will the shrinkage / numbness ever go away? Or will it continue to get worse?

Symptoms Sexual
#1

Hey guys,

I posted on here a while ago, when I was slowly weening off the drug… Just some quick background info-- I’m 20, took propecia for 9 months, until June 09. So, I’ve been off the drug for about half a year, with minimal improvement.

I initially quit the drug because my penis was really numb while masturbation, and sometimes when I ejaculated, there was no sense of orgasm. It was difficult to get hard, too. However, now I can jack off everyday (even if it is a bit forced). The thing is, my penis is still “numb” and definitely thinner than it used to be…Also, when I masturbate, the only enjoyment I get is when I feel the orgasm “brewing”, not when I physically touch the penis skin. Sorry if that doesnt make sense…

Has anyone ever recovered from the “numb” penis problem? Or shrinkage? Does penis muscle ever grow back, and if it does, does sensation come along with it? Will it continue to shrink even if I’m already off the drug??

Also, I’m planning on going to a urologist about this soon-- what tests should I ask him to perform?

Thanks, any kind of response would be appreciated…

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#2

It’s really a crapshoot. Some people get worse over time, some get better, some make a partial recovery, some make a full recovery. It all depends on your body. So yes, a full recovery is certainly possible, but nobody knows if/when/how it will.

I didn’t get any shrinkage, but I did get a lot of numbness, and I know exactly what you mean by the feeling of it “brewing”. My mechanics worked pretty consistantly, but my desire and orgasm were almost completely gone. The only “pleasure” I would feel would be the sensation I’d get right before ejaculating, but even that was hardly anything at all.

Now I’m 5 months off and my numbness has pretty much gone away, along with all my other symptoms. (I’m hesitant to post a topic in the recoveries section because I want to know for sure that I’m through with this syndrome and aren’t just going to relapse again). So stay positive and take good care of yourself. I’d love to tell you that everything will be alright, but realistically you’ll just have to wait and see (and there’s pleanty you can do in the meantime!).

#3

How long you took it?
I took for 9 days and been off 6 months and I’m able to get a half erection from time to time when I think of something sexy and I have soft erections while sleeping, when I wake up.
About the numbness… I certainly can’t get it up just by touching like I used to. I have to dedicate my mind on it and concentrate.
What worries me the most is the sperm quality. I had a fertility test done on wednesday, because the amount has decreased by two thirds, it’s partly transparent and very lifeless. Atm waiting for the results. How is your sperm?

#4

I’m 26 and I took it for two days at 5mg, so I was on it much shorter than you were, but ingested a slightly higher dosage. Anyway, my sex drive is back and I can get erections easily and keep them just fine, though it looks like it’s bending to the left a little more than it used to. My ejaculate is thick again with the normal amount of volume, though it’s very yellow (but it’s always been yellow). Really the most relieving part has been the return of my emotions (and of course no more vision/weakness/energy/testicle pain/dizziness/brain fog/etc. problems).

I really really hope and pray it stays this way.

#5

hey thanks for the replies…I can also get hard everytime I can watch porn…but my penis is definitely still numb and definitely less full.

I really hope this goes away soon.

Tryingnottoworry, did you just wait until the numbness disappeared? Is it completely gone? or did you do something else, like get tested?

thanks

#6

Well I wouldn’t really say I got tested. I did go to my doctor but he pretty much blew me off and said it was being caused by stress. I told him that’s circular logic and that my problems were causing me anxiety, not the other way around. There were certainly psychological elements to this, but not the kind that’s contrived through your own mind, but more like if you got stabbed in the brain it would give you psychological problems. …I think I’m getting off track here, heheh. So no, I didn’t get tested.

The numbness is pretty much gone as far as I can tell. Probably between 95% and 100% if I had to guess, but it’s to the point where I’m not going to worry about it.

I did have a regiment I followed throughout my recovery. It’s hard to say if this had a significant impact on the way things turned out, but I’m not going to rule it out either.

  1. Every morning make fruit and vegetable juice (with a juicer of course).

Vegetable juice
• 3 carrots
• 3 stalks of celery
• 1/3rd a cucumber
• clove of broccoli (with stem)
• 1 tomato
• 1 apple
• 1 small sliver of ginger
• 1 small sliver of garlic

Fruit Juice
• 1 orange
• 1 apple
• grapes
• strawberries
• blackberries
• 1 pear
• blueberries
(occasionally a kiwi and grapefruit)

  1. Calcium Magnesium Zinc vitamin and Omega 3 capsule.

  2. No alcohol, no coffee, no unfermented soy (soy milk, tofu), no flax seed, no chocolate, no processed sugar.

  3. I had to stop thinking in terms of “waiting to get better” and start thinking “what can I do now”. It takes time to come to terms with what your body has become, but it’s important to accept it and move forward with what you have, and do whatever you can to better both your condition and your life. 3pm put it best when he said how we’re still accountable for ourselves and are expected to go beyond impairment and be responsible for our lives.

It may get better for you like it did for me, but we’re all different inside. Don’t expect to have everything working again on an imaginary timeline, you need to follow the timeline your body gives you and help it the best way you can. I’ll be sure to say a prayer for you too.

#7

If you take my advice ,leave your penis alone for at least 2-3 months. just don’t touch it. It will slowly show signs of recovery. If you keep shooting yourself, your recovery will slow down. That is what I am telling from my own exp. I am not recovered just got some improvements.

#8

I have noticed that my penis has definitely changed shape. I think I’ve kind of been in denial about it, but it seems stringier when flaccid(though slightly longer). Both the head and the shaft appear to be narrower, and the head seems to protract a little bit more from the base than it used to, and it’s not as covered up by the flap of skin at the base. When erect, the head does not seem to gain as much size as the shaft, and it looks more pointy than it used to. The length appears to be the same however.

This is really worrying me. Seems like things are getting worse by the day and this drug is mutating my body. I wonder what other horrors are in store for me… shrinkage, shriveling, crooked erections, gyno? It doesn’t seem like changes in penile tissue get better for many people(uneducated observation), but I would sure like to hear from anyone who has seen improvement. Honestly, it wouldn’t kill me at this point if my penis stayed this way, but the rest of the sides disappeared… I’m just worried that things are going to get worse.

Spstriken, have you seen signs of recovery with your penis shape/size? I know you were on saw palmetto though, so it may not be the same.

Edit: I’ve read where MartinM has said his has improved, though it seems to fluctuate… that made me feel a little better at least.

#9

I don’t know all of your background, here’s some tips:

Get off your ass, go for walks, start small bursts of exercise and weight training. Bit by bit, 5 minutes at a time if your not already working out.

Stay off sugar, caffeine, white bread, pasta, etc. Try the paleo diet, meat and vegetables, especially red meat every other day, steak. It has natural L-Arganine in it.

Try taking L-Arginine caps before bed, both Mew and I get positive relaxation/sleep response and I get a fuller penis. I only take it max one time a week in 500 mg caps.

Don’t sit on the computer and look at porn for long periods of time. This burns up my libido. If you want to masturbate, then do it but do it quickly. If you have the option spend time with women, around them, let your body react to their presence. Replace all porn with this. I would even hire a hooker if I needed just to get your body a chance to react to female hormones again.

If you’re not sleeping well try melatonin. Don’t take too often or too much though. I find very small doses help the best, such as .5 mg. Sleep is where we recover hormones the most.

FYI I still have periods of extreme shrinkage, normal function, no libido, rare periods of high libido. Sometimes I feel during sex, most often I feel little to nothing. The act of sex, the movements, allow the best workout for the penis/prostate muscles. I have a long-term girlfriend so i have access almost always. I have had periods of bad shrinkage for up to a month, make sure to moisturize, vitamin E oil (pure) helped the best. I don’t have gyno but I do have slight feminine fat deposits on the face, belly and mb chest. It’s not as masculine as it once was. Keep at the gym to regulate.

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#10

Thanks for the response MartinM. I’ll keep your advice in mind.