doses of 5mg or 2.7mg if I can remember right.

I really think there’s something in that yohimbe that works wonders on us.

Goodluck guys… and Bostonusa… I read your member story and have the same love for asian gals.

#7

Yohimbe does work good…I can attest to that in the past…I havent used it in a bit, but tempted to go back on it…

#8

Just wanted to recap the last week. I’m going to try and do a bit of a weekly log here, hoping to soon be well enough to post in the recovery section. I think I’m close.

So I took some ejaculoids from Wed Aug.4th to Sat Aug.7th… definite boost the libido by Fri/Sat. Sunday, I stopped taking the ejaculoids and I was still feeling the effects. For the first time in a very long time, I could just stand and muscle up an erection with ease… without touch/looking at porn, etc. That’s for sure when I think have recovered. (Assuming my sleep and energy keep improving).

The effects started to wear off by Wednesday 11th… but, that was 4 days after my last ejaculoid pill. Started them again on Friday 13th. Not really any problems achieving strong erections by touch, but, I want back to the no-touchy erections.

So, it’s Sunday 15th and on day 3 of the ejaculoids. I’m going to take 1 a day and see if I can get back to where I was and maintain that.

I am also about a week into trying 750mg GABA supps. Started with 1 a night and am now taking 3. I feel improvements when I wake. Like I’m not half asleep and groggy. Still wake up a little through the night which seems to be a tough side to shake.

I read on forum.bodybuilding.com that many guys are taking 5-6 grams of GABA before bed. I’m at 2250 grams. Will try upping the dose and see if it helps.

I just started to up my Vitamin D to 8000IU split up at morning and bedtime. Forgot to mention, one night I took an ejaculoid at bedtime with my other bedtime vitamins and GABA… let me tell ya, it felt like I had an erection the whole night until an hour or two before I woke up.

If I continue to see improvements on ejaculoid, in a month or so, I will ask my doc to prescribe yohimbine in small doses. This will help me get away from the tribulus, horny goat weed, maca, etc that is also found in the prop blend of ejaculoid.

Hope you guys don’t mind me writing so much. I’m a thousand times better than about a year ago… and I want the guys that just quit the poison pill to know a recovery is possible. Hang in there!

#9

Back again…

After stopping the ejaculoids, I again took them one a day and by the 4th day I could get an erection just thinking about it. I’m going to stop taking them again for a bit.

One thing I just noticed the past week, my erection is on a left angle and the head of my penis looks rotated a bit left as well. I’m not sure if this is new or if I just hadn’t noticed this before. I know it’s a symptom here.

Going to the doc for some follow up tests - prostate, bloodwork, etc and will report the results.

Had some more good sleeps with GABA (up to 3000mg)… still not perfect, but, it’s a supp I recommend.

Picked up this veggie supp to add to the mix.

sndcanada.com/progressive_ve … grams.html

#10

What a joker. Even though I think I am recovering pretty good (although I just noticed my erection pointing left and the head rotated a little left, as well)… I went to the doc for some tests.

He did some blood work on me in june/09 and some more about 6 months ago (free testosterone). The stuff he checks out, he always says is fine.

So, I went in today with the “short” list of bloodwork to get done. He strokes off LH, FSH, Prolactin, E2… mumbles something about them only being for womens’ test. The vit D test is to be done only for women with osteoporosis, according to the Ontario government.
Thyroid, liver, goood he says. Which may be true, but, be nice if I could join the club here and post my test results FFS.

He gave me a slip for CBC and total PSA.

Surprising, he gave in to my request for yohimbine hcl 2mg and gave me a year supply. I hope it’s something I won’t need or something I can take a few times here and there.

I guess I am doing great compared to some of the guys here, who I hope improve… but, I’ve been off this poison 15 months now, figured I would be 100% by now.

#11

Yea, Canaidan healthcare. lol Glad to hear your on the mend anyway.

If in 10 months I’m back to “normal” I will thank God. I have a feeling it might not be so easy. Penis still shrunk up and testicals aching. If I’m lucky I get partial , smaller than pre-Fin, erection every 3 or 4 days. Lately thats been on the decline.

#12

Just wanted to give a little update since I’ve been on the prescribed yohimbine. Been on it for about a week and half. I have 2mg pills. Started low with 2mg a day… went to 4mg. Last Saturday had sex and ejaculation came a lot quicker than normal… Usually take me a bit.

I could get an erection easily (just by thinking it up) on the ejaculoid (after about 4 days in my system). The yohimbine is not quite as good. I can still get a no touch/no porn erection, just not quite as full or fast. Throw in some porn or touching and the erection is just as hard/full.

I upped my yohimbine to about 10mg the last couple days and had sex today. Took a long time to cum. Three times I had ejaculated today and the last time was about my regular volume level. The first two were double, anyways. My volume has been okay for a while… first shot anyways. The third in a day would normally be pretty tiny. Yohimbine certainly does something to increase volume… and orgasm intensity.

Going to go down to 4mg-6mg a day… maybe in another week, start to cycle it. Something like 5 days on, 2 off.

Does make me wonder though - since it seemed my erections were easier to achieve on the ejaculoid, if it’s the combination of all the ingredients that work better than the yohimbe that I thought was the key.

Here’s the ingredients:
maca root extract 4:1, tribulus terrestris extract, epimedium sagittatum extract (bark), yohimbe extract (bark), long jack, cnidium monnier extract (fruit), gaba.

#13

Well, didn’t really suffer from any sides, but, decided to have limited my yohimbine to just before sex… which for me is usually on the weekend. Going to stop masturbation as well, see if that helps my sometimes bouts of delayed ejaculation.

Just completed some tests from a naturopath. Results take a month. Did the 4 tube saliva test adrenal, saliva hormonal panel and thyroid, vit d through a blood test.

Upping my fish oil to 2 tsps/day, stopping my minocycline for perioral dermatitis (which isn’t that bad, anyways), taking 50 billion probiotics/day for a month and drinking at least 2 litres of water/day - all recommendations from my naturopath.

Decided to buy Adrenal Pro+Thyroid Support
nationalnutrition.ca/detail.aspx?ID=2569 from GNC today. Starting tomorrow. Been reading a lot on hypothyroidism/adrenal fatigue. Convinced my thyroid tests will come back with low T3. Took a few temps today, orally and under the arm - both times a few degrees below optimal.

Naturopath suggested to hold off until we went over the test results, oh well. The last couple days I stayed off my vitamins for the tests and felt like crap. Zero energy, half asleep feeling.

Have been wondering if anyone thinks protein shakes would benefit us? I’m not sold on soy, since I thought I read it could raise estrogen… I’m sure there must be some that don’t have soy and I might try that, too.

Oh ya, I phoned my doctors office to see about getting a copy of my blood tests from the last 5 years. Haven’t heard back. Receptionist was going to ask my doc first… I would think he would have a slightly negative reaction to my request.

#14

Hi Bluejaysfan, how’s your progress going?

#15

Hey Mikey…

In the past month, I’m pretty excited about how things are going. I was having some relative success with the yohimbine… but, I had increased the dose to about 15mg/day. I went to my doc for an increased prescription (since I had hoped 2mg/day would be sufficient) but, I felt more worked better.

The doc told me that it’s a stimulant/addictive and he doesn’t want me taking it for a long time. Basically from that day forward, I only take 5mg before sex… once a week.

I saw my Naturopath and got the news on my Adrenal test.

AM 14 range 2-11
Noon 2.2, 1-7
PM .65, .5-3.5
Bedtime .74 .2-1.3

A bit high first thing and then barely in range the noon and early PM. She suggested I take an adoptogen, Ashwagandha. I was already interested in that from reading about supps that may help with hypthyroidism. I am awaiting the thyroid test still, but, really interested in that T3 number.

I had purchased an adrenal/thyroid supp but didn’t take it. I was doing a liver cleanse supp at the time.

I remember reading someone here at some success with GNC ginseng triple gold. I was on ginseng briefly before, but, it was in a tea form… so I thought I’d try it once more since it is also an adoptogen.

Now on to what has me so excited… I started to take the 480mg ginseng at lunch with 1 NOW ashwagandha 450mg at supper and bedtime. Probably did that for about 4 days and in the last 2 weeks I have cut the ashwagandha down to 1 at bedtime.

I think I may have previously mentioned vit e/c helped with morning erections. I should clarify that - it was nocturnal. I could probably count on one hand the number of times I woke with a morning erection in the last 15-18 months.

However, in the past 2 and a half weeks, probably 8 times I was shocked by the morning erection. My libido and erection strength is actually stronger now than it was on my highest dosages of yohimbine. AND along with the morning erections, the other thing that has me totally stoked is the head of my penis. When it was erect before, it looked/felt like it was about 60% of what it was back in the day. It’s looking much fuller now, probably 85%-90%.

I think if there is anyone like me that was kinda stuck in the 80% recovery area… give ashwagandha/triple ginseng a try. I’m not sure if it’s the combination or just one of the two that has helped so much, but, I strongly recommend. For me, they work better and are safer than yohimbine.

#16

I should add, I plan on stopping yohimbine altogether, now.

#17

So just Ashwaganda and Ginseng hey… such a simple combo its great to hear the positive effects you are seeing.
I might have to try some too…

How did you find the side effects of Yohimbe?

#18

I didn’t really have any… just worried about the stimulant effects over time.

#19

Ok I just ordered the NOW Ashwagandha, and the GNC Ginseng triple gold. Hope i get some positive effects aswell :slight_smile:

Im still trying to see if I can get some Yohimbe into Australia though.
I actually found a place which sells it in Sydney, but seeing it’s illegal here im thinking there is something a bit sus going on and maybe its not the real thing…

Would you think the presciption Yohimbe is available here?

1 Like
#20

Probably… but, why don’t you give the ashwagandha/ginseng a couple weeks first. I’m pretty sure stimulants like yohimbine can make some people crash a bit the next day… even though, it didn’t really happen to me. It can also mess with your sleep.

Go with the safer/milder stuff and if you’re anything like me, it will be more effective, anyways.

I hope you come back and let me know how it works for you.