New and need some guidence please.

Member Stories
#1

  1. Where are you from (country)? United States

  2. 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

  3. What is your current age, height, weight? 28, 5’9", 141 LBS

  4. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise? Yes, run and lift weights, crossfit

  5. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)? Well now I eat much of nothing. When I do eat its turkey and vegtables and lost of water and tea.

  6. Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)? Hair Loss

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

  8. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride? 28

  9. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 28

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

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

  12. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? 1.25 every day for 30 days

  13. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects? 10 days or so

  14. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation? Anxity, low libido/sex drive and mental imparment.

Put an X beside all that apply:

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

Mental
[x ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[x ] 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
[ ] 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
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[x] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[x ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain) I did notice while on proscar that my hair stoped falling out and now it is falling out agian (thank god) My appitite has really went down and I have lost almost 10 LBS in 21 days. the 16 days I had severe anxity which is starting to fade away, I also have a harder time falling alseep and my legs feel very weak. It does however feel like I am slowly making a comeback, could this be due to the diet lifestlye that I have takin on along with the vitamins (Vit c, Vit D 2000IU) I was taking zinc in the mourning but I think it was making me feeel sick so I just stopped takin it today. I try not to think about it but its all that is on my mind, I dont know if I am making it worse then it really is. Its seems like I will take any imput please help

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? Vit C, Vit D 2000IU

  2. 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)? N/A

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

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

Well about 20 days into taking Proscar I noticed loss of sex drive, so I looked it up and found this site well this site was enough for me, I then quite cold turkey. Aprox 4 days off I I had severe anxity/depression, Brain fog and loss of sex drive and severe ED. these problems have slowley been disapating. My question is this just due to the diet and vitamins or are my problems really going away?

#2

If you are destined to recover from the drug’s effects as per the manufacturer’s claims, then quitting the drug would be expected to lead to such resolution of side effects. It very likely has nothing to do with diet or multivitamins, the fact is you are no longer inhibiting 5AR2, DHT and neurosteroids after stopping the drug and enabling your body to try and go back to its normal state.

As it is early days for you (a few days off), hopefully you will find your issues resolve in coming weeks completely and stay that way. If on the other hand you experience further issues or they come back with a vengeance within a few weeks/month, then consider posting here.

#3

So it is normal to still experence these sides 21 days later?

#4

Each individual’s body is different, therefore there is no exact timeframe as to when side effects should abate. However, generally speaking, common sense would tell us to expect any issues to resolve within weeks, or a few months at the most.

If problems persist beyond a few months, then it could be that your side effects haven’t resolved, or there could be other issues causing your problems. Only you know for sure.

#5

Well I made a doctors appointment for tomorrow, can someone tell me what blood work to get done and give me any advice on what to tell the doc? I have been off this drug for 22 days now and I am having weak legs/anxity/vertigo and loss of sex drive. I have noticed that it is way worse in the mourning and when I am active, it seem to go away right around 3 or 4 pm any idea on what may help me. Thanks

#6

Blood tests, short list further down the thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=92

Show the doc articles from homepage of viewforum.php?f=8

What seems to go away?

#7

Sorry for the lack of imput. In the evening most of my side effects anxity/weak legs and I feel like I can relax, to where’s in the mourning my heart beats rapidly and anxity is at it worst.

#8

Not sure what to advise regarding those issues. From the description/timeline you’ve provided, there’s the possibility such issues could be considered psychosomatic by many doctors (mornings feel bad, evenings feel better). However, since Finasteride is known to affect neurosteroid production/GABA-A receptors in the central nervous system, it could be that it will take awhile for your body to readjust from coming off the drug in these areas.

Does your loss of sex drive fluctuate or is has it remained persistently low/absent since taking/quitting Finasteride? For most men with longterm issues, loss of libido is a constant problem and they are no longer hungry for sex compared to before they took the drug.

#9

Mew,
Thanks for the fast response. Yeah my sex drive has lowered I am still able to achieve an erection but it take some work ( I dont have any random erections through out the day) I also really don’t have a desire for sex. I have had sex with my wife three times since quitting proscar and I climaxed in minutes defently not normal for me. I was also woundering to myself if I played this up bigger then it really is (if it all in my head and I am making it worse), its all that is on my mind, I dont know how to stop thinking about it?? I do feel alot better at night. Please dont think I’m am making this up, it truely is how I feel. Thanks agian for your help it is greatly appreciated!!!

#10

Ok here is an update it has been 25 days since I quit proscar, most of my side effects are tapering off but at a really slowly rate. I still suffer from decreases libido and it I feel some sort of pressure in my prostate it’s not painful, but this pressure is noticeable also my sleep still isn’t as good I only can sleep for 6hrs, I did however have some dreams last night. Does anyone have any ideas on my prostate issues and is there a good chance that my libido will come back/improve this late in the game? My penis size and everything is still the same. Anyway I am really watching what I eat and still hitting the gym , I am also taking vitamin D3 4000IU and vitamin C I’m not sure if this will help me or not but it worth the shot.

#11

Ok here my deal I took proscar for approx a month, I have been off this poison for 33 days and most of my side effects are gone. Howener I still suffer from no libedo and premature ejaculation, I know it is still really early for me but the last couple of days I have had severe pain/pressure in my prostate it was so bad last night I almost went to the ER. Does anyone have any ideas on why its this painfull and should I see a doc on this subject or give it more time? I have been taking hot baths and using a heatting pad and it seems to help. I will take any imput please get me some guidence…

#12

You’re still in the early stages so keep your fingers crossed for a natural recovery. Regarding the prostate pain, it’s wise to see a doctor that deals with these issues such as an urologist. Your prostate could be painful as DHT is no longer being inhibited there or you could have an infection after taking finasteride. This symptom seems to clear up over time according to anecdotal reports, however this isn’t always the case and it’s best to get a doctors opinion and research any treatment options thoroughly.

Try to live healthy regardless. Clean up your diet (google “paleo diet” - you may need to increase your fat intake depending on the type of turkey and vegetables you’re eating), get some moderate exercise, don’t stress yourself, and don’t over exercise or overdo sexual activity. Also avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and over masturbation as these have all preceded crashes in the recovery stage.

#13

Ok so I went to the doctor for the prostate pain she said it was inflammend and gave me cipro. My question is will this make things worse if I take it. Its been like 36it days ans my prostate feels like its going to explode.

#14

How did she diagnose that it was inflamed? Simply based on your description? Did she do any tests, cultures etc?

Cipro can have serious side effects of its own, including black box warnings, please do your research if you plan to take it.

Maybe consider getting a second opinion from another doctor and get some bacterial and urine cultures done, as well as a prostate ultrasound, to confirm if there is in fact an infection such as prostatitis. In my opinion one shouldn’t needlessly take powerful Quinone-class antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, and even then, only based on a confirmed diagnosis through several tests.

#15

Yeah, I’m going to agree with this. I wouldn’t touch cipro at all. People get some screwed up joints from taking it, it has its whole host of other problems that will come along with it. Some people get lucky and don’t get sides… but you never know.

Try going on an anti inflammatory diet like lots of veggies and fruits and stay away from junk food. Start walking 30 mins - an hour a day for at least 3x a week… the more walking the better. Take hot baths. Search google for natural cures for inflammation, but I would avoid herbs unless you really research them. Herbs that effect your hormones like estrogen or test may not be good to mess around with, same thing with stuff that would have a negative effect on nitric oxide. I would at least try stuff like that for some time before you try cipro.

seriously… these doctors man… passing out these drugs like cipro like its candy. your doc sees inflammation and says, omg cipro duh thats the cure. makes me disgusted what this industry has come to…

#16

Thanks for the input, I defiantly decide to stay away from the Cipro. My prostate still hurts at times but then again it has only been 5 weeks so we will see. My main problems in this current state are loss of libido, premature ejaculation and I get bouts of anxiety. Some things that seem to be improving are nocturnal erections I have had two in the past two days, I also can still achieve an erection all thought it takes some visual aids. My main concern right now is this anxiety is seems to come and go, does anyone have any ideas on this and I can I prevent it? I did get some labs and posted them below please give me some insight. Thanks again for the help this stuff sucks…

LABS that are high
TSH Sensitive 6.261 H (.35-4.94)
Free T4 1.1 (0.7-1.48
Cort AM 28.81 H (4-24)
TBILI 2.5 H (0.2-1.2)

Lipase 34 (8-78)
Free T4 1.2 (0.7-1.48)
Glucose 92 (70-110)
Bun 10 (8.9-20.6)
Creat 0.93 (o.5-1.2)
NA+ 139 (137-145)
K 3.9 (3.5-5.1)
CL 104 (98-110)
CO2 24 (22-29)
Anion GAP 14.9 (5-20)
CA 9.5 (8.9-10.5)
Protein total 7.7 (6.4-8.3)
ALbumin 4.6 (3.5-5.0)
ALT 13 (5-57)
AST 13 (5-57)

#17

any updates?

#18

Well I really don’t have much to update, pretty much the same lately. I still suffer from ED although I can still achieve an erection with mental stimulation, I don’t suffer from insensitivity down there (YET), my libido is still very low if non existing. I do notice that I wake up with mourning erection more than I used to, don’t know what that’s all about. I still suffer from brain fog but it seems to be getting less and less with every passing day. Some of the things that are helping me cope with this ordeal is trying to keep a positive outlook on life and keeping myself active. Hopefully we will have some more answer from awors research team within a month or so, that way we can move forward to find some kind of relief from this nightmare. I deep down believe that this is fixable due to the fact that we can induce/experience temporarily full recoveries with a variety of different methods (ie, antibiotics, etc). It may take some time but I will not give up. OUT

#19

Well it has almost be a year since my last pill, I guess time really does fly when your having fun (sarcasm). Anyway I figure I will give an update at the beginning of spring I suffered from moderate brain fog that would come and go through out the day, as well as low libido/ED. I did notice as the summer progressed I seemed to start to fell better (I work outside) and found myself almost back to my normal self for a couple of months (except for moderate brain fog), I don’t know if this was due to the high levels of sun exposer or what but I really did believe that I had put all of this stuff behind me. Until about a two weeks ago I noticed my allergy’s were getting me, so I started taking my allergy medication (Loratadine) this seemed to have a positive and negative affect on my PFS. The postive was I no longer have any brain fog what so ever, just like pre-fin days. The negative being I now suffer from no libedo/ED I am really confused as to how this could of happened. It’s like my side effects switched, has anyone else experenced this?

I do want to say that I have been seeing a geneticist at a local university and have had alot of my genome mapped with so far no findings,  I really can’t to afford to keep pumping money into this as it has gotten really expensive. So it looks like I will be donating to the foundation. 

well thats pretty much a quick run down of my first year, hopefully we will have some answer soon, I just wish I new why I keep recovering and then crashing again. OUT
#20

thanks for the update if that is an antihistamine they are known to screwe with ur dick. Perhaps u will get even better this year.