Mental Side Effects Pre-Fin

Member Stories
#1

Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.

Where are you from (country)?
Canada

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

What is your current age, height, weight?
18, 5’7, 120P
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?

None (I used Minoxidil/SP before with NO sides)
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
N/A

What condition was being treated with the drug?

For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?

How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?

How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?

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

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
Age 17-18
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?

Check the boxes that apply. You can save your post first, then interactively check/uncheck the boxes by clicking on them. If your symptoms change, please update your list.

Sexual
[] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating [cant concentrate at all…]
[x] Confusion [can’t even tell what’s right or wrong anymore…]
[x] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness [minor]
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[x] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[x] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[x] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[x] Suicidal Thoughts

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
[x] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[x] Other (please explain)
Light headiness/zoning out/minor brain fog

What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Vitamins/trying to get a healthy diet/trying to find motivation…

If you have pre or post-drug blood tests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (please post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?
All my hormones turned out to be normal. Sex hormones are all in range EXCEPT for Free testosterone (crazy high) and Prolactin (at max range). This was a baseline blood test

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

Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
This is an interesting case because i never tried Finasteride. My hair thinning is destroying me and my self-confidence. I always went on Propecia help because to convince myself to not take it. My confidence is destroyed, it feels as if i already took finasteride and i have all the mental side effects. I forget eaisly, i cant concentrate in anything, my mood swings are crazy, I have very very minor brain fog, i sometimes have no emotions towards anything. My brain feels zoned out and feels like im not in this world anymore. It feels like im taking Finasteride already haha, No one cares anymore, no one helps me anymore. I’m utterly depressed, my parents have no idea how much of an impact this has. Im failing university in which i only have one class. I just feel suspectable to finasteride side effects even tho i handle anti-androgens well ( i never got side effects from minox or SP). But whenever i hold the pill, all the stories come flying to me and i end up freaking out. I have severe body dysmorphia as well and i can’t concentrate in anything. I forgot what its like to be happy, i forgot what it feels like to live in a world. I know this isnt even Propecia related but im utterly destroyed. My friends just dont understand the impact it has on me…but since you guys are post-finasteride syndrome sufferers, for a “healthy” guy, is it really worth it to go on finasteride to please girls??? :frowning:

#2

What do you think?

Your own neuroticism and OCD tendencies are what’s causing your misery. I was the EXACT same before I tried Finasteride. Worried about if the horror stories were real, but utterly destroyed about the thought of losing my hair. The anxiety mounted, the depression got worse, and I began to live inside my own head, even out with friends. Finally broke down and took the pill. 1mg. One time. Completely changed my life. PFS turned out to be real, holy shit! Who would’ve though? Only now I have it, and there’s no known cure or treatment for it lol. You should like forget this forum exists, trash the Finasteride, and shave your head. Just my opinion.

3 Likes
#3

I guess not…I just have days where i say “fuck this” and want to take it…then other days im like “dont take this DONT”

all i want to do is just attract anyone

#4

Is topical Finasteride safe? or is it the same as oral? In studies it showed it reduces DHT by 25% so i feel like it’ll be safer

#5

Don’t even consider it. Also, I’m not going to tell you to just “suck it up and go bald.” That’s not fair either. You’re problems may seem “small” to us, but to you they are clearly huge. Remember that in the future there will be other hair options. Also, I believe some people have success with hair transplants without taking Fin. Look into micro needling and red light therapy. Most importantly, maybe look into seeing a therapist, they may be able to help you break down the issue and resolve your underlying insecurities.

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#6

Wouldn’t mess with any of it. No shampoos/conditioners, no saw palmetto, no Finasteride in any shape or form. Again, you’re on a PFS forum asking advice on whether to take anything for your hair… not much more needs to be said lol.

I’d wager that many guys here would blindly trade places with you without never having met you or known your life circumstances.

To stop the hair loss, you’re gonna have to fuck with DHT. That means tampering with hormones and receptors. That means putting yourself at risk for a condition that we know virtually nothing about…

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#7

fine, i wasted shit ton money from all these finasteride pills and proscar pills and vitamins (to help fin sides)…what i waste i did. But luckily i never took it.

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#8

your right, guess im pretty lucky to never have taken Finasteride. It just sucks so damn much but then again i dont want other problems associated with hairloss like sexual function or physical function…

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#9

Yeah man. Don’t even second guess the decision. Throw the pills away, if there’s anything with saw palmetto or any kind of ketoconzale, androgen altering bullshit, throw it in the trash. It’s a no brainer. Just make a deal with yourself that’s it’s a no-brainer and there’s no debate or discussion here. We’re not taking the Finasteride because you’re basically spinning a Price-Is-Right wheel with your health and your future, over some hair. And it’s very debatable whether Finasteride is truly that effective at preventing further hair loss.

Why risk it? See a therapist to deal with your insecurities, OCD issues, and neurotic behavioral traits that you must identify and treat. That’s the route I wish I would have taken.

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#10

Without having the condition and being in the whirlwind of shit yourself, I can personally promise you that there is no way of even putting a label inside your brain of what the risks are. You have no clue what you’re consenting to, and there lies the problem.

#11

I feel so weirded out telling people my personal issues for example hair, i feel they’ll think im crazy or something. But …i dont want to be like this forever. I HATE this feeling! Merck lied about the safety of finasteride. I was always pro-fin, but now there’s no pure coincidence cuz so many people describe a crash and if so many people get it…it cant be a coincidence. Thanks, ill try so hard to avoid all of this and get help.

#12

i’m just gonna do what i wish someone did for me when i was 18 and took this drug. Don’t. Please don’t.

There is not a single thing I truly regret in my life besides taking this drug, and I only took it for 13 or 14 days. I’m 20 now and there are still many days where regret weighs on me heavily, including today. It was a horrible decision I made and I can’t even imagine how much better my life would’ve been if I hadn’t fucked up.

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#13

I’m so sorry man. I’m glad I didn’t take it. The pills literally fell and they are all over my bag (i hid them in the small pocket and it’s all over there and I’m too scared to actually pick them up even tho I did it before) any advice ? I want to avoid it 100% and not even think about it

#14

Just throw the bag :grin:

2 Likes
#15

It’s my new school bag tho my parents would question it ahha

#16

Yo guys IM FREAKING OUT IS FINASTERIDE IN MY SYSTEM???

I just remembered I split the pills using pill cutters and I remember cleaning the powder with my hands (although I washed my hands after thank God) but I researched and said it can be absorbed through your skin …please tell me it’s not in my system

#17

Dont take Fin. This is the best thing you can do in your life, go out and seek natural remedies for your mental problems. Dont use any kind of drug for them. And no, its not in your system, thats bizarre.

1 Like
#18

Thank god thank you for your response. And yeah but what can I do about my hairloss? Can Minoxidil and microneedling save me time ? And is liquid better or foam? I’m mainly worried about my frontal hair my crown is solid and my sides are decent, temples receded though

#19

Minoxidil is the same, a lot of peoppe crashed with it. Its poison. I would wait and make a hair transplant in future or something. Or just shave your head and be happy with yourself. I took Accutane for my acne and now suffering. I would choose to live with full acne until i die in old age to this situation we are in.

#20

Can I ask you, do you actually look bad without hair? Because it’s definitely an androgenic feature and you’re basically fighting against your own virility by trying to prevent it.