@PFS I fully get what you are saying. I lost those feelings within weeks of taking fin over 20 years ago. After being prescribed paroxetene they returned. Fast forward to 2008 /9 they fell off again. No matter what they didn’t return and I thought it must happen to people when they get bored as nothing seemed to fire me up. Then in 2015 they returned briefly when on holiday then fell away again at this point i knew something was wrong . 2 years later I would discover pfs and it all fell into place. Since then I had a two week window accidentally from turmeric then 1 day last year from bacopa. My strength and muscles tend to come back on line when this happens. It’s very soulless and flat to say the least without these essential life giving / rewarding / feeling.of being alive. Ide agree it’s the worst it’s like being dead amongst the living. But Greek is correct I believe they can be turned back on for some with time. We don’t know enough to be sure that it won’t come back for everyone at some point no one has been around with this long enough to be 100% sure.
How long exactly did they last for?
@orthogs I’d say 6 years the dosage had to be increased three times separately which I think tied into times when I stopped then restarted propecia. Then it stopped working which is when my real problems started. Even though I had testicular cancer during this time I still felt relatively well emotionally and physically.
I had no feelings for a long while, even with the diet and supplements, there was no joy in my life.
Life was a task and everyday I would “wake up” (or get up from a night of little sleep and insomnia, whatever you prefer) and after getting up I had apprehension for the day to come, wishing it would not be miserable again. I’d go to sleep praying the God of sleep (is there one ?) to spare me the torment for that night.
But I will agree with @Greek, it’s taking time but it’s coming back !
One day I started to have music again in my head. Later, I started to whistle and much later, to sing like I used to.
It’s uneven. There are days when I just want to do what I have to do, finish the day and go back to sleep. But 3 years after crashing, I can say the last year had a lot more singing and whistling than the second year which had almost none. Forget about the first year. I just promised myself I wouldn’t end it and I went through it like a zombie.
It’s weird when you notice it coming back: I was like Wow ! I have music in my head ! How long has it been ?
I had forgotten about this !
To be honest, now that you mention it, insomnia is not my only remaining symptom. Emotional flatness fluctuate and there are definitely days with less feelings. It’s not so clear cut to see as insomnia or lack of sex drive or erectile dysfunction. Like @LazarusRy mentioned, it’s easy to think it’s just a boring day because there are genuine boring days as well.
Since then I studied Stoicism and I just take the day as it comes, the night as it comes, good or bad or meh !
But it is improving with time, just maybe not as fast as I would wish for.
Just found this success story. And i find it goes hand in hand with other natural recoveries protocols.
Maybe give u guys some hope.
But
As I’m back to f***** despair (and today is my first PSSD bithday), I just dont know if I have to be skeptical about it. Like, the classics: one day profile existance, and going away without answering some questions at his thread.
Sometimes I really think that everyone who says that they recovered are just Pharma paid motherfuckers to dismiss our condition. Just thought it even about Ozehp, lol. Just don’t know. And am not making acusations here, in fact, @Ozeph really inspires me. Im just fuckin distressed and afraid.
Hope it’s real.
Thank you for sharing the story. We absolutely need hope of a better future ahead to make today bearable.
And there is hope. I was disabled, couldn’t work or drive, had crazy anxiety and wanted to die and I’m back to being functional, singing song and life has fun to it again.
No surprise, I will suggest a carnivore based ketogenic diet. Most calories from animal fat (although I found palm oil to easily convert into energy).
That plus exercise and the Tricks to repair the Epigenome
The diet prepares you body and makes those tricks more powerful. The tricks do as much as the diet in repairing the body.
There is hope, but we need to do something and that something has to be in the right direction. I’m not saying the direction I’m suggesting is the only one or the best one, but that’s the one I know, plus it’s natural so there’s less chances of crashing on it.
Don’t give up ! Believe in yourself and your capacity to get better. It’s worth it and you still have good moments to get out of this life !
Find the right direction, work that way and the future will gradually improve until it feels like life as normal !
Will it be same as better ? I doubt it. After such an experience, a person has much more compassion for others than before. Some do recover like before, others reach an acceptable level and life goes on !
I send you my best thoughts for success !
First of all, thanks for the message and I’m sorry for catching you up in not an exactly friendly way. I’m just in regret about all this shit. You know? I used this shit even knowing it was dangerous and could lead me to this. Such an irony, no? Was kinda obligated.
But I do reallly hope to get to where I was at. Like, it doesnt even make senso to not being like I was! 99% would still mean that I’m not me. And that 1% hurts!
Just want this nightmare to end. And end completely. Want to wake up in my given life, so precious thing! Feels like that one percent would still keep me locked in this parallel universe, I just want my emotions and sexual function back. I’m 24!!!
We’ve got a pandemic and all kinds of heavy handed state interventions. Life will never be as before.
That’s the part where you have to accept reality. Most pain in life comes from not accepting reality. What if you could be 95% what you were and 5% a better person, having more compassion and being more resilient at dealing with life as it comes in reality, not as you want it ?
In any case, it’s apparent that a great deal of pain comes from not accepting the truth: you got this at this very moment and you don’t know how long it will stick.
Accepting reality is half the work. At least, it brings you at the starting line and from there you can start walking in the right direction.
But everything in its time. If you need to mourn what was lost, go through it. Just know you can’t mourn forever, at one point you have to take a hold of yourself and move forward.
I too regret having taken this pill. Who here doesn’t. But life is not over, it’s just more challenging.
We can beat this. I know we can.
Hey man. I’m also a case caused by an antidepressant. What have you tried in the past months/year to alleviate your condition?
I try to live healthy. Was committed for like 3 months but then relapsed
Another success story. This one was mainly focused on gut and healthy living, again
Thank you so much for creating this recovery compilation post. Makes me hopeful to see you recovered sexually to 95%. I also wanted your opinion on What’s the average time to reach lasting recovering? And what percentage probably don’t. Just your best guess. Of course everyone is different. Any other conclusions you have about this such as age of patient and length of time on finasteride are appreciated. I’m just so tired from perusing all the posts and comments and wanted your opinion from the posts/comments you’ve seen on the forum. A statistical analysis of the posts/comments would be great but let’s be realistic about that happening. I know the real answer is nobody knows.
Thank you and you’re welcome. I made this thread because we need hope not only to go on but to heal !
I’ve been 3 years on the diet and doing epigenetic repair tricks and I still have insomnia. Hedonia is gone and that’s a big one to get rid of. Reading the recovery stories, 2 years seems to be fast, 4-6 years the average but it can take 20 years.
I think the more changes one makes in his environment and social life (for the better), diet and healthy life style, plus the tricks to repair epigenetic damage, the less likely is going to drag in time. I believe, and many will not agree, that the reason we got our number drawn in this unlucky lottery has to do with other epigenetic changing factors that were already accumulating and fin (or whatever you took) was the straw that broke the camel’s back. For me, it was extreme reaction to feminism and failed relationship. It made me hate my sex drive… and then I lost it with pfs. I had to work hard on my psyche to accept things as they are and be neutral toward feminism and more pragmatic about relationship. I believe it helped but what do I really know ?
I’m almost certain we need to believe we can heal and have hope.
I’m an optimistic. I believe we can all heal if we do those epigenetic tricks, diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, psychological changes and we believe we can heal. Those who choose to end it or live in total gloom and rejection of their conditions have, well, less chances. Call me naive if you will.
It seems younger men can take less before getting sick, older ones can take more. Not sure. One thing is sure, some get sick with a single pill whereas other like me took it almost 20 years. (I did get symptoms way before I stopped, maybe after 7-10 years of taking it)
Do your best, remain positive, keep you hope high and it can only make your life better no matter what.
I wish you the best of luck and send you my best thoughts for recovery.
Thank you gomesemog. Much appreciated !
Thank you so much for the thorough response! I really appreciate your wisdom and insight. I hope I can be a source of encouragement like you are one day. I will try my best.
Well, it is with great pleasure that I announce that today, ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tam ! I started losing my hair again !!!
I’m so happy, I have tears in the corner of my eyes… I’m producing enough 5ar to lose hair !!!
I’ve read that "The pharmacokinetics of finasteride and dutasteride are as such that they are nearly irreversible inhibitor of 5α-Rs, with slow rate of dissociation, leading to a long-lasting effect of the drug, regardless of dose administered. " . Ha ha ! Slow rate of dissociation but not impossible to dissociate mother f**ker !
It’s been some 22 years since I stopped losing hair. I though I was done, they would never fall again but the miracle occurred ! This means I slowly but steadily produce more 5ar, more DHT, more allopregnanolone and 5a-THDOC (well, maybe. Im not sure…Lol). But anyway, I was losing my hair in my early 30’s, fin stopped it, stopping fin changed nothing (well beside getting pfs) so losing my hair again after crashing 3 years and 2 months ago means my body is Oh so ever slowly going back to some of what it was before…
Maybe, just maybe, I will eventually be able to sleep without meds !!! Or will have to use deodorant again !
Anyway. I just wanted to share. (I’m really happy !) Plus I’ll get to look like a clown in a few years. Isn’t life full of surprise ?
My pleasure. And to be honest, my previous post didn’t look so full of wisdom. But if it means anything to you, there is progress that can be made and that’s one more proof. Of course, this thread is full of proofs progress can be made !
All the best to you my friend !
Wow, awesome news! About 3 years since you quit fin and started your diet/epigenetic repair and now you have this to add to your progress. Really happy for you and hopeful for the rest of us. Funny how I too am hoping for my hair to start receding again when losing hair was my worst nightmare 2 months ago xD You never know with life. Made my day brother. It’s a beautiful day. Thank you for sharing
Hope this counts as a recovery story and isn’t one you already listed.
Thank you for sharing !
It shows some changes but recoveries are people who are completely symptom free for a duration of at least 3 months as per my own definition (which may vary for others). Longer is better but we usually don’t hear from them after they get better. There’s been cases of 1 year recovery and then a drawback. Nonetheless, I think such cases have the ability to recover again.
Any stories that shows improvements is an inspiration.