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I am from New York City in the USA.
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I found this forum via Google.com.
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I am currently 30. I am 5’11 and about 180 pounds.
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I do not exercise regularly, although I bike very strenuously nearly everyday in the summer.
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I eat a fairly healthy, omnivorous diet. I do not eat sugar as I have bad reactions to it, although I typically eat gluten and other common allergen foods (without problem).
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I took Propecia for hair loss about 10 years ago when I was 20.
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I took Propecia for 2 weeks.
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I was 20 when I started taking Propecia in August 2004.
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I quit Propecia two weeks after I started, still at age 20, in August 2004.
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I quit Propecia cold turkey.
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I used finasteride under the brand name Propecia.
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I can’t remember the exact dosage I took, but I’m assuming it was 1mg once a day.
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I first experienced side effects about one week into taking Propecia. I gave it another week to see if they’d clear up, and the side effects only seemed to get worse.
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Although I quit taking Propecia after about two weeks of starting, all of my side effects continued to stay with me. These include sexual/erectile dysfunction, low libido, anxiety, digestive problems, and depression.
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[X] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[X] Erectile Dysfunction
[X] Complete Impotence (this eventually improved)
[X] Loss of Morning Erections
[X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[X] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[X] Watery Ejaculate
[X] Reduced Ejaculate
[X] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility (I never confirmed this so I can’t say one way or the other)
Mental
[X] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[X] Confusion
[X] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[X] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[X] Slurring of Speech
[X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[X] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[X] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[X] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[X] Testicular Pain
[X] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[X] Muscle Weakness
[X] Joint Pain
[X] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[X] Prostate pain
[X] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[X] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[X] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[X] Frequent urination
[X] Lowered body temperature
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
I’ve done it all! Diet, exercise, elimination diets, asthma tests, nutritional supplements, et al. I have never taken antidepressants or seen a therapist since I never felt my problem was related to hereditary depression. -
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)?
I didn’t have any hormonal blood tests prior to taking Propecia so I cannot comment on this. -
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
n/a -
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I took the drug for two weeks at the beginning of my sophomore year in university. I think everyone knows how the story goes: I felt awful, then continued to feel awful after discontinuing the drug. Although I made it out with my BA and launched something of a career, the mental side effects proved far more debilitating than the sexual ones. I’m currently 30 years old and have found a few things that help me get through the day. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with other people on this forum in a positive, respectful manner.