I have not suffered with this thing for nearly as long as some of you, but the last 8 months has been straight from HELL for me! The good news is I have finally found a solution that works for me!!! I can have great sex, multiple times, sometimes even without Cialis or Viagra!
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I am not a doctor and the protocol described in this post is not intended as medical advice. Consult with one of the excellent doctors recommended on this site that is familiar with PFS and treatment. This post is my OPINION, and I will not participate a heated discussion about it being right or wrong, bottom line; IT WORKS FOR ME!
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I am willing to try ANYTHING to resolve this issue. ANYTHING! I did not approach this problem with the attitude of “I will not do this, or I will not do that”. If it made sense to me, I tried it. What else did I have to lose? It paid off!
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If you think you have this thing AND you are still taking ANY kind of 5AR drug or supplement, and that includes but is not limited to; Propecia, Finesteride, Proscar, Avodart, Sponolectrolone (topical or otherwise), Accutane, Saw Palmetto and many more; you need to STOP IMMEDIATELY! Unfortunately for me, this also included all Minoxidil products that are BRUTAL on my skin collagen (premature aging) and are also known to cause ED. My hair solution now: I have already had one very successful hair transplant and will have another if necessary! As a result, I have a full head of hair that will never fall out!
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I am not an expert on this thing and there are many more knowledgeable members of this site that can explain in great detail the things I discuss, especially the posts from Mew and the other long time members. The recovery thread by JN was especially helpful. I am just going to describe what worked for me and grateful for the valuable information I have learned from other members over the past 8 months of my recovery.
I believe that our Hypothalamus - Pituitary - Thyroid - Axis (HPTA) got permanently screwed up by Propecia (Finesteride). The HPTA is a delicate balance of hormones and enzymes controlled deep in the neurological complexity of the brain. We have some sort of rare predisposition for the HPTA to be permanently “broken” by the effects of Propecia (Finesteride). Not only is the HPTA broken for us, but it no longer responds to treatment as expected. For example, I have found that I have to take supraphysiological doses of Teststerone (200mg or more EW) to feel normal. Other PFS sufferers on TRT have observed this also. There are many excellent theories discussed on this site and many of them make sense. Bottom line: PROPECIA (FINESTERIDE) IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRUG THAT NEEDS TO BE PERMANENTLY BANNED WORLDWIDE!
Here is what I believe the answer is (and is not):
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Supplements alone do not work! There is nothing you can buy over the counter in any quantity or combination powerful enough to fix your HPTA at this point; unless you are within that 3 month window where you will recover naturally; then and only then, supplements may help you recover. I have tried literally every combination and dose of supplements you can imagine including (Tibullus, ZMA, Progesterone, Pregnelone, DHEA, Longjax, Argenine, Horney Goat Weed, Macapure, etc.). I still take a lot of supplements, including some of these, but they are strictly for general mental/physical health discussed later. Please do not reply to me telling me that an over the counter supplement worked for you. They alone did not work for me.
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Our symptoms seem to be similar to a steroid athlete who has completed a long and heavy cycle of anabolic steroids. The HPTA is completely shut down and needs to be restarted. This can be accomplished with the help of one of the PFS knowledgeable docs referred to in other threads. I regret that I did NOT try this HPTA restart protocol before going on HRT myself. However, I would highly recommend Dr. Crisler’s HPTA restart protocol BEFORE going on HRT. Although, all of Dr. Chisler’s HRT protocols are a bit conservative for us (IMHO). I have already done a version of this while on HRT. The 8 week Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) would include:
a. 500 – 1000 IU hCG – EOD for 3 weeks (Do not exceed 3 weeks of hCG at high doses or you risk permanently desensitizing your testes).
b. 20mg of Nolvadex (tamoxifen) – ED for 6 weeks then reduce to 10mg ED for 2 weeks. You can also use Clomid (clomifene) but the vision sides were a concern for me.
c. Check your Labs! – Many things can get out of whack with this PCT, especially Estrogen. Nolva is an SERM and only blocks the effect of Estrogen, it does not eliminate it.
d. If your E2 is high (above 30 – 40), you may want to start a very low dose of Aromasin (exemestane) 12.5mg ED or even EOD, it will reduce E2 QUICKLY and it works well will with Nolvadex (tamoxifen) . Be careful not to get your E2 too low as this can cause more problems with ED than you started with. The general recommendation for E2 is between 20 – 30 pgml.
e. Follow all the fitness, lifestyle, supplementation, and mental health changes recommended below.
f. Gauge you progress by your nighttime/morning wood.
- If the HPTA restart protocol does not work, the only remaining option may be the HRT/TRT described below (IMHO). First off, it’s not that bad at all. In fact, I have gained many other benefits from HRT/TRT beyond solving my ED/libido. I have the body of my dreams! Gained 15 lbs of muscle, and lost 12% of my body fat. My depression is gone! I feel alive, confident, and sexy! I am getting the attention of women again for the first time in months! Here is my entire protocol, including meds, lifestyle changes, physical fitness, supplementation, and mental health. I believe ALL of these are required to overcome this horrible condition we face.
a. 200mg of Test E or Test C 1x EW – This is double the dose most HRT docs (including Crisler) are willing to prescribe. Although I did find an Anti-Aging clinic that will prescribe me any amount I want. I also recommend reading the posts from iwillnotgiveup and others as they have done some extensive research with the Test C doses and frequency. I do my injection IM every Thurs morning with my hGH. I have dosed up to 200mg 2x EW and have discovered the higher the Test dose, the better my ED. However, 200mg seems to be my sweet spot.
b. 250 IU hCG 2x EW – This is a low dose that will keep my HPTA active without desensitizing my testes. It is also supposed to help with testicular atrophy, but mine have not improved much (yet). I do my hCG injections SQ the Tue and Wed before my Test IM injection on Thurs. The natural Test boost helps keep my levels more stable over the course of the week. As the Test C injection begins to wear off on the 5th - 6th day, the natural Test from the HCG kicks in.
c. Anti-Aromotase such as Arimidex or Aromasin – the dose here is VERY TRICKY but basically you need to keep your E2 between 20 – 30 pgml. I can estimate your E2 by my nighttime/morning wood. If get my Estrogen too low I feel like shit, have joint pain, and I have no wood. If I get my Estrogen too high, I will retain water, feel bloated, have low energy and have no wood. My recommended starting dosage for Arimidex is .25mg EOD or E3D, and my dose of Aromasin is 12.5mg ED or EOD.
d. 2IU Human Growth Hormone (HGH) ED – This is optional IMO. However, I am already getting some great results including; thicker skin, thicker hair, nails growing faster, new muscle growth, and a nice full and solid look and feel to my penis when flaccid. The HGH is also giving me firmer erections and explosive orgasms. Downside, it is expensive unless you can get the high quality Chinese imports (be extremely cautious of fakes!). It also gives me a little bit of carpel tunnel syndrome (CTS) and I am on a keyboard all day at work. The CTS is always a side and how you can how good the HGH is. I can also tell by how quickly it reconstitutes with the BS water. The hydrolyzed HGH solid at the bottom of the vial should reconstitute almost immediately into a clear liquid. I am very careful how I handle it and reconstitute it! It is a large and fragile molecule. I take my 2IU injection SQ first thing when I wake up to minimize the negative feedback to my Pituitary and maintain the natural nocturnal GH pulses. I also take the injection at least 30 min before I eat breakfast to minimize the Insulin sensitivity issue that can be caused by eating carbs after an HGH injection.
e. Mental Health – I was already taking Wellbutrin at various doses over the last 4 years. Recently, I have found that it actually helps my ED somehow. My hair transplant doc is the one who prescribed the Propecia, and tried to blame my ED on Wellbutrin. He still disputes that Propecia could possibly have any permanent effect, but he is a GREAT surgeon so I don’t argue with him. Ironically, when I stopped Wellbutrin, my ED got worse, not better! I am currently taking 300mg of Wellbutrin XL ED under the care of a Psychiatrist.
f. Sexual Health – 5mg Cialis (Tadafil) ED. This is a low dose of Cialis that I can use every day and I buy this in liquid form very cheap at extremepeptide.com. It takes about 5 days for the dose to build up but once it does the erections are AMAZING, like I haven’t had since my 20s. It also brings back that full look and feel of my penis even when flaccid.
g. Supplements:
• DIM (Diinolylmethane) – This is an Estrogen balancer that turns bad Estrogen to good Estrogen. We (men) need Estrogen for many health benefits including ED. I use it as a second line to tightly control Estrogen. You need to get the high bio-available or it will not work at all. The best is BioResponse DIM but it is more expensive. I have found cheaper products with the same bio-availability with some research
• Pregnelone 30mg – I supplement with this to support my HPTA and Adrenal function
• T4 thyroid – HGH is known to increase the conversion of T4 to T3 and I supplement T4 to support this process
• Vitamin D3 5000iu – This was recommended by a few of the members
• Vitamin C 1000mg
• Mega EPA/DHA Fish Oil x4 ED – The high EPA DHA also help with the emotional and mental issues I have been dealing with. Plus it is just plain healthy!
• L-Glutamine 500mg 1 ED – The glutamine has some anti-depressive properties
• Glucosamine & Chondroitin
• Amino Acids – The HGH greatly increases protein metabolism and the Amino’s support this process.
• ZMA before bed – Zinc, Magnesium, B6 to support my natural Test production
• Vitamin C 1000mg x2 ED – Helps with mental and physical wellness
• Amino Acids – These are important to take with hGH because your body will metabolize Proteins and Amino Acids at a much higher rate
• Calcium – HGH can use the supplemental calcium to rebuild bone (yes, it does this!)
• Whole Food Men’s Multivitamin
• Biotin 5mg – To keep my hair healthy
• B Complex 100 x 2 ED
• I have just started Vitamin B12 injections and will let you know how this works.
h. I don’t smoke or drink alcohol ever.
i. I weight train heavy 5 days / week at lunchtime.
j. I eat 5-6 small clean meals each day – no simple carbs, no saturated fats.
k. I buy organic meats, fruits, and vegetables – lately I have been almost completely gluten free.
l. I avoid environmental toxins – don’t heat food in plastic, use stainless drinking bottles, stainless steel cookware, etc.
m. I live in Florida so I get lots of sunshine each weekend (vitamin D).
n. I try to reduce stress and get at least 7 hours quality sleep.
4. From now on, I am going to get lots of tail! …and wholeheartedly appreciate the ability to have great sex!
So there you have it. I sincerely hope this post helps you, my fellow sufferers, and I will pop in periodically to hay hello 
This shit is nothing short of fucking chemical castration!!! I GIVE UP!!!