Strong impotence from Finasteride - advice please

[Anonymous88]

Hi guys,

Here's my story...

Started using 5mg 1/4 tablet of Finasteride when I was 17 after sudden hair thinning and hair loss. I had it given to me by the "doctors" at a certain well known hair loss clinic in Australia. Along with this, the costs, their shampoos and conditioners, a 'Saw Palmetto for men' supplement etc.

Anyway, I am 25 now. I used these products for about 5+ years. So I've been off them for 2 years I think.

From memory I had no issues at the start regarding sexual function. The hair loss in the shower did stop. I think my hair got a little thicker as well - but I won't go into that here.

Anyway somewhere through my treatment I presume maybe 3 years in I started having impotence issues. I got away with it. I found a girlfriend, and she was cool with it to an extent; we managed. She was understanding. But it did affect us.

What happens? Well basically I struggle to hold an erection and struggle to get one that is properly erect. Floppy boners if you want to call them. It requires constant physical stimulation to maintain. As soon as that stops - it deflates very fast. Condoms make it worse. Being on the bottom makes it worse if not impossible at times. I'm fairly sure it also affected my libido - the interest in having sex constantly all day really died down... we would have sex 2-3 times per week if lucky.

Anyway, me and the ex coped but she has admitted to me it wasn't "optimal" in her words.

I'm 25 now, single and it's causing me some serious issues, and really affecting my confidence.

I've been off it for I think almost 2 years (hair loss has not restarted - surprise surprise). Somewhere along the way, maybe the last 12 months that I was on it, I stopped using the 'Saw Palmetto for men' supplement which I have no clue if that impacted me. Originally from memory I was told it was to prevent prostate shrinkage?

Anyway, I'm not here to point fingers. I was warned that a very very small % of guys may have this issue - naturally I believed being very young it wouldn't affect me.

I've googled around and read few threads on here but with not much luck. I am wondering if somebody here can give me some advice or point me in the right direction.

Are there any cures available? Any remedies? The thought of going to the doctor at my age for an issue with this is incredibly embarassing.
Is there any hope? Or at 25 am I doomed to be on something like v**** for the rest of my life?

Thanks in advance...

 

[Valiant]

Anonymous88, you really need to see a doctor. You need to get over the embarassment factor. I would suggest, depending on your ability to skip a GP, to find a physician experienced in treating men's sexual issues such as a urologist or andrologist or a sports Doctor that treats bodybuilders. These docs are more likely to understand men's hormonal issues. Based upon your story, I struggle with the fact that a hairloss clinic gave you hairloss treatments at age 17 without first checking if there was another cause of the sudden hairloss and thinning you described. male pattern baldness doesn't happen overnight. I would not read anything into the fact that your hairloss has stopped even though you are off finasteride right now because the original sudden hairloss and thinning may not have been male pattern baldness at age 17. You could, however, have some hormonal issues from taking it or since quitting.

Did you quit "cold turkey"? Did you ever have a period of improvement after quitting? Do you get morning boners or ever wake up with them in the night? Wanting sex "only" three times a week is not necessarily a "loss of libido" either. Get a hormone bloodtest and make sure the Doctor order Total Test, Free Test, FSH, LH, SHBG, E2 and get a thyroid panel, prolactin and DHT if you can.

Saw palmetto does not prevent prostate shrinkage, it is used to treat enlargement but there are studies that show it does not really do much in that regard but many swear buy it. The only reason that a clinic would sell you SP in addition to finasteride is to take advantage of you. Really f*ing p*sses me off to think that they were out to sell you their "products" and not figure out if there was an actual health issue. I hope this helps.

 

[swingline747]

Dhea, Argenine and glutamen, zinc and fish oil.

Good starts.

Also from my personal experience hot baths and heat pads down there until things get normal.

I would def go al'natural before dumping more chemicals in.

Also get the mind stimulated.Hit some "stimulating web material" to help build the urge when your alone so when your with someone its easier.

Mine doesn't sound as serious as yours but hope this helps.

 

[bv3131]

I'm having the EXACT same issue. I've been taking Propecia (only .5 mg a day in an effort to avoid side effects like these) for about two years now, but I just started experiencing this issue about 7-8 months ago. It was around that same time that my diet started becoming absolutely awful (fast food every day), so I'm wondering if that might have something to do with it. I started taking Propecia when I was 23, and I'm 25 now. I'm going to try and get an appointment with a urologist ASAP. Any other advice would be appreciated.

 

[Valiant]

Ask for the blood tests and for God's sakes stop eating fast food everyday.

 

[Anonymous88]

Yeah I'll book something in :\

I did quit cold turkey, Valiant. No real improvement from memory from quitting.
Morning boners are rare and if so weak / dont last long. My libido is definitely down I used to be able to constantly jerk off or have sex. I was always chasing girls.

Thanks for the help so far...

Also, I have read around a little bit and have noticed some guys here write they feel "numbness" in their penis... I thought about this and I think I have this. I never really noticed it until I thought about it the other day...

FYI my diet is pretty clean

 

[Valiant]

A-88, the numbness is not subtle. My numbness is such that my penis does not have sensitive response and I cannot feel urine passing through. Get the bloodwork and post back here so we can see what is going on.

 

[swingline747]

A-88, the numbness is not subtle. My numbness is such that my penis does not have sensitive response and I cannot feel urine passing through. Get the bloodwork and post back here so we can see what is going on.

I got blood work done and when I was having my major sides it all still came back in "normal" ranges.
I think you above anything know your body and know when something is wrong. I knew it was the finasteride that did it to me. Im pretty much back to normal now but it was a scary time.
eat fresh, take your vitamans, and exercise.

 

[bv3131]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I did notice that the OP was taking 1.25 mg while I'm only taking .5 mg. Is it still feasible that I'm experiencing these side effects even with such a small dose? The main things that I notice are that my erections are not as frequent and not as hard as they were before. Also, like the OP said, I require constant stimulation to maintain them. I've also noticed that I ejaculate with less force than I used to (doesn't "shoot" as much). I have an appointment with a urologist next week, so I'll know more then. In the meantime, I'm cleaning up my diet in hopes that it will help.

 

[swingline747]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I did notice that the OP was taking 1.25 mg while I'm only taking .5 mg. Is it still feasible that I'm experiencing these side effects even with such a small dose? The main things that I notice are that my erections are not as frequent and not as hard as they were before. Also, like the OP said, I require constant stimulation to maintain them. I've also noticed that I ejaculate with less force than I used to (doesn't "shoot" as much). I have an appointment with a urologist next week, so I'll know more then. In the meantime, I'm cleaning up my diet in hopes that it will help.

you can get sides on .000000000000005 mg if your are sensitive to it.

Those are def tell tale sides. They may pass or may get worse, its always a gamble.

I was on 1-1.25mg a day depedning on how the pill cut was.

How long have you been taking it? How long have you had this issue? Have you tried stopping and does it get better or worse?

 

[bv3131]

you can get sides on .000000000000005 mg if your are sensitive to it.

Those are def tell tale sides. They may pass or may get worse, its always a gamble.

I was on 1-1.25mg a day depedning on how the pill cut was.

How long have you been taking it? How long have you had this issue? Have you tried stopping and does it get better or worse?

I've been taking it about 2 years now but, as I said in my other post, I've only been experiencing this for the last 7 months or so. I haven't tried stopping because I don't want to lose what I've gained.

 

[swingline747]

I've been taking it about 2 years now but, as I said in my other post, I've only been experiencing this for the last 7 months or so. I haven't tried stopping because I don't want to lose what I've gained.

It might pass. You also might be psycing yourself out a bit.

Honestly its a crap toss. My sides started to get into the painful side with some very visible changes so I couldn't risk it passing but just a lil ED I would have probably waited a bit. Lower your does a bit for a while.

 

[jhk.1994@outlook.com]

It was around that same time that my diet started becoming absolutely awful (fast food every day), so I'm wondering if that might have something to do with it.

My Derm told me a good diet allows the body to focus more on side effects or medication etc rather than having to juggle a poor diet and medication together. So yes I would believe they were related. If not, nothing wrong with being healthy yo