) 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?)
finesteride help - What is your current age, height, weight?
37 5.10 170 - Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
yes. run, weights - What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
all - Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
hair - For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
2 yrs - How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
32 2009 - How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
34 2011 - How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
cold turk - What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
prop - What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1 mg/day - How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
didn’t - What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
none - all with withdrawal
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[ x] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ x] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ x] Loss of Morning Erections
[ x] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ ] Inability to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ x] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ x] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ x] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ x] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ x] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ x] 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
[ x] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ x] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
- What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
no caffeine, alcohol. Daily vitamins and omega 3. Lots of weightlifting and running (some kind of exercise every day). I juiced fresh vegetables at least twice a week.
After about a year, I returned to the caffeine and alcohol (though not much), and kept exercising at least 5 times a week. I still juice twice a week. I’ve cut the vitamins.
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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)?
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Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
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Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I’m giving back because I received much substantive and emotional help from this board.
Since I quit, I was able to finish my PhD, gain a tenure-track position as an assistant professor at a well-respected university, and return to a life that is largely the same as it was before finesteride (minus hair).
I’m also giving back because many of you, like myself, might be interested in how recovery might happen using methods that don’t involve some other chemical.
Although some have attested to the benefit of various supplements and injections, I found this unattractive – we are, after all, recovering from the effects of one.
Some facts:
I took fin for about 1.5 years and quit cold turkey. For several months after that, I had terrible brain fog, sleeping problems, sexual dysfunction, suicidal tendencies, and depression.
Then, in part because of what I read here, I had no caffeine, alcohol. Daily vitamins and omega 3. Lots of weightlifting and running (some kind of exercise every day). I juiced fresh vegetables at least twice a week.
After about a year, I returned to the caffeine and alcohol (though not much), and kept exercising at least 5 times a week. I still juice twice a week. I’ve cut the vitamins.
3 years after I quit the drug, I feel lucky to be alive. I’ve never had such a physically destructive event, and have vowed not to mess with nature. So that’s the point – in my experience I returned to normal (and perhaps better) shape without more substances. It is possible.
Good luck to all of you and please retain hope.