SCARED ABOUT MENTAL SIDES PLEASE HELP

[BATTLETIME]

Hello, i havent been on here in a while. I took Propecia for about 5 moths from Sept 11 to Feb 12 last year & quit cos of the brainfog etc. No libido problems. I freaked out & i have my old thread on it below for your reference. Basically everything was fine in the end after a week or so.
Anyway i stupidly decided to try it again as i was panicking about my hair again. Not much left now & shouldnt have bothered. Anyway the below was the time & amount of usage.

Feb 22nd for a whole week of 0.5 mg to 0.33 mg over 6 days out of the seven. I stopped cos my Wife & I were trying to conceive which happily has occurred. I stopped for a whole month & dont remember many sides when quitting after the week.
March 27th till April 5th for 10 days & was taking 0.5mg & sometimes 0.33 mg & 0.25 mg. I noticed the brainfog/depression thing & stopped. Again i freaked out. I felt mentally numb etc pretty much like in the below thread. Anyway on day 6 i started feeling good again & that surge i hear lads on about here as DHT returned. It was like coming up on a drug. I cant remember if i was still like i am now after the last dose but musnt have as i took it once more below.
Anyway i left it & think all went back to normal but again decided once more to take 0.2 mg on April 18th. That was my last dose.

Some background on me, i was a heavy drinker up until March 31st this year averaging about 15 to 20 pints on a weekend usually Friday & Saturday. I wanted to stop completly so i could go through my Wifes pregnancy with her sober. I went to a stag the weekend of the 20th & 21st & drank heavily at that & had a two day hangover.

My fear regarding the Propecia is i dont know if im getting mental sides from what i took above. I got over it a year ago so i should be able to again right? For the record i HAVE NO SEXUAL SIDES AT ALL, the lad below is in no distress. Hes even letting me know right now hes there. Im scared cos i dont know whats what. Is it Booze withdrawal depression? I noticed i was a bit more depressed over the last two years sometimes. Hangovers would have acute depression for 2 days etc but usually everything came back.

I really freaked over the weekend when i noticed that i was still mentally blocked you might say. I almost cant feel anything if that makes sense? Im wondering if the Propecia has damaged my brain or something? What part does it affect again anyone?

My regret right now is that my wife is pregnant at home & i cant feel anything at the moment when i know i should. Its terryifying me & i almost lost it telling my Doctor yesterday. He put me on an anti-depressant called Citralpram. Im not into this stuff but if it helps then ill stick it out. Question If & if i was having the dreaded PFS i read about would an anti depressant be one of the worse things to take? Should this be rided out solo? I made the mistake of reading stuff on Propeciahelp which literally sent me sideways with panic last night. I was a vegetable.

Is most of this just in my head & am i freaking myself out? I nearly went mad at work today, it was so tough & im literally drained from the anxiety. It killed me. What if im like this forever?!!

Finally has anyone here had similar experiances & did they come out of it. Please advise me & help me if you. Please no jokers as i just want to go home & FEEL again. Ill never take it again thats for sure.

Sorry for the long post. I look forward to hearing from as many of you as possible.Old thread below.

Peace to you all.

http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/showthread.php/58706-How-should-i-feel-coming-off-Propecia

 

[Wuffer]

Wow, you sound exactly like I did when I was in my early 20's. Suffered from depression and anxiety. Had brain fog almost constantly, was drinking a lot, and was basically just a complete mess. This was about 8 years before I ever touched finasteride.

Just think this through. You suffer from depression, you have anxiety, you are stressed, and drinking a lot. Why on earth would you blame finasteride for your brain fog when ALL of these things are prime candidates? Contrary to what anti-propecia lobbyists want you to believe, finasteride has never been linked to permanent brain changes. It has never been shown to cause brain fog (or any symptoms associated with it). Like I said, I suffered from debilitating brain fog for years, to the point of barely being able to hold a job. I had never touched finasteride; it was caused solely by my anxiety and depression.

You need to get a hold of your life. Drinking is the worst thing you can do when you have depression and anxiety. See a therapist that treats with cognitive behavioral therapy. Trust me, these conditions can run your life into the ground and it's next to impossible to get out when you hit the bottom. I've been at the bottom, and dug my way out.

IMO, you aren't a candidate for finasteride since you are susceptible to psychosomatic symptoms. I would stay away from it until you get things under control.

 

[Quantum Cat]

I can relate to the depression and anxieties. I've been taking anti-depressants for some years, and I've finally quit them last month. I also stopped drinking alcohol a couple of years ago.

regarding 'brain fog' - I don't think the kind of brain fog usually associated with Finasteride is the same thing as just feeling rundown/fatigued/depressed. I had 'brain fog' for a day or two when I first started on finasteride and it was a very noticeable effect - I've never experienced it before or since. A kind of spaced out feeling like being on a disassociative drug. Fortunately it went away quickly as my body adjusted to the finasteride

- - - Updated - - -

don't want to alarm you, Battletime, but Citalopram was the drug that I'm pretty sure caused (or contributed) to me developing gyno that I mentioned in the other thread. So just keep an eye out on your chest

 

[BATTLETIME]

Thanks for the replies guys, i appreciate it greatly. I saw a post by another Wuffer on another site with a more detailed version of what you posted above. Same person?!!!Anyway my latest,
I stopped the Anti depressant after 2 days as whats the point in going there yet. I know they take a while to kick in but they seemed to help the anxiety on Teusday & Wednesday. Last night i said id try the CBT approach above & started a mantra of "Its all in my head, ill get over it & ill be fine". I woke this morning more energised & went to work in better form. That said the clouds were still simmering beneath & all day. However i stopped the anxiety today so that was something. I must have said the mantra to myself hundreds of times though! I felt bad around lunchtime but the food & a walk picked me up a bit. I got home & took some Neurofen & cycled 6 km to the shop here to post my thanks. I take it i need to just keep repeating the mantra? If any of you have anymore CBT exercises you can share please do. Save me money on lessons! Although i will do these when i get my head currently sorted.
Wuffer i also stopped drinking on March 31st & didnt do it again till April 20th & 21st thats why i didnt factor it in. For now i want to stop looking at people & wondering what i was like to look at them before i went mental. I just want that natural connection back.
Anyway i look forward to your responses if you like & thanks for your help so far lads.
Heres to my next post being me laughing up at my original!!!!

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Right had a bad night with anxiety again. Looked at my wife & just cant click with hrt. Shes getting distressed now. I took the whole of next week off work & am now heading to CBT councilling stuff. Wish me luck.

 

[BATTLETIME]

Ok todays update. I was in hell yesterday & ive pretty much handed myself over to the councilling process. He said theres dissasociation there but the situation is temporary.I was so freaked yesterday & had a horrendous time at stages. Anyway i took a Lexotan i have which is a chill pill. It took a while but when it kicked in it made my evening bearable & i actually got to enjoy a tv show i watched with my wife, When the opening credits kicked in i actually felt a bit dancy!! At one stage i looked at my wife & for the first time in a while the veil between us wasnt there which was nice. I still have to experience full mental technicolor & feeling but i figure its a start. I took the other half of the chill pill before i went to bed & got a good long nights deep sleep & just got out of bed an hour ago. Again i started worrying about not having the connection i had with my wife straight away but i was calmer than other mornings. Then again i dont have work to deal with. I had some green tea & lemon & sat in the bed reading. I enjoyed what i read & looked out the window at the nice morning here & just tried to enjoy it. I even felt dancy when i thought of a song in the tv show i watched last night. I sent a few texts to people which i havendt done in about 2 weeks. Im still not fully emotionally online but im trying to stay calm & will continue the chill pills as needs be up to a point. As i say im just trying to connect so that im not thinking about everything. Trying to enjoy the minutes as they pass by etc. My wife has proposed something for tomorrow & im already looking forward to that. During the week i didnt want to do ANYTHING.
All this doesnt sound like brainfog to me as i can concentrate & assimilate. I dont slur words or anything either. Im tired a bit alright but stress is going to do that to you i suppose. Anyway thats how i feel right now & it could go either way again knowing me. I WILL FIGHT THIS!!!
If anyone has anything to add please do its always good to have support. I wont post again for a few days as i want to stay off the forums for a while.
Have a nice weekend all.