About 5 years ago, I was about 30 years old and I took propetia for approximately 1 year to combat my hair loss.
Within 5 months, I most certainly noticed my hair growing back dramatically.
However, there were other problems brought on by the drug. After many months, I had a hugely decreased sex drive, and then after a year it seemed that it vanished completely. I could not maintain an erection and I had no interest in sex whatsoever. So realizing this is not normal, I discontinued use of the drug and somewhat cynically expected things to return to normal, which in some ways they did.
I also want to add that I experienced a very unusual sort of spontaneous anxiety on propetia. The way I would describe it is a ‘sudden and inexplicable increase in tension.’ I basically felt some sort of panic out of the blue.
In some ways, I do not have the horror stories to share that many others do in these forums. I am fortunate that my sex drive mostly came back, and for the most part seems ‘normal.’
I still have some other problems worth sharing with all of you in these forums.
For several years since taking propetia, I noticed an increase in problems when I try to urinate. I have had the Doc tell me that I have BHP due to an increase in the size of my prostate. Indeed, I’ve taken several PSAs, the most recent of which indicated a rapid increase in the number, to which the Doc highly suggested a prostate biopsy to rule out cancer. I went ahead and did the biopsy to learn that I have ‘normal’ healthy prostate tissue. It was torturous hell. A process that seems more likely about profit in big numbers than saving lives in big numbers.
In addition to urinary issues, I also noticed a distinct amount of new ‘testicular pain’ which was totally out of the ordinary for me.
In case some of you don’t know, propetia is also marketed as Finesteride. Finesteride is a drug prescribed to lower the size of the prostate. As soon as I realized the dual purpose of propetia, I asserted that there is a definite connection between my prostate problems and propetia. It also seems to make sense that given the intimate relationship between the testicles and prostate that it seemed likely to me that my testicular pain was a result of my enlarged prostate.
Here’s where some of this gets murky. I really feel that propetia is the probable explanation for my problems, and that in order to make it better, this must be accepted as true to proceed with a good treatment. I shared my thoughts with my urologist Doctor who categorically dismissed the notion that propetia could have caused my problems. He said there is no ‘science’ supporting what I said and that it is mostly anecdotal. However, I myself unequivocally disagree with his assessment, and even think it’s small minded and personally insulting.
There’s much more to the story that I’ll outline, please be patient. I think this is where it gets more interesting.
The Doc’s recommendation was to take an anti-inflammatory called Naproxen, which I took for about 2.5 - 3 months. Mind you, I was very reluctant to do this. Taking it went against the grain of what I felt was wise because I observed the Doctor in denial about the cause of my condition. If my hypothesis is correct that my prostate is enlarged and messed up because of propetia, I find the solution of taking a hormonal anti-inflammatory a possible grave irritant that could cause more harm than good.
I would up taking the Naproxen and feeling ‘better’ for the first time in years. My testicles actually stopped aching for a short bit and I thought that maybe I was actually getting better.
After my PSA came up alarmingly increased after the previous one, the Doctor very much pushed the prostate biopsy. I went ahead with the biopsy to discover the tissue was ‘normal.’ I don’t really consider it ‘normal’ because for some unknown reason, it continues to grow.
In addition to the biopsy, they also did the ultrasound on my scrotum and didn’t discover any abnormalities. I also got the telescope in the front of my penis up to the bladder. Pardon, I don’t recall the technical term for it. These probes revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
The way the Doc left it was to say ‘come back in six months for another psa.’ I most definitely mentioned to the doc that I felt improvement from the Naproxen like I never did before, and that I was worried it would not sustain, and perhaps return worse after discontinuing it. He said he thought it would maintain and didn’t see why it wouldn’t, however, he was wrong. As I hypothesized, my condition became substantially worse. It is now vastly more difficult to urinate than a mere 6 months ago. My scrotum has returned to the uncomfortable painful state it was in before the Naproxen.
When I asked the doc, ‘what about my testical pain,’ he apathetically replied something like ‘well many men have testicular pain.’ IS THIS SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER? I am not looking for peace in commune with others who share my problems, rather, I am emphatically looking not to feel pain in my nuts that should not be there in a normal healthy person.
I never really thought that I have cancer. I think theirs is a system of profit taking advantage of scared people in the worst kind of situation. I learned that about 75% of biopsies come back negative for cancer. Wow, they must make a fortune on this treatment! Imagine how much profit they make on JUST the men who DO NOT have any cancer.
Incidentally, I have to wonder if the monumental mental and physical stress I had to endure for the information that I am without cancer is worth it. I felt more stress from this experience than all the time combined with my urinary issues.
Throughout seeking treatment from the Doctor, it’s important to note that he never made one single solitary suggestion about my lifestyle. He made no suggestion about my diet, drinking alcohol, or any other lifestyle habit that may be a detriment or benefit to me.
Worst of all, I was made to feel, and his mode is the same today, that I am concerned with nonsense over the real cause of my health problems.
Let me tell you, I spent 5,000.00 dollars out of pocket to this house of horrors to subsequently be made worse. To have what I think the real problem is totally ignored and dismissed is infuriating, as if I am just some ignorant person.
My assessment of him and all of them is that Urologists are Robotic Misery Profiteers. They are not trained to think critically about your individual circumstances. They’re no less mechanical, nor more profound than a factory arm putting a cog in something, the same over and over, by program.
My Doctor said that I have ‘the worst urinary problems he’s ever seen in a guy my age,’ and yet the critical thought he has put into curing me has been next to zero. He thinks that I will consent to a knife up my rear end to cut away the prostate. However, like I said, this same man ignores the real issues of why I am sick. I want to talk to someone about how to cure my situation given what I KNOW.
All the Doc did was confirm things that I already know. For instance, my prostate is enlarged, my testicles hurt, and that I am not pissing as well as I should be. These are all things that I know. He did not bring any new information to light, unless you consider going through an ass raping hell some kind of information…ah yes, it wasn’t cancer.
I personally feel lost about how to proceed. This Doc wants me to come back in after the six months, but frankly, I’d rather go to a Doctor that actually THINKS and LISTENS to what I say. I don’t want to talk to a Doctor that ignores the propetia factor and I don’t think anyone else should either.
If I am right that Naproxen made me worse, then it’s application without thought to my problems was unquestionably unethical, immoral and disgraceful.
I feel that the whole situation for treatment is one where I have no REAL options, and the ones that I do have are imposed, and since they ignore the very likely truth of the matter, their suggestion can actually make my health worse!
I didn’t have cancer. Did I need the stress of the biopsy? Did the Naproxen really help at all?
The Naproxen caused terrible heartburn. It also seems likely it factored into horrible muscle spasms that I have been having since taking it.
If I am to go to a Doc for help, I need the Doc to understand that I don’t make up nonsense about my situation. I need the doc to take what I say about my propetia use and understand that it really really matters.
The long story short is that Docs want to spend as little time as they can with you if they’re not doing surgery. They want to throw the easiest most generic medicine at you without a moment’s worth of thought whether that’s good or not for your individual case. I feel that the whole thought process and process in general are rushed without real critical thought. It’s all robotic and facts I bring to the table about my situation don’t matter.
The attitude of Doctors: ‘Who cares about your own circumstances??? Take this $mack I throw at you and come back later, I have people to rip off after you, now hurry away!’
I told the doctor that I have to pay out of pocket. He basically stared blankly as if he didn’t care at all. It wasn’t his problem, so who cares?
5G down the drain. Worse health.
Anyone, what do I do??? Trust more Doctor$???