- Where are you from (country)?
France - 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 search - What is your current age, height, weight?
50, 6’2, 66kg - Do you excercise regularly? If so, what type of excercise?
Yes. Work out. - What type of diet do you eat (vegetarian, meat eater, raw, fast-food/organic healthy)?
Avoid most unhealthy foods. Lean diet, but proteins of all sorts, though. - Why did you take Finasteride (hair loss, BPH, other)?
I took saw palmetto from a topical solution - For how long did you take Finasteride (weeks/months/years)?
I took saw palmetto for 9 months altogether with a 2 month break - How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start Finasteride?
49 (06/2013) - How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
50 (05/2013) - How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
tapered off - What type of Finasteride did you use – Propecia, Proscar, Fincar or other generic?
Saw palmetto - What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
Dosage not indicated by manufacturer - How long into your use of Finasteride did you notice the onset of side effects?
2 weeks - What side effects did you experience while on the drug that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Very distressing hot and cold flashes. Multiple times daily. In hands, feet, knees, sometimes face. Hot temperature and exercice (even mild) are the triggering factors. Joint pain, too, and bowel problems (constipation alternating with diarrhea). Gynecomastia, too, but that has resolved upon discontinuation.
Put an X beside all that apply:
Sexual
[ ] Loss of Libido / Sex Drive
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] 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
[X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[X] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[X] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[X] Suicidal Thoughts
Physical
[ ] Penile Tissue Changes (narrowing, shrinkage, wrinkled)
[ ] Penis curvature / rotation on axis
[ ] Testicular Pain
[ ] Testicular Shrinkage / Loss of Fullness
[ ] Genital numbness / sensitivity decrease
[ ] Weight Gain
[X] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[X] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[X] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[X] Lowered body temperature
[ ] Other (please explain)
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What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
Testosterone boosters: zinc, ginseng, maca root…
No sugar diet.
Estrogenic essential oils, said to help men with hot flashes, and since my estradiol level has always been low. -
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)?
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Anything not listed in the above questions you’d like to share about your experience with Finasteride?
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Tell us your story, in your own words, about your Finasteride usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
As described above, I experienced strange bulging veins on my hands that deteriorated later into full blown hot flashes. I have become extremely sensitive to cold as well, with both feelings sometimes coexisting: shuddering with cold in my body and having hot, red, suffused hands. Feet are also affected, as knees and face sometimes. The strangest thing is that this description doesn’t match the usual symptoms of hot flashes in androgen deprivation (chest, neck, face, sweat). No sweat in my case. I keep wondering if this has anything to do with saw palmetto. BUT: as
I said above, I cut saw palmetto first time cold turkey in december and had only slight improvement (not too sure). I then thought it was not the culprit and started again in february at minimum dosage. Hot flashes then increased, and did so with any slight dosage increase without my knowing if placebo effects were the reason. I then tapered off until complete discontinuation three months ago. Today, spontaneous hot flashes (after meals, for instance) have decreased but triggering effects have not (exercice, temperature). Crises tend to be longer, too. My overall situation has changed, but not really improved. With severe psychologic conséquences since those temperature swings are most unpleasant.