Persistent ED and hair shedding

Member Stories
#1

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? 24, 6’2", 170

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.)? 1mg/day

What condition was being treated with the drug? Androgenic Alopecia

For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)? 1.5 months

How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Cold turkey

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? 1.5 months in, after taking Advil for a headache.

What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Sexual
[ ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[X] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[X] Loss of Morning Erections (weakened, but still there)
[X] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] Suicidal Thoughts

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
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[X] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)

Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.

Like most others here, I started taking Finasteride for hair loss. It was working quite well, in just the span of a few weeks I could see small hairs starting to grow again. During this time I wasn’t experiencing any sides. Around 6 weeks in I got a headache that lasted a few days. This is normal for me, it happens about once a year and I usually deal with it by taking a couple Advil each day.

Prior to doing so I verified that there were no known interactions between Advil and Fin. I only saw mention of interactions between those two on the forhims website, but they didn’t include a reference and no other website mentioned it so I didn’t take it seriously. I assumed any ED I experienced would subside after stopping Advil.

The sides started to kick in as my headache subsided after a few days of taking Advil. I experienced pretty bad fatigue, and ED. Most of the fatigue subsided after a couple weeks, and then my energy levels gradually returned to normal over the next few weeks. 5 months in though, my ED has not completely gone away. I’d like to identify what the root cause is and fix it.

Additionally, about 2 months ago I started to shed a lot of hair and that has yet to cease.

#2

Hi man,

Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you’re dealing with such issues.

From reading your story, it sounds as though your symptoms (as serious as they still are) aren’t too severe which is good.

At only 5 months in, the only credible advice anyone can give you is to wait it out and live as healthy a lifestyle as possible; eat well, sleep well, exercise (if you can) and most importantly don’t self medicate with anything, including things such as vitamins. This condition can deteriorate beyond comprehension and you’re currently in a position whereby natural improvements with time are, judging by past experiences of other patients, still feasible. Supplements and drugs are unlikely to make much difference and by taking them you run the risk of ruining any possibility of improving your current state.

I really hope you do begin to see improvements by following these steps, even though this condition is frustratingly difficult to predict. In the meantime I hope you feel welcome here to discuss your condition with other members, as you certainly are from our perspective.

2 Likes
#3

Hey man, appreciate the reply.

By all means, it is business as usual for me otherwise. So in that regard I’m probably lucky. Guess I don’t really have any options other than waiting and seeing, huh? I think it might be worth increasing the intensity of my workouts. I haven’t done much cardio since my gym closed due to the pandemic, and I know some have had success with that.

#4

If you’re living an otherwise normal life despite your troublesome symptoms, this is by far your best bet. Not worth risking putting yourself in the position that many of us find ourselves in.

Best of luck with it man.