Just Had to Cancel My Surgery

[Donny J]

I was scheduled to have a FUE procedure in a couple weeks, and I just ended up having to cancel.

For the past year now, I've been experiencing intermittent brain fog, often lasting a couple days and then subsiding. Likewise, starting around the same time, I began to develop a very strange reaction to lights, which end up manifesting into headaches.

For the latter, I began taking a small dose (.25mg) of xanax, 2-3 times a day, and that appeared to work wonders. For the former, I have just had to ride it out.

Around this time last year, I decided to get off of finasteride (which I've been on for 3 1/2 years), to test and see if these symptoms were related to the drug. I gave it 6 weeks off of the drug. After about 3 weeks, I experienced a crash where everything was a constant haze (is this normal?). This lasted for about a week and then eventually cleared up. However, my strange reaction to lighting/anxieties never ceased (xanax continued to work).

Starting just over a month ago, I once again experience several days in a row of being in a haze. I decided to quit the drug again. I'm now in a constant haze, and have been for just over a week now.

Speaking with the doctor, we decided that now is not the best time for me to pursue a hair transplant. To be honest, I was looking forward to it, but at the same time, I was terrified of what people would say or think if they found out (which, they likely would have, considering I would need to shave my head). He recommended I get off the drug for at least 3 months and see if my symptoms all clear, then consider a new approach.


Because my story borders on hair transplant and Side Effects, I didn't know where to post this, but my main concern at this moment is that I'm still in a constant haze and it's been over a week. Last time this happened, when I got off the drug, I was back to normal in about 7-8 days. Is this type (mental haze) of PFS/crash normal? I started taking the same vitamins which I got on last time this occurred: Butterbur, Niacin, Ginko; I'm also trying out L-Tyrosine this time; plus the vitamins that I typically already take: biotin, fish oil w/ D3, complex B


Please let me know your thoughts.

 

[JZA70]

Starting just over a month ago, I once again experience several days in a row of being in a haze. I decided to quit the drug again. I'm now in a constant haze, and have been for just over a week now.

I jumped off the drug twice now after feeling hazy too.

I thought it was just placebo or maybe just a bad day so I went back on it and by the second day I felt so out of it.

The only thing you can do now is just let your body get back to normal which takes some time.

I wouldn't take the drug again, finasteride is known for long term side effects.

 

[Dark Link]

Donny J, Your posts remind us that the finasteride really does negatively effect some people. Though we can never be 100% certain that the drug caused your condition it is safe to look at this way: If you just drank bad milk, and threw up after drinking it, it is pretty safe to say it was the milk that caused you to throw up. If you guys are for sure recognizing bad signs from the drug, and it doesn't seem like you are just taking a mint everyday, then it is probably a smart idea to not take it.

Sorry to hear that you didn't get to go through with your FUE. Were you advised to need to take finasteride if you go through with it?

 

[Donny J]

Donny J, Your posts remind us that the finasteride really does negatively effect some people. Though we can never be 100% certain that the drug caused your condition it is safe to look at this way: If you just drank bad milk, and threw up after drinking it, it is pretty safe to say it was the milk that caused you to throw up. If you guys are for sure recognizing bad signs from the drug, and it doesn't seem like you are just taking a mint everyday, then it is probably a smart idea to not take it.

Sorry to hear that you didn't get to go through with your FUE. Were you advised to need to take finasteride if you go through with it?

I was told (and I agree with) that if I'm no longer going to be taking finasteride, then the original procedure plans could drastically change. Without taking finasteride, the hairloss will no longer be stabilized, and so, there will be more unknowns as to how much hair I will ultimately be naturally left with. This would obviously then alter the transplant plans, as I wouldn't want to be left with the majority of my donor hairs on the front of my scalp, and then have a large patch in the middle/back where there's no hair. The surgeon didn't rule out a future procedure (even if I stay off of finasteride), but we would need to let some time pass to find out exactly what my hair is going to do and to set some new expectations.

Hair loss sucks.


...some good news, however, is that starting just this afternoon, I'm beginning to feel more like myself again and I'm noticing that the haze is starting to lift. I'm hopeful that this trend will continue through the next couple days *fingers crossed*.

 

[Dark Link]

I was told (and I agree with) that if I'm no longer going to be taking finasteride, then the original procedure plans could drastically change. Without taking finasteride, the hairloss will no longer be stabilized, and so, there will be more unknowns as to how much hair I will ultimately be naturally left with. This would obviously then alter the transplant plans, as I wouldn't want to be left with the majority of my donor hairs on the front of my scalp, and then have a large patch in the middle/back where there's no hair. The surgeon didn't rule out a future procedure (even if I stay off of finasteride), but we would need to let some time pass to find out exactly what my hair is going to do and to set some new expectations.

Hair loss sucks.


...some good news, however, is that starting just this afternoon, I'm beginning to feel more like myself again and I'm noticing that the haze is starting to lift. I'm hopeful that this trend will continue through the next couple days *fingers crossed*.

Oh my gosh that sucks. Can you take dht supplements to expedite your hair loss?? Just kidding. Fredthebelgian almost got out easy due to the fact his hair loss happened so quickly and all at once. Slow hair loss is the worse, but then again it happening all at once would also be devastating.

 

[Donny J]

quick update:
as of last night, I felt 100% back to normal (the haze had lifted). Now, I wish I would have waited another day or two before starting to take these vitamins (butterbur, niacin, ginko, L-tyrosine) -- I'm unsure if it was just a coincidence and my body needed the extra time to get used to the meds not being in my system (a withdrawal effect/crash), or if it's actually the vitamins which have made be better. I plan to continue the vitamins throughout the weekend and then lessen my dosage/frequency throughout next week, with the goal to be off of them by Friday. I'll give it another week from there and will post my findings in the 'dw side effects' section of the forum.

under the very hopeful presumption that my mental haze won't find its way back, I plan to wean myself off of the xanax these next 3-4 weeks. if I feel good from there, then i'll be faced with a very important question, which in my heart, i already know what i SHOULD do, but i'm no so certain that i WILL do it: should I stay off of finasteride forever? or should I try finasteride again, with a lesser dosage and potentially lesser frequency this time? **** me running.

 

[LBerg12]

glad you're feeling better.. crazy to hear the nasty side effects.

 

[dreamermerlin]

You're taking xanax and blame mental haze for finasteride??? Really?
Who prescribed you Xanax? Did he tell you that Xanax is a way more dangerous drug than finasteride?

How does this brain fog feel exactly?
How do you know exactly it's from finasteride and not from other reason?
Look here:
http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/brain_fog.htm
Read about causes of brain fog.

I understand finasteride may cause brain fog, but as for me, personally, i think it was the oppsite.
I remember that i used to have problems with mental clarity, but ONLY before finasteride. Since taking the drug my mind is clearer than before.

 

[Donny J]

You're taking xanax and blame mental haze for finasteride??? Really?
Who prescribed you Xanax? Did he tell you that Xanax is a way more dangerous drug than finasteride?

How does this brain fog feel exactly?
How do you know exactly it's from finasteride and not from other reason?
Look here:
http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/brain_fog.htm
Read about causes of brain fog.

I understand finasteride may cause brain fog, but as for me, personally, i think it was the oppsite.
I remember that i used to have problems with mental clarity, but ONLY before finasteride. Since taking the drug my mind is clearer than before.

yes, really, dreamermerlin. since you're clearly questioning my rationale and my sanity, let me explain further:

3 1/2 years ago, i began taking finasteride -- 5/8mg daily. just after 3 weeks of my initial intake (with no other changes in my life), i began to experience debilitating brain fog. not the "oh, i feel a little off today"-brain-fog, but rather the "everything is in a clouded state, i feel like i'm half-dreaming, i can't concentrate on anything, i can't see straight, i don't feel safe driving, and i have to call sick into work because i can't hold a conversation for more than 2 minutes"-brain-fog. I understand you questioning me on this, because from what i understand, people have greatly exaggerated their "brain fog" experiences in the past, slapping the familiar label to something which they're not experiencing, but i assure you that this was an EXTREME feeling of something which i had never previously experienced anything even remotely similar to in my life.

naturally, i got off of the drug, and after 2-3 days, the brain fog diminished. i stayed off for a week and decided to test it out again to verify that there wasn't some sort of outside source, and that my brain fog was, in fact, due to the finasteride. 3 weeks passed, and then bam, once again, i experienced the exact same thing until i was off the drug for 2-3 days. still not convinced, i gave it one more go, with the same results, not occurring until 3 weeks consistently on the drug.

i came to the conclusion that there was some sort of "build-up", where every day, my body would only "absorb" (for lack of a better term) a certain amount of the drug, and over time, the build-up became too much, and caused this brain fog as a result of there potentially being too much in my system. either that, or my body didn't like the effects of the drug being in my system for greater than 3 weeks at a time. either way, i decided to alter my frequency: 3 weeks on, 1 week off. this worked well and my side effects didn't rear their head. for simplicity sake (not wanting to count 3 weeks every month), i later altered my frequency again to take the drug mon-fri, and then not take it on sat-sun. this worked well and I was, for the most part, side-effect-free for ~2 years.

starting april/may of last year, i began to develop what i described below as "a very strange reaction to lights, which end up manifesting into headaches". the initial feelings of this were different than the brain fog I had experienced in the past, but equally as debilitating, and often manifested into a similar "brain fog"-esque feeling. I took note that this symptom was occurring towards the very end of the work day, where my stress/anxiety levels were highest.

i decided at that time to get off of finasteride, suspecting something may be related. i was off of the drug for 6 weeks, where after 3-4 weeks, i experienced the exact same thing as i describe above, where i was in a constant haze for 7-9 days. this was the same as what just recently occurred the past couple weeks for me, which is why i'm now certain that this is an effect of removing the drug cold-turkey from my system.

this light-sensitivity, manifesting to headaches and brain fog, however, continued, and it only got worse -- after 1-2 months, i found myself waking up and immediately experiencing the feeling (it was no longer strictly occurring at the end of the work day, or during high-stress situations). during this time, i also experienced my first-ever migraine (which lasted 8 days).

i had been to a couple doctors (my pcp, a neurologist, chiropractor, and an eye doctor). i got a CT scan, and had several other tests done, and it was determined that this was just likely stress-related. my girlfriend had a prescription for xanax at the time, and i decided to test it out. the effects were immediately fantastic, with my symptoms completely going away. i reported this to my pcp, who then prescribed me the .25mg of xanax, to be taken 2-3 times daily as needed.

taking note that after 6 weeks off of finasteride, i was still experiencing these symptoms, i decided that it may not be from the finasteride (i'm still unsure if i had been off for long enough to be certain).

from there, my symptoms were manageable, but even 5-6 months after being initially prescribed the xanax, i noticed that if i didn't take the drug as scheduled, the feelings would immediately come back.

...which brings me to 2-3 months ago, where I had several experiences of 2-3 days in a row, where i felt like i was in "a haze" (still not full "brain fog", but somewhere in-between). I decided that i had enough of it, and I wanted to be off the drug for longer than last time, to see if all of my symptoms would go away. i again experienced the 7-9 day haze, after being off of the drug for 3-4 weeks (which i can now amount to this being a "crash" of sorts, where my body was trying to figure out what the hell to do now that the drug wasn't in my system). and that brings me to today.

in short, i know this:
-if i don't control (more than 3 weeks in a row) my intake of finasteride, i get brain fog
-the "constant haze" i've experienced twice now, which lasted for 7-9 days, i can with certainty, account as being a "crash" from being off of the drug. both times, this haze lifted (still not sure if it was due to the vitamins i've began taking both times, or if it was just a timing situation)
-the light sensitivity, manifesting into headaches and brain-fog-esque, i'm still not sure. the xanax is still working, but like i said, i want to see if being off the finasteride for longer this time resolves that. it does seem strange that it would start after being on the drug for 2 1/2 years, but i otherwise don't know what to think. i'm trying to stay off a lot of forums/websites, cuz there's too many horror stories on them, but i do know i've read some reports of people experiencing anxieties and similar vision results. ex: http://www.propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=273

 

[dreamermerlin]

Oh, sorry for your problems. Kind of strange: problems if you are on the drug, problems if you are off the drug...
Maybe you should seek more medical opinions, perhaps from several other neurologists.
But that xanax you're talking multiple times a day doesn't sound very good to me...
Xanax is a nasty drug, there are plenty of horror stories about it, in fact i strongly think it's more dangerous than finasteride.

 

[Dark Link]

Yeah other than the unreliable propeciahelp stories finasteride isn't dangerous. Other than causing some lower libido, and possibly gynocomastia there's certainly nothing life threatening about it. The only 2 things that have impaired my mental functioning have been marijuana and alcohol. Finasteride certainly didn't.

 

[Mattb]

I was scheduled to have a FUE procedure in a couple weeks, and I just ended up having to cancel.

For the past year now, I've been experiencing intermittent brain fog, often lasting a couple days and then subsiding. Likewise, starting around the same time, I began to develop a very strange reaction to lights, which end up manifesting into headaches.

For the latter, I began taking a small dose (.25mg) of xanax, 2-3 times a day, and that appeared to work wonders. For the former, I have just had to ride it out.

Around this time last year, I decided to get off of finasteride (which I've been on for 3 1/2 years), to test and see if these symptoms were related to the drug. I gave it 6 weeks off of the drug. After about 3 weeks, I experienced a crash where everything was a constant haze (is this normal?). This lasted for about a week and then eventually cleared up. However, my strange reaction to lighting/anxieties never ceased (xanax continued to work).

Starting just over a month ago, I once again experience several days in a row of being in a haze. I decided to quit the drug again. I'm now in a constant haze, and have been for just over a week now.

Speaking with the doctor, we decided that now is not the best time for me to pursue a hair transplant. To be honest, I was looking forward to it, but at the same time, I was terrified of what people would say or think if they found out (which, they likely would have, considering I would need to shave my head). He recommended I get off the drug for at least 3 months and see if my symptoms all clear, then consider a new approach.


Because my story borders on hair transplant and Side Effects, I didn't know where to post this, but my main concern at this moment is that I'm still in a constant haze and it's been over a week. Last time this happened, when I got off the drug, I was back to normal in about 7-8 days. Is this type (mental haze) of PFS/crash normal? I started taking the same vitamins which I got on last time this occurred: Butterbur, Niacin, Ginko; I'm also trying out L-Tyrosine this time; plus the vitamins that I typically already take: biotin, fish oil w/ D3, complex B


Please let me know your thoughts.

Hey I stopped using the drug 3 days ago (only used 4 times and I have horrible brain fog. Did you find relief?

 

[Cue Bald]

xanax made me really sick, finasteride in comparison is like taking sugar pills for me, i feel no difference.

but unfortunately without finasteride stopping your hair loss, you can't get a decent hair transplant, as you will just recede beyond your transplanted hair and it will look terrible. you'd have to get another hair transplant, if your donor allowed it.
your only option will be a wig, SMP or rock the sly look.