finasteride, Three Months Later

[clampdown33]

I've told my story a a few times in other threads, but as quick recap, here goes:

Took 1/8 of tablet of finasteride for four days in late December. Total testosterone levels dropped over one hundred points and had all the side effects many here have suffered from -- testicle ache, prostate soreness, complete loss of libido, etc. Most recent test results came in, and here's where I am now. (Note: I haven't had all those same levels taken each doctor's appointment, but I think all together the results paint a fairly clear picture.)

2006
Total testosterone: 581 ng/dl

January 2011 (approximately three weeks after taking finasteride for four days)
Total testosterone: 440
Free testosterone: 11.1

February 2011 (seeing a different doctor now)
DHT: 30

Late March 2011
Total testosterone: 560
Free testosterone: 11.3
DHT: 50

My sexual health has recovered to a degree, but I still don't think I'm 100 percent. Part of the reason for still not being completely right I believe has to do with the following symptoms that continue to bother me. Namely:

A soreness in my left testicle that normally persists for a few hours after ejaculating.

And, perhaps most troublingly, profuse and uncontrollable sweating since getting off finasteride between my legs, from my feet, and from my hands, though less so in that third area. The sweating overwhelms any anti-sweating medication, and my socks and underwear are basically soaked through all hours of the day. I have a few theories as to what could be going on, but I'd be interested to hear what anyone else thinks could be causing this and the continued testicle ache post-ejaculation. Could it be my hormones are still adjusting? Maybe that my estrogen is falling? Something else entirely?

Anyway, any comments on anything mentioned here are welcome. Thanks.

 

[Wuffer]

I don't understand how you came to the conclusion that finasteride caused your T to drop? Your previous blood test was done over 5 years ago. You can't use this as a basline to compare to your levels after you took finasteride for four days.

There are so many reasons your testosterone could have fluctuated in that timeframe. Something as simple as taking the test at a different time of day (morning versus evening) would result in different readings.

There is absolutely no way taking finasteride for 4 days could cause such a drop in testosterone, or any of the other long lasting effects you are describing. I recommend you and your doctor look into other causes of your problems. I don't think even the biggest Finasteride pessimists would conclude that finasteride has caused any of your problems.

 

[Wuffer]

Really man? I know we don't agree on a lot of this stuff, but you can't honestly think he had a 20% decrease in testosterone for taking finasteride for 4 days? There has to be something else going on here; maybe the test he had after taking finasteride was not accurate? You have to admit, this isn't nearly conclusive enough to state that this is what happened in the guy!

Not even getting into the speculation of what's actually happened in his body, 4 days is barely enough time for finasteride to even start working, let alone wreak havok on the guys body like that. I'm not saying this is impossible, but it is extremely unlikely.


*EDIT*

oops, I forgot, i'm done arguing about this stuff! I just couldn't not respond to this topic

 

[Wuffer]

You're right; I shouldn't have said that!

Let's agree it's very unlikely. I also think having a pre-finasteride blood workup closer to the time he started would have been more helpful.

To the op, make sure you and your doctor rule out any other possible causes. As for the sweating, I haven't ever heard of this being linked to finasteride! It's probably unrelated.

 

[Mens Rea]

Wuffer you clearly avoid propeciahelp because if you didn't, you would know that there is countless guys who took finasteride for literally a couple of days and found their systems crashing.

I've no idea about this particular case - it does fit the profile but obviously its a case by case basis.

So no, i definately don't agree that its "unlikely"

 

[clampdown33]

I'm of course aware my original blood test was taken five years ago; I simply included it as I thought it provided context in terms of to where my testosterone levels have risen since getting off the drug. The more important numbers, I think, are the multiple tests done after getting off finasteride, which thus far have seen my total testosterone rise 120 points and my DHT levels rise 20. Granted, I didn't have test results taken immediately before starting on finasteride, but I think it's telling that my levels have changed so much in such a short period of time after coming off the drug. Believe me, I'm as surprised about these numbers as anyone.

As for the sweating, I still think it's related in some way to my hormone levels, or at least tied to something else in my body. Just a few days after taking finasteride, the sweat started to pour out of me and hasn't stopped since. I'm still hoping the cause is an imbalance of my hormones and that my body is still correcting itself after such dramatic level changes, but we'll see.

 

[Ende]

One Propecia pill will alter the DHT/estrogen ratio drastically. What makes you think that this can't cause any problems, Wuffer?

 

[DIYtony]

Because I bet drinking 15 pints in one night fucks up your sex hormones as well, and noone has long term effects from just one of those nights.

 

[Ende]

Because I bet drinking 15 pints in one night fucks up your sex hormones as well, and noone has long term effects from just one of those nights.

You're comparing beer to finasteride? Both are poison, alright, but no food or drinks affects your endocrine system like a potent reductase inhibitor does. You would probably get liver damage before you develop secondary hypogonadism from alcohol.

 

[clampdown33]

Because I bet drinking 15 pints in one night fucks up your sex hormones as well, and noone has long term effects from just one of those nights.

Yeah, that's not even worth justifying with a response.

There has to be something else going on here; maybe the test he had after taking finasteride was not accurate?

I didn't address this specifically in my previous response, so here goes: Fine, let's say my first blood test post-finasteride was somehow inaccurate. Unlikely, but I'll play along. Even conceding that point, there was still my second post-finasteride blood test where DHT was tested at 30. And two months later, there's the third post-finasteride blood test, which showed my DHT had risen 66 percent. You want to say the first and second blood tests were wrong? Well, in that case, it's clear you've decided to stay glued to your point no matter how strong the contrary evidence might be.

Look, I'm not trying to argue, but the fact is my testosterone levels have risen 120 points in approximately two-and-a-half months, and my DHT rose 20 points over the course of a month. Those are huge jumps. And considering my sexual health was great before taking finasteride and clearly dysfunctional after taking it, it's clear something was affected in my body, and it's clear to me judging from the way I feel that things have slowly improved in the intervening time. Describing to you what happened in my body, however, isn't real proof, as my perspective is obviously subjective. Some things are devoid of subjectivity, however. Blood tests, for instance.

His T levels have increased by 80 points

120 points, actually, which only further proves your point.

 

[hairflow]

Don't i feel stupid. I threw out all my finasteride trying to avoid a situation like this, i found another pack and decided to start taking it again. I took 3 1/8th's and ive quit because i've got this never-ending headache and i cant keep a hard on anymore. Man o man, i knew the risks, read them everywhere and still went and tried again. Im done with finasteride. That TINY amount has wreaked havoc in my brain!

 

[Wuffer]

Sorry to hear about your experience hairflow. While headaches are not a symptom of finasteride, there is a chance your erectile problems are being caused by it. For most people, I would recommend giving it a couple weeks before deciding to quit, but it's clear finasteride isn't for you.

There are some other great looking treatments on the horizon, so don't give up hope!

Good luck.