PFS from Minoxidil

Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.

Where are you from (country)?

France

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?)

With r/minoxidilsideeffects

What is your current age, height, weight?

22

What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?

Minoxidil

What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?

1ml/day

What condition was being treated with the drug?

For beard

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

2 weeks

Date when you started the drug?

5th of september 2021

Date when you quit the drug?

20th of september

Age when you quit?

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

Cold turkey

How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?

3 days

What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?

Vision problems, testicular atrophy and pain, varicocele, ED, weak orgasms, lack of collagen, joint pain

Check the boxes that apply. You can save your post first, then interactively check/uncheck the boxes by clicking on them. If your symptoms change, please update your list.

Sexual
[X ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[X ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[X] Loss of Morning Erections
[X ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[X ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[X ] Watery Ejaculate
[ X] Reduced Ejaculate
[X ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[X ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility

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

Physical
[] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[X ] Testicular Pain
[ X] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[X ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ x] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes

Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[X ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[X ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)

What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?

If you have pre or post-drug blood tests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (please post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?

Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?

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

Hello everyone, I took minoxidil in order to fill some empty spots in my beard for two weeks in september 2021. I had a great response to the treatment, in only two days vellus hair started to appear on my cheeks. In the meantime, I began to feel a great pain in my right testicle and I didn’t suppose that Minoxidil could be the cause of that. Ten days in, vellus hair started to grow all over my body, my pain testicle grew even more and I started having tachycardia which prevented me from sleeping. I woke up the next morning with my penis completely dead. Horrified I started looking for the cause and I stumbled upon r/minoxidilsideeffects with dozens of reports which were similar. I immediatly stopped using the product and I felt a complete recovery for a week and then all of a sudden I felt a crash. Heart pain, tachycardia, insomnia, testicular atrophy and pain, no libido, ED, loss of vision, joint pain. I went to the hospital two times and they couldn’t find anything. I went to see an urologist who said that I had a varicocele but that it couldn’t be the cause of all my sexual problems. I went to see an endocrinologist which never even heard of the issue.

I’m feeling better these but I still feel like the shadow of what I used to be. I’m depressed, feeling like I poisoned myself and destroyed my life for a beard.

1 Like

Absolutely the same situation

Hi @FelixC and welcome to the forum!

I’m sorry you’re in this situation. Just don’t blame yourself (“destroyed my life for a beard”) - none of us were properly informed of the risks when we took these drugs.

It seems like you’ve had some improvements, and it’s possible that they continue. I get the impression that improvements can take a long time, so don’t give up hope yet.

4 Likes

Very sorry to read about the horrible experience you’ve had with minoxidil. The good part like Greek mentioned is that you’ve seen improvements. The fact that you’ve had the condition for not even a year yet and are already seeing improvements provides a lot of hope for the future.

1 Like