Potential Side Effects

[yadayada029]

I’ve decided to stop taking finasteride for a bit. In four years, I'm 39 now, I can’t say there have been any issues to report prior, however, over the past few months I’ve noticed the following

• Weak erections
• Lost erections when changing positions
• difficulty maintaining erections in general
• loss of interest (low libido)
• Reduced sensation or what could be called penile numbness (it is more noticeable when not using condoms). The sensations seem much reduced from what I recall
  • To further clarify, its always difficult to tell if I am erect, and during intercourse whether I am maintaining the erection. Something akin to moving your arm without feeling your arm move. You only can tell it's moving because you're looking at it, but you can't feel it, at least not entirely.
• Watery ejaculate, very common, and not a huge concern.

There is some talk by some users that report super libido one week after stopping finasteride, so I’d dismiss any recovery from symptoms that occur that soon after stopping the medication.

 

[yadayada029]

For those who quit finasteride, and had weak erections or numbness, how many days after quitting did you notice improvement?

 

[JTS]

For those who quit finasteride, and had weak erections or numbness, how many days after quitting did you notice improvement?

Give it about a month

 

[yadayada029]

After having been on the drug for four years, I didn't feel there were any significant sides. However, after recently getting into a relationship where I don't have to worry about condoms anymore (she's on the pill) I was surprised to discover the sensation doesn't feel much different then when using a condom. That is in stark contrast to what I recall from having had unprotected sex in the past.

I have also noticed that more manual stimulation is required, and without continued stimulation it's not possible to maintain erections.

 

[Propecia1mg]

I have took Propecia a week now and my sleep gets worse all the time. Thinking to switching topical DHT inhibitor products, hoping they could offer some benefits. I need my sleep.

 

[JoshMoniker]

Don't think about the side effects

This is going to sound so cliche but consider the law of attraction. If you're constantly worrying about the worst outcome of something you're actually calling it to yourself. Instead of worrying about the side effects you've heard about; worry about pleasuring your partner and enjoying yourself. If you tell someone they're crazy every single day of their life they're going to start believing you. I think with the internet nowadays everyone does so much research and psychs themselves out. We all go into Finasteride already expecting low libido and ED because we've read about it a thousand times. Just think: what if you didn't even know you were taking Finasteride? The waiter at the restaurant slips it into your meals and the tap water from your sink even contains it. Would you be worried about the "side effects"? Did you know our tap water used to be fluoridated? Do you know the effects of fluoride in the body? Only when people found out there was fluoride in the water system did they start "noticing" side effects. I thought I had ED and that I barely had any interest in anything down there until I switched my thinking into: "I don't even take Finasteride, I am not affected by its potential side effects". "Change your mind and change your life". Roll your eyes if you want but just give it a chance.

 

[yadayada029]

I had tests done and all of my statistics are in the normal range, with the notable exception of elevated testosterone levels (which is typical for finasteride).

• I was off the drug for nearly two weeks and did not notice any change.
• I did notice that zinc does eliminate the watery semen issue for me.
• I still do get night time and morning erections

I have follow ups with a psychologist and urologist.

- - - Updated - - -

Four years is enough time for the side effects to go away. Male hormones drop in our body as we age (I'm in my late forties). That's just a fact. On the flip side, less DHT, less hair loss. We might not need as much finasteride as a man in his prime.

I read some information on youtube which was disabled when people complained the doctor worked for Merk. Thirty five percent of men get temporary side effects, which go away (written by an angry responder). This doctor was very pro finasteride (pro Propecia, not cutting the prostate cancer dosage in quarters). He tried to say five percent had side effects due to something else.

Now, I personally believe the five percent, because these are the men who get permanent ED. However, unless they were diabetic and had very high dosages of blood pressure (definitely does effect ED, because less blood flows), I often wonder.

Bottom line is maybe you should probably not completely quit, since your system is used to it. Taper off, but very, very gradually. That way if you feel ED coming, you might want to take more or see an Endrocrinologist. As in cut down to six days a week on Propecia, then five for a month, etc.

The people who reported symptoms had them when they quit (Post finasteride syndrome). The first reported case in the US, as far as I know, was from a man who was thirty one years old. He took his life, which is sad but makes you wonder if it was that or he already had a disorder. There is also a guy in England who appears to have all his hair, and is probably in his late twenties/early thirties.

Maybe you should taper off, maybe five times a week, then four times a week (following month), and see how you feel. I strongly recommend you see an Endocrinologist.

Thank you I will follow up with my Endocrinologist.

 

[Agustin Araujo]

yadyada029, do follow up with an endocrinologist and have everything checked. I do hope things will get better for you. How is Minoxidil going by the way?

--------

I've got a question for you, off topic though.

I noticed in your current avatar, it's a picture from the Body Remix/Goldberg Variation art performance. I'm guessing you're into performance arts? I enjoy watching performance arts whenever I get the chance to see one.

 

[yadayada029]

I got off minoxidil, it didn't seem to help at all. I noticed that I went through a shed in the crown after being off finasteride. I'm pretty shocked, and of course depressed about it. Hopefully it recovers.

Before


After



In regards to the avatar, I saw it on an episode of Tosh.0.

 

[Digidako]

High dose B6 will clear that right up.
300mg B6 twice a day solved all of my problems.
A simple google search will confirm this for you.
finasteride raises prolactin/progesterone+estrogen, thats why it can potentially cause gyno. Too much estrogen means too much prolactin/progesterone = sexual side effects.

- - - Updated - - -

High dose B6 will clear that right up.
300mg B6 twice a day solved all of my problems.
A simple google search will confirm this for you.
finasteride raises prolactin/progesterone+estrogen, thats why it can potentially cause gyno. Too much estrogen means too much prolactin/progesterone = sexual side effects.

 

[Agustin Araujo]

yadayada029, you've got way better hair than I do. It's too bad if Minoxidil didn't work very well for you, it sure has helped me a lot in my case.

About your avatar, this is what I'm talking about:

[video=youtube;i2Qt3__d-Ds]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Qt3__d-Ds[/video]

So yeah, interesting performance art if you ask me! :uglylol:

 

[Baldingat188]

Im worried about the side affects as well

 

[yadayada029]

So here's an update

• Weak erections (Resolved - psychosomatic, fancy way of saying lots of stress)
• Lost erections when changing positions (Resolved - psychosomatic, fancy way of saying lots of stress)
• difficulty maintaining erections in general (Resolved - psychosomatic, fancy way of saying lots of stress)
• loss of interest (low libido) (Resolved - psychosomatic, fancy way of saying lots of stress)

This one is a little trickier. Men do lose sensation as they age, I've been using Man1 Man Oil and it has helped.

• Reduced sensation or what could be called penile numbness (it is more noticeable when not using condoms). The sensations seem much reduced from what I recall
  • To further clarify, its always difficult to tell if I am erect, and during intercourse whether I am maintaining the erection. Something akin to moving your arm without feeling your arm move. You only can tell it's moving because you're looking at it, but you can't feel it, at least not entirely.

This one improved with Zinc, but you have to be careful about taking it, as it can cause kidney problems, up to kidney failure. It's not enough of a concern to warrant taking Zinc, but Zinc does indeed thicken up semen.

• Watery ejaculate, very common, and not a huge concern.

I am giving Kirkland Minoxidil Foam a try on my crown.