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)?
US
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?)
Reddit
What is your current age, height, weight?
28, 5’-8”, 143lbs
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Finasteride
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1mg/day
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Hair loss
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
3months
Date when you started the drug?
May 2022
Date when you quit the drug?
July 2022
Age when you quit?
27
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
Three weeks in hindsight
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
[x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[x] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[x] Loss of Morning Erections. 50/50
[x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[x] Watery Ejaculate
[x] Reduced Ejaculate
[x] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ]Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] 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
[x] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[x] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[x] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[x] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[x] 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
[x] Frequent urination
[x] Lowered body temperatures sometimes in genitals
[x] Other (please explain)
Bi-lateral vericocele
Hydrococele
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Creatine
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)?
Post, All hormones I have tested have been within range according to GP
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
I had a small varicocele on my left side prior to Finasteride that increased about 3x in size since stopping Finasteride (grade3). Also developed a second varicocele vein in my right side and a hydrococele shown by ultrasound.
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
Started taking Finasteride 1mg daily for hair loss back in May 2022. About 3weeks in I couldn’t get hard with a girl, wrote it off and kept taking the pills until July 2022.
First two or three days after stopping were the worst, sudden onset of mental confusion, brain fog panic general malaise. As well as physical changes.
I felt something like a DEFLATION in my pubic mound area, as if I had a balloon there and the air escaped.
My penis narrowed and lengthened and turned grayish, numb, cold to the touch and I had trouble urinating.
My penis is still narrow, rubbery, numb and longer than usual while flaccid, seems like it never retracts now.
I have pains in the top side of my shaft, root of my penis and balls.
Mentally I felt beyond horrible, and was contemplating suicide at least 18hours out of the day. About 6months in I started taking creatine 5g every morning on an empty stomach and after about 5 days I felt less shitty mentally, I think anhedonhia and worst of the brain fog cleared up. Life still sucks but I can think about and feel other things now. I kept taking Creatine for about 2mo but felt no more benefits past that first week.
Today my Urologist has prescribed me Cialis 5mg daily, instead of the 20mg as needed
Also he referred me to a second urologist to possibly perform a varicocelectomy.
Has the surgery or daily cialis helped anyone here in improving their function?
Any advice appreciated. Tyia
Self-reporting template - ONLY USE FOR FUTURE POSTS TO REPORT ANY TRIALS OF TREATMENTS, NOT YOUR INITIAL MEMBER STORY
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Name of the therapy/substance:
- Dosage:
- How often you took it:
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Status
- Still using [ ]
- Stopped with no lasting change to initial symptoms [ ]
- Stopped with persistent change to symptoms [ ]
- Duration of use: Days [ ] Months [ ] Years [ ]
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Response when you started:
- Greatly improved [ ]
- Slightly improved [ ]
- Stayed the same [ ]
- Slightly worsened [ ]
- Greatly worsened [ ]
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Current response (if you’re still using the therapy/substance) OR Response in the time before you stopped the treatment
- Greatly improved [ ]
- Slightly improved [ ]
- Stayed the same [ ]
- Slightly worsened [ ]
- Greatly worsened [ ]
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Lasting changes to initial symptoms after cessation (if you have stopped for more than 3 weeks)
- Greatly improved [ ]
- Slightly improved [ ]
- Stayed the same [ ]
- Slightly worsened [ ]
- Greatly worsened [ ]