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Where are you from (country)?
USA -
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 propecia side effects -
What is your current age, height, weight?
21 , 6 feet, 150 pounds -
Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Former division 1 athlete, now just play low intensity pick up basketball from time to time. -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Not the healthiest. Blessed with unbelievable metabolism, and I eat everything from fast-food, to salads. -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
I began taking it at 19 during college, and wanted to delay the process of MPB -
For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
10 months -
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
Began using when I was 19 in July of 2011 -
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
Discontinued use May 7th, 2012 -
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold Turkey (Could be considered taper off because I took a pill every other day to save money and I believed it reduced sebum build up on my scalp) -
What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Propecia -
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1 mg a day until April, then I began to take 1 pill every other day -
How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
Never had any mental side effects until May 7th, no sexual side effects -
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
[ ] 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 to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[x] Confusion
[x] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[x] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] 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”
[x] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Some multivitamins -
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)?
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Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
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Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
When I began taking the drug, I was a division 1 athlete in tip top physical condition. I ran a 4.5 40 yard dash, 2 miles in 11 minutes, could jump out of the gym, and I always had energy. I was a finance major, had a sharp memory, and was always aware of my surroundings. The next 10 months went by fairly routine until May 7th, 2011. The night of May 6th I remember going to see the avengers and having difficulty following the film but I didn’t think much of it. After the film I returned to my friends apartment and felt exhausted around 8 o clock so I laid down for a nap. I woke up around 11:30 and went to my girlfriends apartment to sleep there. The next morning I woke up and felt normal as usual, so I collected my things and went to my apartment. As I stepped through the door I felt as if the ground had shifted and a massive panic attack came over me. I ran to my bathroom and began throwing up. My mind raced for the next 3 days and I was unable to eat or sleep. My vision was blurry and I couldn’t remember things I had said on the phone or watched on tv. I was in a state of depression and thought the only way out was suicide. I left my apartment once but had to quickly return because of my anxiety and paranoia. After 3 days my anxiety and paranoia subsided but the blurry vision, memory problems and concentration difficulties remained constant. I returned home for summer break but did not inform anyone of how I was feeling because my mom always said I was a hypochondriac and I assumed I would get better. My cognition has improved slightly but I still don’t feel like this world is real. My vision is still blurry and although I try to do things normally, I know that something isn’t right. I have difficulty remembering things I did the day before and I always feel out of it. I also had psoriasis on my penis for 3 months in july, august and september. I have only driven twice in the past year because I don’t feel comfortable with my vision and concentration problems. I definitely feel better than I did compared to the first few months off of propecia, but not too much has changed since then. I don’t think I have the mental capacity to complete college, or be with my girlfriend if I can’t get over this.