I initially took finasteride from October 2012-February of 2014. I wasn’t so bad off as most here from my initial usage. My main problems were low libido, sensitivity, and almost no feeling from orgasm and feeling unrefreshed from sleep. None of these got better really and I just learned to live with it. Took finasteride again from February 2018 until January 2019. Sexual problems stayed the same but I started getting severe anxiety, derealization and depression. Stopped and started to feel a little better in some aspects but anxiety has been unbearable over the last few months so I started medication and it has completely alleviated this anxiety. I think in my case that finasteride depleted certain neurosteroids low enough that it triggered psychiatric problems that I’m susceptible to but probably wouldn’t have been as bad without the finasteride usage
At first instance of finasteride use, there were no mental side-effects?
Also what medication do you use for anxiety?
Is it just anxiety or brain fog and lack cognitive abilities as well?
If lack of cognitive abilities as well, was it relieved as well with medication?
I didn’t have mental problems on my first go with finasteride until around the time I quit. I noticed I was getting anxiety and close to panic attacks but this all normalized a month or so after stopping.
Cognitively I don’t feel at my best, but I’m good enough to function at work. In my case I think my anxiety was making cognition worse, as I was close to panic attacks most days which sent me into a state of feeling derealized and dizzy. Once I got my anxiety under control, I felt way better cognitively but I still experience a bit of brain fog at most times where I don’t feel 100% normal, but it’s livable.
As for medication I’ve been taking lexapro for the last month which completely obliterated my anxiety at a low dose but left me more depressed and apathetic so I was switched to Trintellix a week ago. Right now I’m a little bad off anxiety wise but it was like this with the lexapro until my brain adjusted. One benefit of the Trintellix is that it’s been shown to actually improve cognition in a few studies. One thing that worries me is that it functions inversely to fluoxetine in the sense that it inhibits Gaba somewhat while fluoxetine increases allopregnanolone and Gaba activity (which is why some people on here have taken it for brain fog) I’ll just have to see how it plays out for me I guess
I don’t want to come off as saying anyone should take these meds, as a popular theory is that if you’re predisposed to pfs you’re predisposed to pssd. I hope this isn’t the case as I’ve actually been better off sexually since starting the meds, but I didn’t see many other options in my case.
I’ve also used benzodiazepines for anxiety but they aren’t supposed to be used long term, so it’s also an option if you really need it short term. But addiction and withdrawal from them can be pretty brutal
To be honest, I don’t want to take any more pills for anything.
I am only trying to live healthy, exercise and keep my gut well functioning as suggested by the forum members.
My only question is have you in your experience on the forum… Seen full recoveries, people going one 100% normal like there older versions. I can give it some time a year maybe little more than that.
Because I really want to be like that, I have dreams and aspirations which I am not willing to give up on. 
Did you also have mental side effects, because your form suggests you only had sexual side effects. ?
Did they subside?
I’m not suggesting you should take anything. I’m just throwing out my personal experience to you or anyone that listens in case they have tried the diets and exercise and supplements like I did and are at their whits end mentally and need to resort to that.
As far as recoveries, there’s stories on the site of plenty of people recovering from various symptoms but in my case I’ve never seen anyone saying they’ve gone from zero feeling from orgasm back to normal. But as far brain fog and what not there are plenty of stories if you use the search function. Thing is, it’s hard to believe some of them because 1. It’s the internet and 2. A lot of them disappear forever right after posting they recovered so you can’t get any info out of them
Also man once you hit 3 months off the drug and if you still have symptoms please take the site survey, it’s important for those of us who don’t get better
Okay I will.
Yes, I do understand that it’s the internet, but it’s good to be hopeful that I will recover considering my symptoms are improving. I hope they do.
Hello again - yes, started out with just sexual then the insomnia set in, the “tired but wired” feeling, the very shut-in and panic feeling, all emotions bar the ongoing horror stopped. Exercise gave me a sort of searing “sour headache” feeling which was always there, but made it worse. As did masturbation.
EDIT - also recently had to stop gym. Joints hurt.
It would be against the rules to tell you something fixed sleep, disconnection from the world (largely) and a whole bunch of mental unhappiness and “world immersion” feelings, so I won’t. But I can say that at the same time as I was taking the PCT from a steroids cycle (clomid, nolva and HCG) these symptoms improved hugely. Hopefully they stuck too, still experimenting.
Okay, I hope you keep getting better.
I was so optimistic for the past one year. After half a year, I was like one more month and I’ll be fine… Just one more and I’ll be fine. And now it’s almost 1 year (5-10 days short) and I am freaking out. Despite the fact I have gotten a lot better overtime.
Coming on this forum is also making me anxious reading stories of people suffering for so long. I don’t want that for me. I know I shouldn’t have taken the pill in the first place but I can not turn back time.
Do you think staying away from the internet is a good idea??
Also, the other commenter said full recoveries are rare and unverified. Do you think that is true?
I just want to get better and leave PFS behind.
Please keep replying.
Yeah don’t read too much into that. Recoveries happen often enough. I’d also say if you’re improving to the extent you feel like you’re one month away and it’s only been a year you’re on the right road. Also back to my previous edit on “real” PFS vs the sort people bounce back from. You got no sexual sides. And again, although I don’t want to be telling you “you’re lucky you don’t have REAL PFS” because of that, I do mean it but only as far as I’d say “I think you have something you’ll get better from” rather than attempting to diminish or invalidate your experience and suffering.
In short, having been a sufferer for nigh on 2 years and read the majority of this and other fora in my opinion it looks good for you, and if you feel like staying away would do some good then definitely do so.
Although come back one day and tell us when you’re fully recovered, if you can. Be another recovery story. 
I wasn’t trying to tell you recoveries are impossible, just saying that for a lot of us waiting around doing nothing doesn’t really fix anything. For some it does though
Thanks a Ton man.
For the entire last year, I never considered me a PFS sufferer. Mainly for two reasons:
-
I don’t have any symptom below the neck… Not even neck it’s just my forehead that feels heavy which makes me delusional and in a ‘Zombie’ like state.
-
I never had a crash after quitting finasteride. I had symptoms while I was taking finasteride which progressively increased, and started to improve when I stopped.
The only reason I freaked out was that I am inching closer to 1-year mark and I started to worry a lot. I came here and my anxiety increased even more.
You’ve been a real sport man. I am saying adios to this website. When I am recovered (and I deliberately use the word when and not if :P) I’ll take a month or two of cooling period and come back.
If I need encouragement in the process at any time i’ll come back again.
Right now I am saying adios to this website because I feel It’s the best for me. Thanks a ton again.
I know, and I really hope you keep getting better. I really appreciate you replying in pretty much the hardest part of my life. See you later
In case you drop by again, I wouldn’t mind hearing what your experience of brain fog is actually like; for me, it has mainly been around minor short term memory fuzziness and vague problems with vision – my feeling of actually losing my sense of self was very brief, dissipating basically as soon as I stopped the drug.
Best of luck with the recovery though. You seem like a very promising case.
Brain fog for me includes:
- Issue with problem solving and processing new information.
- No sense of identity.
- Compromised vision i.e. i see everything blurred, my peripheral vision seems to have lessen, and I see a distortion when i see street lights or other Light emitting objects for example a display with graphic advertisement. ( this is very hard to explain)
- It stays on and off. For what I have noticed past one year is, it stays stable for 2-3days (still not gone) which allows me to perform some tasks. But, then every now and then it gets really bad, like suicidal bad, It gets very hard to go through my day, and feels very permanent. (today is that day lol). On this day I feel a little out of balance too, and my head feels very heavy, and my gut feels upset (gastrointestinal issue related symptoms)
Apart from this, I thankfully dont have any sexual side effects. I still get very horny and thankfully find me fantasising as well. My body feels very healthy (except my gut on the bad day), there has been no weight gain/loss. I am able to sleep as well.
I have a strong feeling I am inching closer to a full recovery and getting really impatient. I am getting my sense of identity back, I am able to recognise my self looking in the mirror, I am able to conceptualize how I was before side-effects struck me. On my good days my problem solving abilities has improved, I am able to do big calculations in my head like I used to do before, my curiosity is gradually coming back. I remember How I felt a year ago when my side-effects peaked, and I can clearly differentiate the progress I have made, and it is only logical to assume I will get better every passing day.
Mee too from India and I am also getting better not 100 percent but at least 80 my main symptoms persist is too much dream in sleep
As I am getting better, I am freaking out more.
The better I get, the more I realize the magnitude of shit I was/and still am in.
The better I get, the more I am reminded of how I felt before taking the medication, the little things I cherished, the dreams and aspirations I had, the talents I possessed. And it was all taken away from me. Even the most minutest happiness a man can have, it was taken away. While the world moves on. Instead of getting even an ounce of empathy, we’re shamed.
I am sick and tired of being grateful for how it could have been worse, how I am getting better naturally, while a lot of people don’t. It was not supposed to happen this way. While the drug is still being prescribed to people like it’s safer than candies.
It feels so good. I am 13 months and 9 days off of Finasteride. And it’s such a bittersweet feeling to feel so better. Just wanted to share my joy. I just want to talk to someone about this, but I dont think anyone who has not been through this will ever understand.
P.S. : Still not fully recovered though.