Where are you from (country)?
USA
What is your current age, height, weight?
25, 5 11, 190
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Fin
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1mg/day
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Mpb
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
2 weeks
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
24
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
Day one
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Only experienced insomnia on fin, everything else came after I quit.
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
[ XX] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ X] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ X] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ X] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ X] Testicular Pain
[ X] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ X] Weight Gain
[X ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[X ] 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
[ ] 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?
None
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)?
Sperm analysis said everything ok with barely acceptable volume
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
Was Oct 2017 when I started. Immediately came severe insomnia. Also I enjoyed a strong sensation of heightened test during this time.
Couldn’t take the insomnia so I quit after two weeks.
One week after quitting came the CRASH.
Terrifying, numb member, frequent urination, dropped in ocean of anxiety, brainfog.
Surprisingly enough after about a month everything seemed to come back to normal, I’d say 85%+ back to normal.
But then came a second CRASH after I was smoking a vape pen, I felt something shut off in my head. It was terrifying, I got dizzy and that was the day I lost the ability to feel pleasure.
Now a year later I have low volume, brain fog(the worst symptom for me), occasional ed, and blunted pleasure emotion.
Been droning through life, I feel like I already died the day I crashed, wouldn’t care if I died today.
Interesting incident
Before fin I was a huge pothead, quit smoking after I crashed simply because of fear. Yesterday I picked up some for the first time in almost a year. They gave me a free dab right there on the spot(a dab is a very potent weed concentrate). I got absolutely blasted from it. Very high. I left the weed dispensary, my friend was driving, and all of a sudden I felt a burning sensation in my head/brain, reminiscent of when I first crashed. Well it was different let me tell you, it was as if my andreneline had been kicked on the first time in a year. I felt an intensity, basically hyperventilating. I was absolutely terrified of what was happening, but at the same time I thought, wow, it’s as if the fog has been lifted. I had that sharpness to life again, that focus, ability to think deep. Havent felt that way for even a second since I crashed a year ago. I told my friend I was freaking out and to just get me home. When I got home I was nervous because my penis felt number than usual, but when i touched it it felt ok. That night i felt a tiredness that was nice. Not exhausted, but very sleepy like the old days.
The next day, today, I feel much better.
Brainfog still but there is still some sharpness. I feel much better than I did two days ago, most definitely.
I can think deeper, clearer. Although libido seems slightly lower.
I don’t know if I will try that again.
I predict this good feeling will go away, as a common story I read here that when people drink, my self included, symptoms lessen for about a week only to revert to baseline.
I will update if anyone is interested.
Sorry for long story but wanted to share with someone who wouldn’t think I was nuts.