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)?
USA
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 Search
What is your current age, height, weight?
29,5’9,155lbs
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Finasteride 0.5-1 mg
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
0.5mg daily for 1.4 years, took 4-6 month brake, started 0.5 mg every day again, last 3.5 weeks switched to 1mg every day
What condition was being treated with the drug?
MPB
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
in total 2 years
Date when you started the drug?
around 10/2018
Date when you quit the drug?
5/2/22
Age when you quit?
29
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
1-2 months for 0.5 and 3.5 weeks for 1mg
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Need to urinate in small amounts when laying down, strong urge to urinate but only dribbles. After taking 1mg for 3.5 weeks normal day urine output is gone(if i drink a bottle of water only 15% will come out in dribbles), urge to urinate when sitting and laying, only small amounts of urine, very slow dribble. Developed tenderness of breast tissue, not full gyno but can see it forming.
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
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[x] Weight Gain
[x] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[x] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[x] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[x] Increased hair loss
[x] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[x] Other (please explain)
after switching to 1mg daily I noticed thin and small stools.
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
none at the moment
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)?
will post when my blood test is available
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.
3.5 years ago I started to take 0.5mg of finasteride for MPB. Roughly 1-2 months in I noticed breast tissue forming on left side. Any time I would lay down I would get the urge to urinate but only dribble or small amounts would come out. Took constant back and forth before I could fall asleep. About 1.4 years in I took a 4-6 month brake ( I do not remember the exact months of how long). During that brake elevated breast tissue subsided but I do not remember if my urinary symptoms when laying down/sleep subsided. ( I wish I wrote it down). after the brake I decided to restart 0.5mg daily, in a couple months same two side effects again. Fast forward to 3.5-4 weeks ago I decided to switch from 0.5mg to 1mg daily. First noticed minor brain fog/pressure in head but that went away in week 2. On 4/27/22 I noticed my normal day urine output was extremely low. If I drank a bottle of water only 15 % would come back out but in dribbles. I had to push my urine out to start the dribble. This time around I also had the urge to urinate when sitting down. When laying down or trying to sleep the urge to urinate is much greater than before when I was taking 0.5mg. My last dose was on 5/2/22 after I made a conclusion that finasteride may be related to this issue, that was the only thing I changed. Will be seeing a urologist once my referral goes through.