New Member from UK

Member Stories
#1

  1. Where are you from (country)?
    UK

  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?)
    Search on Google for the following words: “propecia low libido”

  3. What is your current age, height, weight?
    33, 5ft 10, 85kg

  4. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    Yes, cardio and light weights at least twice per week

  5. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    High protein, low carb diet

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

  7. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    Around 9 - 10 years

  8. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
    22

  9. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
    Quit on 01/10/2010

  10. How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
    Tapered off by taking half a tablet for one month, then quit completely

  11. What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
    1mg Propecia then eventually opted for a cheaper generic version

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

  13. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    No noticeable side effects for the first 10 years

  14. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
    Eventually noticed erectile dysfunction and a decrease in libido. At this point I quit the drug but the sides still persisted and in fact got much worse after quitting.

Put an X beside all that apply:

Sexual
[X] 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
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] 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
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Depression / Melancholy

Physical
[X] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[X] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[X] 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
[X] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)

  1. What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
  • Cialis (for bloodflow)
  • Levitra (for bloodflow)
  • Viagra (for bloodflow)
  • BCAA Branched Chained Amino Acids (may boost genital sensitivity, help neurotransmitters and control cortisol)
  • Whey proteins (may help with post workout recovery)
  • Sustain Alpha, Toco-8 and Endoamp (may help boost testosterone production)
  • Cissus Quadrangularis (may help boost testosterone)
  • Longjack, Maca, Yohimbe/Yohimbine (may help boost testosterone production)
  • Triple Ginseng (may help boost testosterone production)
  • Ashwaganda ( may help to control cortisol levels)
  • Ejaculoid (may help boost with bloodflow and erections)
  • L-Arginine, L-Ornithine, L-Lysine combo (may help with firmer erections)
  • L-Arginine and Pycnogenol (may help boost bloodflow)
  • GABA (may help promote better sleep)
  • Ester C, Vitamin E and Valerina before bedtime (may help promote better sleep)
  • Magnesium (for erection strength)
  • ZMA and more recently, ZMK (for better sleep)
  • Hawaiian noni juice (may help boost immune system)
  • Saw palmetto (to help my prostrate but it in fact made me worse)
  • Primordial Performance Liver juice (may help with liver function but I noticed that the pain in my prostrate was a lot worse after taking this)
  1. 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)?

Blood tests immediately after quitting propecia showed elevated prolactin levels. This has now dropped down to normal range.
LH/RH test was normal.
Testosterone levels normal however I have not had bioavailable testosterone tested.
Waiting on further blood tests for estradiol etc.

  1. Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
    Thanks to everyone on this site. Your posts have helped me to get through the past 6 months.

I would say out of all the supplements that I have tried, the best has been BCAA (Branched Chained Amino Acids) and some Cialis/Levitra when required.
Also I found that GABA helped to promote better sleep.

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

Immediately after qutting the poison drug, my symptoms improved but then I experienced a crash around 1 month later.
I had severe anxiety, couldn’t sleep, prostate pain etc. All these symptoms have improved slightly but I still have not recovered.
Since quitting the poison, my libido has slowly but surely dwindled.
Still have some prostrate pain and shrinkage.

Quality of sleep is still poor along with the other side effects such as low libido, soft erections etc.

Cannot believe that this drug is still legal. Crazy.

#2

Thought i would update this thread as there are some other treatments/supplements that I have tried, that i forgot to mention in my original post:

  • Vaccuum therapy:
    I tried this a couple of times.
    It helped me to acheive a solid/hard erection but did absolutely nothing for low libido.
    I would advise to only try this under supervision of a doctor or specialist, as there may be a risk of injury or trauma.

  • Phyto testosterone supplied by Promordial performance;
    I tried this along with some TCF-1 for a few days.
    Noticed that my balls seem to hang very close to my body which i was concerned about, so i stopped this treatment.
    I might restart it and take some DIM alongside these treatments, but i will start a new thread for this.

  • Broccoli treatment;
    This treatment consists of lightly boiling, then eating some brocolli along with the juices left over.
    Definitely helped my prostatis in the early stages after quitting fin.

  • Ball zinger;
    This temporarily helped my sexual problems but is not a cure for me.
    For this to work effectively, I found that i needed to shave my groin area and use some sand paper on the copper/zinc elements to remove any tarnish.
    i haven’t used the ball zinger recently as I’m a bit worried it may reduce sensitivity.

  • Aloe vera juice;
    I’ve started drinking this lately and have noticed that my libido moved from about 1% to around 20%, A noticeable improvement!!
    But the effects seem to wear off. Gonna try upping the dose very slightly.

  • BCAA “Chained out”. This is a supp that I use post workout and it seems to help with muscle gains, erection strength and overall mood.
    The first time I tried it i had solid wood for a couple of days. Definitely a supp i’d recommend. Maybe start off with a small dose though and work up gradually.

Currently I am taking the following supplements:

  • Wellman Multivit
  • BCAA Chained out, for post workout recovery
  • Vitamin E (Toco-8 as required)
  • Aloe vera juice every morning with freshly squeezed orange juice.
  • 10mg Cialis as required, as prescribed by my doctor.
  • 400UI VitaminE, 500mg Ester C before bed. Thanks to bluejaysfan for this tip!! :o)
  • low dose ZMA/ZMK every other night before bed
    I’ve noticed that large doses of Zinc or ZMA/ZMK is not good for me, so i take a low dose every other night.

I am trying to get plenty of rest and sleep.

Also try to walk and run regularly as this may help massage the prostrate according to the following thread:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=691&hilit=gump

I still have some prostrate discomfort (My prostrate pain only started after quitting fin).
Maybe its infection related?

After i read the following thread, i think that in my case a TRANS-RECTAL ULTRASOUND of my prostrate may be useful to check for infection or calcium deposits:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=5076&p=36311#p36311
Just hope my urologist will agree

My hair seems to be falling out, albeit slowly. Hopefully this is a good sign.

#3

Please let me know if you come across an even slightly understanding doctor. I am in London.

#4

UK20

Hope you get better soon man. Just hang in there bud.
I know its tough - i’m in the same boat as you are.

PM me anytime.

You have NHS care so make the best possible use of that. Make sure your GP is prescribing you Levitra & Cialis regularly.
Get referred to an endo and ask for the proper blood tests. Stay positive!!

I’m gonna get back on the spinach diet as from tomorrow!

#5

Quick update on my situation:

  • A recent MRI scan of my pelvic area was normal
  • Ultrasound of my testes was also normal

Tried some Diesel Test tablets and I felt pretty good for a couple of days and then things got worse so I stopped taking it.
Tried some Royal Jelly yesterday and my libido went from 5% to around 40% :o)
Going to keep taking the recommended dosage and hopefully my situation will continue to improve. I would definitely recommend royal jelly.
The brand I’m taking now is freeze dried and is produced by Now Foods. I’m going to see if I can source some fresh stuff and start taking it in low doses.

I’ve also ordered some:

  • Bee Pollen and Propolis (which are known to help prostrate problems … I definitely believe the prostrate is the centre of our problems)
  • Rhodiola
  • Now Foods Thyroid Energy
  • Now Foods Candida Clear

I have completely stopped drinking alcohol. Not going to touch a drop until I’ve recovered to at least 90%.
Ok, well maybe the odd glass of red wine as it contains reversatrol.

I’ve lost at least one stone in weight as a result of excercise and am feeling A LOT BETTER, both mentally and physically.
Going to keep up the regular exercise, spinach diet, no alcohol and gradually start taking the above supplements.
I also take Toco-8 and sustain alpha which helps slightly.

I take Levitra or Cialis as required to help me get it up, but do NOT take both of these medications at the same time.

The past 6 months since quitting propecia have been very very tough … extremely tough. Definitely the toughest period of my life to date thats for sure.
Still have mainly sexual side effects, but I’m hoping that if I get my prostrate checked out via a transrectal ultrasound, then this may shed some light on the situation.

My endo is completely ignorant!
Because my tests were all normal (including my testosterone blood test) he says my problem is physcological and told me that he doesn’t want to see my anymore.

#10

Quick update.

The following supplements do not agree with me and may be of benefit to others thinking of taking these supplements:

  • Zinc; causes shrinkage if taken regularly
  • Arginine: causes my gyno to flare up and makes my testicles hurt.
  • Tribulus or Ashwaganda: both cause my gyno to flare up and takes several days to subside.
  • Magneiusm chloride, or magnesium oil; causes an itching sensation all over my body including in my prostate
  • Milk thistle: causes pain and burning in my prostate
  • Nettle root: causes pain and burning in my prostate
#11

You seem to be evaluating all these supplements you are taking a lot. Maybe it’s best you just laid off everything for a while, especially supplements, which at the end of the day are likely to do nothing for us.

#12

This is because zinc will reduce copper if taken regularly. Get your zinc AND copper levels checked after taking zinc regularly. You may need copper added.

#13

If taken sporadically and randomly, then yes.
If taken in association with blood tests, whilst monitoring the knock-on cascade effect of taking each mineral, they will improve health significantly.
You need to think about adequate longterm management of zinc, copper and magnesium for sure.

JN

#14

I had the same symptoms, then they got worse and I started to bleed. Eversince stating VitD3 I have got somewhat normal in that area.

#15

I have similar symptoms. The whole perineum/ prostate area feels dead.

#16

I’ve been taking some magnesium lately to help my sleep. (around 300mg) before bedtime.
It has helped improve my quality of sleep but I’ve noticed that it seems to cause swelling around my lips and make my lips look more feminine :angry:
So i’m staying off magnesium and hopefully the problem goes away.

I’ve bought some chinese bitters from sensiblehealth.com and this is my second day of taking it
(take around one teaspoonful per day before breakfast)

I also bought some coptis but might not take any, as it contains Baikal Skullcap which
according to the following thread, has the same effects as 5ar inhibitors:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5611&hilit=coptis

#19

Nomiman, are you seeing an NHS doctor?

I am forever baffles as to why guys like you can take the drug for all those years and then as you come off, all hell breaks loose. Something very strange has happened to us, that’s for sure.

#20

That sounds like a lot of Clomid. Make sure you keep an eye on your estrogen levels.

#22

I’m on Day two of PCT (Post Cycle Therapy) same as many body builders do after they quit steroids.

I’m taking 25mg of Clomid every other day (prescribed by Dr McGovern)
On the days that i don’t take Clomid, I take Tamoxifen, 10mg morning and night (prescribed by Dr Rynne)
Both of these Doctors (Dr McGovern & Dr Rynne) are in based in the Dublin area of Ireland and are very understanding.

Dr Rynne said there was not much point in referring me for any further blood tests as everything is in range.
Dr Rynne was willing to put me on TRT straightaway, but this is something that i’m not keen on (its a lifelong commitment) so he prescribed me Tamoxifen instead after i showed him the following article:-
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3526085

I am very prone to gynecomastia, a side effect which didn’t appear until after quitting propecia ,so hopefully the Tamoxifen will help to alleviate it.
Although my gyno symtpoms have improved since quitting the drug over a year ago, it still flares up if i eat certain foods.

I 'm gonna continue to take the Clomid and Tamoxifen for a few days and see how it goes.
If i react badly to it (like many others on this forum have done) i’ll either stop takings both meds or just stop the Clomid.

If anyone wants to jump in here and offer any other advice, please do so.

#23

Which foods?

#24

Anything fatty or grain based foods bryce
e.g. bacon, bread, pasta

Also if i take any testosterone boosting supplements my gyno flares up pretty quickly.
Its not bad as when i quit propecia though. My gyno at that stage was pretty bad.

#25

Update:
I’ve been taking 25mg of Clomid EOD and
20mg Tamoxifen twice daily (10mg morning and night).

I’m currently ‘tapering’ off on both of these drugs as i have noticed a deterioration in night vision and an itching in one of my eyes. I’ll probably cut out the Clomid altogether and continuing taking a low dose of Tamoxifen for a few weeks.

Other supplements that I’m taking at the moment and will continue to take for a few more weeks/months are:

  • Slippery Elm, Marshmallow and L Glutamine daily (to help with leaky gut)
  • 50mg Zinc and 2mg copper daily (to help with sexual function, as recommended by -JN-)
  • Adrenaplex (for help combat my adrenal fatigue)
  • Garlic and Selenium (for general health)
  • Slow release Vitamin C (to help immune system)
  • Aloe Vera colon cleanse (to help keep my colon clean and help with food digestion)
    - Safed Musli

I must say that Safed Musli seems to work on me very well - it gives me very strong erections Apparrently it help may help to ‘grow’ the prostate
and as fin shrinks the prostate i think this can only be a good thing:

See this thread for further details:-
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5879&p=48065&hilit=safed+musli#p48065

I’ve also bought some Eucommia Extract and will be taking that too but i’m gonna stick with the Safed Musli for the next week or two and will provide another update then.

#26

How do you know that it’s the safe musli causing improved erections when you are taking so many things?

#27

Around half an hour after taking Safed Musli, i get spontaneous erections AND libido.
The only time i have had similar results was after taking adrenal supplements, but those results wore off after a couple of weeks.
Could Safed Musli be the cure for PFS??

I’ve stopped taking Clomid altogether due to vision side effects and i’ve have dropped the Tamoxifen dosage down to 10mg per day.
I’m also on a ‘marrow bone’ soup and vegetable diet and i only eat gluten free bread.
The colon cleanse tablet that i take before bed time seems to be helping me loose weight around the tummy area and i’ve noticed that my bowel movements are more regular now.

Im exercising daily but nothing too heavy.

Blue cloud 87- why don’t you try some Safed Musli and let me know if it helps you?
I can send you a link on where to buy it. Mine cost me just £6.