- Where are you from (country)?
USA - 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 for PFS - What is your current age, height, weight?
25, 6’4, 180 - Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Starting to exercise regularly again. Low intensity compound lifts. - What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Paleo with rice - Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
Hair loss - For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
5 months - How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
24 years old, march 1st 2016 - How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
24 years old, august 25th 2016 - How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
taper off - What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
propecia - What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1 mg/day - How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
4 months - 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
[x] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] 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
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
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)
[x] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[x] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[x] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[x] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[x] Lowered body temperature
[x] Other (please explain)
Loss of appetite. Loss of thirst.
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
None -
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)?
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Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
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Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I took the drug for roughly 5 months. When I started noticing sexual side effects, mainly lowered libido and mild ED, I quit. Aware that the changes that were going on were related to the drug, I slowly reduced the amount I was taking over the course of roughly two weeks. In the first days of reducing my dosage, I felt immediately better. Then, I started having sexual side effects and low energy. The day before the crash, I slept 14 hours. The next night, I woke up at 3 AM, sweating and shivering. That’s when all the side effects hit me. I had nearly every side-effect on the list above for a period of 5-7 days or so. Anxiety, depression, fatigue, and poor sleep were very intense and the worst of the side-effects. After 7 days, I “stabilized” (felt like I was going to make it through the ordeal.) I’ve continued slowly improving with several minor setbacks over the course of the last 3 months. At this point, I feel about 85% recovered.
Oddly, the ED actually improved after stopping the drug. Unfortunately, lower libido and reduced sensitivity as well as several other sexual side-effects arose. All of my symptoms have improved - some more than others. None have improved completely.
My symptoms seem to be worse after I’ve eaten my first meal of the day, and progressively get better throughout the day. Usually, by lunch time I will be feeling much better and will continue to improve throughout the day. It seems that I experience two hormonal “cycles” in which my symptoms vary: a daily cycle, which I’ve described, and a longer one of perhaps several weeks to a month.
I have definitely seen consistent improvement from day 1. The setbacks that I have experienced are not anywhere near as intense as the first crash and I seem to recover from them much more quickly and reach a better state. It’s only been 3.5 months since I’ve crashed, but I’ve reached the point where the symptoms are not obnoxious, and I can work and live without constantly thinking about it. I pray for everyone on the road to recovery. It’s gotten better in my case, and I believe it can for everyone. It will take time and consistent effort.