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Where are you from (country)?
US originally, now the UK -
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?)
Article in Men’s Health Mag. -
What is your current age, height, weight?
45 years old, 5‘10“, 213lbs (15 stones, 3) -
Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
No, but must start again! -
What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Try to be organic/healthy. Very little meat, some fish, often vegi. -
Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
Hair loss. My wife (at the time) made a comment about my bald spot. -
For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
11-12 years. -
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
30 years old (aprox.). Started sometime in 1998/9. -
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
42 years old. Stopped sometime in 2010, after I heard about the warning. -
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold. -
What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Started out taking proper Propecia. Moved to Proscar at some point (trying to “bite off” 1mg per day) -
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1mg/day -
How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
The loss of libido started sometime in 2009. Most of the side effects started 3-6 months after stopping the drug. -
What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[X] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[X] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] 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
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfullness
[ ] 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
[X] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[X] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[X] Weight Gain
[X] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[X] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[X] Other (please explain)
Poor sleep.
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
None so far. Off to the GP next Friday. -
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)?
None so far. -
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
I gained quite a bit of weight between 2008 and 2011. Although my penis is 1/3 the size it previously was, my ball sack has grown in size. Very unusual fat seems to have settled there. So much so, there are days I cannot even find my balls. I have not seen others comment on this lovely side effect. -
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
Typical story, although I took the drug much longer than most posts I’ve read on this site. Zero sex drive. None. I can (and do) masturbate a bit - 1,2 times a week. But rarely achieve anything like a proper erection. Sometimes totally limp, sometimes the hourglass, occasionally hard - but even then, considerably smaller than before stopping the fin. Honestly, my thumb is today larger than my soft penis. It turns white and shrivels up inside my body at the drop of a hat - cold, any exercise. Even walking up 3 flights of stares at the office will acorn it up. Very painful when this happens. I do have one bit of good news. My wife has been, and continues to be, amazingly supportive.