New here and really scared.

Member Stories
#1

Hi guys. I started having some problems recently which led me to look into propecia. Like most people on here I took it for MPB and was assured of its safety. If I’d had any hint that persistent problems could occur I would have stayed well away and now I am so scared this may be permanent. Here goes with the questionnaire…

  1. How did you find this forum?
    Searched online for Propecia problems

  2. What is your current age, height, weight?
    29, 5’9", 157 lbs (11 stone)

  3. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    Yes. I teach martial arts twice a week and perform either cardio or weight training another 2 to 3 days per week on top of that.

  4. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    Im a meat eater. recently have been snacking on almost anything but usually pretty healthy, sometimes cut out carbs when getting in shape.

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

  6. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    First started around Sept 08 and continued for 1 year. Then stopped for approx 8 months. Then restarted in May 2010 and just stopped again a few days ago (26th August 2010)

  7. How old were you when you started Finasteride?
    27

  8. How old were you when you quit?
    29

  9. How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
    Cold Turkey when I started getting side effects and linked them to the propecia. This was only a few days ago. Should I wean off?

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

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

  12. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    It wasnt until almost 2 years after first starting that I noticed any side effects. But now that I know what the side effects are I feel like I have had some of them for much longer. My sleep patterns have been pretty rubbish but could be just me as normal.

  13. 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
[X] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[X] Loss of Morning Erections
[X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[X] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[X] Watery Ejaculate
[X] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[ ] 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
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[X] Depression / Melancholy

Physical
[X] 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
[X] Joint Pain (I have always had this though but lately my back is much worse)
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

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

[X] Other (please explain)
Since first getting the erectile problem which was only a few days ago I have been mortified which has led to me being totally depressed and cant be bothered with anything. Im scared to try and get an erection because every time I do I fail and this leads to more upset and depression. Recently I cant sleep at night so stay awake all night, then get a few hours sleep and Im awake again. Always having headaches lately. Also had 2 ear infections and a head cold just before the ED symptoms kicked in. Not sure if its related but it seems everything has come at once.

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
    None

  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)?

  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 I started Propecia and Minoxidil about 2 years ago. I used it for a year and hair recovery was good and I didnt notice any side effects so I was happy. After the year I decided to shave my head so I stopped taking. About 9 months later I became conscious of my hairline receeding so decided to start the course again. I had been on the new course for around 3 months when one night during sex with my gf (about 3 weeks ago) I noticed that it was taking a long time to become erect and it took a lot of focus. Once I was erect I was fine so I thought no more of it. 2 further weeks passed without incident and then about 3 days ago the same thing happened but this time I could not become erect at all. I was excited and keen but just could not become erect. We just kind of put it down to tiredness and my gf went to sleep. I was so scared that I got up in the night and went to the bathroom to try and masturbate. Again I could only become semi erect but still soft and this took a lot of effort. I actually ejaculated without an erection and it seemed like just water coming out. Immediately I remembered a comment I had seen about Propecia linked to ED so I started looking online and found so many people with the same problem. Its been 3 days now since that incident and I havent been able to get an erection since. I still get excited and I can still ejaculate when I try but I just dont get hard. Prior to this my gf and I would have sex regularly and I never had a single issue. I used to get erections at the bus stop for no reason for crying out loud.

Thinking back I cant remember the last time I had a morning erection. Never thought of it before as I always got them when I needed them but now it seems like that has been the case since I started taking Propecia.

I know that I only got my first erectile problem a few days ago and its only been a few days since I stopped but I am so scared. I am in tears many times a day and its all I can think about. My girlfriend loves me so much and she assures me that I will be fine but after reading about it I am not so sure.

I guess I just wanted to talk to other people who have suffered and see if there is anyone that has recovered fully after stopping the medication. I’d love to hear that it will go away and I will be fine but Im just so scared that I have ruined my life for the sake of regrowing some hair.

Thanks for listening.

#2

Well, hopefully you will be in the majority of people where the sides go away after discontinuation. For alot of us though that never happened. But, its way too soon to draw conclusions at this point.

You might want to consider a full hormone bloodtest. Definately get a bloodtest if the sides dont go away in a few months time.

I’d go to your doctor and tell him the side effects you’re having now. At least you will have record of reporting the sides should you need it later for legal action.

In the meantime take as good of care of yourself as possible. Work out, eat very healthy, no tobacco or binge drinking, illegal drugs, etc. Try to stay as calm as you can. (trust me , I know that isnt easy).

PS- I’d be really careful how much you masturbate or have sex in the upcoming months. The day I crashed I masturbated three times (Yea, I know. I dunno what got into me) the night before. Day after that I shunk up to like nothing. Having an orgasm takes alot out of you. There is electrical charges that get released in the brain, hormones, etc that get released. I think that is what finally caused my “crash”. I havn’t been the same since.

#3

You’ll be alright. Dont be scared.

#4

WEEN OFF. There is a phenomonon called a ‘crash’. I’ve had two of them. My most recent one put my chances of recovery to almost nill. If you crash it will be the worst nightmare of your life. Your testosterone will drop rapidly, you may experience mental problems, muscle loss, extreme penile and testicular shrinkage and won’t be able to sleep for days. You need to avoid this at all costs. I cannot stress this to you enough. This is real.

-ween off. No one has ever crashed while still on the drug to my knowledge. Do not quit cold turkey. Go off of it very gradually. Even if it takes a month or two.
-Do not drink a drop of alcohol. Alcohol will throw your body out of balance even further and cause you to potentially crash.
-No junk food.
-Do not masturbate to Bostons point
-Do not stress yourself out. Stress will also put your body out of balance.
-You should be totally fine if you follow the above protocol.

#5

Yes, good point. WEEN OFF. There is a list of protocols how to do it here on this site.

Proscarred, where do you get that you have no chance since your second crash? I also had second crash. But, I dont think that puts me or you out of the running for improving again unless I am missing something here.

#6

I would just thoroughly endorse what proscarred has said and add that it would be a good idea to supplement with 50mg of zinc a day while you ween off and maybe some vitamin d.

Yes this is a super potent drug but how you stop it matters. Most newbies probably only have a vague idea of how hormones work. Anything else that interferes with hormones (alcohol drops testosterone and raises estrogens, stress/depression can reduce testosterone) could be the difference between having a functioning dick or not. For most of us it’s not being on the drug where it goes to hell but AFTER WE QUIT.

#7

Boston,

I had a second crash after 5 months. I didn’t have the crash recovery crash right away. Or sides recovery crash pattern as most. I had a violent crash followed by two months of hell, then a sudden bounce back and roller coaster ride and 80 percent recovery, all the while having full sexual function if stimulated. If fact I peaked with almost 100 percent sexual function about a month ago. Then my body just got tired of fighting. I think it was because I got cocky and assumed that I’d recover so I drank alcohol lightly, had a few coffees, didn’t watch my diet quit as close. This crash has put me in a place with the worst members. The place where youre completely impotent, layers of fat have appeared even though I haven’t ate much. Hair is growing full force, muscle loss, weight loss, no beard growth etc. I dont think I’ve read of anyone having a second crash that far out and that deep. I felt something switch off about a week before this crash. I felt a little anxiety which I’d not had since about a month after my first crash and my penis was shrinking unlike it had in a long while. I started to take a nap and when I woke up on the couch I felt two weird acute pains, one in each testicle. Almost like signals. Then it went downhill all week, culminating in a massive crash on sunday. I think this is it.

#8

Thanks so much to everyone for the advice. It really is helping just to talk to some people about this. I dont want to bury my head in the sand and I will do whatever it takes to give myself the best chances of recovery.

I havent taken any propecia now for about 5 days. Should I start taking half doses again in order to ween off or have I been off it too long to make it worthwhile now? I havent had any mental problems or crashes. Whatever you guys recommend I will do.

Also regarding the masturbation point. What is the protocol here? Im scared to attempt to get an erection because if I fail I will feel worse. Should I be trying daily or not try at all? Should I masturbate at all?

Thanks again guys - I really appreciate the help.

#9

In my opinion I would NOT masterbate hardly at all if you can help it. Maybe once a week or ten days for the next several months. Your endocrine system will be in a very fragile state. Masterbation takes alot out of you in terms of electrical charges and chemicals in the brain.

No one really knows why some people crash and others dont. It is certainly possible that how you go off Fin can be a difference maker.

Likely you’ll be fine but you’re wise to be very concerned. Follow the ween off protocols outlined on this site for dosing. Abstain from masterbation as much as you can, eat healthy, abstain from drugs/alcohol, avoid stress, and get plenty of rest and sleep. Probably wouldnt hurt to continue to work out with an emphasis on weights.

#10

Bear in mind that your sleep disturbances could be a result of stress, worry, and depression over what is happening. I’m just saying this because I don’t want you to compound your worry by thinking that the abnormal sleep patterns are necessarily a direct result of taking (or coming off) Finasteride.

Like you I came off Propecia cold turkey on Tuesday (it’s now Saturday), after 7 years taking it.

Could someone show me the link to where the “weening off” protocols are? I’ve only just read what all you guys have said about not going cold Turkey so I want to make sure that I don’t have a crash.

“Terrified”, obviously I would highly recommend you do the same.

#11

Welcome Terrified,

Try to get a very thorough blood test done. There are two lists on the website that highlight what hormones and proteins should be tested. Get as many as you can tested. This drug effects dozens of hormones in the body, so you need to see as many as possible.

Post your test results on the site too, so we are able to see them. There are many here that can point you in the right area to begin looking if we can see your results.

#12

Thanks again for all the help and support guys.

I went to my doctors on Friday and they were well aware of these side effects in relation to Propecia. I was referred for a load of blood tests but I didnt have the list from this site with me so I know I didnt get all of them that are recommended on here. Had the tests on Friday and should get my results next week hopefully and will post them all here.

One thing Im concerned with now is the weening off. My doctor said to stop taking the meds immediately. Ive been off them now for over a week and havent had any crashes. In fact after talking to you guys Ive been working out and actually feel pretty good. Trying to stay positive and in a happy frame of mind. Last 2 nights Ive slept better then I have in a long time. As its been over a week Im worried about starting to take Propecia again even in reduced doses. Part of me would rather stay well clear and just stay as healthy as I can but if you guys really think that I need to ween off then I will.

Thanks again everyone!

#13

there could be millions of people in the world on propecia, there are 1400 on this site. I would take it as face value that you are alright and i wouldnt touch the crap again. Thats just my personal opinion though.

#14

“Terrified”, I am currently pondering the same question, whether or not to stay cold Turkey or wean off. I have been completely off Propecia for almost a week. In that time (and I realise it’s still early days yet), I’ve not had a crash. To be honest, my joint pain has improved dramatically since coming off the drug, and that was my main concern, and as everything else seems to stable at the moment, then I would rather not start taking it again at all (even to wean off). The joint pain was advancing that rapidly that I don’t want to risk any more damage to my joints. However obviously, bear in mind that everyone is different. I’m just letting you know that i’ve been having the same thoughts that you are having.