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Member Stories
#1
  1. I am from the United States.
  2. I found the site with Internet search.
  3. 42 years old. 5 foot 8, 124 pounds.
  4. Not much exercise.
  5. Diet is balanced. Meat, vegetables, etc.
  6. I took Finasteride for hair loss. It worked.
  7. I took Finasteride for 3 years and 7 months.
  8. I was 35 years old when I started Finasteride.
  9. I was 39 when I quit.
  10. Quit cold turkey.
  11. Used Propecia.
  12. The dose was 1 mg/day.
  13. Noticed side effects probably within a few months.
  14. Side effects on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation:
    [x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
    [?] Erectile Dysfunction
    [x] Loss of Morning Erections
    [x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
    [?] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
  15. I have not undertaken treatments concerning the side effects. My current doctor doesn’t perceive a problem, unless it is psychological, or unless it is because I am over 40.
    15-17)
    Link to blood work results
    http://www.propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6325

My doctor tells me my testosterone is fine, based on my first blood test. The newest test has low testosterone on one measure, but the others are normal. I have high bilirubin. I have low Vitamin D, for which I am currently taking medicine.
I took the test for 3A-Androstanediol-G at a second clinic. It was the same morning, and ninety minutes after the first test.

I took Propecia from December 2004 through June 2008. During that time, I slowly acquired many of the side effects described by others in the forum, including greatly reduced libido, lack of spontaneous erections during the day or night, insensitivity of the penis, and watery semen. Since stopping the drug four years ago, I have recovered from most of the symptoms, but continue to have very low libido, and almost never get erect without manual stimulation. In fact, the libido decreased a lot shortly after stopping the drug. In the last year, libido is usually non-existent, which is a further decrease.

I had high cholesterol a year ago, so I went on a low cholesterol diet for a few months. I lowered the cholesterol, but also lost several pounds to my present 124 pounds, which I did not intend or want.

I could attribute some of my condition to that I am 42 and might not have the same response as when I was eight years younger. But the pattern of my symptoms is remarkably similar to those of others here.

#2

Well, I read all I could from this forum to determine some sort options to reduce my problem with absence of libido, and absence of spontaneous erection.

I don’t think I can get prescriptions from my current doctor, except for the Vitamin D that he has me on now.

From the forum posts, it sounds like the best things to try are:
Strength training, 4-6 hours per week
Tribulus terrestris, maybe 1000 mg
Broccoli treatment, 21 days

Then some lower priority things that work for some guys:
Magnesium citrate, 50ish mg
Zinc, 25-50 mg
Sustain Alpha
L-tyrosine, 500-1000 mg
L-arginine, 1000-2000 mg
Damiana, to smoke

Then maybe royal jelly, paleo diet, and fish oil. I hear good things about yoga.

Some of those prescription medications sounded promising, like Oxytocin and Xyrem, but I don’t think my doctors would prescribe them. And I’ll avoid pot for now, despite the strong results.

This coffee and caffeine avoidance with the Broccoli treatment worries me. Long before ever I tried Fin, I came to understand I needed some caffeine to avoid lethargy during the day, and to avoid making dumb mistakes at work. Otherwise, broccoli sounds interesting.

#3

Well, it’s been a while since my last post. I tried out the Broccoli Treatment, which had no impact really. I have been taking Vitamin D and fish oil, and I had been taking zinc and some magnesium. Stopping the modest zinc and magnesium regimen seemed to help a little, oddly enough.

Some libido has returned after I started up one of the other pieces of advice on this forum. I went on a modified paleo diet, where I avoid all gluten and casein. That’s basically wheat and dairy, and also barley and rye.

I am not back to where I was a few years ago, but maybe that is just a sign of now being over 40.

#4

Hi I dont think that age has so much to do with it . Especially that you took finasteride and see the same symptoms that we all have.
I must say that I used it only for 11 days but developed all the sides almost immediately .
Have you had any improvement at all . Do you have still penis insensitivity?

#5

age related propaganda is from Pharmaceutical companies to cover up their crimes. We have many here who are under 20 and mostly in their twenties but are suffering very badly. Are they too old? Would you believe I know one 80 year old guy who married a 30 year old girl? This guy drinks and smokes too.

#6

MichaelP, I haven’t had penis insensitivity for years. That went away a few months after quitting Fin. For the other symptoms, the only ones I still wrestle with are no libido, and lack of spontaneous erection. As I mentioned above, the libido has improved lately, possibly because of my new gluten free diet.

My doctor claims that low or absent libido is common for men my age. I can’t find clear statistics, but it seems like this level of libido should be more common in men in their 60s, not for age 43.

#7

when I came to the doctor some time last week . He told me that finasteride they prescribe to men over 70 years old , makes me think because it put men in andropause which men at 70 allready are.
What Im worried about is that my libido is gonna get worse (which is terrible allrady) Is there a tendency to rsther improve libido over time or to loose it? (once its pretty bad) I also have gluten free diet. I noticec that cold showers after cardio seem to bring more blood flow to the penis after hour or so .