Quitting after using finasteride for 8 years:Any long term finasteride users still out there?

[Defeated]

I'm a long term finasteride user here. I haven't been on these forums for years. Lately I have been thinking about quitting. The main reason is I have started to develop some ed, though it could be unrelated to finasteride use as I have used it for years without the side effects. For the past year or two I haven't been taking it every day, just more when I remember it (maybe a 3 or so times a week).

A couple months ago I noticed erections weren't as hard and I would quickly lose them without stimulation. Went to a Urologist (also mentioned I was on finasteride) and he didn't see anything wrong with me, gave me a trial of v**** and sent me on my way. I started wondering if finasteride could be the cause so I decided to stop taking it a week ago and my libido had gone in the toilet. I never recall having a lack of libido the entire time I was on finasteride, maybe when I was really stressed or depressed, but this is something new after just quitting. The other side effect I seem to have is that all familiar itch on my head has returned.

I have been looking around these forums and it seems like mostly new users on here talking about finasteride, sides, etc. Are there any people left that have/had been on finasterid for years? Seems like most of them have stopped posting here.

I looked at propeciahelp, and there is a lot of scary stuff on there, but there seems to be a lack of research proving long term side effects etc. Sexual side effects seem to be very susceptible to being psychosomatic. Worrying about ED can cause ED.

 

[zzzzz]

if you stop taking it and a month later your ideal libido hasn't returned it is not the finasteride that is causing it

 

[Grammaton Cleric]

if you stop taking it and a month later your ideal libido hasn't returned it is not the finasteride that is causing it

Are your freaking kidding me dude? Your such a liar trying to protect your only defense against Androgenetic Alopecia currently. You are a danger to anyone thinking inhibiting 5AR is without permanent side effects after cessation of it. STOP LYING ALREADY.

http://www.pfsfoundation.org/research/

 

[gnate12]

It's possible that are you are screwing with your body by taking it haphazardly. It is meant to be taken regularly, every day.

 

[SayifDoit]

From what I've read from propeciahelp is that you should suffer from immediate penis shrinkage followed by your testicles falling of or they should shrink to the size of a pea, I read somewhere it had something to do with T levels and it can vary what occurs. I also read, you should experience Homoerotic thoughts. Seek medical attention immediately, unless you want to turn into a woman?

 

[Defeated]

So that's why I was asking here if there were any posters here that have been around a long time or have used finasterid a long time. I have a hard time differentiating the actual side effects and people that caught up in psychosomatic hysteria. I'm not saying it doesn't cause problems for some, I'm just looking for a little more pragmatic or evidence based answer.

The thing is, my libido has been fine for years, it's only recently I have noticed a drop in libido and a decrease in EQ.

*Also, I am not one of those people that noticed side effects right off the bat, if they were any, they were mild enough to go unnoticed for years.

 

[Geiri]

In general side effects tend to decrease with long-term use rather than increase so I think this is unlikely that it would suddenly cause this years after starting the drug.

You could try quitting it for few months or even up to a year, and go back on it if there aren't positive changes.

There are so many different things that can be the cause of this but it's good to start with ruling out the drug.

And doctors aren't perfect. Them not finding something does not equal to it being a sure thing it isn't there.

 

[Defeated]

In general side effects tend to decrease with long-term use rather than increase so I think this is unlikely that it would suddenly cause this years after starting the drug.

You could try quitting it for few months or even up to a year, and go back on it if there aren't positive changes.

There are so many different things that can be the cause of this but it's good to start with ruling out the drug.

And doctors aren't perfect. Them not finding something does not equal to it being a sure thing it isn't there.

Yea, I initially thought it was due to an injury, I quit last week and I'm going to request a hormone text soon to see if everything is in range. I think I'll quit finasteride for a while to see if it changes things, are there any topical anti-dht creams/shampoos that have been proven to be effective in case my hair starts falling out after quitting?
I really haven't kept up with hair loss stuff for years now, finasteride kept me from losing more (never regrew much), but I just took it and forgot all about the day to day worrying.

The thing that I find odd, is it seems hard to find long term finasteride users (5+ years) that are still using it. Either they quit because of sides or they did like I did and quit obsessing about it and talking about it on forums.

 

[Quantum Cat]

I've been using it for 6+ years. occasionaly you get people coming round here saying they've been on finasteride for 15+ years with a fair amount of success.

sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. It is possible that your ED was caused by other factors, since you'd been using finasteride for so long with no problems. Psychological factors have a big role in libido and ED. DEpression and stress are the biggest causes, along with being overweight.

did you notice any siginificant differences in how you felt when you quit finasteride? Did you have lots more energy

don't pay too much attention to the scaremongerers and don't read Propeciahelp. Reading that sh!t is almost guaranteed to worry you and therefore more likely to cause you to experience further side effects.

 

[hmm]

I've been on finasteride 9 years and libido has never even remotely been an issue. I don't think after so long you would all of a sudden develop this. I would bet back on it so you don't loose any hair that you worked so hard to keep all those years! It could be other things in your life causing it.

 

[JimmyJones]

From what I've read from propeciahelp is that you should suffer from immediate penis shrinkage followed by your testicles falling of or they should shrink to the size of a pea, I read somewhere it had something to do with T levels and it can vary what occurs. I also read, you should experience Homoerotic thoughts. Seek medical attention immediately, unless you want to turn into a woman?

Why don't you stop being so facetious? People suffer side effects from finasteride. I myself lost some fat round my face and before you say it's all psychological various users on the site have posted pictures of before and after and it's genuinely upsetting.
That being said I am not a poster that is going to warn people off finasteride. I am very knowledgeable when it comes to hair loss and know all the dos and don'ts. If you do not suffer any side effects (and I accept the majority of users do not) then carry on for it because it is the best hair loss treatment available hands down. Ultimately you have to decide if your ed is worth it; I never suffered ed while on propecia but if I did I think I could live with that side; v**** and ciallis are great drugs.

 

[Defeated]

I've been using it for 6+ years. occasionaly you get people coming round here saying they've been on finasteride for 15+ years with a fair amount of success.

sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. It is possible that your ED was caused by other factors, since you'd been using finasteride for so long with no problems. Psychological factors have a big role in libido and ED. DEpression and stress are the biggest causes, along with being overweight.

did you notice any siginificant differences in how you felt when you quit finasteride? Did you have lots more energy

don't pay too much attention to the scaremongerers and don't read Propeciahelp. Reading that sh!t is almost guaranteed to worry you and therefore more likely to cause you to experience further side effects.

It's hard to say if about any differences, it's too early to tell. I plan on testing my hormone levels before deciding to get back on finasteride. Maybe I should look into a topical anti dht in the meantime.

Why don't you stop being so facetious? People suffer side effects from finasteride. I myself lost some fat round my face and before you say it's all psychological various users on the site have posted pictures of before and after and it's genuinely upsetting.
That being said I am not a poster that is going to warn people off finasteride. I am very knowledgeable when it comes to hair loss and know all the dos and don'ts. If you do not suffer any side effects (and I accept the majority of users do not) then carry on for it because it is the best hair loss treatment available hands down. Ultimately you have to decide if your ed is worth it; I never suffered ed while on propecia but if I did I think I could live with that side; v**** and ciallis are great drugs.

As far as ED, mine is pretty minor, and seems to be getting better, just don't last as long as I used to be able to, and lose it a lot easier. It's true v**** and ciallis are great drugs, but you don't want to become dependent on them at 30 years old. It's possible that they would lose their effectiveness over time.

I've been looking more into research studies into dht suppression and balance of the endocrine system. Nothing conclusive that tells me finasteride should be avoided, but I'm starting to think hormone levels should be monitored in people that use the drug long term.

 

[Quantum Cat]

v**** might be a great drug, but a responsible doctor would probably tell you to stop taking finasteride before prescribing you v****, if your ed was caused by the finasteride. Otherwise you get into a cycle of using one drug to offset the side effects of another drug.

yes you can buy v**** online from dodgy overseas pharmacies but I would have serious questions as to its legitimacy, not to mention it seems incredibly expensive

 

[Grammaton Cleric]

Who's the shill who gave me this rep comment? You people are not welcome here, we don't need you accusing people of lying with no real evidence.?
I'm not welcome for telling the truth? Ha HA Ha Here's your evidence

http://www.pfsfoundation.org/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4064044/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4069023/

And more to come http://www.pfsfoundation.org/research/

Also http://i.imgur.com/qKSEtK5.png

You mad brah?

 

[xRedStaRx]

Why don't you stop being so facetious? People suffer side effects from finasteride. I myself lost some fat round my face and before you say it's all psychological various users on the site have posted pictures of before and after and it's genuinely upsetting.
That being said I am not a poster that is going to warn people off finasteride. I am very knowledgeable when it comes to hair loss and know all the dos and don'ts. If you do not suffer any side effects (and I accept the majority of users do not) then carry on for it because it is the best hair loss treatment available hands down. Ultimately you have to decide if your ed is worth it; I never suffered ed while on propecia but if I did I think I could live with that side; v**** and ciallis are great drugs.

Now that's a side effect I welcome.

If anything, my face is more bloated on finasteride.

 

[dreamermerlin]

Who's the shill who gave me this rep comment? You people are not welcome here, we don't need you accusing people of lying with no real evidence.?
I'm not welcome for telling the truth? Ha HA Ha Here's your evidence

http://www.pfsfoundation.org/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4064044/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4069023/

And more to come http://www.pfsfoundation.org/research/

Also http://i.imgur.com/qKSEtK5.png

You mad brah?

These are most probably false. "PFS syndrome" is some invented stuff that hasn't been proved scientifically.
Just a couple of hypochondriac guys who simply blame all their problems on finasteride...
It's ridiculous what you can read there... almost ANY problem they have (libido, mental, depression, even teeth decay), they blame it on finasteride.
Some of them most probably didn't take properly care of their teeth for years, and now they blame on finasteride, it's nonsense.
Others simply stayed in front of the computer and jacked off 13 times a day, and now, surpise, they have ED problems when having sex with a woman. Of course, it's because of finasteride.
They eat only fast-food crap, stay only in front of the computer, don't exercise at all so they became fat and over-weight, and who's to blame? You're right, it's because of finasteride.
They are depressed, so blame it on finasteride again. Oh, and i've seen guys taking powerful but very dangerous drugs like XANAX, ACCUTANE, got problems(depression etc), and who's to blame? finasteride of course...
Even if they have some pain in their neck, again it's because of finasteride.
They drink tons of alcohol, eat crap, stay awake nights, and guess what, they get "mental fog", again it's because of finasteride.
OOOh, and guess what, they quit finasteride, but maintained all the other bad habits, other dangerous drugs, etc, and...wtf, thy still have ED< mental fog, etc. So it's again because of finasteride, even though they quit it, still that drug is their problem.

Come on...

 

[WillNotLetItHappen]

Hi,
I've used finasteride for 3 years now and minoxidil for 5. Great success...I kept what I had and it is better and I'm not even NW2 at 37.

However I think I have also developed some kind of ED and it seems to have gotten worse. I do not get spontaneous erections, I need stimulation and it is annoying. Libido is pretty much gone completely, as are morning erections. Scary ****...I'm looking for an alternative. It is so sad because it is working perfectly...

 

[ladysmanfelpz]

Dude if your having ED the best thing to do is cut out the most likely suspect and with finasteride as an anti-androgen I think I would go with that. Not to be a scaremonger, but there are plenty of ppl that have had bad side effects and thats why propeciahelp and other sites exist. I think you are fine, but 8 years is quite a long time and from the articles posted its the change in the androgen receptors that lead to the persistent side effects, not the hormone level itself. I value my dick more than my hair, so if I was in your boat I would say well at least I had my run with hair and move one. Go on topical DHT inhibitors if it makes you feel better, but I would cut out the most likely culprit to the ED and drop finasteride.

 

[JimmyJones]

Now that's a side effect I welcome.

If anything, my face is more bloated on finasteride.

This topic should really be moved to the side effect sub forum. Trust me if you saw the pictures of some of these guys then you really wouldn't want this side effect. Are you on minoxidil? That is probably what's causing that.

To the original poster - Get your blood work done; if all levels are fine then if that's the only side effect you are suffering I would carry on with finasteride as it really helps you keep scalp hair. You can pop the v**** for special occasions. But ultimately this is a very sensitive and subjective area; one must decide if they can live with particular side effects or if they can't. It's the users decision. We don't need hair and take finasteride for aesthetic reasons. Because that drug made me uglier it was counter productive.

 

[Defeated]

Well it's been a couple weeks, I got my t and other hormones tested today. My t was on the lower end but still within the normal range, still waiting on the results of the other hormone tests. As far as sexual side effects / libido, it went up the week after I stopped, but seems to have gone back down now. I'm waiting to see what my estrogen levels are, curious if it made me estrogen dominant, but there could be a lot of other causes... I'm actually kind of hoping it's a hormonal cause, because that is easier to fix than other causes.
I'm looking into ru58841, but I'm concerned as it is untested at least in any large trials. What type of side effects do people see from it? How much of it is systemically absorbed into the body?

I'm starting to feel the all familiar itch on my scalp, I haven't felt that in years.