Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.
Where are you from (country)?
Belgium
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, yes.
What is your current age, height, weight?
31, 1m86, 90kg
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.)?
1,25mg each day for 4,5 years
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Alopecia
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
4,5 years
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
22
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
26 - jan 2016
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
More or less cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
I guess (looking back on it now) 2y into it
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
They all stayed and got worse.
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
[ x] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[ x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ x] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ x] Watery Ejaculate
[ x] Reduced Ejaculate
[ x] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[X ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ x] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ 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 ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[X ] 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
[ x] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[X ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ x] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[X ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[X ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ x] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
OSAS - Gluten intolerance - Nightmares (extreme)
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
So many, but all for symptom decrease: lots of antidepressants (citalopram, zolpidem, trazodone, deanxit, sipralexa, quetiapine, bupropion), psychotherapists, EDMR, hypnotherapy, diets, …
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)?
My pregnanolone was swinging crazy, my dht came out low, but my cortisol was crazy low.
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
That my fatigue is so extreme. I dont hear a lot about that in threads, as I of course understand that all the genital-problems are a major issue as well.
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
At work, i started to get very emotional and tired while there was no real reason. It became crazy. Quit in 2016 im still extremely tired, altho I try everything to get energy out of, both fysically and mentally. I dont have big genital-problems. I can masturbate easily and with joy, but the ejaculation power is gone and semen is watery. Also tested my sperm and got back as infertile …