Welcome to our community. Please fill in the following template as a way of introducing yourself, and helping others to understand your background and situation.
Where are you from (country)? Canada
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?) Google
What is your current age, height, weight? 62, 6’00", 198
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)? Propecia
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)? 1mg/ day
What condition was being treated with the drug? MPB
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)? 13+ years
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug? 48
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit? 62 , July 2019
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)? Taper (sort of)
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects? Only once I stopped
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation? They all only started after quitting fin
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
[ ] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[x] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[x] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[x] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[x] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[x ] 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
[x] Muscle Weakness
[x] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[x] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[x] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[x] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug? Occasional clonazepam for bad anxiety attack.
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)?
Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience?
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
I was on Propecia for way too long (10+ years) I never had any side effects while on the drug but back in July I realized I had been taking it sporadically, maybe missing a day or two here and there; and then at one point, for absolutely no reason at all, I decided to stop completely.
Turns out that may have been a mistake.
A few weeks after stopping, I noticed muscle twitches (fasciculations) in both my legs below the knees and my toes would move a tiny bit on their own.I also had pins and needles in both arms and hands.
I was able to see a neurologist and have some fancy tests done about two weeks later. Mercifully, MS and ALS were ruled out. Shortly thereafter, I started to get more symptoms: chills, joint pain, constipation and levels of anxiety that were off the chart. The anxiety being by far the worst symptom.
Here I am now about four months after my last pill and I can add itchy face and scalp to my symptoms as well as a sore prostate. There are days when I hardly pee all day. My libido has plunged and I have ED issues as well. I have lost about 20-25 lbs. in the four months.I have difficulty concentrating/ focusing.
So there you have it. Another life destroyed by Finasteride.
I look forward to getting help and giving back whenever I can.
I have filled out the survey.
Rob
