Where are you from (country)?
Norway
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?)
Reddit
What is your current age, height, weight?
25, 178cm, 90kg
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
Saw Palmetto 1 month then switched to finasteride (heard that finasteride is like an AK-47 compared to Saw Palmetto)
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1 month of 500mg Saw Palmetto every day then switched to 1.25mg finasteride eod
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Hairloss
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
See above
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
June with Saw Palmetto (don’t remember exact date), then 7. july 2020 with finasteride
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
I quit 13. july, 6 days after
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold turkey
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
6 days after, I woke up with no erection which was completely unusual
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Libido mostly
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
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[x] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] 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
[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
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] 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?
Nothing special, just vitamins
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)?
I took blood test for 2 days ago, no answer yet.
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
I had extreme libido while on Saw Palmetto. Crashed when I switched to Finasteride.
My first week with side effects: 0-5% libido, unable to get erection at all. I did not try to have sex, but pretty sure that I would not be able to do so anyways. My penis was completely dead (I used to have morning wood everyday). After 1 week I got tiny bit better. Libido was maybe 30%, but I could still not maintain erection even with porn. I felt disconnected from my penis most of the time.
After 1 month I could get maybe 70% of full erection while trying to masturbate, but I was pushing myself. My libido was maybe 30-50%. I felt that I was getting better, but it was up and down. I also had 1 week with ball ache, but it faded away.
However. I have good news. I woke up with morning wood three days in a row. I feel like my libido has improved too, maybe 80%. I can maintain erection even without watching naked girls. I feel like my penis is connected to my brain again. I have really good feeling that I will recover fully soon.
Also, I started to exercise outside in the cold and got sick last week. Did manage to get well 4-5 days ago. Not sure if this has to do anything with my recovery.
I am scared that side effects will appear again as I have started to recover. Is it too early to be happy?