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Where are you from (country)?: US
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How did you find this forum: Google
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What is your current age, height, weight? 49 years old, 5ft 8 inch, 195 lbs
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Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise? Yes 5 days week. Running and weight lifting.
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What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)? Low carb diet. Protein/meat, apples, veggy/salad, cheese, nuts, peanut butter.
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Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)? Hair loss
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For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)? 7 months and 9 days
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How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride? Started and ended at 48 years old. Started October 1, 2015
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How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? Quit May 9, 2016 at 48 years old.
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How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Cold Turkey
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What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic? Generic
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What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? 1 mg every day
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How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects? 5 months
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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
[X] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[X] 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
[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)
[X] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[X] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] 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
[ ] 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? Diet and excersize only plus multi-vitamin
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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? Really need support and the hope that I can one day get better. I NEED HOPE.
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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. My dermatologist recommended finasteride to slow down hair loss. He said some men get sexual side effects but those side effects go away after discontinuation of the finasteride. I was stupid and didn’t do my own homework before starting the pill. I took 1mg/day for a little over 7 months. Soon after I felt a decrease in libido, but thought that was normal. Also had sensitive skin on penis and less rewarding orgasm. Around month 4 I started getting very tired, irritable and paranoid at work. At my next Dr. appointment at month 7 I asked my Dermatologist if it could be the finasteride and he said he had never heard of cognitive issues with the drug and said keep taking it. A few days later I experienced penile shrinkage and immediately quit finasteride. Withdrawal was brutal with numb testicles and penis, full ED and severe anxiety and depression. I then discovered PFS while searching on the internet and had a full mental breakdown based on the consequences. I saw a psychologist who prescribed Clonazepam and I eventually calmed down. After a few days the shrinkage went away and the numbness went away. I slowly started getting erections again, but continued to experience some pain in my penis. Weeks 5-7 off fin things were trending positive. Then at the beginning of week 8 off fin my testicles prostate and penis began to experience significant pain and ED returned. Also some nipple sensitivity. This is where I am today. I was feeling like I was on track to beat this, but the week 8 crash has me spinning again that this may be permanent. I really need hope and help by understanding best practices for recovery. If you have real, true stories of practices that may lead to recovery I need them desperately.