Over 10 years on Finasteride and then the side effects hit

Member Stories
#2

Ed comes first then, frequent urination then, loss of libido.
At first, fasting was effective then, it went bad for me nothing could helped, until I tried extenze pills. I have recovered my libido and one week later crashed so hard, developed anxiety disorder in my 4th year of quitting finasiteride. Then I have started modafinil, I have recovered a lot of libido after few months I have switched to Ritalin but, my major recovery came with aromasin.
i got total restoration on libido, sensitivity and refractory period but only little improvements on Ed.

Hold on over there you can recover form it it is early for you. Finasiteride messes with brain steroids it might cause mood disorders and psychiatric problems too.

Reduce your stress level and try not to fixated about ed and refractory time it might cause a performance anxiety over this and that might halt your recovery.

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#3

I am in a similar quandary, mostly its ED and loss of libido. I have an appointment with GP tomorrow. a little scared after coming across this forum

#4

Another 5ar inhibitor, like finasteride or Nizoral. Possibly not the best thing for you now.

#5

Bad idea. We have people end up here through use of just one of those substances.

#6

Sorry Greek, but to compare green tea to Finasteride regarding 5-ar inhibition is like comparing paracetamol to morphine in terms of effect. There are more plausible reasons why he may feel ‘more energised’ and better with green tea, such as it’s caffeine and l-theanine content.

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#7

That’s fair, however I’m not sure that any kind of 5ar inhibition is a good idea post finasteride - I avoid 5ar inhibitors as a general rule.

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#8

no doubt it was dr maurice collins in the blackrock clinic that gave you the 15,000 patients bullshit spiel… i got the same. I used to get emails off them a few times a year asking for checkups…as soon as I complained about side effects it was radio silence

my story is identical to you, on fin for years, great for my hair no sides, early 30s have urinary problems so go off it and then crash badly. Dick shrunk into a damp flimsy cocktail sausage. Know exactly the feeling you describe re struggling to maintain an erection, feels like there is a hole in your hose. Spent over 10k on the best urologists, endocrinologists and doctors in london, got electro shock therapy…all a waste of time. Went 2 years without sex and long term relationship collapsed

Its not all bad, 3 years later im making small but steady improvements and have been since the 18month mark. My hair is now falling out but random erections are coming back.

Feels like in most cases your body finds its way back to equilibrium but different for everyone in terms of how long it takes

best of luck

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#9

Most vegetables contain 5-ar inhibiting substances. Should we avoid our leafy greens too? I think the notion of avoiding every 5-ar inhibiting substance is unrealistic advice for patients. I often feel that much advice on this forum revolves around their avoidance will little mention of the level of inhibition. Patients need to be cautious, sure, but we don’t need to erect more fences then we require. Life is hard enough as it is.

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#10

@DHT - thanks for sharing. Maybe the fasting only gives an initial boost so I’ll monitor this. I’ve got another friend (who’s never taken finasteride) who does intermittent fasting regularly and is a big fan of the effects on his body. If things deteriorate, I’ll look into aromasin but to be honest, I’m trying to avoid all pills if possible. My stress levels are low considering what’s going on and I think the supplements are helping me with this. However, I’m a contractor and have not worked for the last two months. I’m starting a new contract next week and I’m hoping this doesn’t impact my performance at work.

Appreciate the advice and best wishes with your recovery - keep us posted.

#11

@bodhi - good luck with the GP appointment. From what I gather, most GPs are unaware of finasteride - I told two GPs 2-5 years ago that I was on it when they asked if I was taking any medication and they responded “what’s that”. Keep positive.

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#12

@Greek - thanks for your comments. I may try coming off the green tea for a couple of weeks and just stick to the pine pollen and see if I’m still improving. Re the minoxidil and shampoo, I’ll probably gradually ease my way off this.

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#13

Where do you guys get the pine pollen?
I thought pollen generally is eustrogenic.

#14

@eskimojoe - really really appreciate this post. Most of the people on here seem to have been on F for a year or less… I just wonder how many of his 15,000 disciples have experienced what me and you have, and how long it will be before the rest of them do… I’ll never forget my first appointment with him and the last question I asked - are there any side effects - he tilted his head lower, looked over this glasses directly into my eyes and said “no side effects” with a smile…

I’m living in London so well aware of the scams of local practices - I once went to a dentist here who wanted to carry out 6 fillings, even though I only had one in my entire life… I went to my dentist back home 3 months later (never told him about my appointment in London) and he said I was fine and that he would keep on eye on two of my teeth… No ethics at all over here, just try to scare you into parting with as much as your hard earned cash as possible

I’m very sorry to hear about your relationship ending… Fortunately for me I’m not seeing anyone and I’d say it would be twice as hard to deal with this if I was… I’ve no doubt you’ll bag another one and one thing I’ve realised over the past few years is that women just love older men - when I’m 40 I’ll try to meet a one in her late 20s / early 30s… I hope you don’t mind me asking a few questions and if there’s any advice in general that you’d give me:

I’m going through your other posts on here and noticed that you took Cialis but you said you went two years without sex - did you go on Cialis after the two years? Would you recommend going on it - I’m a bit worried that I’ll be relying on it forever… I’m thinking 12 months without sex may be a better option and hopefully it will sort itself out gradually, as you said that our bodies will hopefully get back to equilibrium eventually… On saying that, becoming unsociable for 12 months is not a great idea when I’m going through this thing

Did you do a test for DHT?

I’m delighted to hear you’re making improvements and I suppose losing some hair is proof of this… Do you think you’ll fully recover from this over the next couple of years and do you have plans to get into a relationship again? As soon as I start getting erections again (and it will happen), I’m going to get a sperm quality check… I think our situation could be a bit different from other men who had a horrendous reaction to it initially and that once we start producing DHT again and losing our hair, we should get back to being close to normal

Thanks again for posting and please keep in touch

#15

@needacure - nobody else on this post has said they’re using pine pollen besides myself. I think it’s boosting life down there and I’m almost certain that my penis and balls went back to the normal size when I started taking it. Here is where I ordered it:

If the link doesn’t work, it called “Wild Harvested Pine Pollen - Broken Cell Wall Micro Powder” and it’s by Na’vi Organics on Amazon UK

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#16

Kevin Mann has to se this…

#17

collins clearly knows about the side effects but refuses to tell patients. His hair transplant business is heavily dependent on finasteride so he needs it to stay on market. There are loads of hrbr patients on here

Re cialis, one of the urologists told me to take it everyday to regenerate tissue. It definitely works, almost too well, after a while I stopped as didn’t want to develop a dependency but its a nice comfort blanket to have if you are in situation where you might need it

I did a whole raft of hormone tests, testosterone and dht normal but shbg and prolactin very high, a common trait on here

also did a fertility test, thankfully it was fine

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#18

@eskimojoe - thanks a mil for that - you’re a gent… I’ve been reading through your posts since your situation is quite similar to mine… You mentioned time is the biggest healer so I’m going to relax for 6 months and then reassess… I may take the Cialis a few times but I’m not going on it every day - I’ll chat to my GP about it… I think you mentioned l’arginine helped too… I take Argi (a Forever product that my sister-in-law sells) once a week for my leg day at the gym as it’s good for blood flow to the legs… I used to take it before hurling matches and 5 aside too and you’d feel grand the following morning instead of being stuck to the couch… I might start taking it every morning now too and hopefully get a bit of blood moving to my cock!

Incredible how these guys think they can get away with this - I mean do they have any conscience at all - is there anything they wouldn’t do for money… I had absolutely zero side effects for about 8 years and just thought there was a minority of men whose body it didn’t agree with… I think some minor urinary problems kicked in around year 9 and then loss of libido, ED etc. in year 10 so I’d expect most men to break down and have a crash at some stage - it will have to get to the mainstream media eventually

From reading your posts and other posts, it sounds like I might only be after having a minor crash and the big one is yet to come… I’ll be prepared for it but will update the forum on my situation as I go along

Thanks again - the info is really appreciated

#19

Recap : I came off finasteride 15 months ago at the end of August 2019. I had no side effects for 10 years, then I started having problems all over my body for a couple of years - I had no idea what was wrong with me. Then I lost my libido for a few months and then I just couldn’t get an erection for the first time in my life when I was with a naked woman. It was nothing to do with psychology as I was getting ready to put on a condom, I looked down and there was nothing - so I wasn’t thinking about erections. I then remembered that over the previous 6 months, it was taking me some time to get erections while masturbating, and also that I had been having some urinary problems - the pieces all came together that finasteride had worn me down and was causing this.

Tests I did, side effects and what I’ve done about it:

Testosterone : Testosterone 25.4 nmol/L 7.1-31.1 (test carried out in August 2019 one week after coming off finasteride); I did a raft of other tests in August 2019 and there were no abnormalities; I did a second testosterone test in October 2020 (I think it was slightly lower as I haven’t been to the gym much because of the virus) - Testosterone 22.4 nmol/L 7.1-31.1; so I had no issues with testosterone but started taking tribulus lately as my kinesiologist told me to take it for 5 times a week for 5 weeks and then twice a week thereafter - as things stand, I plan to take it twice a week for the next couple of years

Andostenedione : from my GP, “Once your testosterone levels are normal (which they are) you do not require measurement of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Your other sex hormone (andostenedione) was within normal limits: ANDROSTENEDIONE 2.7 nmol/L (normal range: 1.5-6.5); Prolactin hormone is not relevant for a man in this situation”. Any tips for increasing androstenedione from natural foods? It’s at the low end of the range.

ED : starting to get some nocturnal and morning erections but still not very regular; chronic ED problems at the moment; I went 12 months without sex and took a 10mg cialis back in July / August – it was too strong and I was fairly sore after it and even went to the doctor as the friction burn was brutal; I had sex in September using two 2.5mg tablets and that was perfect (had sex three times within 12-14 hours); I always take some pine pollen on the day of sex too and I think that has helped me as it reduces the flaccidness; ED is my biggest problem but the orgasm and feeling is as good as it always was

Urinary problems : still not completely gone and rely on nettle root tea one or two times a week which is a massive help. Nettle root tea relieves pressure on the liver and kidneys (as per my kinisiologist). I got the Covid virus in September and this has led to bad liver / kidney bladder problems so I’m now taking the nettle root about 10 times a week. I’ve also ordered something on Amazon which has great reviews so hopefully that helps. I’m also taking some dandelion drops but unsure if these have helped much yet.

Loss of libido : lost the libido for the first time in my life for about three months before I came off the drug; got it back as soon as I came off pills and wanted to sleep with every good looking woman I saw (but I had ED)

Brain fog : was bad for a while but it seemed to clear off naturally after about two months and I have had some challenging days in work which I got through ok. I tried some lions mane for a while and I felt that helped (I listened to a Joe Rogan Paul Stammits (?) podcast on this)

Chronic fatigue : most of this cleared after two months. I got quite disciplined at going to bed early and this obviously helps. 12 months after coming off the drug, I was working 18-20 hour days for 3-4 days in a row and I got through it. It’s back again from the covid virus with chronic pains and lack of energy in my legs at times but I’m confident it will clear off after another few months

Pains in testicles : cleared off after a month

Pains in bladder : cleared off after a month (I’d say the nettle root tea helped)

Dreams : No dreams at night in last 6/12 months of taking finasteride but I got these back after about two months and having lots of relevant dreams recently

Loss of sense of humour : I didn’t laugh for the last two years I was on finasteride - I should have known something was up as I was always up for a laugh. This all came back within a week of coming off the drug.

Anxiety : I had got very anxious and stressed in the last two years I was on finasteride, and socially awkward too but that seemed to go away after within about 6 months

Neuropathy : it was bad for the first two months but then it cleared off. It’s come back a little from the covid I think

Chronic teeth pain : after 6 months, my teeth like they were being electrocuted for about a month - now I get it on and off. I take half a teaspoon of fermented butter and cod liver oil ((Green Pastures is the brand and was recommended by someone on this website)) about 4 times a week and rinse out my mouth with salt and warm water. I have a dentist appointment in 2.5 weeks time but I already had an x-ray in February and nothing is out of line

Dry skin / seborrheic dermatitis : I grew a stubble / short beard so no more shaving. The skin around my nose and eyes deteriorated for a couple of months. My GP told me to try double emmolient cream so I’ve ordered that. I also use lots of aloe vera moisturiser. It’s mainly cleared off (after about three months) but I started using some sebclair cream and sebclair shampoo so maybe this helped clear it off. I’ve also spent the last three weeks in the Canary islands and I think the vitamin D and going into the sea has helped my skin in a big way.

Constipation : this has broken my heart over the last three years but an appointment with a kinesiologist helped. I went gluten free for four months and only having wheat about 2-3 times a week now. I took 80 billion probiotics and digestive enzymes (Solgar and HCI Pepsin) – all of this helped.

Dry eyes and sensitivity to light : not as bad as it used to be. I use eye drops once a week before going to bed and this has helped. I also got some sort of anti-glare glasses for watching TV and put them on the odd time when I’m working on the computer.

Weight gain : I tried for almost 10 years to put on a stone. I am 5’11” and weighed between 11 and 11.5 stone. After I came off finasteride, I weighed over 12.5 stone and if anything, I was eating less that week. I’m now about 12 stone - the weight I always wanted to be. I do lots of gym work.

Muscle ache : mainly went away after 2-3 months

Heart burn / odd feeling of blood flow / some chest pain (back to normal after two months)

Colour of my skin : I haven’t got a tan over the last 2-4 years which is unusual as I always had nice sallow skin. I seem to have got some decent colour over the past three weeks in the Canaries so hopefully I’ll get my old colour back going forward

Anything else :

Fertility test : I had a test a few weeks ago and all is ok in terms of volume and mobility (I’m nearly 38 years old)

Hair : I had a hair transplant unfortunately back in 2017 and only for the FUT scar, I would probably have shaved my head with a zero blade by now. At the moment, I’m cutting it three back and sides and blade 6 on top. I’m expecting it to shed rapidly at some stage and I will probably look to go zero blade all over and get micro scalp pigmentation to take care of the scar.

Ashwagandha : this helped my mood and outlook incredibly. I took it once a day for 3-4 months going to bed. Now I take it 2-3 days in a row every so often if I feel myself getting stressed

Other supplements which helped : l’arginine, pine pollen, l’tryptophan, zinc (I’m cycling supplements so take these about once a week)

Other supplements which I don’t think did much : mountain blood, tongkat ali (although didn’t take too many of these), l’tyrosine

Kinesiologist : she’s helped me sort my gut out by examining me and telling me what my body needs more and less of; it won’t solve ED but at least you should feel better

As I said, I came off finasteride at the end of August 2019 and none of my hair has really started falling out yet, although I think I’m slightly balder in the crown. I’m hoping that once the hair starts falling out, I’ll be much better although I presume I’ll have a reliance on cialis for some time, and maybe even the rest of my life. If I could get to a stage where I could have a proper sex life even taking three 2.5mg cialis a week, I’d be happy with that. When I took the 5mg of cialis two months ago, I did get some side effects the next day in that I had a headache, I was absolutely exhaused and my nose gets very bloody so lots of dry red hard bits coming out of my nose for a few days after it. The 5mg of cialis worked after four drinks which is positive - I may try it out some night on 6 drinks and just see if I can masturbate when I get home. It’s very frustrating to be single and resist the pressure from friends to stop after four drinks knowing that if I have any more, I can forget about any chances of meeting someone or having sex

Lots of ups and downs - I’ll update again next year.

#20

Gents I wanted to ask if anyone has any knowledge of prolactin levels. My last lab test was 13.2 ng/mL from what I read in searches online, my level (average for 40 year old male) should be around 7. My test (total is 770) (free is 18) seems to be in good range. LH and FSH are about average.

#21

Frankly speaking, I couldn’t care less for Prolactin. It was among the least influencing factors to my libido and well-being despite everyone saying it may lower dopamine. The only thing it did was shrunk my wallet to pay for testing it. My say is that unless it’s like 10X normal range, which warrants extra testing such as getting MRI for pituitary, then I wouldn’t worry about it. Its level fluctuates greatly and there’s a lot to understand about it’s role in men.
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