I posted this under mental side effects, but this is also a physical side effect I would think.
Anybody experience this at all? I did during the 3rd week on Propecia (was on for 8 weeks total), and it’s still around now in October.
Yep I get it still. It seems less frequent. However I feel fine some days and others are messed up. Brain fog & fatigue is usually going on the same time when I have it.
Hey. Describe exactly how you’re slurring speech or the situations. Is it whenever you talk or only in large groups? I don’t think I have brain fog per se b/c my mind feels as clear as normal - it’s just in the way I slur words and phrases, such as “up the creek without a padde”, which just does not get pronounced smoothly.
Im trying to recall… Its just when Im having a conversation either on the phone or in person I will have trouble pronouncing words. They just dont come out smoothly. Its like my mouth doesnt move right when I get that symptom. Feel like a dumbass . When I get it im always repeating a word I mess up on.
Right. When I speak to people – doesn’t matter if it’s in a group, to a single person, on the phone – some words/phrases/sentences will come out and when I’ve finished speaking I realized I awsn’t as articulate as I should’ve been. For example, today I was trying to tell someone that the copier copied when pressing Start even when I didn’t put anything in it. I guess it’s like describing a window. It’s a tad hard to describe. It is what it is, meaning slurring is slurring. It’s when a word or phrase or sentence doesn’t come out fluidly, and the realization that I sound like I’m not very articulate.
Right, I agree. And I will get it where im talking to someone and the brain fog and slurred speech is bad that after I say something I dont even know if it made sense. Like trying to explain something to someone and then after the convo is over im replaying what I said in my head to see if it made sense. I dont know if you ever get like that.
Hey. Yea I often replay in my mind if what I just said made sense. However, I don’t think I have too much brain fog – perhaps only in the sense that it relates to coming up with dry humor on the fly. If I have the same conversation in my mind i.e. speaking in my mind with sentences, I am perfectly clear. It’s when I speak aloud that I slur things up.
Yeah I think I have brain fog. To me its just not being able to think clearly. When someone speaks to me its hard to comprehend and take everything in. My mind goes blank and I sit there saying yeah… okay… gotcha… etc. I just feel out of it sometimes. But its good you dont have to deal with brain fog. Really is hard when your trying to work and accomplish daily things.
The only side effect I found from Propecia was the slurred speech/tripping over words, and this was experienced in the third week that I started, out of 8 weeks total on it. I’ve been off for 11 weeks now. I have no sexual/physical side effects and no depression/anxiety/etc. My question is, if finasteride blocks the 5AR enzyme, which in turn blocks conversion of T to DHT (and analogous conversions w/ progesterone and THDOC), if hair loss continues, this must mean DHT is not being blocked anymore, correct?
I was mentioned before that my slurred speech was not attributed to soy, but is it odd that I have no other side effects whatsoever to speak of, and the side effects only started to appear at about the 17th day on Propecia, pretty much at the same time I started soy? I’m probably just rationalizing here, but I want to eliminate all possible things.
Logically speaking, I’m assuming if my side effect is still here after 11 weeks, it takes more than 3 months obviously to get back to normal. I’m thinking Christmas time perhaps?
Well I wish I could answer that one. I mean if your hair is still falling out it may or may not mean DHT is active. Even though I was on Propecia, my hair still fell out, thats why I cant answer it. As far as the soy thing goes, I doubt that it would cause slurred speech. Do a google search and see if anyone is experiencing it. Propecia is more than likely the cause and I would give your self little more time off it. I know you probably hate having that symptom but you should be pretty happy you dont have anything else. If you havent done blood work you can start there to rule anything out. Other than that I would use time as the answer.
I noticed that slurred speech was a side effect to many steroids, and if Propecia is technically a steroid…
Man im so tired of this symptom. Mine comes more so when im brain fogged and fatigue. The only thing that relieves it is when i drink even though im still not 100%. I cant wait for my mind to think clear again, it ruins my personality alot.
The altered sense of reality is really crazy. You feel that you are trapped in some kind of mental bubble and you feel holes in the bubbles open and close, and you want to get out and be yourself again. God, Merck is the Devil.
Yeah this has to wear off soon. But I think with me taking it for 4 years will make mine alot longer.
FLGuy – it ruins my personality a lot man…except when I have some alcohol in me, then I feel a return to almost normal i.e. 95% the old me – I know what you mean though – typically it hits me during the 9 to 5 at work and at staff meetings when I fumble out sentences and be as concise as possible sometimes so I don’t mess up, unlike the former eloquence I knew
meathook – I totally agree that sometimes the “mental bubble” opens and closes. Some days at work I speak better than others and on the phone sometimes I speak better than other times. The one thing about this situation that is interesting to note is how super aware I’ve become of the science and nutrition I put into my body. For example, alcohol makes me speak much clearer and crisper (as long as you’re not wasted of course), and caffeine makes me feel more aware/attentive and I used to think it made me speak better but I’m not sure now. I’ve spoken to colleagues well right after some green tea and coffee and I’ve spoken to colleagues not so well after the same.
Mew said it doesn’t matter how long one has taken finasteride. His contention was that if one took finasteride once, that would have the same side effect possibility as someone who took finasteride for 10 years.
It seems logical that someone who took finasteride longer would have to wait longer for side effects to wane, but his argument seems to make sense on a chemical level.
On another note, I was prescribed Accutane back in summer 2006 for some acne on my shoulders and back (not too much). I took one pill of that and decided not to go that route. I’m wondering if taking one pill of that affected me at all? I still have the same amount of acne (which is not a lot) on my back and the occasional one on my face and thigh.
I’m strongly doubting the one accutane pill had much effect at all. If I remember correctly, it’s a very concentrated form of Vitamin A, being a retinoid of sorts.
As for the Propecia: Yes, taking one pill does have virtually the same effect; however, the longer you take the drug, the more you put yourself at risk of damaging your endocrine system, which in effect, causes other systematic damage. Since it acts like a steroid, it should be treated as if it were a steroid. Thus, as in many anabolic steroid cycles, they try and “cycle” for a minimum amount of time as to reduce long-term endocrinal damage, e.g., they recommend testosterone e. shots for 8 weeks versus 2 years, as to reduce damage.
On that same note, because each guy’s body and rate of hormone production is different, taking propecia can have different effects, thus sometimes even just 5 days may be enough to cause serious side effects. I presume this is more pronounced in people of younger age, as I feel this is why we see a lot of guys in their 20’s and 30’s on the forum. Nevertheless, it is impossible to predict the extent of damage based on usage, because as mentioned, we all have different metabolism rates, different hormonal compositions, different neurotransmitter concentrations, etc.
Still, I’d tend to preach that the less time you take a steroid (or ANY drug), you mitigate the risk of developing more serious, long lasting side effects. An example could be someone who smokes 2 weeks, versus someone who smokes 2 years. Obviously the person only doing it 2 weeks has a lower risk of developing serious side effects, but even in this scenario–there are a ton of factors that could alter the picture.
Anywho, you get the general direction of this message.
Hope this helps, and if there are any comments, questions, concerns–post away!
Thanks for that – I appreciate it.
I took Propecia when I was 24 earlier this year (I’m 25 now). I only took it for 7 weeks, stopped for 3, then one last week, so in a sense that’s akin to “a cycle” of testerosterone me thinks, ay?
Hmm, I don’t know if you can safely compare testosterone to finasteride. Testosterone cycles are taken at various concentrations, have different effects, etc. Therefore, I would not say it’s akin to 7 weeks of testosterone.
Your case is interesting in that you started again, which probably damaged the recovery period.
I don’t know–the point is that it’s rather difficult to say what damage this has or what it is in comparison to other substances. We can only make guesses (sometimes educated), and use what is available to get through this. As for slurred speech, I drank the other night getting a bit tipsy after one or two glasses of wine (it’s been over 6 months since drinking) and I noticed NO effect on improvement in speech.
I’m very surprised you’re not suffering any sexual side effects as well, suggesting that some of this may be psychological. Do you see a therapist regularly?
Hope this helps.
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FLGuy – it ruins my personality a lot man…except when I have some alcohol in me, then I feel a return to almost normal i.e. 95% the old me – I know what you mean though – typically it hits me during the 9 to 5 at work and at staff meetings when I fumble out sentences and be as concise as possible sometimes so I don’t mess up, unlike the former eloquence I knew
Yep exactly the same with me. I wrote that message last night at like 2 am when i was wasted. I can think and speak clearer. It also carries on to the next day usually which MEW explained about some levels alcohol raises.