In early 2006, I started Propecia 1 mg/day. I had a great response and NO ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS on finasteride.
In October 2012, I developed an acute case of prostatitis. It came on in about a one-week period, starting with lower abdominal pain and one episode of blood in my ejaculate and bleeding from my urethra. I also had pelvic pain, perineum pain and my testicles were hot and ached. I also had mild ED and a very low libido. I consulted a urologist who specializes in men’s sexual health and fertility issues. The uro prescribed a two-week antibiotic, Flomax and low-dose Cialis. Within two weeks, I no longer had ED and my libido started to return. I felt good and was off of all meds (except finasteride) by the end of November.
During that ordeal, I decided to quit finasteride. I was not concerned with my hair as much anymore and I had done a lot of reading on www.propeciahelp.com about the horror stories of persistent side effects from finasteride. My uro tried to assure me that my prostatitis was not caused by finasteride due to its sudden onset and my long history of using finasteride without issues, but I was convinced by the posts on propeciahelp.com that he was wrong. I asked him to check my testosterone and it was 439 ng/ml (241-827). I took my last dose of finasteride on 03-Dec-12. Within two weeks, I had tender nipples, a lump under my left nipple, night sweats, sweating under my arms and brain fog. I thought that I was having a significant hormonal imbalance. I took another dose of finasteride on 13-Dec-12 and the symptoms resolved by Christmas. However, a new one started: Loss of sensation in my penis and no brain-penis connection. I saw my uro again on 11-Jan-13 and told him about how I felt. I also told him that some men report side effects starting only AFTER they quit finasteride. He was aware of post-finasteride syndrome. He had not had any success with his PFS patients and said doctors did not know how to treat it. I told him that I wanted to go back on finasteride because I was scared of getting PFS. He then told me to stay off finasteride now, and that I was “not going through menopause” and that “I had great hair”and that my symptoms were not related to quitting finasteride.
Within three weeks, I “crashed”. I had testosterone of 223 ng/ml (348-1197). I had full-blown hypogonadal symptoms: Severe ED, no libido, anhedonia depression, frequent-waking insomnia, loss of morning and nocturnal erections, malaise and anxiety attacks. My uro was shocked. He told me he had patients quit finasteride all the time for fertility reasons and not have this problem. He recommended clomid to get my testosterone back up. I declined based upon the reports on propeciahelp.com that clomid did not work. I saw my GP later that week and he recommended testosterone for a short time. I also saw on propeciahelp.com that test supplementation would not work so I did not use test. I started to really become depressed and even wrote out a suicide note. I knew I was in trouble, as I have two young kids and cannot leave them fatherless. I was also having bad anxiety. My GP suggested Wellbutrin and Xanax. I opted for Xanax only as needed when I felt anxiety coming on.
With my suggestion, I went back on finasteride on 7-Mar at a lower dose (.5 mg E3D). By mid-March, I felt much better. By mid-April, my test was back in range in the low 500’s and I had resolved nearly every symptom other than regular nocturnal and morning erections and the occasional anxiety attack. If I had an anxiety attack, it seemed my other symptoms would return and then gradually improve again. My symptoms were still coming and going, so I decided to quit finasteride to try clomid (consulting both my uro and GP first). I started clomid (50 mg/EOD) in mid-May and by early June when I quit clomid, my test was over 1000 ng/ml and my DHT was in the 70’s on a 30-85 scale. My hair was falling out like crazy. I didn’t care, though, as I still had sexual issues and genital pain and these were a real problem. My insomnia also started to return. I was declining fast.
Over Father’s day weekend, I was in terrible pain in my genitals and lower abdomen. I had zero libido and complete impotence. I saw a psychologist (some co-workers thought I needed to) who referred me to a psychiatrist (because of the suicide note I told him about) who suggested Wellbutrin. I started Wellbutrin, 150mg/day and I also decided to go back on finasteride on 23-June, as I convinced myself that I was better on the drug. I would be posting this on propeicahelp.com but because I am “on” finasteride technically I cannot be a member.
I started to get better in early July and my symptoms fluctuated a bit but were definitely trending upward. By the 24-Jul, my symptoms had nearly all resolved. At this time, I was taking .5mg/EOD of finasteride, 150mg/day of Wellbutrin, and my usual stack of supplements: multivitamin, l-arginine, fish oil and zinc. I had a flare up of prostate symptoms in early August. I could not tell if it was related to too frequent ejaculating, but I had blood in my ejaculate twice during the first week of August. By the second week of August, my sexual dysfunction and genital pain were back again. But, they resolved in about 10 days and on 24-Aug through 7-Sept, I felt nearly normal. I would have nocturnal/morning erections only once in a while, though, and my libido was not 100% but I could very easily get aroused around my wife. We were together twice over Labor Day weekend and three times the next weekend.
Then, my symptoms returned last week. My wife and I had normal relations on Friday and Saturday, a weaker relation on Sunday where I was practically dry when I ejaculated, then a very weak encounter on Monday and then on Tuesday I had no sexual function at all. I also had terrible lower abdominal pain, testicular pain and penile pain.
Should I stay on finasteride and ride it out to see if the symptoms stabilize?
Is this more prostate-related than finasteride-related? In other words, why would I be completely normal in 24-
Jul (back on finasteride for a month), in early August have bloody ejaculate and symptoms return,then feel really good on 24-Aug if it is finasteride-related?
Have any other long-term finasteride users have side-effects fluctuate at first and then go away after long-term use?
Why would I have sides from finasteride now when I did not have them for 7 years while I was on?
My hair is my least concern although the shedding has stopped. I am only taking finasteride because I am afraid to quit. There are many stories on propeciahelp of men who quit and get worse as time passes instead of getting better. Some guys report new symptoms months after quitting and attribute these to finasteride. (I am seeing the uro about the current issues on 17-Sep-13).
I don’t want to argue with anyone, but PFS is a real thing. I had/have it. I did not before I quit. Quitting finasteride in a panic was the worst decision in my entire life. Before that, I was a healthy family man with a great job and happy life. I had to take medical leave and now I am full of all kinds of meds. The second worst decision I ever made was to take finasteride in the first place. In 2006,t here were no warnings about long-term side effects. If you are considering finasteride, just hit the gym and shave your head. I would be glad to be bald to have my old healthy life back.
Thanks for reading.
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