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How did you find this forum?
Google Search after symptoms became apparent -
What is your current age, height, weight?
23 , 5’ 10’’, 155lbs give or take -
Do you exercise regularly? If so, what type of exercise?
Yes, cardio four times a week, strength train three days a week, flexibility exercises as often as possible -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Healthy, raw Hybrid Keto -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
Hair Loss -
For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
5 months, three-month break, three months -
How old were you when you started Finasteride?
20 years old -
How old were you when you quit?
21 years old -
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold Turkey -
What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
generic finasteride, CVS brand -
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? 1mg every day
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How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
2 months side effects started, into second attempt of finasteride side effects became persistent -
What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Erectile Dysfunction, Penile Numbness
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[X] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[X ] Erectile Dysfunction
[XX ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[X ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[X ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[X ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[X] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[X ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[X ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[X ] Depression / Melancholy
Physical
[X ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[X ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[X ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[X ] Joint Pain
[X ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[X ] 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)
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Vitamin B-12 shots, Cialis 12mg, beginning Clomid / Danazole treatment from Doctor Shippen -
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)?
Had my numbers run in 2015, everything was normal.
Post-Finasteride, January 2016, First Doctor Shippen Appointment, all levels where average. Vitamin D was low.
October 2016, Free Testosterone was low average, SHBG was high. Vitamin D was raised from increased supplementation -
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
I experienced sever depression to the point where I was committed into a mental health hospital. Doctors did not believe my story and complaints about the side effects. They thought I was schizophrenic or possibly bipolar. It wasn’t until my appoitment with Doctor Shippen that I found a Doctor who really understood Post Finasteride Syndromes -
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I was a sophomore in college. A girl on my floor noticed my hair line was beginning to thin. She suggested that there was medication available to stop hair loss. I was aware of my thinning hair and felt insecure about it. I decide to buy propecia online in October of 2013. The first real side effects happened one night in November when I went out drinking. I completely blacked out and hallucinated, ended up scaring my roommates pretty badly. After that night, I was beginning to become increasingly depressed but couldnt figure out what was wrong. I stopped taking the online version of propecia in February 2014. I decided to give the drug another shot in June of 2014. I got a script from my GP and soon enough noticed sides effects. The depression came on again and I noticed my erections where weaker. Fast forward to November 2014, it became clear that the drug was causing serious problems. My penis was slowly becoming numb which scared the hell out of me. I decided to quit the drug cold turkey. Unfortunately, this decision only seemed to exaggerated the problem. A few days after quitting cold turkey, my penis, scrotal area, and testies where completely numb.
I freaked pretty hard. I tried to explain what was happening to my family but everyone thought I was going crazy. I struggled to finish the semester but I was becoming desperate and extremely afraid of what i did to my body. My depression was becoming unbearable and I thought my life was over. After finishing the semester, I moved home and basically crashed. I could not get out of bed for months and gained a around forty lbs. I was forced to leave school on a medical leave of absence. My family did not know what to do with me or what to make of my story. I could barely think and admitted that I was suicidal. My dad eventually decided to hospitalize me for a week. After hospitalization, I realized that I could not spent the rest of my life depressed. It took a few months but I began to formulate a plan. I tried a to visit a local Doctor in my hometown but did not get real treatment. He offered Cialis but said I was fine. I eventually found out about Doctor Shippen through researching online. I was very lucky because I live only an hour away from his office.
I eventually saved up enough money to see Doctor Shippen in January of 2016. I have since lost over thirty lbs and have improved my mental side effects signifcantly. Improving the sexual dysfunction is really my main focus at this point. I will explain the Doctors recommendations and my current progress / protocol in the next post. Note that the Doctor’s treatment is unique to my situation and should not be replicated without actual professional supervision. I have read on this forum that some men started taking medications without professional supervision. I think that is a very dangerous move and should be avoided if possible. With that said, you need to seek out knowledgeable Doctors who specialize in treating men with similar issues. As i mentioned above, I went to a Urologist in my home town before Doctor Shippen and was basically laughed at. Most Doctors do not understand Post Finasteride Syndrome and still prescribe the drug to men without a question.