Why I Would Advise Against Taking Finasteride

[ZZmop]

I don’t really want to be making this thread but if one person sees it and decides not to take finasteride, it’ll be worth it.

I decided to start taking finasteride at .25 mg per day. After four doses over five days, I discontinued as my penis glans had a numb like sensation (not a side effect I saw reported much on the web at all) plus the usual ball ache and tingling reported by many users. I also had vivid waking dreams as soon as I closed my eyes at night to try to sleep.

Anyway, a few days after discontinuing, I had a huge crash. My head felt like it was spinning out while trying to read off the screen. I got progressively worse as the days went on. I felt hunger but had no appetite (I usually eat a lot every day), had a whirring feeling in my head, incredibly debilitating brain fog at points, waking up every hour or two in the night (sometimes screaming), fatigue unlike anything I’d experienced before, penis went numb, terrible depression. My calorie intake dropped to under 1000 per day I think. All in all, the most profoundly harrowing experience I’ve ever been through.

After finding the cdsnuts protocol then a website called hack stasis, I decided to try a ten day water fast. I could barely eat anyway.

I completed the water fast. Since then I’ve been eating incredibly healthily (I was no slob before this though).

It’s now over nine weeks since crashing and I’m so fortunate in that I am now having erections again, my appetite is back, the depression has lifted and my sleep is a lot better (still waking up every few hours for no reason some nights though). I’m still getting brain fog/pressure at points in the day, still getting a whirring feeling in my head like I’m at sea and sometimes feeling like I’m going to pass out when walking around in public. I’m hoping that allowing more time will resolve these issues.

I’m only now this past week been able to get back in the gym. Prior to crashing, I’d been going to the gym every week for years.

I’m not looking to have arguments with posters here about finasteride. I’m only making this thread to warn others and to add another voice to the now numerous accounts online about this disgusting drug.

Also, after crashing, I couldn’t give a sh*t about hair loss. I went from visiting HairLossTalk.com practically every day to envying nw7s who weren’t going through that.

So, that’s what happened and I wanted to document it here. Believe me when I say, it’s not worth risking your health taking this drug.

 

[g.i joey]

Glad to hear you’re better man! Maybe the drug just wasn’t for you, actually based off your experience propecia is definitely not for you lol. I wish propecia would give me no appetite I’d be able to finally fucken lose some weight

 

[abba]

The incredible thing about this is that from what i've noticed in this forum, most of people complaining about side effects from Finasteride in here either use a really low dose (below 1mg), were afraid of side effects before they even started the treatment (placebo effect) or weren't consistent about the treatment (by skipping several days in a row for example).

Not to say side effects don't exist, i'm absolutely sure they do, and i feel sorry for those who get them, but if you're going to try out finasteride then do the treatment properly: 1mg day/everyday. Don't do this microdosing bullshit. And for the love of god be consistent with your treatments. This is just conjecture of my part since i haven't seen any studies related to this, but there's a decent chance that by not being consistent on your treatment you make your hormonal levels fluctuate more and end up with worse side effects as a result.

 

[Worriedbaldo]

Stuff like this scares me off a finasteride so badly. Congrats on getting healthy my dude, I’m happy none of it was permanent!

 

[AllerganSaveUs]

I also had the same numbness. 3 months after quitting, I switched to brand name Propecia and took it with higher dose zinc, indole-3-carbinol and calcium D glucarate. I no longer have that numbness.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

The incredible thing about this is that from what i've noticed in this forum, most of people complaining about side effects from Finasteride in here either use a really low dose (below 1mg), were afraid of side effects before they even started the treatment (placebo effect) or weren't consistent about the treatment (by skipping several days in a row for example).

Not to say side effects don't exist, i'm absolutely sure they do, and i feel sorry for those who get them, but if you're going to try out finasteride then do the treatment properly: 1mg day/everyday. Don't do this microdosing bullshit. And for the love of god be consistent with your treatments. This is just conjecture of my part since i haven't seen any studies related to this, but there's a decent chance that by not being consistent on your treatment you make your hormonal levels fluctuate more and end up with worse side effects as a result.

Don't post pseudoscience.

The microdosing is something that people invented as a response to the side effects and due to follow-up studies that came out years after the reports of side effects. It cannot be argued to cause the side effects.

A larger dose of poison is not going to cure you of the poison.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

I don’t really want to be making this thread but if one person sees it and decides not to take finasteride, it’ll be worth it.

I decided to start taking finasteride at .25 mg per day. After four doses over five days, I discontinued as my penis glans had a numb like sensation (not a side effect I saw reported much on the web at all) plus the usual ball ache and tingling reported by many users. I also had vivid waking dreams as soon as I closed my eyes at night to try to sleep.

Anyway, a few days after discontinuing, I had a huge crash. My head felt like it was spinning out while trying to read off the screen. I got progressively worse as the days went on. I felt hunger but had no appetite (I usually eat a lot every day), had a whirring feeling in my head, incredibly debilitating brain fog at points, waking up every hour or two in the night (sometimes screaming), fatigue unlike anything I’d experienced before, penis went numb, terrible depression. My calorie intake dropped to under 1000 per day I think. All in all, the most profoundly harrowing experience I’ve ever been through.

After finding the cdsnuts protocol then a website called hack stasis, I decided to try a ten day water fast. I could barely eat anyway.

I completed the water fast. Since then I’ve been eating incredibly healthily (I was no slob before this though).

It’s now over nine weeks since crashing and I’m so fortunate in that I am now having erections again, my appetite is back, the depression has lifted and my sleep is a lot better (still waking up every few hours for no reason some nights though). I’m still getting brain fog/pressure at points in the day, still getting a whirring feeling in my head like I’m at sea and sometimes feeling like I’m going to pass out when walking around in public. I’m hoping that allowing more time will resolve these issues.

I’m only now this past week been able to get back in the gym. Prior to crashing, I’d been going to the gym every week for years.

I’m not looking to have arguments with posters here about finasteride. I’m only making this thread to warn others and to add another voice to the now numerous accounts online about this disgusting drug.

Also, after crashing, I couldn’t give a sh*t about hair loss. I went from visiting HairLossTalk.com practically every day to envying nw7s who weren’t going through that.

So, that’s what happened and I wanted to document it here. Believe me when I say, it’s not worth risking your health taking this drug. Mentioning hack stasis forum again as a very useful place during this.

Are you going to try a second fast? Can you describe your first fast in greater detail?

10 days is very brave, I've only ever been able to do 7 days. I do it for health issues, not because of PFS.

I took finasteride for 1 month, I got sleep problems as well.

 

[michel sapin]

i disagree with you @Afro_Vacancy ; side effect of finasteride are directly linked to DHT inhibition, and taking 0.25mg or 5 mg will result in almost the same level of inhibition = almost the same level of side effect .
check the study !
i did several blood test , and while on fina 1 mg or 5 mg my DHT level dropped to the exact same amount !

 

[michel sapin]

sure the side would be higher with the larger dosage but not that much higher

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

i disagree with you @Afro_Vacancy ; side effect of finasteride are directly linked to DHT inhibition

No, they are not. This has been explained to you many times -- many of the side effects are due to neurosteroid inhibition, for which we do not have the dose response curve.

Finasteride affects dozens to hundreds of molecules, not just DHT.

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

weren't consistent about the treatment (by skipping several days in a row for example). ...
1mg day/everyday. ... And for the love of god be consistent with your treatments.

I neglected to mention, but it's not a good thing if the drug needs to be taken every day to avoid side effects. This is actually more plausible than your other arguments as a consistent regimen means less yo-yoing of hormones. However, many people will eventually neglect to take the drug here and there due to stress, travel, delays from the pharmacy, etc. That's normal, and if that's enough to cause sides, then that's a problem.

I also had the same numbness. 3 months after quitting, I switched to brand name Propecia and took it with higher dose zinc, indole-3-carbinol and calcium D glucarate. I no longer have that numbness.

Where's the science for calcium glucarate?

 

[Devo]

Wow. Brother Im really happy for you because you're not the ones that says: I took propecia and I became a woman.
You looked for a cure and you've found it. you're cured . Hallelujah.

Its very crazy what this drug does varies from people to people so much.

 

[ZZmop]

Are you going to try a second fast? Can you describe your first fast in greater detail?

10 days is very brave, I've only ever been able to do 7 days. I do it for health issues, not because of PFS.

I took finasteride for 1 month, I got sleep problems as well.

I may try a second fast depending on where I’m at in my recovery in a few months’ time.

It was less a case of bravery and more necessity really. Almost every time I ate I would get devastating brain fog plus my appetite had diminished a lot. So I fasted. Spent all of those ten days on the couch. Barely had the strength to do much else. Only water, no salt nor supplements.

 

[ZZmop]

Wow. Brother Im really happy for you because you're not the ones that says: I took propecia and I became a woman.
You looked for a cure and you've found it. you're cured . Hallelujah.

Its very crazy what this drug does varies from people to people so much.

Don’t want people thinking I’m completely cured right now. Still got neuro symptoms. I have made significant progress on all symptoms for which I am so very grateful for.

 

[Benkeyy]

Is there any way to contact you ZZmop via skype or anything else? It hit me 5 days ago and I've read cdsnuts protocol but I really could need someone to help me a little out right now, it's a really rough place to be in. PH is no help and SwSo. is barely visited.. I sadly can't find an option to msg people privately here. On reddit there isn't even a handful of people I can contact and am pretty desperate and would appreciate it a lot man.. Bankai9000 is my skypename I'd be really grateful.
Edit: And sorry to the Mods that this has to show up again.. I'll be out here in a minute I just try to find someone who has experienced this himself ;/

 

[Manochoice]

Y

Is there any way to contact you ZZmop via skype or anything else? It hit me 5 days ago and I've read cdsnuts protocol but I really could need someone to help me a little out right now, it's a really rough place to be in. PH is no help and SwSo. is barely visited.. I sadly can't find an option to msg people privately here. On reddit there isn't even a handful of people I can contact and am pretty desperate and would appreciate it a lot man.. Bankai9000 is my skypename I'd be really grateful.
Edit: And sorry to the Mods that this has to show up again.. I'll be out here in a minute I just try to find someone who has experienced this himself ;/

You should be able to private message

 

[Benkeyy]

Y

You should be able to private message

Ah now I see! I was too blind to find it first xd, thanks a lot!

 

[Manochoice]

Is there any way to contact you ZZmop via skype or anything else? It hit me 5 days ago and I've read cdsnuts protocol but I really could need someone to help me a little out right now, it's a really rough place to be in. PH is no help and SwSo. is barely visited.. I sadly can't find an option to msg people privately here. On reddit there isn't even a handful of people I can contact and am pretty desperate and would appreciate it a lot man.. Bankai9000 is my skypename I'd be really grateful.
Edit: And sorry to the Mods that this has to show up again.. I'll be out here in a minute I just try to find someone who has experienced this himself ;/

what do you mean it hit you?

 

[ZZmop]

what do you mean it hit you?

If it was anything like my crash, it is very sudden and unmistakable. There was a 'twist' in my brain and I just wondered away from the computer into the front room and lied on the couch, terrified. Nothing could have prepared me for what followed.

As an update to this thread: looking back on the OP, I in no way did justice to how horrific PFS can be. This was partly because I wanted to convince myself that I was vastly improved and thought that because I could achieve an erection again, I would recover in all the other areas in a linear fashion. I crashed in March 2018 and made this thread in May 2018. I actually got worse in June and July 2018. Outrageous, inhuman depression; crippling fatigue; vertigo so bad that the room was starting to tilt sideways; muscle wasting; tissue changes in my face; genital anesthesia and a host of other symptoms. It was a frankly unbelievable experience, impossible for someone to comprehend who hasn't gone through it. I am still left with numerous symptoms now 15 months after crashing and haven't been able to return to work. The shocking depression, which was the worst symptom, has vastly improved now but I still have bad neurological symptoms, brain zaps when falling asleep, a numb penis, devastating fatigue and an intolerance to even mild forms of stress, amongst other symptoms. Finasteride is a public health emergency and should be removed from the market.

 

[Manochoice]

If it was anything like my crash, it is very sudden and unmistakable. There was a 'twist' in my brain and I just wondered away from the computer into the front room and lied on the couch, terrified. Nothing could have prepared me for what followed.

As an update to this thread: looking back on the OP, I in no way did justice to how horrific PFS can be. This was partly because I wanted to convince myself that I was vastly improved and thought that because I could achieve an erection again, I would recover in all the other areas in a linear fashion. I crashed in March 2018 and made this thread in May 2018. I actually got worse in June and July 2018. Outrageous, inhuman depression; crippling fatigue; vertigo so bad that the room was starting to tilt sideways; muscle wasting; tissue changes in my face; genital anesthesia and a host of other symptoms. It was a frankly unbelievable experience, impossible for someone to comprehend who hasn't gone through it. I am still left with numerous symptoms now 15 months after crashing and haven't been able to return to work. The shocking depression, which was the worst symptom, has vastly improved now but I still have bad neurological symptoms, brain zaps when falling asleep, a numb penis, devastating fatigue and an intolerance to even mild forms of stress, amongst other symptoms. Finasteride is a public health emergency and should be removed from the market.

Damn! Yeah, your story first seemed to be one of shocking sides but then slow and steady recovery. While I (still) believe your case is somewhat rare compared w/ the number of people taking Fina, even if it's within the 1-3 speculated %, it's still a gamble that has potentially disastrous hazards ahead. Hopefully you'll recover fully.