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)?
I am from the USA, Philadelphia to be exact.
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?)
I have seen this site mentioned on HLT before.
What is your current age, height, weight?
29, 5’9", 185 lbs
What specific drug did you use (finasteride, dutasteride, saw palmetto, isotretinoin/Accutane, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, leuprorelin, etc…)?
I used finasteride for 3.5 years
What dose did you take (eg. 1 mg/day, 1 mg every other day etc.)?
1 mg Daily
What condition was being treated with the drug?
Hair loss
For how long did you take the drug (weeks/months/years)?
3.5 years
How old were you, and WHEN (date) did you start the drug?
March 2015
How old were you when you quit, and WHEN (date) did you quit?
December 2018
How did you quit (cold turkey or taper off)?
Cold Turkey ( Might have been a big mistake but oh well hindsight is 20/20)
How long into your usage did you notice the onset of side effects?
About 2.5 years in I noticed progressive weight gain.
What side effects did you experience that have yet to resolve since discontinuation?
Libido is not as strong as it used to be. Can still have strong erections and enjoy sex but not with the same intensity.
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
[ ] Erectile Dysfunction
[ ] Complete Impotence
[ ] Loss of Morning Erections
[ ] Loss of Spontaneous Erections
[ ] Loss of Nocturnal Erections
[ ] Watery Ejaculate
[ ] Reduced Ejaculate
[ X] Inability or Difficulty to Ejaculate / Orgasm
[ ] Reduced Sperm Count / Motility
Mental
[ ] Emotional Blunting / Emotionally Flat
[ ] Difficulty Focusing / Concentrating
[ ] Confusion
[ ] Memory Loss / Forgetfulness
[ ] Stumbling over Words / Losing Train of Thought
[ ] Slurring of Speech
[ X] Lack of Motivation / Feeling Passive / Complacency
[ ] Extreme Anxiety / Panic Attacks
[ ] Severe Depression / Melancholy
[ ] 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
[X ] Weight Gain
[ ] Gynecomastia (male breasts)
[ ] Muscle Wastage
[ ] Muscle Weakness
[ ] Joint Pain
[ ] Dry / Dark Circles under eyes
Misc
[ ] Prostate pain
[ ] Persistent Fatigue / Exhaustion
[ ] Stomach Pains / Digestion Problems
[ ] Constipation / “Poo Pellets”
[ ] Vision - Acuity Decrease / Blurriness
[ ] Tinnitus (ringing or high pitched sound in ears)
[ ] Hearing loss
[ ] Increased hair loss
[ ] Frequent urination
[ ] Lowered body temperature
[X ] Other (please explain)
High Cholesterol and triglycerides. Had my blood tested and those were the only red flags. Total testosterone was in normal range.
What (if any) treatments have you undertaken to recover from your side effects since discontinuation of the drug?
I have tried to cut my diet to a minimum. Weight lifting and cardio at least 3 times a week. Seems to only have minimal impact.
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?
Yea, just that since dropping this shit I hardly feel like my old self at all. My physique is an embarrassment now compared to what it used to be. Wish I had just shaved my head and never heard of this god forsaken drug.
Tell us your story, in your own words, about your usage and side effects experienced while on/off the drug.
So to start with, I was on finasteride for 3.5 years and finally stopped taking it back in late November/early December. This past summer I noticed I was carrying a lot more weight than usual on my abdomen and thought maybe it was finasteride that was the culprit. I have always worked out and been active, am 29 years old and never had weight issues in the past. So yea finally made the decision to drop finasteride. Since then I have gained a lot of weight and actually had sexual sides also, something I NEVER had in the past. However, I guess I can be thankful that I do not have brain fog or any of the other issues I’ve seen people mention.
I thought maybe it would pass but it’s been long enough to where I’m now wondering if this is a permanent thing or not. I went to my doctor to get some blood work done, and strangely enough my total testosterone looked normal. The red flags that I did get were in my lipid profile. Here are snips of the results.
Any advice offered would be much appreciated.
