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Where are you from (country)? USA
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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
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What is your current age, height, weight? 29; 6’4; 180
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Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise? Yes. I play pick and league basketball several times per week. I also lift weights once or twice a week
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What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)? Meat, pasta, etc.; some fast food occasionally
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Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)? Hair loss.
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For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)? Roughly 1 month
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How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride? 28
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How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 28. ~November 30, 2014
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How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Cold turkey
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What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic? Generic
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What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? 1 mg/day
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How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects? Several weeks in, but it is hard to recall exactly. I suspected a loss of libido, attributed that loss to the drug, and decided to stop taking it cold turkey. Several weeks later, a crash followed.
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What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation? Loss of libido
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
[X] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[X] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[X] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[X] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[X] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] 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
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[X] Lowered body temperature
[X] Other (please explain) Skin feels dryer and almost completely lacking in natural oils.
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? Nothing medical. I have tried (mostly short-term) increased weight training, HIIT, and intermittent fasting. I have also seen a natural homeopathic doctor to receive acupuncture treatment.
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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)? No tests (yet)
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Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride? No, other than that I share everyone’s pain.
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Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug. I only took the drug because my doctor told me that any sexual side effects were reversible. After taking the drug for only about a month, I thought I was noticing sides, and I immediately stopped taking it. I crashed several weeks later. My dermatologist and my general practitioner both assured me that I was perfectly healthy and thought my symptoms were mental and/or stress-related. Convinced otherwise, I started googling and came across this site, among others. It didn’t take me long to realize the gravity of my situation, but I nonetheless tried to convince myself that it wasn’t happening to me for almost a year. Now, here I am . . .