I’m a new victim of Finasteride, been on the drug for 9 days and plan to cut it out literally today. I fell victim to the marketing on Instagram from services such as Keeps and Hims. Counting my blessings that I have not experienced any libido/sexual side effects, nor have I experienced any sleep abnormality - although Im expecting to get hit my a bus when I get off of it judging by what others are saying. One side I am experiencing while on the drug are the slight bags and darkness under my eyes. For this reason alone, I am discontinuing the medication and never looking back. Im a 29 year old male and I work out and diet healthy regularly. Is 9 days enough to cause irreversible damage? Im thoroughly concerned and would appreciate any advice.
One pill can destroy you.
Are there ANY cases of people not being affected by PFS? Although I havent expereinced any side effects, Im scared shitless. Im now working out my legs extremely hard to boost natural testosterone production and taking (continuing) a healthy vitamin regimen that I have always been on which contains the following:
Vitamin E
Bioton
Omega 3
Rainbow Multi Vitamin for men
Zinc, Mag, and Calcium
Green tea extract
Beta Caro
Im wondering if the fact that Im not having sides has a correlation to either working out and/or consuming vitamins?
Im so thankful for everyone on this forum who has taken the time to recount their experience, as unpleasant and embarrassing as they are. You guys are the real heros and this drug NEEDS to get off the market. This sounds like the Accutane of hair loss, but worse.
Hi Pete,
Doesn’t it just.
In regards to if a few pills is enough: Sadly, yes. 0.25mg ruined my life. Many of us experience a “crash” after use of this medication, with the onset of sever symptoms in the absence of the drug, and for me it was rapidly degenerative. It’s a novel disease with a counter-intuitive clinical presentation. In terms of boosting testosterone is important to note this is not hypogonadism, although that presents (usually unresponsively) in some patients. My testosterone doubled over the time I declined, during which time I was stuck in bed in a months-long panic attack. This happened in the presence of halved and bottom of the range lutenizing hormone, which is the opposite of what should happen in that circumstance.
However, regarding your second question as to whether there’s cases not affected by PFS: The absolute vast majority who use and cease this medication. PFS is extremely rare and the odds are very much in your favour for your minor sides to resolve, so I would not panic. Many, including myself, developed the condition badly after a subsequent use (I’d had 2 pills many years ago) so I would steer very clear of 5 alpha reductase inhibitors in the future.
Axolotl
Thank you for this response, it’s reassuring to hear that there are cases where PFS is not the only outcome. I can’t believe the immediate negative reactions that Fin causes in some people. It’s almost as if the body instantly rejects it in certain males.
Its been 2 days since I’ve consumed, today I woke up with wood in the morning and that made feel a lot better. Sleep was not interupted last night which was also reassuring. Much more clear headed today and the bags underneath my eyes have almost gone away.
I will continue to update this thread in case there is anyone who is currently on Fin, having consumed it for a short period of time (10 days or less) and is curious to the outcome of coming off.
Hi Pete1989
I am yet another person affected by finasteride. I will briefly tell you my story. I am 29 years old and took a total of 11 pills of propecia before I decided to quit.
I had not heard of the website prophelp before. I only used to read some hairloss forums where people were praising the drug etc. So i decided to try it for my self. The first couple of days after having the drug, I didnt feel any sides infact my libido seemed to increase. On the fifth day, I noticed severe facial changes. All my friends started telling me that I am losing weight in the face. I didn’t know at first that it was propecia. And I continued to take the pill.
I started taking propeica from 20th July till 29th. I started noticing myself that my face was getting really weird, narrower cheeks, thin temple area, very hollow eyes. I stopped to see if my face would come back to normal. Then after 3 days I took my final pill on the 2nd of August. On this day I discovered the prophelp forum where you guys actually confirmed that these facial changes were taking place due to propecia, And I stopped immediately. Its a good thing I found this site sooner than later.
I have been off the drug 14 days now. And my face has not recovered. I started experiencing no libido/numbness in the penile area from the 6th of August onwards. And now I have fatigue. Its that kind of feeling that is difficult to describe. But I know that I have never felt this way before. I sleep atleast 9 hours everyday after I quit. I wake up feeling very tired. Then at work, I feel very sluggish. Each step I take to move forward is like a huge effort. I feel no emotion, nothingness and no kind of enthusiasm to live my life the way I used to pre-propecia. I know all these things are from taking this pill.
So the total sides I am facing to date are: erectile dysfunction/no libido/numbness in penile area, narrower and sickly looking face and fatigue. I think all this is PFS. It kinda hit me earlier than I expected. And at a total of 11 pills. People say that propecia is a poison. I disagree. At least poisons have some kind of antidotes and stuff. I believe Propecia is a cancer to some of us. Once it appears, its impossible to get rid of. And its symptoms stemming from PFS can only be maintained.
I just hope I recover. Although I have heard that some one took 5 pills and still ha snot recovered. So I guess I am screwed.
I’m sorry to hear about what’s happened to you but you need to know that some people do recover and some people’s symptoms do get better. The amount of time that people have used the drug for does not define their ability to get over it.
One thing is for sure and that is that this situation is not going to be helped by assuming the worst and thinking yourself into an even more depressed place than you need to be. Your attitude to this could contribute to your successes or failures. For me, I need to take control any way I can, through diet, exercise and meditation. You might find ways that work for you.
4 pills were enough to royally fuck me up. My face looks like a 16 yo girl might as well do a sex change
Boomer
I just want to start off by saying you cannot let this defeat you, you sound as if you’ve already submitted to the drug and that is going to make things harder. Im sorry that you’re going through this, I really am - but it’s stories like these that have caused me to distance myself from this website as it has clouded my mindset with negativity and anxiety.
I hope you will find comfort in knowing that the facial changes I experienced after taking 9 pills completely subsided and have gone away. Im 8 days off of Finasteride. I have experienced sides that come and go - for instance:
First couple nights were fine, high libido. Days 3-4 severe brain fog, however it dissipated. Days 5-6 severe anxiety and loss in libido/size. Luckily that subsided as well after some intense interval trainings at the gym. Days 6-8 have been insomnia and this is where I am now, however I don’t plan on letting this be my reality. I will continue going to the gym everyday, even on the days I feel like I can’t (whether its truly from Finasteride or Im just tired). I have ordered two multi supplements off of Amazon to try and see if I can remedy my sleeping situation, in addition to try and be preventive to any future sides. I also plan to do a 3-day juice cleanse this weekend to reboot my liver. The two supplements are:
-
MD Certified Testosterone Booster for Men Supplement 3X More Natural Actives Metabolism Booster Muscle Builder Capsules – Tongkat Ali, Tribulus Territis, Horny Goat, DHEA, Maca, Fenugreek - Full 30-Da https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073G9D5GG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Z9ADBb8GBGGDG
-
KEY NUTRIENTS Natural Sleep Aid, LIGHTS OUT Contains Melatonin, Valerian, Passion Flower, & More. 60 Veggie Caps. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0744QYJLC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_x-ADBbM427KZS
In addition to these two supplements I will continue my normal regimen that I have always been on even prior to taking Fin which includes:
Rainbow Mens Multivitamin
Fish Oil
Zinc/Mag/Calcium all in one
Green tea extract
Hairfluence all natural vitamins (no saw palmetto fyi)
Beta Carotene
Vitamin E capsule
I have tenporarily added Melatonin and Valerian Root for the time being but plan to exclude those once I start the Lights Out sleep aid.
By reading into this (probably more than I should be), it appears to me that men who take Fin experience varying side effects due to three primary root causes:
- Low T - Reduced libido, ED, fatigue, muscle atrophy, depression
- High E - Symptoms related to facial and body features, gyneco, bloating, also ED
- Neurosteroid disregulation and androgenic deficiency - Poor cognitive ability, memory, sleep, anxiety
I realize that I am one of the people who are moderately affected by this drug, so I’m trying to be careful to not cross a line and I want you to know that Im sympathetic to your situation, not to mention grateful for all the guys on this board. But, I also want you to know that the psychological harm you are doing to yourself by being negative could end up causing just as much harm as the true physical nature of the side effects, and end up manifesting in said sides. Its important to know what sides are truly effecting you, and do what you can to help yourself. Don’t just toss your hands in the air and convince yourself that you’re broken.
I hope you’re talking about Finasteride induced side effects and not PFS.
I hope so too, but honestly I can’t even quite tell the difference anymore. I thought I did when I first started researching, but the line got blurred fairly quickly.
I have asked this before and never got a straight answer, how would you know if you definitively had PFS if there are no consistent side effects amongst men, and no “cookie cutter” screening results?
Do you just wake up one day and know for a fact that you have PFS? Im suffering from insomnia at the moment, does that mean I have PFS? Where is the line drawn
Finasteride side effects disappear over time, either immediately or over the course of months.
PFS is when those side effects are persistent, long after the cessation of Finasteride, with perfect bloodwork and no apparent health issues according to medical tests. Also common are a negative/no response to androgens systemically, as well as a positive response to anti-androgens.
We do not have a test for PFS because it’s impossible to screen for something if you do not know exactly what to look for. Currently, the common belief is that it is AR overexpression that primarily causes PFS because it best fits anecdotal reports of cases, and is also supported by a study done testing this.
I knew I had PFS because the entire world looked completely different to me immediately. I did not feel like me anymore, or even close to it. When I went to sleep the previous night, I was one person, when I woke up the next day, I was someone else entirely. (I haven’t had a libido for months and didn’t realize why people were complaining so much until I took a med I shouldn’t have and experienced some moderate desire. Then I realized what I was missing, for months I barely had sex, but even after this revelation it’s probably at the bottom of my list of problems for me personally.) Obviously if you only have sexual sides this will not be the case, however for someone suffering from the mental sides of PFS, this is not entirely uncommon.
You questioning whether you have PFS is very promising. It’s not unlikely you have some hormonal issues at the point like the kind you’ve described, but if I were you, I’d just take it easy on the supplements (i.e. not take them at all) because statistically, you’re likely to get worse/nothing happens if you take them rather than get better, and I love numbers because they don’t lie.
Give it some time. Say a few prayers or something, hope you don’t end up like us because it is a horror you cannot even fathom unless you’re experiencing it. I sure as hell couldn’t, I spent weeks in shock because I did not believe it was possible to feel this bad.
Just to remind everyone posting on this thread that it was originally set up for guys to post photographic evidence of facial changes. More general discussion can clutter up the thread and mean that its original intention is somewhat lost i.e. a photographic catalogue of those who have experienced facial changes. Possibly some of the discussion here would be more suited to another thread or possibly create a thread in the member’s section so as guys can share what’s happened to them there.
I’m sorry to hear your situation @Boomerang3378, but many people do variably improve in time or find methods of alleviating symptoms, and we are doing our very best to advance the issue. Try and keep hope.
Good point @scotsman - I’ve split the thread into a story so @Pete1989 can post regarding his story here.
@Pete1989, I completely understand your concern, and you are certainly making a very reasonable point regarding the considerable phenotypical differences within what is currently termed PFS. This of course is illustrative of an induced epigenetic shift, which Traish’s very recent paper discusses and that I’m hopeful we’ll see explored in the coming studies. Unfortunately, without focused elucidation of the mechanism of PFS, it’s currently an exclusion diagnosis and nobody can give you a test for it. However, considering the time frame, you are well within a period in which you could still expect lingering side effects before what I would hope will be a resumption of normality. PFS is an extremely rare situation considering the vast use of this drug. I discussed some figures illustrative of this here. I hope these can reassure you. You wont be able to give yourself severe pfs symptoms psychosomatically, but I’d still advise you to not worry yourself by spending too long on this forum unless you begin experiencing problems or your insomnia remains problematically. And if you’re unsure, trust me, that’s a good thing as @borax pointed out.
I’m wishing you all the best and if you’ve forgotten all this in a few months, do be grateful you dodged a bullet. We’re here if not.
@axolotl Thank you for the thought out response, I find it pretty incredible how much research is done organically within this community. The discussion between genetic predisposition vs gene expression is certainly interesting, and I feel as if there is a lot of incentive for the medical field to get more involved in PFS research in the near future (and I mean very near future, considering the spike in usage of the drug that I theorize will happen in the coming months). I don’t doubt that this web forum is going to be one of the first places medical professionals begin seeking theories and well as test subjects.
Additionally, I also thought about the possibility of the drug having a bigger probability in affecting users who have come on/off/on/off. I imagine it’s somewhat comparable to a female coming on/off/on/off of birth control, and the known effects that hormonal contraceptives have on female androgenic receptors/brain chemistry. I wouldn’t think that hormones and brain chemistry are intended to shut on and off that rapidly, despite being inhibited or regulated AT ALL. I would be interested in knowing what percentage of those affected by PFS were users who went on the drug, subsequently got off only to get on again.
I have started my own attempts at exposing brokers of the drug like “Hims” and “Keeps” and I am plan to contact a lawyer in the near future to see what needs to happen in order to a) get these guys to stop marketing it altogether or b) at least market it with the correct effects of the drug. I don’t have any monetary incentive whatsoever, but if anything were to come of it I would ensure all money would fund this site or the foundation directly. However, because the medical community has not yet recognized a clear scope and standard classification of PFS, they will continue to get away with the same BS - “1-2% of males will experience side effects which should subside after discontinuing usage”.
The amount of support and information I am receiving from you and others, @axolotl is very reassuring, and I think I am going to be okay based on conversations with @borax @agarman @Greek and a few others. To receive the feedback from direct users and victims is invaluable, and considering the vast ignorance among doctors regarding Finasteride - it’s more reliable as well. All thanks to what you and others have contributed.
Today marks day 9 and so far things are okay. I was able to get some good sleep last night because of a great tip that @Greek suggested to me regarding guided meditation and doing 50 push ups right before bed.
I will keep everyone updated on progress, specifically for new users who have a similar experience as mine.
Was experiencing severe insomnia for the last 3-4 days, went out and bought a weed pen yesterday (Friday), the weed oil was high in THC and low in CBD. Im not a frequent smoker by any means, but I had to do something since I was literally falling asleep at my desk at 2pm everyday due to lack of sleep the previous nights. Tried out the weed oil for the first time last night, and it knocked me out for 8 hours straight, completely uninterrupted.
Will be trying it again tonight and keep you guys updated. Not condoning or promoting you guys to do anything illegal (weed is legal in CA). But it does actually help a lot with insomnia.
As a general update, Ive been feeling good for the most part with Insomnia being my only side effect that I can notice - however this is not a side effect you want to have. Pretty sure I started to feel the psychosis kick in by the 3rd night as I was laying in bed with basically no rest.
If the weed pen continues to work, then by all means Im going to smoke it every night before bed. Its kind of a bummer because I am big on running after work every day, but if I have to choose between long distance running and sleep - you already know.
Hey @Pete1989,
Glad to hear your side effects have been relatively mild, but insomnia is no joke (on Trazadone,but still getting about 3-4 hours of sleep each night).
With regards to using THC for sleep.
You may want to consider edibles as a healthy alternative to the pen. You’re able to directly control your dosages of THC which can eliminate the possibility of anxiety attacks that can occur when you over do it.
Obviously, this will also be a lot easier on your lungs, but you’ll need to take your edible an hour or two prior to sleeping.
I always advocate CBD in place of THC for sleep as it’s a less invasive, healthier alternative to THC. They do make CBD edibles, balms etc. specific to sleep also.
I’ve smoked weed throughout this PFS and haven’t really suffered any sleep problems
Hey @Worrier77
Thanks for the input, I actually read that THC is more conducive for deep sleep, and that CBD promotes more REM sleep. Its a pretty interesting article:
https://www.healthline.com/health/medical-marijuana/cannabis-for-sleeping#science-says
As for forms of ingestion, the vape pen has been a mircle worker for me the last two nights. I can’t even believe how fast I fell asleep again yesterday. I don’t think 1-2 puffs will do too much damage to my lungs as long as I keep it down to that. Although I haven’t been experiencing sexual sides, I can tell the Insomnia was starting to take a toll on the man as well. This morning after getting good two nights of rest, I woke up with full on morning wood.
I definitely have to recommend a weed vape pen to anyone who’s going through insomnia. Get your hands on one if you can
Thanks for the interesting read here, Pete.
I had smoked traditionally before all this, but stopped due to some other health issues I’ve been going through.
Maybe, I’ll give the pen a whirl in place of the Trazodone I’m doing.