Mr.'s story

Member Stories
#1

) Where are you from (country)? US

  1. 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 search

  2. What is your current age, height, weight?
    31, 5’11, 205

  3. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    Yes, weight training and cardip.

  4. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    Not really on any type of diet. I pretty much eat anything.

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

  6. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    4.5 yrs

  7. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
    27

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

  1. December 2009.

  1. How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
    Cold Turkey

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

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

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

  5. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
    Brain fog, tingling arms/legs, severe aniexty, heart palpitations

Put an X beside all that apply:

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

Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[x] Confusion
[x] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[x] 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
[ ] 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)
[x] Muscle Wastage
[x] Muscle Weakness
[x] Joint Pain
[x] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[x] Prostate pain
[x] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[x] 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 was prescribed ativan to deal with the aniexty. This was before I knew my issues were from Finasteride. I’ve had to use this on occassion during panic attacks.

  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)?

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

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

I began experiencing symptoms around September/October 2009. I had been on the drug for 4+ years so I never suspected the symptoms were coming from the finasteride. The symptoms i’ve experienced first were brain fog and memory loss. This prompted me to see my family doctor who in turn got me an appt with a neurologist. The MRI came back ok so the doctor gave me ativan and sent me on my way.

Shortly after my visit in early December I found this website and stopped taking finasteride. The first 2 weeks were horrible. Brain fog, a feeling like my brain was expanding in my head, burning sensation on my scalp, trouble sleeping, tiredness, heart palpitations, etc. After about 11 days of this I began to feel better. I felt good for about 30 days.

Then this week I crashed hard. I am dizzy, disoriented, foggy… but worst of all is my anxiety. I have a tingling feeling throughout my body that is horrible. I can’t cope with this. I really can’t. I feel hopeless. I’m having suicidal thoughts which I would never even think of before this mess. I am pacing back and forth at times. I can’t rest. I feel like i can’t control my emotions either.

The more I read about some of the horror stories it just makes me want to give up. I’m just wondering if anyone has gone through this period of feeling better and crashing. I’m hoping to find out how long this “crash” will last. In my current state I won’t last long. Thanks.

#2

Yes, things improve for many with time, but it can be a bit of a rollercoaster as the hormones readjust to coming off the medication.

In meantime I’d get bloodwork per list at top of HORMONES section, to see what effect the drug was having on your endocrine system. This may shed insight into potential treatment areas if things continue to be problematic.

As for your mental side effects, they should begin to clear up in the coming weeks/months, but could take longer. Review MENTAL SIDE EFFECTS section for more info.

#3

Thanks for the response.

I feel so horrible right now I just can’t believe it. I sit around all day waiting for tomorrow. I’m worried about losing my job because I simply can’t function.

This is the worst thing i’ve ever experienced. Ativan helps but I know its only a band-aid and is highly addictive. I’m hoping to just use it to bridge the gap until I can actually stand up and walk again.

#4

If you aren’t already, you might want to consider Omega3 fish oil supplements as they have been implicated in helping treat depression, and improving neurological health.

For anxiety, there are natural herbs which may assist… Kava I believe is one, however it can also have adverse effects.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava

If you can avoid pharmaceuticals or supplements, that would probably be best… try and let your body get back on track on its own, with plenty of rest, good diet and excercise.

#5

mr,

Hang in there Pal. Don’t let this horrible drug beat you. I know exactly how you feel as many other men here do as well.

Things will slowly get better as time progresses. Spend some time going through the recovery area of the website.

I have been off of the drug for about a year. I am not back to 100% myself, but things have been steadily getting better. The things that were the most difficult to deal with for me was the lack of energy, brain fog and other things you mentioned dealing with.

Try the Ball Zinger. I have been using this and some supplements for about 3 months or so. My energy has been extremely higher. I no longer have brain fog. The ball Zinger increases zinc in our testicles and Zinc is extremely important for us men. I also find that I feel best after eating high omega 3 foods like Salmon.

So in short, Try the Zinger it’s only about a 20.00 purchase, you have nothing to lose. Take a hard look your diet and try to remove items that are high in estrogen like Soy. Eat lots of Fish, High Protein lean meats, vegetables and fruits. Also, lift weights and get Cardio. Lifting weights has been proven to increase testosterone.

Good luck,

#6

Thanks Boston.

Its good to get words of encouragement.

I can handle a long slow recovery. What I won’t be able to handle is another “crash.” I experienced one when I quit the drug and the second about a month later (what I’m going through right now.)

I’m going to get the ball zinger for sure. Was actually laughing at the thought of having that thing wrapped around my balls but at this point I’d cut my balls completely off if it would make me normal again.

#7

No problem Mr.,

I found the recovery process for me has not been a straight move forward. It’s more like a couple steps forward one step backward. There are peaks and valleys.

After a lot tough decision making in regards to how to treat my situation, I decided to stay away from all medications including TRT. I am incredibly skeptical about the vast majority of medications now. Maybe a medication helps you one regard, but at the same time it’s causing 5 or 6 other problems in your body.

Try the zinger it works. good luck with your recovery.

#8

I have been a post finasteride sufferer since December 2009. Some of my symptoms included fatigue, debilitating brain fog, memory loss, heart palpitations, horribel anxiety, zero sex drive, etc. I’ve been an avid reader of this forum through the years but have rarely posted. I have been through HELL over the past 2+ years and I hope by making this post I can give someone hope.

I’ve been one of the unlucky folks who suffered with brain fog since my symptoms surfaced. Looking back, I began having brain fog long before I crashed from 4.5 years of propecia usage. I’ve tried a number of different supplements/drugs in an attempt to improve the quality of my life… too many to go in to detail in this post. If anyone has any questions, i’ll be happy to answer.

The one thing that has change my life is the 21 day cleanse by Standard Process. I did this detox in April 2012. Since completing this cleanse in April, I have not had one day of brain fog. The detox has not only cured my brain fog (hopefully permanent) but it relieved my seasonal allergies to the point where i no longer needed the various allergy meds I had been taking for 20+ years.

Now over the years my brain fog had gotten better. It was to the point where i’d suffer only 2-3 days per week. So maybe it was a coincedence that my brain fog disappeared during the same time i was detoxing. Anything is possible. I know this sounds too good to be true like many of the other possible cures. I also understand that people respond differently to supplements/drugs. But I can say with absolute certainty, this was a life changer.

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