Mental Effects AFTER Quitting Propecia?

Member Stories
#1

  1. How did you find this forum?
    Google

  2. What is your current age, height, weight?
    35

  3. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    Yes, mainly cardio.

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

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

  6. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    7 months (0.5mg first 6 mos, then 0.25mg for 1 mo)

  7. How old were you when you started Finasteride?
    35

  8. How old were you when you quit?
    35

  9. How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
    0.5mg to 0.25mg then 0 (see #6 above)

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

  11. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
    0.5mg first 6 mos, then 0.25mg for 1 month.

  12. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    Sexual side effects in weeks; depression after quitting

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

Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[x] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[x] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[x] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[x] 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?
    None.

  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)?
    No blood tests taken.

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

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

Started on 0.5mg Propecia per day in late 2007, after 6 months reduced to 0.25mg for 1 month, then quit (7 months total). As of this posting it has been about 2 weeks since I quit.

Sexual side effects (see checked boxes above) started appearing shortly after I started on Propecia, but I tolerated them because I didn’t think they would be permanent; then read some scary stories online and quit.

A month or so before I quit Propecia, I started having a lot of work-related stress. The stress at work continues to this day, but somehow I feel that going off Propecia threw me in a worse mental state. I read a lot of postings of people experiencing depression / anxiety / lack of motivation during Propecia, but I seem to be experiencing all these things (and worse) more intensely immediately after going off Propecia. Prior to the onset of the work related stress I had been on Propecia for a period of 4-5 months, and I didn’t notice anything off mentally.

Now, everything overwhelms me. I am generally unmotivated. I feel very depressed. I feel like there is no way out. Plus the work stress is still there. I just started seeing a counselor. I don’t know what is next.

I just do not know whether it is going off Propecia that’s causing all this or whether I am ill-equipped to handle the stress that I am currently in and that I should quit my job. Suffice it so say, I don’t recall ever feeling this hopeless before. I have always had a “fight” instinct that somehow no longer seems to be there.

Would appreciate any suggestions.[/img][/list]

#2

Bloodtests as per the FAQ at top of site / list in Hormones & Bloodtests section. only way to see what’s going on with your body.

#3

Thank you Mew. The toughest part is not knowing whether my mental anxiety has anything to do with going off Propecia, or whether it is just my job stress and my inability to cope with it. If I magine not having to go to work on Monday, I feel a lot more relieved, so maybe it isn’t the Propecia. The day before yesterday I felt extremely low, then yesterday I felt amazing (a great sense of calm), and this morning I don’t feel so great again.

#4

After coming off Finasteride there is a period over a few weeks where there is a major hormonal shift in your body, as DHT returns. Your body is trying to figure out its normal homeostasis and as a result, will likely be fluctuating all over the place as it does so.

Hence the importance of bloodwork to see what is going on. The anxiety could be related to this, I do recall myself feeling very “on edge” during the initial few weeks after quitting.

#5

My first month off propecia was awful, anxiety levels were through the roof. 11 months later I’m 90% better.

#6

time time time it takes time, Im 11 months off this crap and feeling better.