I think the sexual problems are starting to manifest… Has anyone else had those show up after the anxiety started?
My penis shrunk today. It is basically gone, all in the span of a couple days
You haven’t had any testicular shrinkage just pain correct? Also do you still have sensitivity in the genitals and do you still have libido?
Sorry your going through this man
Hello,
I’m sorry you’re here and I hope your symptoms dramatically improve in the next couple of months like many users initial symptoms do.
In any case, would you mind reporting your symptoms to the FDA through this link?
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm
It’s important that the FDA knows of your symptoms so they can make action and appropriately label the drug and hopefully cause action towards more research.
Fingers crossed your health and mind revert to normal, friend.
1 Like
My testicular pain has stopped but they feel noticeably lighter as well. I have zero libido.
I am horrified of what’s to come. What symptoms can I expect, now that I am 5 days removed from taking fin?
What are the “must do’s” between now and then? I don’t know how to proceed.
it’s hard to say I only hope with time you will get better and these symptoms you have will subside.
How’s energy levels any fatigue or slowed thought process???
Have you got any recent blood work for hormones? You might have fluctuating symptoms for now since your early in the crash.
Do not take any supplements or do any pfs protocols you see online give your body time to heal. Never touch Fin ever again or any DHT inhibitor not even the natural stuff they are all dangerous.
My energy level and thinking were fine today. I am a mathematician, and I fear deeply that my cognitive abilities will begin to decline.
No recent blood work. My insurance coverage is extremely poor.
The insomnia is so bad. No rest at all. I fear for my life.
How common are the cognitive issues?
I just realized that I didn’t spell out exactly how my time taking fin went. I started it on June 19th, took it daily until June 29th. On the 30th, I accidentally left the finasteride where I was housesitting. On Tuesday July 9th, the homeowner returned the medicine to me. I took it daily until July 20th. It was during that time that the testicular pain began. On about the 18th, I had my first episode of waking up in the night. That has continued daily to now. Over the past two days, my genitals have shrunk and my libido has vanished. I cannot fall asleep.
[quote=“hrfinasteride, post:18, topic:37333, full:true”]
What are the “must do’s” between now and then? I don’t know how to proceed
[/quote]
There aren’t any official or universal protocols to feel better. Here are the do’s: At this point in your stage of PFS, I would focus on resting your body, sleeping, drinking tons of water, meditating, light exercise (if it doesn’t fatigue you), and reporting your symptoms to your doctor and FDA. Taking blood tests is optional, but it can let you know how your body’s hormones are doing.
At this point, be as defensive as possible with your health and well-being. Be sure you have insurance coverage for the future. Take on less at work, and maybe don’t read a whole lot into this disease as stress is not your friend. Take pictures of your face and body and that’ll let you objectively track changes.
Do not take any more finasteride, or anti-androgens. Be careful with zinc and other 5-ar inhibitors. Don’t eat processed crap. Don’t hop on TRT just yet, because maybe your body will rebound back to normalcy.
Take care, friend. Reach out to us for questions, rants, etc. We’re all going through the same thing.
Update: I had a therapy appointment and practiced meditation for sleep. I took Zzzquil an hour before bed, and then I did a “Yoga Nidre” meditation. It’s very simple: you lie down comfortably, and then you mentally countdown from 99 on every inhalation and exhalation, alternating which nostril you are “noticing”. You are just trying to gently help your mind stop wandering into the anxious places.
I got 9 hours of sleep and I feel great today. I went on a run. I think I can handle this.
My advice to anyone in a situation like mine is to focus on dealing with your anxiety/sleep issues, because being tired and anxious will always make the other side effects worse, or make you create side effects that weren’t happening before.
Update:
The sexual side effects came and went. However, the mental health issues seem to have found a new low. I find myself crashing into “dark pits” where I can’t feel any positive emotion, and my thoughts seem to be very foreign, distressing, and confused. Was trying to hang out with friends today and ended up having a breakdown right in front of them.
Is this PTSD??? Does anyone else have this happen???
The mental and cognitive issues that you can experience seem to vary a shit ton. Some guys report of anxiety or depression, some guys report actual visual disturbances like bluriness, shaking, and some guys have reported a complete cognitive change, like they are high on a substance but cannot come down from that high. It can be very hard to describe the mental symptoms.
There is no limit to the damage this drug can cause in your biochemistry. I can relate to the breakdowns, not feeling “at-home” inside your head, and overall just not recognizing the body or mind that you’re operating. It feels as though the joystick has been completely ripped from your hands, and you’ve been shoved into the passenger seat. It’s completely horrifying and I am sorry this has happened to you. Hopefully with a healthy lifestyle you can recover in stride.
I think the most important things you can be doing is continuing therapy and continuing walks or jogs outdoors. Don’t take any Betaine HCL and be careful of collagen supplements. Something that helped me when I was having sleep trouble is the Nature’s Bounty Bi-layer Dual Action 5mg Melatonin. It’s something I take every night (usually half a tablet). It has a fast dissolve layer and a slow dissolve layer.
My sleep issues aren’t a big deal right now. It’s really just the overwhelming emotional bleakness that comes seemingly daily. I am afraid that I won’t be able to hold on.
Has anyone found taking Wellbutrin/bupropion helpful? I am crushed by the anxiety/depression right now.
Update:
It’s been a little over a month since I stopped taking finasteride. I am now back where I live full-time, and being around more people has helped. I don’t appear to have sexual side effects. However, my anxiety/depression have been pretty bad. I have had a fair amount of intrusive thoughts about suicide.
I started taking 150mg Wellbutrin and 300mg Gabapentin last week, and the Gabapentin especially seems to have helped right away with the anxiety. I am also exercising for at least 30 minutes every morning, and that has helped as much as anything.
If you are someone with a history of anxiety/depression, be aware that the finasteride can definitely trigger a “relapse” in your issues, but the positive side is that you might not have “true” PFS. Before you start to panic, get back on your treatment of therapy/medication + healthy lifestyle. That’s what I’m learning in order to get my life back.