Sudden onset sexual side effects from finasteride?

[moderatelyevil]

Hi, so this is my first post. I have a question about potential finasteride side effects, but I didn't want to join Propeciahelp, as some of the guys there are pretty militant and will blame finasteride for any possible physical problem.

Anyway, I started 1 mg Propecia in 2006, when I was 27. I had some slight thinning on top, but nothing noticeable, but I figured it'd be better to start young and avoid losing my hair from the beginning. My dad has lost his hair, my younger brother has lost a lot, both grandfathers were bald, mom has thin hair... you get the idea. Around 2008, I switched to 5 mg Proscar, which I cut into quarters.

All this time, I have had zero noticeable sexual side effects. (I noticed, in retrospect, that I don't get that many morning erections anymore, but I'm also 5 years older than when I started the drug, and I kinda have a lot of sex anyway, so maybe that means my body doesn't need to produce as many at night?) Haven't ever had any real difficult getting or keeping it up (unless I've had too much to drink, am not really that into it, or am dealing with a really tight condom, anyway). No problems with ejaculate volume, no problems with achieving orgasm. Nothing. Hell, a few weeks ago, I had a fling and had 20 orgasms in one week.

About a week ago, though, I just couldn't get it up. Kinda halfway, but nothing impressive. That goes for masturbation or with a partner. Also lower ejaculate volume, overall loss of libido (mostly). I had been through about five really stressful events that hit me all at one time in the last week, so maybe that caused it. That's what my family doctor told me. But, of course, I wondered if maybe finasteride were to blame.

I know the odds of that aren't high, but it makes me nervous all the same to find out about guys who have had persistent sexual side effects from finasteride. I guess I'm trying to figure out if the side effects could have started now, very suddenly, over the course of just a few days, when I've been ridiculously stressed anyway. Do people usually develop finasteride side effects only after several years on the drug? Do they occur suddenly, or more gradually? Are my general lack of morning erections the last few years likely due to finasteride? Are the side effects (if that's what they are) likely to stop if I quit finasiteride? I don't want to lose my hair (granted, I don't know for sure how much I'd lose if I quit taking it, as I started before I had major hair loss), but I'd much rather lose my hair than lose my ability to have sex and enjoy it. Thinking about quitting finasteride anyway - I'm just suddenly concerned about what this could be doing to my hormones.

 

[Prop]

unfortunately nothing is clear in fina sides effects

lot of different patterns with a common denominators:
genital/sexual sides (more often)
mental sides (less often)

i have read different experiences about all ur questions

there's a simply rule
if keeping ur hair worth the risk to get sides, go ahead.
if not, stop now

 

[moderatelyevil]

Hi, thanks for your reply. One thing that worries me, if I stop, is that some people report the side effects become worse when they quit. So that makes me wonder if I should stay on it since a) it's probably more likely stress is causing my erectile issues right now and b) quitting could totally screw me up.

Maybe one option is to quit gradually? I.e., go down to one pill every two days for a month or so, then one pill every three days, eventually one pill a week, and eventually quit altogether. Might that help my hormones adjust more gradually, without such a shock from going off the medicine cold turkey?

 

[Prop]

if u choose to quit, do it gradually.
probably is the best way

nothing is sure, but in my case,
i quitted cold turkey and my sides get worse after some months

however could be also stress.
some probably advice u to stay on and sides will subside.

 

[StoptheMadness]

there is too much unknown as your stress levels were high which will cloud everything. but you have to think realistically and logically. The fact that you clearly stated you had stress automatically makes it impossible to clearly define if it was the stress or the Propecia. If you had no stress then you would logically conclude that Propecia somehow someway aided in the ED issue.

imho The reason you are on here is because you are one of the very few Propecia takers who have experienced a sexual side from Propecia. It is entirely possible that one could have sexual side effects from Propecia, n'cest pas? It would be delusional to think that no one ever got side effects from Propecia. some will, most don't. You *probably* did, but as I said the fact that you mentioned stress is your "out" that Propecia didn't cause it. Remove the stress component and

After 7 yrs of being on it, one Saturday in the shower at age 32, I suddenly achieved a half-erection which was a brand new experience. the following 5-7 days I could not achieve an erection with manual stimulation. I quit propecia cold, and a few days later the erections 1) came back strong 2) a resumption of morning wood, after not having them for at least a year (could've been longer) and 3) prostate fluid from the ejaculate was noticeably thicker.

At 5 months, my hair is thinning. you will lose the hair you maintained without a 5a inhibitor. you will be ok sexually if you stop the propecia

 

[moderatelyevil]

Great, thanks for the response. I really appreciate it. In my case, the stress levels were from several things at once that were a higher level of stress than I have probably ever dealt with in my life. It didn't even occur to me, initially, that is could be the finasteride. I only started thinking about that after getting paranoid reading online. If anything, I have had a ridiculously high sex drive and very little problems with erections (other than a lack of morning erections, sometimes) for the five years I have been on 1.25 mg finasteride.

I guess I'm just terrified if it is somehow the cause, and I quit now, I'll have that crash that some people have experienced and never get back to normal. It's really scary, and I hope I'm not psyching myself out by obsessing about this and worrying and visiting sites like this one. (My doctor did prescribe v****, which worked for me in about 5 minutes - when it's supposed to take 15-30 - which makes me wonder if perhaps it really is all in my head, and the v**** just sorta has a placebo affect on me. Also woke up with a hard-on later that night, which is a kinda new experience.)

But if I have to choose between my hair and my sex drive/ability to get an erection, I'll choose the sex in a heartbeat. A bald guy has more sex than a guy who can't get an erection. There is still Rogaine and plenty of other options for hair loss.

 

[moderatelyevil]

Sorry, one more question: I'm thinking of going back to my doctor to get testosterone levels checked now. (I last took finasteride yesterday.) Figured it would be a good idea to see what my hormones look like after five years on it. What, exactly, am I supposed to make sure my primary physician tests me for? Should I insist on seeing an endocrinologist?

In the meantime, I'm gonna cut down to taking it every other day. Trying to avoid a crash that it might be hard to come out of later.

 

[TheGrayMan2001]

Sorry, one more question: I'm thinking of going back to my doctor to get testosterone levels checked now. (I last took finasteride yesterday.) Figured it would be a good idea to see what my hormones look like after five years on it. What, exactly, am I supposed to make sure my primary physician tests me for? Should I insist on seeing an endocrinologist?

In the meantime, I'm gonna cut down to taking it every other day. Trying to avoid a crash that it might be hard to come out of later.

You wanna look at all your T levels, DHT level, your estrogen level (estriadol\E2), and LH level for starters. I'm not sure what else is important above that.

Most of the sexual side effects seem to be because estrogen gets too high compared to how much T you produce

 

[moderatelyevil]

Talked to a doctor friend today who once worked for Merck. Said there's no way to tell without a big battery of tests folks have listed here (and maybe not even then) if finasteride or stress have caused my recent symptoms, but his advice, regardless, was to get off the finasteride gradually over the next month. Said he doesn't think permanent use of any hormone-altering drug can do anything but harm, but also pointed out that most people with sexual side effects related to finasteride do eventually get back to normal.

 

[Prop]

Said there's no way to tell without a big battery of tests folks have listed here (and maybe not even then) if finasteride or stress have caused my recent symptoms, but his advice, regardless, was to get off the finasteride gradually over the next month. Said he doesn't think permanent use of any hormone-altering drug can do anything but harm, but also pointed out that most people with sexual side effects related to finasteride do eventually get back to normal.

wise reply.
however sometimes, despite a big battery of tests, it comes out nothing relevant.
the undisclosed "sides mechanism" is not only an hormonal matter

Get also a spermiogram.
it will reveal ur possible sensitivity to fina bad effects

however in the most of cases sides will disappear, so u have only to remain calm.

 

[dboy]

Hi.. Just wanted to let you know i took Propecia from late 1998 to 2005 ....and I quit the drug thinking my libido/sex drive/impotence would improve....Anyways...the drug is for me anyways have caused me permanent side effects, even after quitting for years now. Your symptons remind me of when i started taking propecia. Just wanted to let you know. If i had to do it over again..i would be bald and have my sex drive than to take the POISON PILL....and no sex drive.

Peace

 

[moderatelyevil]

Of course, symptoms alone don't prove much of anything, which is why I want to have all the tests that I can done, if my problems persist. (They have gotten a lot better in the last two or three days, though, which makes me lean more toward the stress theory.) I am curious, though, dboy, as to whether you had these problems the whole time you were on Propecia, or if they only popped up after 7 years on it?

 

[dboy]

Hey,

The side effects occurred during the 7 years of taking, and continued even after i stopped. If you read the propeciahelp board, I experience most of the symptons the guys there face. I know there are men who take Propecia who don't have a problem, but I guess everyone's body is different. I just hope you can recover from this.

Thanks
Dboy

 

[moderatelyevil]

Yah, I have never had side effects at any point during the five years I took the medication, and the current issues only came up after I underwent an enormous amount of stress. Regardless, they seem to be steadily improving, although I'm still going to slowly wean myself off of finasteride over the next month and get some blood work done.

 

[moderatelyevil]

So, just an update. I decided to start taking less and less finasteride. Then, in early September, I had outpatient surgery, but the doctor told me to stay off all meds and supplements for five days before, due to possible interactions with anesthesia. For a few days after the surgery, I was too busy trying to recover and didn't think about finasteride. Well, a week after my last finasteride pill, out of nowhere, all lingering side effects instantly resolved, from one day to the next.

So I had the brilliant thought, "Hey, maybe the real problem was somehow my hernia, and not the finasteride! I'll start taking it again!" Well, a week after going back on it, I noticed the side effects creeping back. Nothing too horrible, nothing close to the first time, but I could notice sexual function getting just a little less intense, slowly. No change in libido, fortunately. Anyway, I quit taking it again.

This time it took three weeks for the sides (if that is what they were) to completely go away. (Taking some advice from things I read here, I bought zinc picolinate but only took 25 mg per day.) It only totally seems to have cleared up again over the last few days. I still can't prove that the finasteride was to blame. But when a drug has a known set of side effects, you take that drug, you get the sides (even after five years without any sides), they go away when you stop taking the drug, come back when you start taking it again, then go away again when you stop taking it.... Well, it could all be in my head, but I'd be a fool not to consider the possibility of real side effects.

I'm not going to risk it again. No more finasteride for me! Sure, I'll probably lose my hair, if minoxidil does not help, but I will happily sacrifice my hair to keep having sex. And it sucks that I had just bought a one-year generic supply of Proscar literally two days before the sides first appeared. Regardless, all side effects aside, no one really knows what happens when you alter your hormones for years and years. The initial FDA studies couldn't go 10, 20 years out. We just don't know. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Joe-1991]

One of the best decisions you will ever make in your life. It is so saddening to see guys like you who keep getting side effects on the drug and yet still try to blame something else.

I was the same, but things never ended like they did for you.

 

[moderatelyevil]

LOL, I didn't try to blame anything else. I listed some possible causes and said that regardless, I felt it was best for me to get off the drug. It's not necessary to be militantly for or against one option or another; the body is complicated, and it's hard to say for sure what causes a given set of issues. However, in my case, I felt there was sufficient cause for concern that I should stop taking finasteride permanently.

 

[TheGrayMan2001]

Honestly I have had sort of the same experience. I was on finasteride for 8 months and I ran out in January of 2011. I ordered more, but three days after coming off my sex drive EXPLODED. I was enjoying it so much I stayed off for two months, but then I noticed some hair thinning on the temples again, so I started back on .25 mg of finpecia. It lasted til mid-August, when I ran out. My side effects were less, but they did reappear to some degree.

I found some Fincar from my first batch of finasteride and started taking it when my finpecia ran out. I ordered more, but the side effects just kept bothering me. I got off right at a month ago and things aren't 100% normal yet, but they're getting there. Mostly it's just less sensitivity in the general area 'down there', but it'll come back, I'm sure. Everything else is fine (libido is good, nocturnal erections reappeared, etc)

I'd still recommend finasteride to someone, since most people do not get sides, but if the side effects don't resolve themselves in a few weeks I would taper off quickly while taking some zinc and not get back on.

 

[rwhairlosstalk]

Did Zinc actually HELP you as an adjunct???