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Where are you from (country)?
Originally, new zealand -
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?
35, 217 pounds, 6foot 5 inches
- Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Yes, I run. I run 3x a week, and I do push ups and sit ups every day. I have always exercised.
- What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Healthy, now. I eat a lot of veges. No processed foods. Meat a few times a week.
- Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
hair loss
- For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
I think about 2 years.
- How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
31
- How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
33
- How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
cold
- What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
generic
- What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1mg a day
- How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
I wasnt sexually active for the first year or so I was on fin. I went to have sex, and i had absolutely no sensation, and my penis did not work. It was a horrifying experience. I also was feeling like shit often not so long after I started taking it, but I discounted the possibility that it could be fin because it was advertised as really having next to no side effects. It wasnt till a number of failed sexual experiences and reading this forum that I realised that the drug was the cause of my problems. Once I realised this I stopped immediately.
- What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Put an X beside all that apply:
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 to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ *] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ *] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Depression / Melancholy
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[* ] 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
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
- What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
I have thrown a number of supplements at this problem. By this problem I refere to the sexual problem. I tried a number of libido enhancers which would only work for a few days then overwhelm my system. The best things that I have found are to eat healthy. Eat veges, eat alkaline. No shit food. ALso progesterone cream made a very big difference. It made everything work 10x better. It was responsible for a lot of progress. Penile sensitivity comes and it goes. My gear works, but it isnt as sensitive as I would like. I have sex about every day or 2. Sometimes it causes me some anxiety. Luckily I have a fantastic girl friend who has been nothing but supportive. I am very lucky for that. I have tried, niacin, b vitamins, maca, ashwaghanda, milk thistle, liver cleanses, dhea, fish oil, and god knows what else. It has been about a year of throwing anything i can at it. So far the best results have come from healthy eating and progesterone cream. I am currently trying iodine. So we’ll see…
- 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)?
none
- Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
Well it is a devastating drug if it turns on you. It takes away a large part of what it is to be a man, and a human being. The alleged 1% of the population that will be effected by this drug is believe is bullshit. It seems to be much more than this. Sometimes it takes people a little while to connect the dots, like it did for me. I believe the Merck should be put out of business for putting this drug out, not being honest about its side effects, not doing anything but deny them when confronted, and for laughing all the way to the bank while peoples lives fell apart due to their actions.
- Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
Well most of this I have already covered above. I would say that I am well on my way to a recovery. My sexual effects were the most devastating and caused me much anguish. It greatly altered the direction of my life. At the moment I would say given where my sexual problems were at its worst, vs a full recovery, I am about 75-80% recovered and it has been about 2 years.