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)?
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?)
What is your current age, height, weight?
34, 6’0 , 185
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.)?
1.25 mg everyday
What condition was being treated with the drug?
MPB
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
One brief stint in college for 1 month. Then again close to a decade.
Date when you started the drug?
2015
Date when you quit the drug?
July 2023
Age when you quit?
33
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold Turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
I didn’t notice much at the time but I believe I had lowered libido and lack of sensitivity while on the drug. I also developed some minor to moderate situational anxiety while on the drug but never directly considered finasteride as the reason.
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Lots
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
[ ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[X ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[X ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[X ] Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[X ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[X ] Anxiety
[X ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[X] 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
[X ] Muscle Weakness
[X ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[X] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[X] Digestion Problems (Almost all foods give me indigestion)
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[X ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[X ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ X] Other (please explain) Cold feet/hands, dry skin, ear issues , muscle pain, noise sensitivity
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
I have avoided all medicines, supplements, etc. Only thing I’ve tried is acupuncture
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)?
Haven’t had hormones checked but blood results show low vitamin D.
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.
Like many, I have never created an account here but lurked frequently. I always hoped I would magically heal before ever doing so. I have posted on Reddit and I’m sure many have already read my story over there. For those that haven’t here it is.
In mid ‘23 I had a dentistry issue arise, which was the catalyst for me taking a break from Finasteride. I started feeling very strange around this time. I naively thought I was having a bad reaction to the meds from the dentist or from the sinus issues the infected tooth caused. My hypothesis was not far-fetched as I am med sensitive after quitting another pharmaceutical called Gabapentin several years back. The muddy waters I was traversing kept me from seeing the true culprit, Finasteride.
Keep in mind I wasn’t really aware of PFS. I thought that just had to do with ED if you got that side when you started treatment. Five weeks after my break, I took another single dose of finasteride. After swallowing that final dose immediate regret ensued from my disdain for pharmaceuticals. I threw out my pills and told my girlfriend I think I’ll just go bald…
In a few days I started to feel way worse than I did initially. I lost my appetite completely and could barely swallow food. I felt so bad I wondered to myself if I had been poisoned. I knew I hadn’t, but I couldn’t think of anything that I had been doing that could cause such a strong response. I just kept trucking along.
Then one morning I woke up and the whole room was spinning. I told my employer I would be going on leave and haven’t been back since. This period of time was absolutely insane. I still didn’t know it was from the Finasteride, but I was so disorientated and felt so bad I was trying to prepare a will. I didn’t recognize myself and wanted to admit myself into a psychiatric ward. Thankfully, my girlfriend knew better and didn’t allow that to happen. They would’ve just pumped me full of drugs.
It wasn’t until I got testicular pain that I discovered what I was dealing with was PFS. It all made sense once I did because my libido was completely gone, semen volume was reduced to almost nothing, and orgasms came with no pleasure. Luckily, all my sexual sides recovered extremely quick even though that’s the last thing I care about. I’m not sure how I get hit so hard and didn’t get the full gamut of sexual sides.
The next few months after that final pill were followed with extreme insomnia, feelings of fear, thoughts of suicide, akathisia, etc. The complete inability to relax. Nothing felt comfortable or safe. I constantly had to walk around as I just couldn’t sit.
Thought I was stabilizing as I’ve seen improvement in some areas. I no longer pace around. I can relax and watch tv/movies much easier than before. I can get a pretty decent night of rest. I no longer have hypnic jerks when falling asleep and my arms don’t go numb anymore.
Then about 10 days ago I woke up with a clogged right ear. Three days later it transferred to the left ear. Now the fullness bounces back and forth between the two with some periods of remission throughout the day… So not sure if I will continue to get new symptoms.
After reading many member stories, I realize I had a horrible crash compared to most. I don’t see myself being able to live long-term in my current state, but I will just keep putting the days behind me in hope for a miraculous recovery. I already put out a video of my story to help spread awareness. Not much else I can do!