My Story

Member Stories
#1
  1. Where are you from (country)?

USA

  1. 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 searched finasteride problems and found this site.

  1. What is your current age, height, weight?

24 yrs old, 6’2", 200 lbs.

  1. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?

I exercise on and off but usually weights with some cardio

  1. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?

I have recently started eating a more balanced diet, before that I ate pretty unhealthy

  1. Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?

Receding hairline

  1. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?

4 months

  1. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?

24 yrs old, started on 11/12/11

  1. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?

24 yrs old, quit on 3/13/12

  1. How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?

Last few weeks was taking it 4-5 days out of the week, then quit cold turkey

  1. What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?

Proscar

  1. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?

1.25 mg

  1. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?

2.5 months

  1. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?

Put an X beside all that apply:

Sexual
[x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[x] Loss of Morning Erections
[x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[x] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[x] Depression / Melancholy

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
[x] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[x] Other (please explain)

Skin blothchiness

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?

Just trying to eat healthier and exercise more, always trying to quit smoking cigarettes

  1. If you have pre or post-Finasteride bloodtests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (pls post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?

Had my testosterone checked right when I quit and it was 790 (which I believe is normal)

  1. Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?

  2. Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.

I started taking Fin because my hairline was starting to creep back over the last 3 years. I figured what the hell it couldn’t hurt. The first 2.5 months seemed okay, the only side effect was watery semen. Then going into February/12 I started getting a pain in my testicles. For the final month I was on it the pain continued along with the drop in libido. Not to mention my hair was starting to shed so I realized that going through these side effects with zero guarantee that it would help my hair just wasn’t worth it. The last month I was on it I was taking it about 4-5 times a week. Then in Mid-March/12 I quit cold turkey. I have been off of it for 8 weeks. The only good sign is the testicular pain pretty much gone and my semen is back to normal. However my libido (which used to be very high) is very low. I used to have really nice clear skin and used to tan easily. Now my skin is blotchy and instead of tanning naturally I get red. Not to mention the hair shedding has gone into overdrive since I quit Fin. So now basically after 4 months on the drug my skin looks like shit, I have ZERO sex drive and my hair is way worse then when I started and continues to shed. Just seeing if anyone has experienced any of this, any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks

#2

It could be a good sign that your hair is continuing to shed. That means the DHT in your scalp is still doing what it is supposed to be doing. I’ve been off the drug for almost 2 years now and I have not resumed hair loss – a bad sign.

You also recently quit taking the drug and you need to give yourself some additional time to balance out. Merck would have you believe that adverse sexual side effects subside within a few weeks after cessation, but for some people it takes a few months. The best thing to do right now is not freak out as you may be just making a slow recovery.

#3

daveydc82 thanks for the response

I hope your right about the DHT doing what it’s supposed to. However I wouldn’t say its a bad thing your hair loss hasn’t started again (careful what you wish for). I am pretty much past the point of caring about my hair loss however it would be really nice if the shedding would stop. There was a little shedding along the hairline while I was on Fin but since quitting the entire top of my head has thinned out prob around 25-30%.

Have you had any problems with your skin? This is bothering me almost as much as the libido and shedding. Its hard to explain but my skin just looks blotchy as hell (used to have really clear skin). Whenever I get hot my skin gets red. It is very strange and was DEF not a problem before Fin. You said you’ve been off for 2 years, have you experienced any skin problems or heard of this happening?