ScaredMD's story

I am 27
I started using 5 mg Proscar and dividing it into 5 pieces about 11 months ago. After I discovered the sides I stopped using it. It was a total of about 5 months. I continued to used Rogaine to no avail. I have balding on both sides of my family.

Let me just say now that I am a 6’3" 220lb. Personal trainer and I work out 5 to 6 times a week. My test was normally high and my circulation good.

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN ANIMAL LIKE LIBIDO.

A couple months removed my hair has now completely stopped falling out. I just recently discovered that my impotency was an issue when I had the hottest woman I have even had in my bed and I could not get an erection at all, but it seemed to shrink to nothing. I have been able to get an erection when manually stimulated, but when I am with a woman my heart pounds like it never has before. To the point where my whole body is shaking. I have never ever been nervous for sex. Ever. It happened numerous other times with her too. One time I was able to get hard enough for penetration and once I did, it got really hard, but not until then.

One bit of back story, I have been drinking coffee to the point of pots a day while at my office, as I only Personal Train at night, so if this thing has anything to do with adrenals at all, I didn’t help my case with burning them out with 2 years of coffee. Either way, I stopped my coffee drinking and have ED now. My anxiety and depression I fear stems more from the knowledge that I might be impotent for therest of my life. I have been for 2 months now.

I am about to start taking melatonin late at night with gaba to try and sleep better and will be taking a Pro-Androgen Supplement called Activate Xtreme to see if I can up my levels.

Questions.
With this type of ED, does Viagra or Cialis work?
Has anyone had these symptoms and actually recovered? Not using HRT?.. and not just the people who took it for 3 days and got scared?

Thanks, your friend and felllow sufferer.

ScaredinMD,

This sounds (unfortunately) like finasteride inudced ED/ libido loss. The first thing I would say would be not to panic. The chances are that you will see at least some improvement (I’m speaking from own experience (I got sides at 23 and have been dealing with this for eight years now.) I was (as were a lot of guys here I believe) quite happy with my natural sex drive. One of the common problems alot of us had from the beginning was the overwhelming assumption by medical professionals that the causes of this are psychologically rooted. It isn’t.
Hopefully, in your case this is merely a prolonged recovery period. There is a wealth of knowledge and research on this site. I personally have been through the wringer trying to fix this problem, but I hope that it is at least some relief to know that others are dealing with it and have been for a while.
I am not the most qualified here in technical terms, but many suffers have found at least treatments (of varying sucess admitedly), if not the long awaited cure.
The best advice I would give you would be to not let it drive you nuts from the outset, because as I mentioned, you might find that you do return to a healthy state.
As for Viagra Levitra, they do help some in terms of rigidity/stiffness, but our problems (mine personally at least) seem to stem from an impairment of the sex drive itself.

Again there are people and posts here that can give you much more of an insight into what we believe to be the mechanics behind this.

I don’t mean to sound pedantic, by the way or unsympathetic, because the fact is, it is ---- state of affairs. Just wanted to say that if these effects don’t clear up, there are options, and men acitvely seeking a resolution.

Best of luck. Hope it comes roaring back quickly!

Have you tried anti-depressants/ any medications?
What has helped you the most during this process?
Have you found any other serious problems as a result of the lack of DHT/Dopamine in your system?
What do you do to treat it?

I appreciate any and all help.

scared , usually body builders know the most about nutrition, mybe you should try asking them when youre working out

I found that the best results I’ve had were the initial effects of taking testostorone, which I have used on and off since 07. The initial effect (within first week) was a marked rise in libido, and improved functionality, unfortunately these improvements were short lived and now t only gives me a moderate increase in all around energy (not taking as much as I once was.) Also, the first week of taking Wellbutrin I found the same, libido returned, spontaneous sex thoughts and (a few) spontaneous erections. I am no longer on the Wellbutrin (the initial effects did taper off) mostly because I don’t like the idea of being on it forever. I do have friends (who don’t have propecia side effects) who take Buproprion (sp) just in general (I suppose for depresion, but they mostly just find it makes things a little better in general). It might not be a bad idea at least initially to help you deal with fallout of having these symptoms.
I think that a lot of us have experienced episodes (shortly lived) where we have had at least an inkling of the return of libido.
I have always thought that this ill effect started in the brain (not the mind) but I don’t think it means that the sex drive and enjoyment of same is gone. I think one of the main problems we seem to have is the emotional blunting (or brain fog). I personally have experienced a kind of tunnel vision (for lack of a real ability to descirbe it); where basically it feels as though I am a click or so removed from my own experience. as though I’m not really participating. Which would suggest to me a neurological component.

Thanks for your advice before hand.
I wondered why I wasn’t getting this brain fog like everyone else, but then I realized I take amino acid supplements 3 times a day on top of my protiens as well and the have all the suggested things in them.

Product is Dymatize Super Amino, cheap and has everything you need.

My questions are…

I am going to be going to see an endo fo rthe first time(one my step mom, who is a scientist at a local hospital recommends)

What should I ask him?
Should I take any paperwork with me?
Has ANYBODY you’ve met on here recovered at all using any form of pharmaceutical treatment?
Does this make us infertile too?
Should I try and have a child now while I’m still only 3 months removed from propecia?

Thanks again for all your help and support.
JR

Explain your situation, obviously, and see what he recommends to correct the issues (however, don’t expect much beyond being told “it’s all in your head”, offers of Viagra, and no interest in doing bloodwork since most likely they will claim Finasteride cannot cause such longterm issues or affect hormones and Testosterone metabolism like this after quitting).

Truth is, the drug affects many systems and hormones, so obviously comprehensive bloodwork is important. Read FAQ at top of site if you haven’t already as it outlines the steps one should take in dealing with medical professionals, what to bring etc.

Yea, review Finasteride Studies section and bring relevant materials for your case.

Review RECOVERIES section. This is all self-explanatory.

Fin can impact fertility while on drug but improvements are noted after discontinuation. Studies in Finasteride Studies section.

If you are concerned about fertility, get a fertility/sperm test done. Then you’ll know where you’re at. You could have a child now or in the future, I’m sure it doesn’t make any difference at this point since you’re off the drug.

User posted in May 2010 that he has recovered, but has since relapsed:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=3684

UPDATE MARCH 17, 2011: USER HAS NOT RECOVERED/RELAPSED.

Details: viewtopic.php?p=34794#p34794


I haven’t posted on this site since around January.
If you don’t know my story you can read it under the section for Personal Stories – viewtopic.php?p=17116#p17116

I’ve waited till I was sure I was recovered and some time has passed before I told anyone this.

I had been completely impotent for over a year and my testicles swung really low and if I ever forced ejaculation it was discolored and low amounts.

I have been through about 100 different types of supplements and spent thousands on hormone testing to no avail.

I am a personal Trainer and I started losing muscle and strength so I wanted to force some muscle growth. What I am about to tell you is not safe but the side effect for me Iwill disclose shortly.

I used a product called H-Drol whch is a Pro-Hormone Halodrol Clone. I took 90 milligrams (3 pills) a day for 6 weeks while lifting. I noticed increased hair loss and muscles growing and strength increase.

After 6 weeks I started a 4 week estrogen blocker coupled with 6 Weeks on a Trib product called Blue Up at 3 pills a day. After I had stopped the exstrogen blocker with about 2 days left on the Blue up my Testicles started to ache a little. Like the kind of ache when I was on Propecia. That lasting slightly painful ache. 2 Days later I got a rock hard erection on my way home from work. My Erection medicine had one pill left so I hurried to my girls and had full unassisted sex with a rocket penis.

It’s been over a month now with nothing but multivitamins and I’m slowly getting more and more erections at night and everytime I want to have sex I can! My sex drive is back.

I can’t express to you guys how blessed I feel and how much I hope you can get the same. I always associated my ability to procreate with being a man and felt less than during that period. I maintain hope that I will continue to be well.

Let me know if you want more details on the products, I’m an open book and I will provide links to the exact products but I’m at the office and can’t access those sites now.

Be well.

Very happy for you man. Congrats.

Please post the products, I’m interested in reviewing them.

good stuff man!

but i have to say, even for a more mild oral compound as to say a full testosterone cycle you would have needed a good PCT with clomid or nolva

apparently the blue up which is trib and tongkat ali worked to start your testosterone production again

estrogen levels would be high after cycle which is why the estrogen blocker worked

would you mind to post previous bloodwork details?

did you perhaps have high estradiol to begin with, this could have been remedied with arimidex

thanks

H-DROL supplementwarehouse.com/View … uct=162797
BLUE UP www.bodybuilding.com/store/clabs/blue.html
INHIBIT E www.bodybuilding.com/store/sns/in.html

Like I said, I have tried other supplements including Trib Products alone and none worked for me and I felt nothing.
This kick started me.
I will post the lab test once I get them out of storage, I just moved. My 3 Adiol-G was extremely low.
Just off the top of my head it was a Scale of 1000nm to 2500nm or so and I was at 1049 or something of the like.
Hope this helps.

Did you ever try prescription T & Anti-estrogens? Basically, did you ever run a true bodybuilding cycle or did you stick to supplements?

I have never done anything prescription. However I don’t have any sources for that and no doctor was eager to help me as the Endos I went to referred me to Andrologists because they were clueless. One was helpful and when she examined me she even said my testes looked deflated and dead. They don’t look or feel that was anymore.

so, exactly how long have you deemed yourself “recovered?” also, specifically, I’m wondering how “recovered” you would call the girth at the base of your unerect and erect penis is AND how much urgency you feel to urinate. one more thing: how recovered is your skin? meaning, is it now more moist and oily (in other words, “normal,” all over your body)?

I really hope you do check back on this website occasionally or that you have the “receive email notification of PM” on your options for this site. I am not ready to make the full-on effort/regimen to recover from this ATM because of my injured foot, but I certainly will make a very good effort in the future.

I really do feel back to 100% size and feel wise. My skin is normal, my un-erect penis adjusts with temperature, my scrotum is closer to my body.
I feel it’s been about a month, but I have been having sex everyday without the use of Levitra since… just because I can and want to. I even made a dumb decision with some chick… and I knew I was being run by hormones… it made me happy.

Like I said, I’m an open book. I do have PM on and will disclose everything asked if it will help anyone.

I think you should get a blood test ( LH and FSH) and post it over here

If he say’s he’s 100%, there’s really no need for a blood test, don’t you think. Would you care what your numbers were if you felt 100%? I wouldn’t.

I am very interested in seeing if LH and FSH really went up plus something in papers tells you more clearly what is going on in your body. feeling 100% ok was ok when we were normal. No body really cared at that time.