Majkellos story

majkellos
Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:50:04 +0000

Hi there.

I am here for a while but did not post my story till tonight. My whole situation is the summary of most our issues which in most cases last …hopefully not forever.

I started Finasteride at the age of 23. I used originaly coated Propecia pills for over 5 years. That time hairloss was a nightmare for me. It acutally started when I was 17 years old, but mother nature gave me oryginaly incredible set of hair, that’s why even when androgens started to do their job I was able to stay away from the various hairloss treatments for a few years.

Good times with hair stopped definetely when I meet my third girlfriend. After half a year with her she realized that I am balding and she said we should do something about it if it is possible…
I already did some research and decided to start Finasteride immedietly.

That time we were so close to each other that even if I did have some sort of side effects I did not simply feel it and sex with her was more like a love statement comming from my soul, then the phisical act which might need some sort of a concentration…

After 3 years I quit my relationship and I think it was first time that I noticed it could have something to do with Propecia. That time I lost excitement about our relationship, but I felt it was a bit more from me feeling strange, then from my nature… That time I lost the excitement but I was still able to maintain satisfying erection.

Right after I quit our relationship the cascade of side effects from Propecia occured. I started to feel dizzines, started having progesteron acne (did not know those days it was caused by progesteron), softer errections, sweat around my face, signs of gyno, finaly the drug stopped working and hair started to fall out fast.

I quit Propecia and after a couple of weeks I became normal. Most functions and senses returned.

I was 27 and still did not want to get bald. I searched over the internet and found the site with generic form of Dutasteride. I already investicated Dutasteride to be better for hair then Propecia and also even more promissing in terms of a side effects.

I bought Dutas a generic Dutasteride manufactured in India. I took it for 4 months. 3 months I was taking 0,5 mg gelatin capsule each day and last month I was taking only once a week 0,5mg.

First two months with Dutas I was amazed. It worked incredibly for hair, but after 3 months I felt it is better to stop because I meet a new girl (she was excited about my hair anyway) and wanted to perform better in terms of my sexual vigour. Because I did not want to loose a single hair I decided to take Dutas every 7 days. I think that was a crucial thing for the consequences because doing it everyday is much better so the system can adjust to the treatment but doing it once a week makes a biochemical shock. The last 4th pill that I took was the crucial one. After this I felt bed. It started from the point of sensing the brain. I lost my energy, sex drive… my relationship finished due to my sexual and mental problems. I waited another months to recover but somehow I already knew that this last pill of Dutasteride did something very bed to me but I could not actully realize what it was… I just felt much different then before, as if something was taken away from my body… Nevertheless I waited till dutasteride looses its potency but unfortunetely did not regain my vitality/mentality/sexuality till today.

Half a year ago I started to investigate myself because I knew I will not recover by itself. First I went to the endocrynologist who have told me that finasteride and dutasteride is a havy drug and after so many years I can even have a cellular damage/changes. He told me that looking at my hormonal profile and seeing +50% elevated progesteron. Elevated progesteron with normal range of Prolactin is extremely unusual and it might be related to some biochemical changes. I got extremely frightened and doctor gave me Proviron for the symtoms that I told him about.

I came home with a hope that synthetic DHT (proviron) will help me to function normaly and finaly to have my sex eager returned to normality.
As a matter of fact treatment with Proviron only made things worse. Right the next visit I was given a Unidest (synthetic testosteron), and when all things did not become better Clomiphen Citrate to boost my LH, FSH levels. It all only worsen my situation to the mental state that I was about to commite suicide. My brother helped me to balance my mental state and I do not think about suicide any more no matter if I will be ok someday. Finaly endo gave me Dostinex to increase dopamine. It have helped me in some way but not entirely, and worked only for the time while on the drug.

Now I refuse to take any pills. I do not drink alcohol, make a semi healthy leaving (smoke a bit because I am nervous:(( ).

Recently I visited urologist and he gave me antibiotic to detoxify my prostate, because I have a strange feeling down there from time to time.

I have 100% the same symptoms as Onni and 19 the members of our forum. I am in direct contact with them because we will try to find the way out from this terrible situation together.

It’s been almost 3 years till today and I did not recover from Finasteride/Dutasteride treatment

1. How did you find this forum?
Searched via internet

2. What is your current age, height, weight?
30, 183, 93

3. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Used t go to gym but stopped due to the lack of energy and motivation

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

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

6. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
4,5 years 4 months dutasteride

7. How old were you when you started Finasteride?
23

8. How old were you when you quit?
27

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

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

11. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1 mg, 0,5 mg Dutasteride

12. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
After 3 years

13. 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
[x ] Loss of Morning Erections
[x ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[x ] Watery Ejaculate
[x ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[x ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[x ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[x ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[x ] 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)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x ] Testicular Pain
[x ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[x ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[x ] Weight Gain
[x ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[x ] Muscle Wastage
[x] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[x] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[x ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[x ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[x ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[x ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)

14. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Doxycycline for detox, Dostinex to increase dopamine, TRT - Unidest, Proviron, Clomid

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)?
Blood tests and thyroid seems to be ok

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

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