Quit cold turkey...start taking again?

General Discussion
#5

Thank you for the response. I’m still in a state of shock about everything.

I stopped Fin because I wasn’t as concerned about hair loss as when I originally started taking it, so I figured I could just stop. I also saw a headline recently suggesting that the drug may cause side effects for some people (I didn’t read into the details at the time)…clearly thinking it only affected people ON the drug, not once they stop taking it.

My symptoms: extreme decrease in libido (and I have always had a strong sex drive), inability to get an erection, and a mild pain/tingling in my testicles. This has resulted in depression and being close to some anxiety attacks. These symptoms have been consistent for 3 days now.

I feel like I should avoid this site for a bit as it only makes my mental symptoms worse…but I’m now obsessed with learning more as I’m completely terrified about this situation. I guess my best hope is for the side effects to be temporary…I’m trying to stay as positive as possible.

#6

Zipper12,
I found out about this site after I quit and after some of the most serious effects started. I have read some people advise that one try to go off fin gradually-but have not heard whether or not this helps. There have been so few published studies on fin that many of us are trying to understand what is happening to us by sharing our stories here at propeciahelp.com. Most doctors have no clue.
Three weeks ago I would have said ween yourself off gradually. At this point I don’t know. I hope someone who has more information will read your post and give you some good advice.
The worst time of my life is when I was where you are at right now. The only advice I can give you is try not to worry to much-stress and thinking about it all the time is its own a dick-softener. Try to meditate, do things you enjoy, keep occupied. Do not spend too much time on this site! Not at this point in your healing. For us with PFS it is all we have and we need it so that we can try to find healing. For you, the last thing you need is to be reading about this stuff all day long!
Good luck, thoughts and prayers to you.
Tlecum

Again, could someone with experience please advise Zipper12 please respond. Ought he still try to gradually wean himself off of fin?
Your advice could save someone suffering so please don’t hold back.

#7

Advice was already given. Finasteride is out of his system by now, no need to take it again to slowly stop taking it…again.

#8

It is amazing that a person can take it for 8 years without any issues and then suddenly after quitting - severe side effects set in.

MartinM’s advice is solid but personally i think going back on finasteride isn’t a bad call. I mean come on, the guy was on it for 8 years.

#9

i was on fin for 3 years and beaver had a problem. it was when i quit my life turned to hell. almost 2 years later and life is still hell. i am seriously thinking about going back on as i have tried all else.

#10

You might as well stick leeches on your dick for all the logic in that idea.

#11

Well do u have a better idea?

Anyway some people have seen benefits going back on. And in theory (only my theory) that goig back on fin and coming off again might this time restart things properly

Anyway im only thinkig about it right now.

#12

Count me in as one of the ones who was on a long (10 plus) with minimal side effects until the very end.

Post fin has been like my whole world ended. I have contemplated going back on but I will say most in our shoes this makes it worse (if that can be possible)

#13

Do you really think going back on fin is going to make your balls grow back?

Does anyone think that going back on fin will reverse sides like penile numbness, fibrosis, muscle wastage, fog, severe ED, screwed up T levels etc etc? Sorry, but the horse has bolted the stable now. This is simpleton’s stuff, come on.

I hate to state the obvious here, but is not going to help anyone who has truly crashed.

Personally I would have gone on it again between quitting and crashing, in that approx three week window between some normality and PFS, if I could go back in time. But once you hit the day of your crash that’s that chance gone forever.

#14

Zipper12

although a little lat but not too late.
Please go and get all blood tests given here+ANA+ESR etc
if in the future you get worse (hopefully you will get better) you will have some baseline to see what has changed.

#15

It worked for me for 10 days

It worked for Denarion

And i am in contact with a user who re took dutasteride and is feeling much better after coming off it

The way i see it is - if someone has been on it for 8 damn years, then going back on after crashing to see how things turn out is no biggie

#16

That is crazy!

#17

  1. And what happened after these 10 days?

  2. It is if his HPTA axis is trying to re-adust and going back on throws it completely off.

#18

I returned the to terrible state i was in before. However, Denarion didn’t and neither has the other user i am in contact with who has re taken dutasteride.

Look, again - i am not preaching this as a cure. I am just saying; the guy was on the drug for 8 years for god’s sake. Going back on finasteride could be worth a try.

Obviously the risk for Zipper is that he may get better in the coming days/ weeks/ months anyway and going back on finasteride may only offset a natural recovery.

#19

why is my post crazy? Are you saying we cannot get worse - perhaps…

#20

Because you took it for 10 years with no issues and then BOOM - your whole life changes.

#21

Got it - actually, the first ten years the side effects were less ejaculate and less sensitivity but nothing that was detrimental to performance.

Last year before quitting satrted with testicle pains and some slight shrinkage episodes. That’s when I found this site and decided to quit. I did try to wean but probably not slowly enough and I started to take some test-boosting supplements that led me to a good state. I over-did it and crashed. If I only had a time machine…

#22

Thanks for everyone’s comments and thoughts.

I went to my general doctor and told him the whole story, basically in tears. He was unfamiliar with the whole post Fin side effects. He acknowledged that the information on these websites COULD be true, however it is unlikely the case as it isn’t known within the general medical community. He is testing my testosterone and I’ll find out results tomorrow…and likely go to a specialist after that. He gave me some anti-anxiety medicine to calm me down when I’m feeling very depressed and overwhelmed with the whole situation, which definitely helps how I feel. For now, my goals is to stay positive and convince myself that things are temporary and I will recover. Its amazing how powerful your brain is. So I’m going to try to avoid this website for a bit so it doesn’t freak me out, which has led to a viscous mental cycle of bad thoughts and depression. I will certainly follow-up with a specialist very soon, but in the meantime I’m trying to stay positive, eat healthy, and hope for a turnout. I’ll keep you all posted as appropriate. but if you don’t hear from me for a few days/weeks, then consider that a good thing for me…

Thanks everyone.

#23

Yawn… same old BS. Tell him to read the front page of this site as well as propeciahelp.com/awareness , and then he’ll be a bit more educated.

Bad idea, now you can’t pinpoint your issues as a direct result of Finasteride since you’ve now taken other drugs since its use.

Mkay, well if you feel you are prone to placebo effects etc, it probably is best you don’t read things here. If on the other hand you are suffering from the real symptoms of PFS (physical changes to genitalia, impotence, loss of morning/spontaneous/nocturnal erections etc), then you’re probably in the right place.

Good luck in the meantime.

#24

Does he have a little hair loss of his own? Ask him to give the drug a try. After all he should have nothing to lose or course because isn’t known to be a problem in the general medical community.