Stopped Finasteride - Constant Urge To Pee

[orange86]

Hi,

I've been on finasteride for just under 4 months, started 1st Oct 2018. Back in December i was at the pub drinking pints of beer and had the urge to go to the toilet within 15 minutes of the first toilet trip which i thought was very odd.
This all came to a head on the 8th of January, i had the urge to pee all day at work. I saw a doctor and described my symptoms and he said i have overactive bladder syndrome.

I made a decision today to stop finasteride, too much of a coincidence that i start having more urge to pee after starting propecia.

Would finasteride have caused the constant urge to pee issue?

How long do you think it will take for the prostate to get back to its normal size?

 

[Manochoice]

Man, I believe that would be a very strange side effect. Finasteride is meant primarily to treat an enlarged prostate. Shrinking it would lead to a better flow and therefore to urge to constantly pee would diminish. You seem to have the exact opposite effect. Some people reported a burning sensation in the tip of their penis which can sometimes lead to the sensation of constant need to urinate. Do you have that?

 

[orange86]

Yep i know its strange.
I have a few auto immune issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and previously had eczema. So it could genuinely be over active bladder condition which is depressing as it's life long.

i dont have a burning sensation in my penis but i do have the sensation that in penis and ureatha of holding urine in which is what i get virtually all day. It's absolutely depressing and means i can't really go to a bar /pub and drink beer with friends, etc otherwise i would be in the toilet every 10 mins.

 

[tomJ]

Yep i know its strange.
I have a few auto immune issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and previously had eczema. So it could genuinely be over active bladder condition which is depressing as it's life long.

i dont have a burning sensation in my penis but i do have the sensation that in penis and ureatha of holding urine in which is what i get virtually all day. It's absolutely depressing and means i can't really go to a bar /pub and drink beer with friends, etc otherwise i would be in the toilet every 10 mins.

I had eczema too before getting on finasteride. finasteride actually cleared up my eczema. When I quit the exzema came back 10 fold.

 

[orange86]

I'm not suffering any pain in the bladder or prostate, its just the constant urge to pee with the feeling around the penis and ureatha.
Overactive bladder is a chronic life long condition

 

[orange86]

does it BURN when you pee? you probably should see an urologist but it's probably nothing serious. I have the same issues and it's tight muscles in the pelvis due to anxiety

No burn or pain when I pee, just a pressure or urge on my penis and ureatha when my bladder has a small amount of pee. Also no pain in pelvic floor, i have lower back pain in recent months though.
I had blood test done last Friday, get results maybe Tuesday. I also have been referred for kidney ultra scan and also referral to urologist. urologist referral could take ages :/

 

[vinnievandall]

Got this too with finasteride its the beginning of other sides

 

[orange86]

Vinnie , how long have you been on finasteride?

 

[vinnievandall]

Vinnie , how long have you been on finasteride?

First time i was on it for 1 month i think 1mg ed and it started with having to pee much and having slight ball ache in and ended with having erectile disfunction. Then i tried 0.25 2 times a week and sides where less but still very present. Then i tried ru58841 and got chest pains and then i used topical finasteride 0.25 ml and after 3 months all the sides where back :/

 

[Manochoice]

I've read from other users complaining of lower back issues after finasteride. It's interesting because one of the known side effects is reduced ejaculate and ejaculation is controlled by the nerves in the spine...

 

[Malos]

This IS a side effect of Finasteride. It also happened to me on 0.5mg after after about a year. I was also taking Saw Palmetto as well though. It was explained to me that I essentially decimated my prostate. It was causing ejaculate issues. I stopped taking both for about 3 months and everything seemed back to normal. I began taking finasteride again at 0.5mg and the symptoms returned within 2 weeks. I reduced the dose to 0.25mg and the symptoms subsided. I wouldn't recommend this and in fact just posted my own question about this. But I thought you should know that you're not the only one.

 

[orange86]

Hi Malos, I'm still suffering from constant urge to pee. It's horrible and affecting quality of my life.
I quit finasteride 1 week ago.

I spoke to both my doctor and also pharmacist who dispensed the finasteride to me. They both thought finasteride shouldn't cause urge and frequency to pee. Were these the symptoms you were suffering ?

 

[Malos]

Yes. And when I did pee I felt totally "emptied" if that makes sense. When I went to my doctor the first time he immediately recognized this as a result of my finasteride dosing. I should say too that I am otherwise a very healthy person and regularly check ups and blood tests etc. So it was a rather easy/obvious diagnosis. And after I stopped it did go away. I feel your pain, I was in the bathroom like every 30 mins or so, and I even was getting in trouble at work.

 

[orange86]

How long from you stopping finasteride to the symptoms or urgency subsiding ?

It could be effects of finasteride or it could be a genuine overactive bladder. But I have to give my body time to get back to a normal balance without finasteride and see if it makes a difference.

 

[Malos]

It was 2-3 weeks before I really noticed a big difference. About a month or so before it felt like it wasn't a factor anymore.

 

[orange86]

Ok cheers, I'll see how I get on in the next few weeks and report back here.

If it was due to finasteride, my health and quality of life are more important than keeping my hair. I will still remain on regaine however.

 

[Malos]

I hope everything works out!

 

[orange86]

You stop finasteride?
If so what are you doing about hair loss?

My younger brother had diffuse hair loss and went to Turkey for hair transplant for only £1,200 !!!

 

[Malos]

I did stop for a while. Like I said though I was also using Saw Palmetto...bad idea! I am currently using 0.25mg but have reservations about using it long term. Transplant is not option for me as I dont have that kind of money. I posted my regimen for the last 4 years just the other day.

 

[orange86]

Hi folks, i've had 4 blood tests covering renal and liver function, white blood cells, etc
i've also had scan on my kidneys which are a normal shape and also on my bladder. the bladder is filling and holding urine fine and also emptying properly.

I've seen a doctor and a urology nurse, both said finasteride wouldn't have caused the urge i've been suffering with. Symptoms of just constant urge, no bladder or prostate pain.
so 4 weeks of suffering from constant urge to pass urine, last friday it reduced a little. say 30%.

It leaves me thinking i actually have overactive bladder and my bladder training is slowly working to retrain my bladder / brain connection to stop signalling as much to pass urine.Can't be 100% sure but going off what doctor and nurse have said to me.