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)?
US
What is your current age, height, weight?
20, 5’10", 130
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Finasteride, Dutasteride
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1mg finasteride ED, 0.5mg Dutasteride EOD
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Hair loss
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
Finasteride: 1.5 years, Dutasteride: few months on and off
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
Finasteride: 18, Dutasteride: 19
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
19
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
1.5 years of Finasteride, shortly after taking Dutasteride
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Currently none
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
[X] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[X] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[X] Weight (Loss due to depression/lack of appetite)
[X] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[X] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[X] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[X] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[X] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[X] Other (please explain)
Felt chemically castrated
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Tried multiple supplements such as zinc and vitamin D. Healthy lifestyle and diet. Arimidex.
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)?
Unfortunately, I did not get any pre-Finasteride blood tests, however a blood test about four months into PFS showed my total testosterone at 390 (260-1100). Two months later another test revealed a total testosterone level of 606 (260-1100), much higher than the previous result. The second test included estrogen level as well, which was perfectly balanced (don’t remember exact value, but it was right under the middle of the range). It also included prolactin which was borderline high (in range), although the doctor did not seem concerned and ignored it.
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
Hi, I am going to post a quick story about my experience with finasteride and dutasteride. As you can see I had a lot of PFS symptoms. I am not going to get into any arguments as to why the symptoms persisted for 10 months for me, but they did.
My symptoms were very persistent over the full length of time I had PFS. I remember one time where I noticed a slight improvement about 6 months into it. This improvement lasted about a week before disappearing and was hardly comparable to my pre-finasteride state. I tried zinc and vitamin D which did absolutely nothing for me. Shortly after, I ordered some arimidex at about the 8 month mark and took 3 .25mg pills over the course of two weeks. Took about two days to feel the effects. I could tell a difference in the form of a slight improvement but it was hardly noticeable most of the time. A few days after the 3rd dose I remember I felt almost completely normal for about 24 hours. This gave me a small glimmer of hope that my situation could improve over the long term. I dropped arimidex and the effects went away; I was back to my PFS state. A few weeks went by and I decided to try arimidex again. This time I took 4 .25mg pills over the course of 8 days. I felt marginally better but over all it did not seem to make much of a difference this time around. It’s been maybe three weeks since I took the last dose and all of the sudden I feel completely normal again. Not sure if it is attributed to arimidex or not, but nothing else in my life changed other than that. It could have been a natural recovery or coincidence so I cannot endorse arimidex as the cure for sure. I have only been “recovered” for about a week but the difference is so profound I immediately noticed.
During my experience with PFS, I had the only two panic attacks I have had in my life. I am pretty certain it was PFS that contributed to their onset. I was also struck with tremendous brain fog, depression, general anxiety, and a loss of words, more so than before finasteride, as well as sexual sides I have never experienced and given my age, should not be experiencing at all. I suddenly gained back my confidence, became less anxious, and generally feel like a man again recently. I promised myself that if I overcame this awful tragedy, I would post my recovery story to encourage others to be hopeful. I did not have a slow recovery, it was immediate and without warning when I least expected it. I hope it lasts.
Edit: Shortly after discontinuation of Arimidex I crashed again. However, it worked twice in a row so I will be retrying and continuing for as long as it works.
