My story...Guess its time to do this

Member Stories
#1

I’ve been in denial for months and I guess its time now…

  1. Where are you from (country)?
    US

  2. 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.

  3. What is your current age, height, weight?
    22, 5’ 10’’, 158

  4. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    Before: 4 Days a week mostly lifting. After: Hardly have the energy/motivation to exercise once a week

  5. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    Healthy. No fast food in years.

  6. Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
    MPB

  7. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    First time 1 month. Then about 10 months off and took it again for 12 days.

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

  1. April 2008
  1. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
  1. January 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?
    Propecia

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

  4. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    Looking back, the first time i took it i noticed them after I stopped but thought it was all psychological. Second time i took it I noticed it about a week after I started.

  5. 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
[X 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
[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
[X] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[X] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[X] Testicular Pain
[X] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[XXX] Muscle Wastage
[X] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[X] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[X] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[X] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[X] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[X] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[X] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[X] Lowered body temperature

[X] Other (please explain)
Acne, dandruff, change in hair texture, increased body hair growth, new freckles over body, change in skin tone/texture, TMJ (my jaw is really sore/tight but I dont grind my teeth, poor dental hygene, terrible sleep…I think I’ll stop here.

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
    About 2 weeks in on Clomid

  2. 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)?
    I will add this later

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

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

Before I first took Fin, I was having the best and most sex of my life. I was nervous about the side effects but believed if I had them they would go away after i stopped. I took Fin for one month until my perscription ran out. I hadn’t noticed any side effects at the time. I guess I was too lazy to get it filled and also had some fear that I might get some sexual side effefcts and it wasnt worth it cause my hair loss was hardly noticeable at the time.

After I stopped, I couldn’t have sex for very long. I also had a drop in my libido which I thought was because sex wasn’t as good anymore. All of this I believed was psychological (my dermotoligist had convinced me the side effects were rare and would go away).

I stayed away from Fin for 10 months and nothing really improved but I just thought it was all psychological. I thought maybe a boost in my self confidence with better hair would help me in that department. What Irony.

I was going abroad and leaving my GF so I thought it would be a perfect time to start Fin again. I started that January and about 1 week after i started I had some numbness and my erections were about 90%. Thats when I looked online and found this site. I quit cold turkey and went to my urologist who checked my testosterone and told me it was all in my head.

I beleived him so I didn’t come back to this site and forgot about everything. Because of the combination of being away from my GF and now sharing a bedroom I didn’t have much alone time to masterbate and to monitor myself.

In April, almost 3 months after I stopped Fin is when I noticed things getting really bad. I had started taking some Valium because my sleep had gotten really bad (i’ve had sleep problems most of my life). After about 2 weeks I read that Valium can cause ED and hairloss. I freaked and stopped taking it. It was shortly after that I learned this that I started to have a sever pain in my penis, panic attacks, and horrible sleep.

I still was convinced it was all psychological. Every side effect I got happened after I read that there was a chance that it was going to happen. I read that after you stop taking Valium you can have severe side effects (insomnia, ED, anxiety, depression, etc.) which I thought was what was going on. My semester abroad was ruined.

It wasn’t until I returned home that I came back to this site and realized that it wasn’t all in my head and that Fin was responsible for these side effects. I have since seen about 10 different doctors who have done just about nothing to make me better. I have been taking Clomid for the past 2 weeks and I have yet to see any changes. I’m starting to wake up and getting ready to fight this…

#2

hey dude it sounds like you may have some stress related issues with the panic attacks etc

have you have any saliva hormone tests doe for cortisol etc?

#3

I didn’t do a saliva test yet but I have had my cortisol levels checked with a blood test and my doctor said they came back normal. According to him, the only numbers that were off were my LH and Testosterone. I will post my test results soon.

The one thing that I believe separates my story from others is that I didn’t get bad side effects until about 2 months after I stopped the Propecia. It was during this time that I started to get pain in my penis, anxiety, and could hardly sleep a wink. I had started taking valium and using Tea Tree shampoo which may be related to this.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

#4

I decided to include details about my “crash” to provide more information about my unique story.

It wasn’t until almost 4 months after I stopped using propecia that my system crashed. Prior to this I had some minor ED, low libido, and loss of morning erections. I was still relatively happy and sleeping well though.

It started with sleep problems. I couldn’t get much sleep so I started taking some valium to help with that. After about 2 weeks I decided to stop the valium because it too can have side effects.

It was then that I started noticing severe side effects. It begun with terribel insomnia. If I slept, it was only for a few hours. then came the pain in my penis. It was pretty painful and difficult to sit still or be around other people. This lasted for about a week and a half. During this time I got really anxious. I couldnt stop pacing around my apartment. I couldn’t sit still. I felt like I was going crazy.

I remember that my legs would go numb when I was sitting. For about 2 days I had this really strange sensation where my pointer, thumb and middle fingers on both my hands went numb. It also felt like there was a nerve connecting them to my elbow that was going numb as well. The numbness was uncomftorble and almost painful (I am curious if anyone else had this happen).

Today, I am doing better since my crash. Still have anxiety but Im not pacing like a mad man. Sleep is a bit better but ED is still there and pretty severe.

During my crash, I never came to this site to avoid and psycholical causes. I originally thought that I was having some sort of withdrawls from the valium (which is common and pretty severe). Im not sure if there is any truth to this but i know the underlying cause was the propecia which is why I needed the valium in the first place.

#5

I’m adding some more history to help people make any connections that they can…

I first took propecia in spring of 2007. I was very skeptical about taking the drug and looked online and only found claims of 2% chance of side effects. I noticed no side effects but decided I wanted to stop after my first perscription ran out (30 days). Shortly after I stopped, I had some minor ED and low libido.

Since I had stopped and then got side effects, I assumed it was all mental and brushed it off. I continued my normal life which included eating healthy and working out 5 days a week. I never saw any improvements in my sex drive or ED for the next 10 months.

Then I made the worst decision of my life: took propecia again. See above for what happened then.

Anyways, hope this helps people understand more about side effects. I must admit that I am very doubtful that I will recover. I never recovered after the first time I took propecia despite working out, doing cardio, eating well and livvng hapily (I also didn’t know about this site so there was not psychological factors at play)…

#6

Kinda off topic but I just got diagnosed with Shingles. This commonly occurs in people OVER the age of 50 under STRESS or with other HEALTH CONDITIONS. Its pretty painful and I have a crazy scabby rash on my side. Its also a NEUROLOGICAL illness. I’m sure there is a connection to Propecia as no one my age should be getting this. When the doctor said it was neurological it set off a flag as I think that fin some how damaged my nervous system.

I’m going to discuss this with my doctor tomorrow. Any thoughts on this or has anyone else gotten Shingles? Thanks.

#7

Oh crap, that’s the revenge of the chicken pox! I’m not sure what fin could have to do with it. I wouldn’t doubt there’s some sort of link there, though it’s probably an indirect result of your general health. Possibly a weakened immune system that allowed it to re-activate? Either way, please do your best to take care of yourself. I’ll be sure to say a prayer for you tonight.

#8

I’m giving an update on my status. Read my story above so you know what happened to me. I’m not on here much at all any more and dont plan to be. But i feel that i owe to the site to do this.

Ok, so this summer I felt like I was living in hell. Had All the mental, physical, sleep and sexual side effects listed on here. I was just about COMPLETLY impotent. Nothing. I thought that I was stuck like this forever.

This fall I made the bold decision to go back to school for my last year. I go part time. The first few months were rough but I could tell I was improving. By november, I was mentally feeling 90% normal (not sure, maybe I just felt normal but couldn’t really remember my old self)

Recently, i have been making big moves professionally. I have been working very hard and capable of doing things which would have been impossible over the summer. I have been very happy but very busy with what I am doing professionally.

As of about mid decemeber, I my sex drive started to rise. I currently service myself about 2x a day without problem. This also started after I stopped taking clomid and became very happy with myself and my current situation. Not sure how the clomid contributed.

A couple days ago, I had sex for the first time in 5 months. I used a little viagra. The girl wasn’t too attractive and I kinda got soft at points. But I had also taken valium which may have contributed. Last night, I had sex with a beautiful blonde. Used a little cialis but not sure that I needed it. I lasted over an hour and was hard throughout. Needless to say she loved it and so did i.

My natural doc suggested I dont take this stuff but rather go to chinatown and ask them what they can give me. cheaper, better and all natural. I’m thinking that soon I will not need anything.

My progress i believe is mostly due to time. I did go to a 10 day health retreat, took clomid for 6 months, and am still taking a big bag of supplements. I dont eat especially health and am hardly physically active (although i used to be very). I never thought the clomid did much and the supplements I really don’t take everyday as I should. Time and living a fun, productive life have been the most important I belive.

For all of you young ppl, read my story and know that you WILL improve. I’m currently 22. I was living in hell for a while, but now I’m loving life again. I’ll admit I considered ending it over the summer, but I am eternally grateful that I didn’t and how much I have improved.

#9

seems you’re doing well, congratulations on the recovery!

#10

Thanks for the update. We need more positive stories around here. Congrats on getting your life back.

#11

Well done mate, it makes me very happy to hear you are getting laid and enjoying it :wink:

#12

Cong bro, well done. I think you PCT did well.
you wrote the reason, it is clomid that you took for 6 months. you did not mentioned when you stopped it. If you have been off for over 1 month then you are out of danger. Keeping in view your young age I think you are out.

#13

The more I read of the wonderful experiences on viagra, the more I want to try it. It certainly can give you the confidence you need, but then again, it’s another suspicious medication.

#14

What do we all make of this? I know labrea had the hardcore symptoms when he crashed and while he may not be fully recovered this reads like the most progress of any memeber with severe sides I’ve seen on here.

Is it down to getting on a long run of clomid particularly quickly or maybe his relative youth has made it easier for his systme to rejuvenate? I know there are lots of other sufferers in their early 20s without such luck though.

Anyway well done mate.

#15

Labrea are you out there?!

#16

I’m keeping my time on here brief.

Basically as of now, my only issue is sexual stuff. Everything else (as far as I can possibly tell) is fine. I’m able to be happy and work, concentrate as much as I ever have been…

I’m so busy I rarely have time to masturbate. But I know that my libido is much less than it used to be. i can usually get pretty hard about 100%, but it dosent last long and usually leads to premature ejaculation.

I’ve tried Cialis, that worked amazing. Rock hard and lasted forever. But after only about 10 total pills (I usually take half) I think i’ve got a tolerance cause it hardly works now.

I really want something to work. Hoping for that magic pill. I’m gonna start a link on another page about my attempts with Cialis and all natural stuff…

#17

Hi labrea

How bad were your symptoms when you crashed compared to now? I mean like fatigue, muscle loss, fog, concentration? How much do you think clomid helped? You say your libido raised after you came off it?

#18

As far as I can tell, every sypmtom other than sexual stuff is completely gone. I work probably 70 hours a week (run my own company and have become a mini celebrity in my city). I still manage to party 4+ nights a week (I just graduated college). I am far more productive and hardworking than any of my peers. When I was at my worst state, I thought I was gonna be on disability for the rest of my life. I am very grateful.

I think that stuff improved with time. Never really felt any great improvements with Clomid but it may have helped.

All I am concerned with now is sexual stuff. Combination of low libido, not getting full erections and premature ejaculation. Cialis was working, now it is not. I am looking for natural alternatives.

I really wanna to figure this out fast. Girls are throwing themselves at me and I’m avoiding them until I am comfortable. Any suggestions?

#19

do u have any blood report ,after the crash and a recent one? u wrote that ur balls shrank did they come back to normal size

#20

I got blood taken yesterday, will have it again monday, and an appointment Friday.

Yes I had about every symptom on this site. Currently, everything about me mentally, physically is 100% normal. I’m mentally stronger than most of my peers. Amazing considering just a year ago I thought I was gonna be on disability my whole life, couldnt even keep a conversation going with my parents. Yes my genitals feel and look 100% fine.

All I care about now is either raising testosterone or finding a cure for my ED problems. Looking for any advice with that stuff. I know it may take time, but currently I want to find some sort of natural medication because I met an amazing girl and dont want to lose her.

Anyone have suggestions? Cialis was great but dosent work much for me any more, and I’ve been trying Yohimbe but still not sure about it…