Hi, I’m I took accutane for around 4 months at the beginning of 2010, it’s now 8 months since I’ve finished using it. I’ve had some problems due to the drug, and after doing more research online it seems that finasteride users have some similar problems, and that these drugs have some similarities. I took a lower dose than usual and had only very mild usual side effects (dry skin, etc.) during the course which went away. However, about a month or two after I was done, I spontaneously developed sexual problems. Physical difficulties with getting erections, unable to become mentally aroused, loss of night/morning erections, lack of interest and it overall (orgasm included) just doesn’t feel as good.
I did also have some noticeable hair loss. My hair thinned out quite a bit but seems to have returned alot, though not completely (but it really didn’t start improving until 5 or 6 months after the end of the course).
I’ve also noticed that I just care about things less in general. I used to be an avid weightlifter, go 4-5 times per week and I would always be thinking about how I could improve my routine or what new things to try. Now I just don’t really care anymore. The few times that I do go it just feels more like a chore, where as before it was my favorite part of the day. I don’t know if this is actually it’s own problem, or just from the depression/hopelessness about my sexual problems.
Anyways, recently I thought I had recovered but it turned out it be only temporary (this happened before, but never to this extreme and only for a few days at a time). For a period of about 3 weeks I was waking up with erections every morning, though not as good as they used to be but still much better than none at all. I was also able to again get an erection by just thinking about sex. I felt almost back to normal and was elated and sure that I would recover completely. But I didn’t, it just turned out to be temporary. My question is, do these spontaneous and temporary recovery periods indicate that I may be going back to normal? Is it common for people who have finasteride problems to just, out of the blue, feel almost back normal for a short period of time?
I posted my story on other forums. A few people said they have had similar problems but have never really recovered, but most just said that I was imagining things (as though instant loss of night/morning erections is psychological) or it came from somewhere else. I was just trying to warn others about could happen if they took the drug, and it really bothered when others would “YOu have no proof accutane caused it. This is all BS”. Some people even accused of being a troll and just trying to scare people off of a “safe drug”. All I know is, before I took this drug, I could get a raging hardon just from talking about news/weather with a mildly attractive girl in a public place (I really was like a 14 year old boy in regards to sex drive). Now I have almost no interest in sex and difficulties maintaining a weak erection.
I just registered and haven’t filled out the detailed survey yet. I wanted to post this before I left for the day, so I will try to do it tonight when I get back.