3 Month Break From Finasteride, 10 Years On The Drug, Shedding Like Crazy

[memoryboy]

yeah, I was examined by a dick doctor
It's just it wasn't then as bad as it is now.

and one cannot really see it when on flaccid state.

I'll be meeting with another one in a few days.

anything I can do to try to save my hair meanwhile?
I guess not much but still?

 

[memoryboy]

damn, if I remember back, I might have had something like that a while back too.
wasn't diagnosed like that but I had something like this but more like veins. That was years ago though, not sure whether I was already on finasteride or not.

 

[memoryboy]

I thought I'll give you an update on my situation. Things are weird, that's for sure

A recap.
Now it's around 3 months from when I started my break in finasteride.
Actually I took another 4-5 days of finasteride 2,5 months ago.
And now I actually started to ween back on finasteride about a month ago.
But anyhow there was a 2,5 break from any taking of finasteride.
Previously been on it for almost 10 years. Completely halted my hairloss it seemed and probably regrow some.
I only had receding hairline.
During those years mostly took 1mg a day. Had days off it, didn't take the regime very strictly.
Previously been having a few breaks during those years, 1-2months of it even with no noticeable effect on hair.
For most years been on original Propecia. Last year switched to generic.
A few months before quitting went from 1 mg a day to 0,5 mg a day.

Not sure if I had actual libido or erection issues or not. A lot of it might be psychological.
I don't think any more I had peyronie's. What I probably have is lymphocele or clogged lymp vessels on my penis. This comes and goes. And should clear itself out. The Propeciahelp freaked me out that one might develop peyronie's.

My hair has been pretty much on freefall for a month. I shed so much. Almost feels I can pull out any hair. At first it was just hairline. Now it feels I shed more from hairline, but equally as much from top and vertex, but I can easily pull out also hair from the back and sides. So all over.
When I comb or are in the shower, the drain is clogged after it.
I haven't counted but it must be like 500-1000 hairs a day. It's crazy how much. I will be bald soon if this continues. Even though somehow at the moment one doesn't yet really notice. It still feels I have full-sh head of hair today. Even though I have lost more of my hairline.
But if this continues I will be bald in a few months.
I actually consider shaving or buzzing it for now. Longer hair still hides my receded hairline, so it's nicer. But then I at least wouldn't see so many long hair falling out constantly and it would make me feel less depressed and I could apply topicals more easily.
I have no idea how I will look as I have never shaved my hair 0 or even short. My hairline is pretty high up now, and noone even knows that because my otherwise (still) thick hair, so it's kind of scary.

I got my DHT measures from a month ago. What is weird is that it's still low it seems?
It's 0,74 nmol/l Range: 1,03–2,92
So it's below range.
That was more than two months after taking finasteride.
So it seems my 5alpha-reductase were not working properly 2+ months after taking finasteride.
So that states prolonged effect even after taking finasteride = possibility of prolonged side effects?

What is weird then is why my hairs are then all falling out? If I still have low DHT when without finasteride?
And even if DHT would have risen after that, I don't think it's not normal to have this rapid fall? But I was already shedding when I took that low measurement.
Could it really be Telogen Effluvium?
I did have a hormonal profile shift after quitting finasteride. Total T dropped. Estrogen dropped a little. But Estrogen/Androgen ratio is still scewed, as T dropped way more than E. My Free T should be Ok though?
It's 48,6 pmol/l Range: 24,3–78,8
And I did have a super stressful period in Dec-Jan when I quit finasteride. (I know, a bad decision to quit then. But as I said my local pharmacies stopped carrying it due to shortage of supply. And combined to this and my prostatitis and also I wanted to see if I could perform better sexually, I did that break

Then after a month or more I got inflammation on my hairline and lost ground. I freaked out and got on 50 ml/mg Minoxidil. I had never really tried that out. Well, maybe in the real beginning 10 years ago but I didn't stick with it even 6 months. Could I be shedding because of Minoxidil?

I also added Revivogen to my regime a month ago and still use Nizoral.
I also tried topical Saw Palmento but that's a mess to apply and only been doing that a few times.

I read from somewhere that when you ween back on with finasteride, you should have less chance of side effects. And that's what I've been trying to do the last 4 weeks
1mg 1 X a week for 2 weeks
1 mg 2 X a week for 2 weeks
1mg 3 X a week for 2 weeks
but then settle somewhere with 0,5mg every day or every other day.

I'm not sure if it's the wisest of decision to go back on finasteride. But my hair on total freefall has made me really depressed.

Right now my morning and nocturnal erections have been back for some time.
I still cannot go second rounds after ejaculating for a long time.
I heard that's because of low DHT. As DHT can keep prolacting levels in check and compansate, as prolactin levels rise to the roof after a man ejaculates.

I will have another measurements done this week to see where all my stats are.

I still have prostatitis. I mean I can feel it. It hasn't cleared up even after taking another round of antibiotics. It's been now more than half a year than I had it. Will have another meeting with andrologist/urologist this Tuesday. Will see what's my fertility stats are and other stuff. This is the same doctor though, so I will hardly get anything other out from him than new antibiotics regime.
I thought my prostatitis could have been due to finasteride and due to increased Estrogen levels and scewed estrogen/androgen ratio. But then again it could also be bacterial. As it did occur after starting a new relatrionship and having unprotected sex.

I will have a call with famous dr. Goldstein tomorrow. To schedule a meeting with him in the States next month.

I dunno if I have gyno or not but will find out this Thursday.

I read that if one takes finasteride, he should keep very low body fat, in order to keep the estrogen levels in check. I'm not fat but I have definitely gained a little bit this past last year. So, I'm trying to get back to be very lean.

 

[memoryboy]

Yeah, I have autoimmune history. I have seborrhoeic dermatitis in my ears, eyebrows and near my mouth and nose (like in the handlebar moustache) region. It comes and goes and can just be a little redness or can also be full blown flaky skin. Usually manageable with some prescription creams and lotions.

My sister has it too, she has it worse actually.
Like I said, it can reappear but goes away and is manageable.

In the past I thought my redness and flaky skin in my hairline (that appeared before hair loss) is connected to that. I used to have dandruff all over my head when I was younger, not any more.

 

[Hairambe]

How long did it take for erections to come back ?

 

[lukedorian]

I'm 34 and been taking Propecia and the last year generic finasteride for 10 years.

I have recently taken a 3 month break from Propecia/Finasteride.

I want to start taking Finasteride again but I'm in between and a bit scared. Also thinking whether it's now too late. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I was diagnosed with Prostatitis in the beginning of last fall and sperm count was very low. I wanted to see how big effect finasteride had on it. I had also taken finasteride for so long and I had read it could affect all sorts of things and also the drug wasn't temporarily available in my country, so I decided to take a break, to see how it is. Big mistake!

I had maintained everything I had in this 10 years and even had some regrowth in the hairline.

After quitting, I first got an itch in the temples and forehead and noticed I have lost some ground there a few weeks after quitting. Now 3 months after quitting I'm shedding like crazy all over the place and have definitely lost a lot from my hairline and thinned from all over.

I'm quite depressed for it and thinking to jump back on the drug? Should I?
Can I still stop and reverse it? It's too crazy to go from full head of hair to bald in 6 months.

On the upside, my morning erections are back. They have been missing for a while. I have slightly stronger erections and I even think my dick looks slightly fuller in flacid state. I might be imagining things.
My ejaculatory volume is slightly bigger and have more strength in it.

Also, I'm dreaming a lot more and remembering my dreams. That is a bit scary as that might show blocking 5α-Reductase inhibitors could have more effect than just that, as some people say it might affect GABA and other things in the brain. Then again, the dreams could also mean that I'm just stressed. It has happened before that I dream more when I'm stressed.

Here's my measurements.

On finasteride this fall.

FSH 6.7 (1.5 ... 12.4 U/L)
LH 3.93 (1.70 ... 8.60 U/L)
Free androgen index (FAI) > 100.00 ↑ (35.00 ... 92.60 %)
S-SHBG 20.90 (18.30 ... 54.10 nmol/L)
Testosterone 22.49 (11.40 ... 27.90 nmol/L)
Oestradiol 121.8 (>223.0 pmol/L)

After finasteride shortly after.

FSH 8.2 (1.4 – 18.1 lU/l)
LH 3.78 (1.5 – 9.3) lU/l)
Free androgen index (FAI) 15 – 95 (71.47)
S-SHBG 24 (17 – 66 nmol/l)
Testosterone 17.1 (8.4 – 28.7 nmol/L)
Oestradiol 125.2 (>146.0 pmol/L)

3 months after finasteride.

Testestorone 14.4 nmol/l...................8-29 nmol/l
Oestradiol 118.7 pmol/ll..................<146 pmol/l
SHBG 22 nmol/l
TSH 3.33 mlU/l...........................0,40-4,00
Prolactin: 192 mlU/l....................53-360
Progesterone (P4): 1.72 nmol/l.............<4.11
FSH 8,1 IU/l..........................1,4-18,1
LH 4,37 IU/l..........................1,5-9,3
S-DHEAS 8,3........................0,9-15,4
Cortisol 331 nmol/l................138-690
FT4 15,08 pmol/l....................11,5-22,7
FT3 5,60 pmol/l.......................3,5-6,5

I'm afraid that my testestorone dropped a lot after being off from finasteride. I've read it should only drop by 15-20% but mine has dropped a lot more. Estrogen was high, has dropped a little but is still high.

So I'm totally buzzled whether I should jump back on it or not. I don't want to cause persistent or permanent damage to myself. But I also wish I would have never stopped taking the drug. Not at least in my 30s.

I'm really depressed on the sudden hardcore shedding. It's really like experiencing sudden accute hairloss in my 20s again.

I didn't really have more very noticeable side effects other than ejaculatory volume and strength and watery semen.

Help to make up my mind

Might wanna consider jump on Clomid 25 mg EOD and keep on Propecia 1mg every day, hair will be fine and test will go up, if Estrogenic side effect occur consider adding Proviron 12.5mg ED, is what has to be done in order to keep hair and avoid side effects from Finasteride, there will be no supression of the HPTA and you can just stop treatment any time you want
Arimidex is a big NO NO it will make you shed like crazy, has happened to me nefore no shed while on clomid and proviron as long i stay onm propecia.

 

[memoryboy]

got another test done.
three+ months after the big break.
after that has been trying to introduce finasteride again 0,5mg 2-3 times a week.

T has dropped more. All time low it seems. E went back up again a little compared to last test.
Free T seems OK I guess?
Feeling my small pseudo-gyno might be getting worse, not sure.
Sex life is more or less OK. But often using Cialis for boost.

Strange is that DHT measurement is very low. How come I'm loosing hair then?

Feeling terrible fatigue. Loosing and shedding hair a lot. Lost visible ground from hairline and loosing more every day.
Such a pity after keeping all my hair for 10 years.
Feeling depressed partly because of my symptoms but more so for the hair going in light speed.

Not sure what to do. I'm on a trip for a month, so cannot get prescription drugs easily here.

DHT 0,36 nmol/l......4,50-13,10
Free T 43,8 pmol/l......24,3-78,8
Testestorone 12,8 nmol/l......8,0-29,0 (new ref ranges)
Estradiol 120,2 pmol/l......<146,0
LH 4,82 IU/l......1,5-9,3
FSH 7,2 IU/l......1,4-18,1
TSH 2,50 mIU/l......0,40-4,00
Prolactin 184 mIU/l......53-360
SHGB 15 nmol/l......15-95 (new ref ranges)
Free androgen index 85,1 %......15,0-80,0
Vitamin D 128,0 nmol/l......>75,0

Androstenedione seems below range: 2,97 nmol/l......4,50-13,10
Does this mean my 5AR is fucked?
Is this the cause of my fatigue?
Didn't measure DHEA this time, should I?

Does anyone have any more insight to try to understand my numbers?

Also feeling my dry eyes and eyesight is getting worse. Reading anecdotal reports, that this might be due to finasteride too...?

Not sure what is finasteride caused and what is something else? What is nocebo and what is real.
Would like to go back on 1mg finasteride ED or 0,5mg ED to save my existing hair but not sure if it's wise.

Thanks guys!

PS: Liver measurements seem back to normal since last tests.

 

[memoryboy]

For the sake of records, here's my recent update.

It's now 5 months since my break (late December) from finasteride.
I started shedding and it really accelerated in March.
I freaked out and started to introduce finasteride again back into my system.
Recently got into 0,5mg every day.

Also been trying Revivogen and Minoxidil but inconsistently.

Still was shedding hard until suddenly about 3 weeks ago my shedding just stopped literally overnight. Just suddenly, I didn't shed at all. Zero hair was coming out. Even while aggressively pulling my hair nothing was coming out any more. Was thinking it's the finasteride working again and then started to take 0,5mg every day, or almost every day. Up until that point I took 0,5mg around 3 times a week.

Now yesterday, I suddenly started to shed a bit again, although not as aggressively as before...

Not sure what is going on. I started to shed really hard, felt I was loosing it all. Then it stopped literally overnight for 3 weeks. Now it seems to have started again a bit. Is it Telogen Effluvium? Something else, many things together?

I now got slightly puffy nipples maybe. Mammography said it's not gyno but slightly prominent breast tissue.
I've put on a little more weight too, it's hard to tell how bad it is. Noone has really noticed or mentioned anything. Even my girlfriend.

I don't want the pseudo-gyno get worse and I gringe every time I take the pill again. But extreme shedding made me really depressed after having almost all my hair for 10 years, so I started taking it again.

The department in my prostatitis feels better but I will see doctor in a few weeks to see if it really has cleared up or not.

The department in erections/libido has been working fine I think the past two months. Maybe it has something to do of me quitting p**rn? Although I've had less control when to ejaculate.

 

[HairOnYourHeart]

Thanks for sharing your story, memoryboy. I sincerely hope your body, mind, and spirit stabilize. You'll get through this.

 

[Manochoice]

Memoryboy, still on fina? How u doin now?