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.
I’ve been on this forum, on and off, for a very long time. I don’t recall ever filling out a member story before.
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
What is your current age, height, weight? 51, 5’11", 190
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.)? 1 mg/day
What condition was being treated with the drug? Hair loss
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)? less than a week
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug? 39
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 39
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Cold Turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? 2 days
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation? typical pfs side effects are all still there, to slightly lesser degrees.
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
[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
[x ] Watery Ejaculate
[ x] Reduced Ejaculate
[x ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[x ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[x ] 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
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ x] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[x] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[x ] Testicular Pain
[x] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[x] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[x ] Weight Gain
[x ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[x ] Muscle Wastage
[x ] Muscle Weakness
[x ] Joint Pain
[x ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[x ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[x ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[x ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[x ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)-Had before pfs
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[x ] Frequent urination
[x] Lowered body temperature
[x ] Other (please explain)
Watery eyes, which are very sensitive to light and heat. Reduction in earwax, and I stopped getting sebaceous cysts, which i would get regularly before pfs. Lack of oil and dryness of skin,
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Typical supplements found on this forum.
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 used Finasteride for a couple of days and felt the negative effects within a day or two. This was a dozen years ago, and I really had no idea what was happening. It was also during a period of turmoil in my life where my wife had left with my daughter, my father was dying, I broke my leg, and was recovering from Melanoma. Given all that, the PFS effects were lost in the mix, so things are hazy, but the ED, shrinkage, and all other PFS side effects remain after more than a decade.
Memory loss bothers me the most. Erections can be obtained with once a day cialiis, which seems to have less side effects with me than viagra did. Other things that have helped are exercise and good eating, which is difficult to be consistent with. PFS has destroyed my career, and I’m getting by based on my pre PFS experience.
I just started taking Wellbutrin in attempts to help with the ongoing depression. I’m on it less than a month, and will give it time to see if it works.