0) Where are you from (country)?
Brazil.
1) 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?)
Via link from baldtruthtalk.com
2) What is your current age, height, weight?
20 yrs-old - 6’0 ft (1.82 m) - 152 lb (69 kg)
3) Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Running 4 times a week.
4) What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
I eat meat (cattle or chicken) almost every day, average intake of carbs (rice, beans, potatos) and lots of vitamin, fruits and veggies.
5) Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
Thinning hair - Androgenetic Alopecia / Male Pattern Baldness.
6) For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
2.5 years from january 2010 to june 2012. Note that I dropped in july 2011, going back in december 2011, so it was rather 2 years.
7) How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
I was 17, two months before my 18th birthday. January 2010.
8) How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
I quit 5 months ago at age 20.
9) How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey.
10) What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Generic Finasteride.
11) What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1 mg/day (January 2010 - July 2011). 0.25 mg/day (December 2011 - March 2012). 0.50 mg/day (March 2012 - April 2012). 1mg/day (April 2012 - June 2012)
12) How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
8/9 months after I took my first pill.
13) What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Lower DHT, unequal T/E ration, inconsisten distribution of androgen receptors. All related to post puberty/maturation of secondary sex characteristics.
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[ ] 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 to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ X ] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Depression / Melancholy
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
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ X ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
Halt on beard (and body hair) maturation and muscle shape development. Increase of acne.
14) What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
None.
15) If you have pre or post-Finasteride bloodtests, what hormonal changes have you encountered since discontinuing the drug (pls post your test results in the “Blood Tests” section and link to them in your post)?
16) Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
17) Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
During the first six months, Finasteride went fine with 1 mg/day, I could manage to keep my hair without sides. Then some ED problems came in. There were lots of occasions where I drove women mad, so I got ashamed of myself and felt depressive, however I kept on the medication. It was only at the 18 month mark that I decided not to take the pill anymore, and I did it.
5 months later, no sex problems so far, I was getting fierce erections every single day and then this massive shed began to bother me, so I went to the propecia route again, this time 0.5 mg/day, gradually shifting to 0.25 mg/day. With this dosage, I practically seized all possible sides. The shed didn’t go away, though. I then went back to 1 mg/day again and guess what? Sides arose 1 month later.
And then there’s the facial hair situation. When I began taking the pills, my beard was uneven and patchy in many areas. Well, even after resuming the medication, the issue hasn’t improved, meaning facial hair development is yet to occur. I’m very afraid I won’t ever get a real full beard (genetics is not the reason since all my relatives are bearded). I hate shaving and don’t enjoy a bare face (I’m pale).
Besides that, acne got a little worse but not to frightening. And I feel like my body structure is still a teenage one.