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)?
Australia
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 search - PFS forum
What is your current age, height, weight?
25 years old, 193cm, 100kg
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.)?
1mg daily
What condition was being treated with the drug?
AGA - androgenetic alopecia
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
5 months
Date when you started the drug?
August 2023
Date when you quit the drug?
January 2024
Age when you quit?
23 years old
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
3 months
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Erectile dysfunction, penile atrophy + fibrosis, pain in perineum, Peyronies disease diagnosis, venous leak
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
[ x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[x ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[x ] Loss of Morning Erections
[x ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[x ] 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
[x ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[x ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[x ] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ x] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[x ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x ] 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
[x ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
Diagnosed with Peyronies disease by multiple urologists. Side effects almost entirely sexual, rendered essentially impotent with no improvements since onset (Jan 2024).
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Vacuum therapy, traction therapy, pelvic floor physiotherapy, radical diet changes, strength and stretching exercise, daily tadalafil, Arginine, L-Citrulline, tribulus terrestus, vitamin E, vitamin D, magnesium, L-carnitine etc.
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)?
Do not have access to these results at this time though no notable hormonal changes.
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.
Was sitting on the fence as to whether to try the drug (unhappy with hair loss however did not possibly imagine this was possible). Was reassured by both GP and doctor who prescribed me (online service similar to Hims etc) that any side effects would resolve on cessation. 3 months into daily use I woke up with a palpable lump on the shaft of my penis, resulting in narrowing and hourglass deformity during erections. Since then have developed another plaque, fibrotic changes to penis, more narrowing and shortening and almost total erectile dysfunction. Unable to maintain an erection without manual stimulation, erections are painful. Tadalafil has helped to restore some blood flow although I can only tolerate a very small dose due to side effects I experienced (blurred vision, headaches). Absolutely zero morning erections, if I didn’t touch my penis I’d never have another erection I suspect. Essentially lived in torment since onset, constant suicidal ideation and rumination. I have seen 5 different urologists who all say the same thing (wait and see or use pills/injections). Looking into trying PRP and shockwave therapy in near future.
Self-reporting template - ONLY USE FOR FUTURE POSTS TO REPORT ANY TRIALS OF TREATMENTS, NOT YOUR INITIAL MEMBER STORY
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Name of the therapy/substance:
- Dosage:
- How often you took it:
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Status
- Still using [ ]
- Stopped with no lasting change to initial symptoms [ ]
- Stopped with persistent change to symptoms [ ]
- Duration of use: Days [ ] Months [ ] Years [ ]
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Response when you started:
- Greatly improved [ ]
- Slightly improved [ ]
- Stayed the same [ ]
- Slightly worsened [ ]
- Greatly worsened [ ]
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Current response (if you’re still using the therapy/substance) OR Response in the time before you stopped the treatment
- Greatly improved [ ]
- Slightly improved [ ]
- Stayed the same [ ]
- Slightly worsened [ ]
- Greatly worsened [ ]
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Lasting changes to initial symptoms after cessation (if you have stopped for more than 3 weeks)
- Greatly improved [ ]
- Slightly improved [ ]
- Stayed the same [ ]
- Slightly worsened [ ]
- Greatly worsened [ ]