Where are you from (country)?
FRANCE
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
What is your current age, height, weight?
29, 175cm, 78kg
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.)?
1 mg
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Hair loss
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
2months
Date when you started the drug?
03/12/2024
Date when you quit the drug?
02/02/2025
Age when you quit?
29
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
2months I stopped immediately
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Tinnitus (it has improved but is still present, more or less depending on the day). Some days I can’t hear it at all.
Anxiety (it comes and goes, sometimes very intense, sometimes not at all).
Depression (it comes and goes, sometimes very intense, sometimes not at all).
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
[] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[] Erectile Dysfunction
[] Complete Impotence
[] Loss of Morning Erections
[] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[] Watery Ejaculate
[] Reduced Ejaculate
[] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[x] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[x] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[] Prostate pain
[] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[x] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
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)?
I didn’t have pre blood tests but my blood tests at 15 days after stopping.
Total testosterone : 300 ng/dL
Free test : 6,5 pg/ml
Bio test : 1,05 ng/ml
DHT : 0,17 ng/ml
Am now on TRT since 4 weeks
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
Everything started on February 2, 2025, two months after starting 1mg of Finasteride.
One evening, I experienced tinnitus, which triggered a panic attack. This was followed by two horrible weeks with intense anxiety, worsened tinnitus, and waking up in a state of panic…
I was prescribed an antidepressant that I didn’t take (I work in the healthcare field). I had a blood test done, with normal results for everything except testosterone, which seemed low (as well as DHT, but that’s normal only 15 days after stopping the treatment), so I was prescribed TRT (250mg testosterone enanthate every 2 weeks).
I started on February 25. I have no physical symptoms, but I tend to read a lot and worry a lot about what will happen next.
My anxiety has definitely improved compared to the beginning, but it fluctuates throughout the day and sometimes is absent, while at other times it can be very intense. I no longer have panic attacks, or if I do, they are only “beginnings” that I can manage. I have also developed some horrible anxieties, like taking a nap or being alone in a quiet place… it doesn’t make sense, but sometimes everything feels anxiety-inducing. Depression is also very inconsistent throughout the day, and I associate it with anhedonia when it’s present. I tend to feel a lot of guilt because
I have a young child, and it eats me up inside that I sometimes can’t be the same great dad I used to be.
To summarize, I am 49 days off the treatment, and mental symptoms persist intermittently (anxiety, depression, melancholy, tinnitus).
I don’t even know if I can consider myself as having PFS or if there’s still hope for improvement or even a full recovery. Right now, at times, I feel like I’m not the same and see things in a very negative way.
I would love to be reassured and not soak in everything I read. Any advice or opinions are welcome, and I hope you will have good news for me based on your experiences or readings. Thank you.