Withdrawal or Crash? - Finasteride

General Discussion
#1

Hi everyone,

I am here for my boyfriend who stopped taking Propecia completely about 2 weeks ago. Prior to stopping he had been taking 1mg every other day for about 3 weeks and before that he took 1mg everyday for about 11 years. The past couple of weeks have been pretty difficult. He in anxious with a feeling of dread, he often doesn’t feel like eating, and the last two days he has had issues falling asleep. His muscles twitch, he is acutely aware of his heartbeat etc. He quit because of fears of the drug during Covid19 pandemic, so I know he is already prone to heath anxiety. I guess my question is, because I am reading so many different things, does this sound like he is withdrawing from Propecia or does this sound more like the “crash” I read on the other posts? Also, any advice on the insomnia? I worry because he has had thoughts of self harm. He has an online appointment today to see a therapist. I am hoping that helps him.

I also want to add that prior to quitting he did not experience any side effects from Propecia. He quit because of his fear of the effects it might have if he were to catch Covid19.

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#2

Give him more time.
I quit almost 4 weeks ago and my symptoms 2 weeks ago were completely different than the ones I’m facing now.

2 weeks ago, I couldn’t sleep more than 2 hours a day, had extreme scalp itch, extreme hair shed, and a ton of different side effects.
Today, I can sleep ~6 hours, drastically reduced scalp itch and hair shed.

I still feel I’m not 100%, but hopefully both your boyfriend and I can continue to improve over time.

#3

Hi WorriedGuy123, I’m glad to hear you’re improving. Did you experience anxiety/panic attacks as well? If so, how long did that last or do you still have them?

#4

I may have had an anxiety or panic attack, though I’m not sure. It was when I was sleeping. My heart was racing and I started sweating profusely.
These episodes started around my first week of quitting and stopped after 2 nights.

#5

Hi,
It’s difficult reading this …as it sounds very very familiar :frowning: good news is …time seems to play a part but the first 3 months after stopping this drug were some of the most difficult . I took finasteride for 4 years and quit in September of last year. I had sexual dysfunction creep up over time and also developed 1 sided gynocomastia, it’s these 2 reasons that led me to quit. After I quit the gyno and sex dysfunction continued but I also developed Tinnitus (in hindsight a rapid onset) and also severe insomnia , which was the most difficult symptom for me and it’s when I knew something was up . It’s not easy- the first immediate 2 months where the hardest . I had to go on to Lunesta after trying several different sleep meds. I could take trazodone or melatonin and it would do nothing . I would be awake all night without sleeping for a second . It was horrible and I even remembered contemplating walking into ER as it got that bad. The Lunesta helped me start knocking down around 4 hours sleep after a while and I was able to build a regular pattern again around that . Unfortunately I developed anxiety in the months following the crash. As of yet it has not really resolved and the symptoms I have now are anxiety, tinnitus, Anhedonia, sexual dysfunction . Due to a combination of time healing , diet, cardio exercise and weightlifting I really knocked on the head the insomnia and the gynocomastia . Most of it has moved into chest muscle now and I sleep about 6 hours a night maybe 7 sometimes. Some days you have rough nights but I’d say any sleep issues I have now are just how a normal persons are some night s. What I had before was absolute like living in a horror story . 1 hour sleep over 2 nights and things :frowning: I think your boyfriend may be in for a rough ride as he took it for 11 years but I think with the right frame of mind, right cardio and weightlifting exercises plus a healthy diet willl give you a good shout and helping the body return to normal. Best of luck!

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#6

He should see how the next 3 months evolve. Theoretically symptoms can reside. I recommend some antihistaminics (low dow) for single days to get through the heaviest insomnia

#7

I forgot to say: he may have get to know his body a second time.
Probably he will wake up at 1-3am completely tense and stressed. So it may be recommendable that he shifts to go to bed super early like 9ish, that way he will at least get some sleep.
Another thing is coffeine. If he was drinking coffee, green tea or black tea he should completely stop it. Still after a year one tea spoon of coffee can give me one night without any sleep.
Stress: I didn’t take that factor seriously enough in the beginning, but getting off finasteride can make completely vulnerable to any kind of stress and expectations. It’s like the normal buffer is missing. So if he can he should reduce any kind of stress and expectations towards himself. If “vacation at home” is possible just do that.
It may be subjective but I had the feeling that butter and yogurt can help me to fall asleep easier.
About covid he should try to get enough selenium and high dosage of vitamin c (there is good studies on that). My flatmate had Corona and either I didn’t get infected or didn’t show symptoms (during that time I was eating a lot of averola (vitamin c) and wheatgrass (selenium).

I suffered the worst imaginable insomnia for a long time. I thought it’s not possible to survive. Had been a zombie for many months and had to stop driving. Somehow things improved. My girlfriend really helped me to calm down a bit at night. But the next weeks and maybe months may get super tuff. Keep us updated and if you need contact to another girlfriend who went through this let me know.

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#8

Hey ! any progress with your boyfriend? Hope he is better! I was on fin for a month at .25/.5 every other day. Once I stopped I was experiencing brutal insomnia. Its not so bad now I’m still not experiencing deep restful sleep. Im able to slightly dream and get a few hours of sleep. This Los Angeles summer heat is definitely not helping either lol