Problems With Achieving Erections After 4 Months of Proscar

Member Stories
#1
  1. Where are you from (country)?
    Europe
  2. 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
  3. What is your current age, height, weight?
    29, 178cm, 80kg
  4. Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
    gym 5 times a week
  5. What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
    high-calorie
  6. Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
    hair loss
  7. For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
    4 months
  8. How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
    29
  9. How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
    29
  10. How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
    undecided
  11. What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
    Proscar divided into 4 pieces
  12. What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
    1.25 mg
  13. How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
    4 months after starting
  14. What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
    I’m just starting to discontinue
    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
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[x] 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
[ ] 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
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature

[ ] Other (please explain)

I could use some advice from people who’ve been through the same thing.

I’ve been taking 1.25 mg of Proscar every day for about 4 months to prevent my hair loss. Up to this point, the only side effect I’ve noticed was a lower sperm count during ejaculation - which was fine by me. The last week, however, I started getting problems with achieving an erection. I was sick during this time so I thought it might be due to my flu. I’m healthy since yesterday but the problem still persists. I decided to stop taking finasteride effective tomorrow. I have some questions:

  1. Should I stop taking finasteride altogether or take a lower dosage for some time before stopping to let the body adapt?
  2. How likely is that my erection problems are permanent?
  3. If my erection problems turn out to be permanent, can they be negated by sexual enhancement drugs?
  4. If my erection problems are not permanent, how long should I wait to see a full erection after quitting finasteride?
  5. Any other tips are welcome.

To be honest, I’m scared shitless at this point in time.

#2

If it was me, I would taper off.
I would start by taking a lowered dose each day, then take half a dose each day, then start taking alternate days etc.
I would discuss it with your GP and agree on a plan.

Its important you get plenty of sleep/rest and avoid stress over the next few weeks.
If you look after yourself, then you are giving yourself the best chance of making a 100% recovery.

Give you body a chance to recover over and then see what happens.

Avoid excessive exercise. If you are exercising, its OK to work up a light sweat, but don’t overdo it otherwise your body may become run down.
Avoid watching porn.
Avoid excessive masturbation/sexual activity. The general advice is that every few days is OK - enough to keep things working.
Avoid any food/drink containing aspartame.
Avoid junk food from fast food outlets.
Avoid fizzy drinks.
Avoid caffeine, especially strong coffee.
Drink clean/bottled water only.
Avoid alcohol. You absolutely cannot afford to drink any alcohol at all, not a single drop.
Focus on eating healthy. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, especially berries and spinach. Eating lean meats such as chicken/trimmed steak is OK.

Walking is good for the prostate as it gently massages/relaxes the prostate and the surrounding pelvic region.
Try to walk a couple of miles outdoors everyday as it should help to alleviate any pelvic floor/tension issues.

#3

I think a hula hoop is also good to do, you don’t need a hoop at first just stand with your feet close together but not touching and move your hips slowly in a circular fashion either direction, it’s normal to hear cracking if you’re not a kid.