Quitting Finasteride. What's normal / not normal?

[FullMetalGear]

Hello good people of the hairlosstalk.com forums,

I recently stopped taking finasteride due to side effects and began having a few new side effects post-quitting. After a little searching I found that there isn't much information out there on how one should quit propecia, or what type of side effects people experience and how long they last. I am creating a log of my experience on here with the hope that others will share their experiences with side effects and quitting so myself and everyone else can get a better understanding of what is normal / not normal.

About me.
I am 26 years old.
I began taking propecia 18 months ago.
I took 1.25mg (1/4 of a proscar tablet daily)
I did not have any side effects until recently.
I used minoxidil two times a day alongside finasteride.
I had favourable results (hair stopped falling out, regrew a little).

I don't believe I fit the norwood-hamilton scale very well. My hair was thinning all over the top of my head (more at the back). It is still thin (looking from above, you can clearly see the vertex of my scalp), but it is definitely less thin than before and I have stopped shedding.

So here's what happened.

I hadn't had sex for about a year, and then in early December 2014 I had a ONS but was unable to get hard. This tipped me off that something was wrong, but I didn't do anything about it.
Mid-december I started seeing another woman and we had sex. The first few times I was able to get hard but I noticed it wasn't as strong as before. Then it was really good a few times. Then finally one night I was unable to perform at all. I also felt like my libido was way lower than before. Normally 20 minutes after orgasming I'd be ready to dive back in, but I just wasn't interested.

After all this, I got scared (because I like this girl) and didn't want this problem to ruin my chances with her. So I stopped taking propecia one week ago (January 7th).

I saw her again 3 days later and my problems were even worse. Couldn't get hard at all. Then if I did, if I didn't get him into her within a few seconds and start thrusting, he'd just give up.
I noticed it was easier for me to get hard in the morning and so I managed to finish (orgasm) with her during sex the morning after (however my erection was not as good as I'm used to).

I logged onto hairlosstalk.com and noticed a few users were saying that you should "taper off" finasteride instead of quit cold turkey. At this point I had already stopped it for 4 days so I decided to stick with cold turkey as to not confuse my brain further (not really a scientific reason, just a gut feeling). If anyone has any input on this (or personal experience), I would be happy to hear it.

In addition, I have been having a few other side effects. The most noticeable is a "pinching" feeling in the lower part of the shaft of my penis that was around all day during days 3,4,5 post-quit (I am not experiencing that feeling today). I also had some mild testicular pain that I would describe as my balls feeling "heavy" and "achy". Also I feel like my penis has gotten smaller in girth. I didn't think that was possible, and I might be imagining it or perhaps it is just due to reduced blood flow, but he definitely feels smaller than usual in my hands.

I do not have any morning erections, and it takes a lot of imagination, or pretty decent pornography to get him up. At that point I can masturbate to orgasm without too much difficulty. But it may not be the same with a partner.

--------- TL;DR -----------

I quit finasteride 6 days ago because I was having erectile dysfunction and decreased libido.
The ED and decreased libido got worse when I attempted sex 3 days after quitting.
I felt a "pinching" pain in the lower shaft of my penis all day on days 3, 4 and 5 post-quitting.
I felt a mild testicular pain that felt "heavy" and "achy" the same days as the pinching pain.
The above two pains are not present on day 6 but I still feel decreased libido, no morning erections, and more difficulty than usual obtaining an erection.

I am wondering if these side effects are normal.
I will continue to update this post as time passes.

 

[talmoode]

hi I am no expert but I have heard that Finasteride stays in one's body for a week . so give it more time. Not sure about the pinching pain you have in the lower shaft of your penis maybe it is all in your mind (or not). If symptoms persist, please go see a doctor. cheers

 

[MEVOYACURAR]

Hello friend! I have a thread next to yours at "dealing with sides". Our history is similar: 2 years (with breaks) on 0,7-1mg/day finasteride and quit because soft/ not-strong erections. Read it if you want it and don´t get scared because you will probably get fine sooner than me. However if it persists longer go to see a doctor and also you can talk with me via PM whenever you want. Time is the best treatment. Sincerely good luck!

 

[FullMetalGear]

Thanks for the replies.

@Talmoode. The half-life of Finasteride is around 4.5 hours. So if I were taking 1.0 mg, the concentration in my blood would be 0.5 mg after 4.5 hours, 0.25 after 9 hours, 0.125 after 13.5 hours and so forth. At that rate, there shouldn't be much in my system past 48 hours. However I have read in other posts that DHT can take 7-10 days to return to normal. I have also read that some users find their testosterone levels to be very low for their age after quitting. This would explain the decreased libido. If the problem persists past two weeks I may see my GP.

@MEVOYACURAR. It is encouraging to hear that you recovered, but discouraging that it took so long. However I am trying to stay optimistic. I have started exercising daily and am taking a few over the counter supplements that I have heard may help with ED: Zinc, L-Argenine, Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba. Do you have any other advice / things you learned while overcoming these side effects?

 

[MEVOYACURAR]

Hi again. I am not cured yet fully, but 70-80% which is bearable.

I insist that my case is rare and I am younger than you, treatment was longer... and those are factors against a faster recovery. I recommend you not to take any supplement now. Just relax, sleep as much as you can and wait for a natural recovery in the next days-weeks as is common. If nothing changes go to see a doctor and I can tell you what I did then and see if it is helpful for you too.

 

[FullMetalGear]

UPDATE (2 WEEKS POST-QUITTING)

The genital pains have subsided. Past day 7 I did not have any more "pinching" pain or heavy feeling in my balls.
My libido has improved, I'd say I'm around 50%. However, I am still having erectile problems.
It takes more time and mental effort than usual to achieve an erection, and once I have one, it is often difficult to keep.
I know that there is a large mental component involved in an erection, but withdrawal from this drug is definitely playing a role.
This may sound weird, but it feels like my genital skin has "changed". The area where my scrotum touches the base of my penis just feels different, and my scrotum isn't as tight as it used to be.
It also feels like my genitals are colder than normal. It's difficult to know if I am imagining these changes, or if they are real. Also, no morning erections still.

I have been exercising daily, eating healthy meals, and have not been taking any supplements for the past week (to give my body time to adjust).

I will post another update in a few weeks. In the meantime I will try to forget about it and work on building self-confidence to combat the psychological aspect of this problem.

 

[MEVOYACURAR]

14 days are not enough to know how your body is going to react so you are doing it well by being realistic as well as optimistic. Try to avoid thinking of those temporal issues you have and don't pay too much attention at your body's changes. They are obviously going to be changes since your cells are receiving much more DHT than the past 18 months you were inhibiting it and altering all molecules which are related to it. The psycological component plays low role at masturbation (I supposse you are doing that) but It can worsen any situation. My recommendation is: Don't over do it and don't get obsessed. Your body is adapting to the new chemical situation. Just help it.

Above all, good news! I think it is a very good signal libido is coming back and pain is gone. 2 more advices: don't overtrain and sleep as much as you can, so as not to waste energy.

I think you are likely to recover in the next weeks. Keep us updated! Good luck!

 

[drylc]

Hey.
I'm 24 and I'm experiencing the sides that you get too.
It's been around a month or so since the last time I took finasteride. (Only took it for 2 days!).
And I'm still in the recovering phase right now.

The Sides I got early on:
- Testicular Pain (Still lingering at the moment).
- Numbness in Genital Area (I can feel my balls back after 2 weeks or so , but Penis is still numb atm.)
- Soft Erections (Getting Harder atm, but still find it hard to maintain my erections).
- No Morning Wood (I got Morning Wood back after 2/3 weeks).
- Different Penis shape (Looks like it lose it's grith).
- Brain Fog etc (Lasts for a couple of days because I thought about the sides and didn't get much sleep).

The thing that I do:
- Exercising (I hit the gym like 4-6 times a week and I feel better when I exercising).
- Eat vegetables.
- Reducing sugar intake.
- Enjoy life / don't think too much about sides (Although it's hard, keeping mind away from that will get the negative energy out of your body).

I'm not sexually active, but to be frank this kind of sides is kinda freak me out.
But I always to keep a positive thinking in mind, that someday sooner or later the sides will gone.
I hope you have a speedy recovery.
Have a good day.

 

[FullMetalGear]

Thanks for messaging with your story dryic. Your side effects are almost exactly the same as mine.

It is strange that yours are lasting so long after only taking the medication for two days. I took it for 18 months.

I must say that I feel shafted. When I did research on the adverse effects of Finasteride, it sounded like only a small portion (1-2%) of people experience side effects, and that only a small portion of those people have side effects that continue after stopping the medication. Am I really THAT unlucky? I have a feeling that the side effects are more widespread than the manufacturers of propecia/proscar say.

I am trying my best to ignore them and have a positive outlook, but am becoming frustrated because I am unable to have proper sex with this girl I started seeing recently. She's been really supportive so I am thankful for that, but it's so annoying to have a beautiful girl naked in front of you and not be able to perform.

I still have a very low libido, and my erection quality has not improved. The ONLY way I can climax is if I have sex in the morning. My erections seem to be stronger (although still weak at best) in the morning. Penetration is impossible in the evening. It's still easier to get an erection on my own, and I can masturbate to climax (even in the evening), but I have decided to stop this practice (viewing p**rn and masturbating), because it leads to a cycle of using masturbation to confirm my ability to have an erection. I am trying to ignore the sexual aspect of my life and focus on developing other aspects (my career and hobbies), with the hope that in time I will be back to my old self.

I am still continuing to exercise and eat healthy, and drink lots of H2O. I might start those supplements again to see if they have any effect.

Best of luck to you dryic and MEVOYACURAR. I will update if there are any major changes.

 

[whythis]

I just registered because I feel so identified with you. Exactly the same symptoms since day 2 I started with finasteride, including smaller genitals. However I did take the measures before and after the Finas, and it's correct that the size of my penis decreased, and the shape is different as well. To me, it now it looks like a 50 year old man penis. The second day I took finasteride was my last erection in two months. (I did achieve orgasm, but without erection). Also I try not to think that l'll probably never be able to have sex again at my 25 years. If anyone found a cure or at least real improvement, please tell me.

 

[JTS]

I just registered because I feel so identified with you. Exactly the same symptoms since day 2 I started with finasteride, including smaller genitals. However I did take the measures before and after the Finas, and it's correct that the size of my penis decreased, and the shape is different as well. To me, it now it looks like a 50 year old man penis. The second day I took finasteride was my last erection in two months. (I did achieve orgasm, but without erection). Also I try not to think that l'll probably never be able to have sex again at my 25 years. If anyone found a cure or at least real improvement, please tell me.

Go to a doctor and get blood work done. If you're low on testosterone then you can get hormone replacement therapy

 

[Yoshi3Mario]

... What a bunch of crap. My penis size increased on finasteride. Actually it stayed the same.

 

[JTS]

Hello good people of the hairlosstalk.com forums,

I recently stopped taking finasteride due to side effects and began having a few new side effects post-quitting. After a little searching I found that there isn't much information out there on how one should quit propecia, or what type of side effects people experience and how long they last. I am creating a log of my experience on here with the hope that others will share their experiences with side effects and quitting so myself and everyone else can get a better understanding of what is normal / not normal.

About me.
I am 26 years old.
I began taking propecia 18 months ago.
I took 1.25mg (1/4 of a proscar tablet daily)
I did not have any side effects until recently.
I used minoxidil two times a day alongside finasteride.
I had favourable results (hair stopped falling out, regrew a little).

I don't believe I fit the norwood-hamilton scale very well. My hair was thinning all over the top of my head (more at the back). It is still thin (looking from above, you can clearly see the vertex of my scalp), but it is definitely less thin than before and I have stopped shedding.

So here's what happened.

I hadn't had sex for about a year, and then in early December 2014 I had a ONS but was unable to get hard. This tipped me off that something was wrong, but I didn't do anything about it.
Mid-december I started seeing another woman and we had sex. The first few times I was able to get hard but I noticed it wasn't as strong as before. Then it was really good a few times. Then finally one night I was unable to perform at all. I also felt like my libido was way lower than before. Normally 20 minutes after orgasming I'd be ready to dive back in, but I just wasn't interested.

After all this, I got scared (because I like this girl) and didn't want this problem to ruin my chances with her. So I stopped taking propecia one week ago (January 7th).

I saw her again 3 days later and my problems were even worse. Couldn't get hard at all. Then if I did, if I didn't get him into her within a few seconds and start thrusting, he'd just give up.
I noticed it was easier for me to get hard in the morning and so I managed to finish (orgasm) with her during sex the morning after (however my erection was not as good as I'm used to).

I logged onto hairlosstalk.com and noticed a few users were saying that you should "taper off" finasteride instead of quit cold turkey. At this point I had already stopped it for 4 days so I decided to stick with cold turkey as to not confuse my brain further (not really a scientific reason, just a gut feeling). If anyone has any input on this (or personal experience), I would be happy to hear it.

In addition, I have been having a few other side effects. The most noticeable is a "pinching" feeling in the lower part of the shaft of my penis that was around all day during days 3,4,5 post-quit (I am not experiencing that feeling today). I also had some mild testicular pain that I would describe as my balls feeling "heavy" and "achy". Also I feel like my penis has gotten smaller in girth. I didn't think that was possible, and I might be imagining it or perhaps it is just due to reduced blood flow, but he definitely feels smaller than usual in my hands.

I do not have any morning erections, and it takes a lot of imagination, or pretty decent pornography to get him up. At that point I can masturbate to orgasm without too much difficulty. But it may not be the same with a partner.

--------- TL;DR -----------

I quit finasteride 6 days ago because I was having erectile dysfunction and decreased libido.
The ED and decreased libido got worse when I attempted sex 3 days after quitting.
I felt a "pinching" pain in the lower shaft of my penis all day on days 3, 4 and 5 post-quitting.
I felt a mild testicular pain that felt "heavy" and "achy" the same days as the pinching pain.
The above two pains are not present on day 6 but I still feel decreased libido, no morning erections, and more difficulty than usual obtaining an erection.

I am wondering if these side effects are normal.
I will continue to update this post as time passes.

1) don't worry, it' might take a few weeks but you'll almost certainly be fine.

2) exercise and avoid alcohol

3) you may have a crash a few days after recovering- you probably won't but if you do don't panic, it's actually more common than you'be been led to believe and isn't indicative of permanent damage.

4) never, ever touch finasteride or dutasteride ever again

 

[Mattb]

1) don't worry, it' might take a few weeks but you'll almost certainly be fine.

2) exercise and avoid alcohol

3) you may have a crash a few days after recovering- you probably won't but if you do don't panic, it's actually more common than you'be been led to believe and isn't indicative of permanent damage.

4) never, ever touch finasteride or dutasteride ever again

Is there any info on brain fog/derealization going away? I took three doses then stopped three days ago. Still no relief.

 

[Seyed]

Dear everybody. I am 31.been using the Finestraid 1m for seven years. Recently I have moved to England, used the original one because I was using Indian version which was cheaper. Anyway, I have had some mild sexual erection but not very serious but the past 9 months that I have been in the UK and used the uk version, I have noticed that I have very small amount of semen due to my masterbation which caused me very stressed out. I am wondering what to do to see that I have my semen back. I want it back!? please tell me what to do and how long does it take to have my normal semen? and what is your suggestion for the rest of my treatment based on ur experience.

 

[disfiguredyoungman]

I can just tell you that you should stay away from the generic UK version, since it made me develop side effects as well after 4 years of no big issues.

 

[Manochoice]

UPDATE (2 WEEKS POST-QUITTING)

The genital pains have subsided. Past day 7 I did not have any more "pinching" pain or heavy feeling in my balls.
My libido has improved, I'd say I'm around 50%. However, I am still having erectile problems.
It takes more time and mental effort than usual to achieve an erection, and once I have one, it is often difficult to keep.
I know that there is a large mental component involved in an erection, but withdrawal from this drug is definitely playing a role.
This may sound weird, but it feels like my genital skin has "changed". The area where my scrotum touches the base of my penis just feels different, and my scrotum isn't as tight as it used to be.
It also feels like my genitals are colder than normal. It's difficult to know if I am imagining these changes, or if they are real. Also, no morning erections still.

I have been exercising daily, eating healthy meals, and have not been taking any supplements for the past week (to give my body time to adjust).

I will post another update in a few weeks. In the meantime I will try to forget about it and work on building self-confidence to combat the psychological aspect of this problem.

I wonder if you fully recovered.