Last year, around July 2006 (dont have exact date with me) I went to my doctor because a friend of mine was using propecia and he said it was working. I was 19 years old and my hair was shedding so I was freaking out. It was a stupid thought but i figured I might as well start taking this medication ahead of time before I went bald. I had more hair than anyone I knew and still have plenty but shedding more than ever now that I am off propecia. The doctor gave me a 5 mo. supply of 1mg and I took it over the course of almost a year (just being lazy and never on schedule). My last refill was on 4/20/07 so im guessing my last pill taken was around 6/1/2007. It just sucks because I did not even pay attention to any side-effects that propecia was causing. I wasn’t sexually active until January 2007 and that is the last time i can confidently say that I was normal sexually. It didnt even cross my mind being so naive that some prescribed medicine could do this to me. I’m almost 21 now and suffering from post-propecia side-effects. I only get half-way erections in the morning and nocturnally. I didnt even know i had a problem until about July when I tried to have sex only to find out I couldnt get hard enough. Even then, propecia did not cross my mind. I thought it was just nervousness about this girl that I liked. I tried a few times after that and still couldnt get it hard enough. I started thinking about why and then remembered that there was something about propecia that involved sideeffects like impotence. I started researching and found this forum. When i read the story of the guy from the UK i felt like i was reading my own.
Since then, i have had my t level tested and it is in the 575 range. My doctor prescribed me viagra two months ago and hoped that it would jumpstart me but im almost six months off the medication and I’ve had no confident progress. I swear, viagra is like saving my life right now because without it I know i would be depressed. I’m just wondering if viagra use could be bad for you too? I just wish so bad that i never took the damn propecia especially because I didnt even really need it. Im losing my hair like crazy now though eventhough its not noticeable to other people. But i could give a damn about hairloss right now and wish that this whole ED thing would go away.
To be completely honest, I dont know much about any of this stuff. I mean i even had to research exactly what/where the prostate was. I really need some help. I’m honestly thankful for this forum because I was freaked out when I read that guys story thinking it was only him and me who had the problem lol Im going to try and see and Urologist but I’m already leaning to fly to see that Dr. Shippen because I want to do things right from the start. You guys on this forum are what I’m looking forward to so please let me know if you can help me out in any way. Thanks
First, welcome to the forum… although this can all seem overwhelming at first, it is important to stay positive and think logically.
The erection difficulties you describe are consistent for many men on this forum, myself included.
That T level is decent but could stand to be higher, problem is you don’t know what it was before Finasteride unless you had it checked before starting the drug. Do you have any previous pre-Finasteride bloodwork you can reference?
If that is the only bloodwork you have had checked I would advise you to get re-tested as per the complete list in the Hormones & Bloodtests section.
There are many other hormones that can be effected by this drug which are critical to male sexual function and libido, particularly:
Total Testosterone
Free & Bioavailable Testosterone
DHT (dihydrotestosterone – which is what Finasteride blocked)
TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
Estradiol
SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin – binds up Free Testosterone)
Prolactin
What does your doctor mean by “jumpstart”? If he is referring to jumpstarting your endocrine system, he is totally off the mark – Viagra does nothing for hormones.
Viagra (a PDE-5 inhibitor) will help boost Nitric Oxide and induce erections and is useful to help stimulate bloodflow/nocturnal erections, but does not aid with libido.
There are potential side effects to that medication, some rare but serious (blindness, hearing loss) – do some Googling.
Although not as powerful, you may want to investigate Horny Goat Weed supplements – the active ingredient, icariin, is a natural PDE-5 inhibitor and may not have as severe side effects as Viagra.
You could also investigate using L-Arginine supplements (precursor to Nitric Oxide in the body) at doses of 500mg, or 1-5grams per day.
Have you read the FAQ at top of forum? If so, browse through the Finasteride Studies, Other Studies, and the various treatments sections for some info. You need to read to understand what’s goin on.
The drug acts via numerous mechanisms so it may be necessary to investigate on numerous fronts, both hormonal and physical (ie, penile tissues, prostate, gynecomastia [male breasts]).
Dr Shippen is probably your best bet in trying to figure things out.
HOWEVER – since you are located in California you should contact Dr. Irwin Goldstein as well. He has some experience in dealing with Finasteride patients, although I’m not sure what his treatment protocol is. His contact details are in the Doctors section (login to view).
Unless he’s heard of this before, a regular Uro might have some ideas but will likely tell you everything’s normal and this is all just psychological… hopefully not, though.
I suggest you copy and paste, and fill out the checklist at top of the Members Forum into your reply to this post so we can understand your symptoms. You also need bloodwork as noted on this site.
PS: in future posts, please use paragraphs to break up your text (so its easier to read). 
I havent been updating things with me for a while but I just wanted to say that I am working with a Urologist in my area which I got off this forum by the name of Dr. Goldstein and I just got a bunch of bloodwork done which he requested and am waiting for the results…These are the tests:
DHEA-S
androstenedione
total testosterone,
dihydrotestosterone
sex hormone binding globulin
LH
FSH
prolactin
estradiol
PSA
TSH