Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.
Where are you from (country)?
Israel
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?)
What is your current age, height, weight?
23, 1.81m, 80kg
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
finasteride
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1mg/day
What condition was being treated with the drug?
mpb
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
5 years
Date when you started the drug?
2019
Date when you quit the drug?
2024
Age when you quit?
23
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
5 years
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
checked below
Check the boxes that apply. You can save your post first, then interactively check/uncheck the boxes by clicking on them. If your symptoms change, please update your list.
Sexual
[ ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ X] Erectile Dysfunction
[ X] Complete Impotence
[ X] Loss of Morning Erections
[ X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ X] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[X ] Watery Ejaculate
[X ] Reduced Ejaculate
[X ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ X] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[X ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ X] 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
[X ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ X] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[? ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ?] Muscle Wastage
[X ] 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] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[X ] Lowered body temperature
[ X] Numb body skin
[ X] Burning body skin
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
none this far
If you have pre or post-drug blood tests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (please post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I was on finasteride for 5 years, enduring slight ED, I decided to take some time off, after 3 weeks I’ve restarted using. Felt hypersexual for a month, was highly sexually active. Then brainfog and anxiety came. I started a new relationship with restarting the finasteride, I was highly sexually active and also was very anxious due to some relationship conflicts.
After 2 months had a massive panic attack, lasted 3 days. Endured worsening ED and testicular pain so decided to quit. 2 weeks after quitting, after being highly physically active, I crashed massively with whole body pain and aches, I was burning. I was at the ER twice, the second time the psychiatrist there decided to hospitalize me after he was under the impression I was in a psychotic episode and suicidal. I was given a single anti-psychotic pill serquel and was laid off couple of days later.
In the following month and a half I developed complete sexual dysfunction with complete numbness and coldness. My body skin became numb and I get burns. The tinnitus is unbearable and I am very sensitive to sound. I used to squat 130kg, now I barely walk. My girlfriend and family is devasted. My father is a psychariatrist and he is hellbound to treat me with further anti-psychotics.
I am coming from a high economic class here in Israel and I am off work, and probably can be indefinitely if so I choose, I’ve already made myself a lot of money working in tech the past years. I plan a suicide soon and I would like someone to talk me out of it.
Some of my best friends are dying up there in Lebanon, and I wouldn’t mind joining them at this point.
If something can be learned in my case I think that being highly sexually active and under stress makes some severe PFS cases.
Farewell.