What is Post-Finasteride Syndrome?
Post-Finasteride Syndrome is a new illness and is not yet fully recognized by the medical community. Individuals who suffer from the syndrome, have very distinctive and homogenous symptoms. It is a clear pattern. They were healthy young men untill they took the drug Finasteride 1mg for hair loss.
How to treat.
4. My doctor says it is psychological, what to do?
6. Natural methods that can bring relief, symptom by symptom.
Here are some general guidelines, searched in the forums in English, which may help who is suffering from Post-Finasteride Syndrome:
2. Natural supplements that can help.
If you decide to try a natural supplement, start with the lowest dose (or even less than that) to see how you will react. Then increase the dose if needed.
Peruvian Maca (Lepidium meyenii) – Peruvian Maca is a cruciferous plant native to the Andean region of Peru. It is sold as natural supplement and has a stimulating action on libido. Some forum members from Propecia Help have tried the supplement and reported some improvement.
Tribulus Terrestris – It is a supplement made from a herb that has been used as a sexual stimulant for centuries – to increase sex drive and performance and to treat impotence. It acts by stimulating the production of LH hormone in the Pituitary (It is common for Post-Finasteride Syndrome patients to show low levels of LH). LH is the hormone that induces production of testosterone in the testes. Tribulus Terrestris is sold as a supplement and can improve libido and erection. Worth a try.
Melatonin – It is a natural hormone and may restore sleep pattern if your sleep deprivation is not severe. For those who are sleeping only two or three hours per night, banzodiazepines are a better approach (see item 5 below)
Multivitamin and mineral supplements – It might be useful to add this to your daily routine. Finasteride may deplete the levels of some minerals like zinc. Zinc has a role on sexual behavior that is not completely understood yet. The best approach is to supplement with the daily recommended levels, in order to avoid problems (some people on Propecia Help have tried to supplement high levels of zinc with mixed results). By taking the daily recommended doses you will eventually correct the problem over time.
Sun bathing/ sun exposure – Many men have been diagnosed with low levels of vitamin D after finasteride intake. This problem has not reversed in many men with pfs who have tried daily vitamin d supplementation. However, sun exposure may be helpful in that matter, it is another way of trying to correct the problem as the sunlight stimulates the body to restore vitamin d leves.
3 Alpha Androstenediol Glucuronide.
Argue that there are medical studies published about this problem in reputable scientific journals. If necessary, take copies of the studies published here on the site. Argue that many patients had altered levels of sex hormones from the use of finasteride, and so you need to do these tests. The 3 Alpha Androstenediol Glucuronide is a byproduct of DHT, and is the best indication that you may have developed PFS. It is converted by 5 alpha reductase, the same enzyme that Finasteride blocks. Argue that DHT testing is not very accurate, but 3 Alpha Androstenediol Glucoronide test is reliable, so you will be able to measure your 5 alpha reductase activity by doing this test. If necessary, switch to another doctor.
Caution: Any medication must be prescribed by a doctor. Do not take medications without medical supervision.
It should be used for a short period (few months) and only if necessary, under the supervision of a psychiatrist. The withdrawal has to be gradual.
It should be used under medical supervision and is only indicated for patients who have testosterone levels below the minimum scale. Many patients were able to “rewire” the pituitary-testes axis, secrete higher amounts of testosterone, and avoided having to do testosterone replacement therapy for life (which is a complex treatment). However, even though it is successful in raising testosterone levels, this treatment was unable to revert the sexual side effects in most patients with Post Finasteride Syndrome.
Anxiety – There are several natural options to combat anxiety before taking for a tranquilizer. chamomile tea, valerian tea, valerian pills, exercise, kava tea (with moderation), among others.
Depression – St. John’s Wort, fish oil pills (fish oil), Omega 3, exercise.
Headaches – In the case of Post-Finasteride Syndrome, headaches can have a few different causes.
Pain in the center of the head – related to the pituitary region and dopamine deficiency. Some patients have this headache always after ejaculating. Eating foods rich in tyrosine brings temporary relief (cheese, butter, meat, fish, eggs, peanuts, hazelnut, chocolate). Tyrosine is an amino acid which may accelerate the secretion of dopamine. Caffeine can worsen the problem.
Pain around the head – some patients who developed Post-Finasteride Syndrome report this type of pain. It is indicative of allergic reactions. It is more common in the months following the crash ( post-finasteride crash – right after stopping finasteride treatment). Examine your diet and eliminate allergenic foods for a period (eg, nuts, seafood, and in some cases it is necessary to eliminate gluten for a while).
Impotence and libido – It may help in the improvement => Exercise and any effort in order to have a faster metabolism. One of the theories about the Post-Finasteride Syndrome is that the patients body has now a low level of free cortisol (see theories on the “post-finasteride syndrome” page). Thus, if the cortisol available is not enough, it will affect the proper use of thyroid hormones and the patient will have hypothyroidism-like symptoms. How to speed up metabolism?
There are methods that require a diet change for a few days or hours to induce the metabolism to speed up. A method that works with some former finasteride users is fasting for hours or a day (one should always compensate with plenty of fluid intake – coconut water, juices, etc. – medical supervision advised). Cutting carbs can also work. Some patients choose to eliminate milk and some fruit in the diet (milk digestion is slow and some fruits also slow your metabolism). Each body reacts differently and it’s worth testing what works in each. It may seem strange that changes in diet can improve one’s sexual symptom, but the point here is to have a faster metabolism and thus force the body to leave the slow metabolism state that has been established after finasteride.
Swelling – Some patients with Post-Finasteride Syndrome develop swelling and fluid retention. This symptom is related to a slower activity in the pituitary region in these men. As the level of LH and FSH in these patients are different, another hormone secreted in the same region may have had its secretion altered after finasteride. V asopressin or antidiuretic hormone regulates many activities of the body including the elimination of water. To address the problem, the same methods of metabolism acceleration described in above item can be helpful. Another approach is the elimination of salt from the diet.
Insomnia – Elimination of caffeine from the diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, valerian, passion fruit, tea, etc..
Penis shrinkage in flacid state – It may seem incredible for those who are unfamiliar with Post-Finasteride Syndrome, but many of these patients complain about how different their penises are in flacid state compared to how they were prior to Finasteride use. They complain that after they stopped Finasteride intake, their penises became much smaller when flacid and also its consistency is not as soft as it was. The cronic anxiety state caused by the post-finasteride crash, associated with the consequences of 5 alpha reductase inhibition lead to this penis shrinkage state. It makes it harder to obtain an erection and it may prevent the former finasteride user to have normal nocturnal erections when still in that state. The most effective way to deal with this problem is not natural, it is to stop the chronic anxiety symptoms, by taking a benzodiazepine tranquilizer for some time. Alprazolam and Bromazepam work well in the matter. See more on item 5.
73 comments:
Thank you so very much for this wealth of information.
Has your husband recovered?
Great Article. I've been trying to find more information on this problem forever and this was a big help. I found propeciahelp.com/faq after I read this article and they do mention other lab test that they suggest you get along with a short list of doctors that are familiar with the problem.
DHT (not accurate compared to Adiol-G)
3alpha-diol G (Androstanediol glucuronide– "Adiol-G" for short): metabolite of DHT, measures 5AR-II activity.
Androsterone glucuronide (another metabolite of DHT that measures 5AR activity)
CBC or FBC (Complete Blood Count/Full Blood Count)
LFT (Liver Function Tests – AST, ALT, GGT, Bilirubin, etc.)
17-ketosteroids (24-hr urine sample)
I took propecia for 5 months in 2011. I had all kind of side effects. Fortunately, most of them disappeared now 2 years after quitting but I still suffer from insomnia. I fall asleep quickly, then sleep for 4 hours or so and wake up with a racing, heavy heart beat and sometimes some breathing irregularities. Anyone recognizes this and does anyone have any idea what I can do to resolve this? I don't drink alcohol, no coffee, no smoking, no medication, lots of yoga/sports, healthy diet.
You are having problems with the deep stage of your sleep. Finasteride reduces the level of Alopregnanolone (ALLO) in the nervous central system. ALLO has a role in the function of a neurotransmitter named GABA. Many men post finasteride use present a number of symptoms very characteristic of low GABA. I believe that is exactly you case. The best way to fight this problem in my opinion would be using a low dose benzodiazepine – like Alprazolam ou Bromazepam for a short period of time like a week, a couple of weeks or a month depending on how bad is your lack of GABA (use under medical supervision). This kind of drug restores GABA levels. So this would work as a measure to "restock" your GABA levels. You already are taking great measures to prevent excessive GABA spending (and you should keep doing it even after using the benzodiazepine), like all the ones you described. However, finasteride left you with unaturally low levels of this neurotransmitter and the situation won´t improve much without a medication if it hasn´t reversed it two years. Don´t be afraid, in a short period of time like that, and low dose, the drug will not cause you dependency. But you will need to taper it off at the end.
Hi, I am very grateful for your prompt reply, really appreciate that. Can I ask another question – if I take the Aprazolam or Bromazepam as you suggest for a couple of weeks, does it mean my GABA levels will eventually restore (as you say that I eventually will have to taper it off)? If not, do you think they will find a cure for this any time soon as the lack of sleep is really disrupting my life? Many thanks.
Yes, by using one of these medications you will restore your GABA levels, your sleep will go back to normal and the anxiety symptoms will stop. You only need to use it temporarily and short term. Then you reduce the dosage gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms and stop taking it. What the benzodiazepine does not solve is the underlying issue that made you low in GABA. The change finasteride has made in your body, that caused you to have all these symptoms will still be there. What i mean to say is that by taking the tranquilizer you will feel normal again (sleep, no anxiety, etc), but you should be aware that in the future, it is possible to have another crash and have these symptoms again if you do not preserve yourself. That is the reason you should keep doing what you are doing as far as diet and lifestyle changes. But if you follow what you are doing, you will be fine.
About a definite cure: i am sure there will be some advancements in this area, but i don't think it will be fast. It may take a few years. But trust me, take one of these medications as i told you and you will pretty normal again as far as the sleep issues and anxiety symptoms you are experiencing.
I am asking the above because I thought that all benzodiazepines eventually have the effect of taking over the function of GABA and hence further reducting the natural production of GABA. But I am not a doctor so would be keen to hear your views.
There is a risk of physical dependency and withdrawl symptoms when using benzodiazepines. But if you take it short term and low dosage, it is very rare to de addicted on these drugs. One benzodiazepine you should avoid though is Klonopin (clonazepam). It is very addictive even in short term use. But alprazolam and bromazepam are easy to discontinue without problems.
You need to consider the situation you are facing. You clearly have a sleep disorder caused by finasteride that is disrupting your life. In your case, the drug benefit is much greater than the risk you might face it (as i told you, short term use is very low risk). Take it for a couple of weeks, have your sleep restored, and then gradually decrease the dosage and stop taking it. Talk to your doctor.
Are there studies that show what percentage of men have pfs that is persistent. What percent of men go back to normal after they stop taking proper is vs percentage of men that are effected by it, even after quiting.
Unfortunately no, there are no such studies yet.
Hi, For the shorstory.
The reason why I didn't realise that was the Drug is that before I was having only few and minor Side Effects ( weakness, dry skin, etc. ). But now I'm experiencing all ( from shrinkage penis and nuts to lack of concentration)
I want to really thank you to put all these informations toeghether and clearify things for us cause I'm in France and here there's almost no infos about Fina Side Effects.
I'm making some blood test and Ecography of testicles next week. I"m very scared right now cause after all these years I'm afraid that all these side effects ( shrinkage of nuts and penis, change in the penis form ( not so straight anymore and much thinner), reduced size of the glans, no morning wood at all, low libido, weakness, low metabolism,dry skin, more fat in the abdominal area,fluid retention etc. ) will never desappear.
Any Advice is wellcome.
Again. Fully grateful of this blog and all the useful informations you gave us.
I am glad the blog was useful to you. I understand your concern, it must be very hard not knowing what to do and having no clear directions from doctors. What i d be most concerned of is how long you have been having shrinkage of the penis. If you have not had this for a long time, then you can reverse it with the use of the benzodiazepine. I don´t know how effective it is in men who have had shrinkage for years. Results can vary a lot from individual from individual, it all depends in which stage you are in. There is a lot that can be done to improve your state and minimize side effects. The best you can do right now is have a natural diet (free of preservatives, chemicals, and processed food), exercise regularly, avoid stress and caffeine. You can still have a good life quality. If you want more advice, feel free to write to [email protected] and give me more details. I will help you if you need it.
bro i am having dry skin,facial sagging and facial bloating even after quitting finasteride.What can i do to recover ??plz help.
Unfortunately i don´t know permanent solution for these problems if they are caused by finasteride. However, you can try a few things that might help.
Dry skin: Mosturize daily with natural oils.
Facial bloating: Try a gluten and dairy free diet for some time to see if it helps.
and my face has taken a feminine shape.Will i ever recover from it??
That is very hard to predict. Honestly, i don´t know.
Yes, a wonderful blog. My problems began with the use of Proscar, after watching my PSA climb, after a negative post-prostate-biopsy infection. My endocrinologist diagnosed my situation as hyper-hypogonadic. FSH & LH are high. I'm not suffering pain, but all the other standard symptoms described above. Writing mainly to mention that have been taking a natural GABA + B6 supplement for a couple of months and have found it to help sleep and anxiety substantially though not entirely. I take it about 2 hours before bedtime.
I believe that having a healthy lifestyle and positive outlook in life can definitely help you increase your sexual desires. Dapoxetine 60 mg.
Definitely agree with healthy lifestyle and positive outlook, I've been practicing this over the past year or so and been disciplined. I entirely disagree that your sexual desires will improve markedly: you are still left with the same side effects, but these things help.
Anyone know how to treat frequent urination which is caused by PFS ?
I took alprazolam for a month, is that enough? I feel like it worked while I was on it, but once I stopped the sides returned.
The Xanax is a temporary solution, I tried it but I wouldn't recommend that as it is not long-lasting in my experience. Instead, I would try other herbal supplements including: 5-HTP Time Release, Gaba, Rhodiola. these are supposed to be naturally calming agents. I got these things off Amazon at others recommendations that have PFS. And to sleep, try Melatonin or Valerian Root.
Patrick have you consulted with Irwin Goldstein, MD? He is located in San Diego.
Hi JB, I am going to do a free phone consultation with Goldstein as I've heard about him treating PFS. Does he treat with Clomid and Arimidex in conjunction with one another? That's what I heard. What makes me hesitant about this method is, will it work beyond 3 years at keeping hormones regulated? I have read you do see an improvement, you feel better, but it doesn't last? I'm not sure about this and was wondering if you knew more about it.
This comment has been removed by the author.
I need help urgently.
– lack of concentration.
– Forget symple words.
– lack of disposition.
– Zero nocturnal erection.
– Don´t give importance to things.. only want to stay alone.
– penile is totally numb (difficult to urinate)
I tried everything. and my last shot is to experiment DHEA.
500 mg Gaba + B6 (2mg) – I've been taking 1 pill an hour before bedtime. this is a health food supplement. Has really helped my sleep and reduced anxiety by 80%, and started moving things in the right direction. Also taking 2.5 mg Cialis most nights. Feeling some libido. Was on T replacement therapy for 5 months, under supervision of a neuro-endocrinologist (via phone appointments)-Dr. Alan Jacobs in N.Y.. smart, but took me off after 5 months when i didn't show the results he wanted to see. At the moment trying to get the energy to start an exercise routine. Feeling positive.
Hi Alan, I have also seen Dr. Jacobs. Very smart guy but not sure yet if treatment (Clomid) is going to help me. He also doesn't specify a timeline for Clomid which I don't care for. Have you noticed any side effects from the Cialis? Glad to hear you were better, how are you now? I just bought a similar sleep aid, like the one you mentioned. Do you still consult with Jacobs? Exercise has really been my only ally against PFS (brings temporary relief in mood), that and a Paleo style diet.
Can anyone recommend a doctor familiar with this in the South Florida area. Any help appreciated.
I would like to share my experience, although every body is different, but still I thought to give some good news to those who experience PFS. I used hairfin, which appears to have the same dosage and quantity of finasteride as Propecia (basically it is finasteride 1mg sold in third world countries at a cheaper cost, and I am from India). I used it first for 2 months starting March 2013, then got lazy, dropped the intake and started again in August 2013. It was during my second intake that I felt a complete numb in my genital area, loss of heat, and ofcourse no erections. The funny thing was that I had always taken these things for granted and never paid attention to spontaneous erections, nor the sexual sensations and desires. I am a virgin, and being a muslim cannot have sex etc. before marriage, so it took me some time figuring out that something is wrong, but I did figure out, since something wasn't obviously right when watching something sexy on youtube (yeah yeah I know, but I am a guy and we all are the same deep inside irrespective of religion).
Any how there was no erection and when I got into the research, I found that it could be this medicine to blame. I stopped it immediately. I gave it some time, but still no erections – nocturnal, random or even while thinking about provocative stuff. Then I masturbated one night, in a shower with warm water, and slept while thinking about some exciting stuff (we all have our fantasies – try remembering what made you excited the most before PFS). I even made a sincere prayer to God asking for forgiveness. Next morning I had an erection, when I woke up, a very soft one, but still a big big breakthrough. In the months that followed, sometimes I would wake up having one, but most times, none. The times when I would wake up with one was when I would go to sleep visualising something provocative. At other times I noticed that having a tablet of Centrum (which has zinc), or a can of coke(god knows why) before going to bed would result in me waking up with one. But please consult your doctors before trying any medicine and ofcourse Coke is not healthy in many other ways. Running a Km would also result in success. These are the patterns that I witnessed, so mentioning here. Do things at your own peril and again consult your doctor, physician etc. Every body is different.
Then during the month of Ramadhan, we muslims fast for 30 straight days. I read online that fasting helps. And muslim fasts are stricter than the water fasts mentioned on the forums. One month after completing the fast, same soft erections, then in Sep 14, hard ones and more spontaneous. Pretty much would wake up every morning with one. Now I get one almost everytime visualising something sexy (like a women in cowboy suit and boots riding with me on a horse.. there I said it). I did switch to boxers a couple of months ago as well, since briefs are considered a bit harmful and I wanted to just make everything as conducive as possible.
Perhaps the other recoveries of PFS, report the same thing that time is the best healer. Our bodies are a giant chemical tube and harmones eventually balance themselves out. So just dont take too much stress, and may be stop reading too much into the forums. Again, I am not a doctor, so please consult your physician about any routine you want to follow. I just mentioned my experience here to give hope to those who go through this that you may recover too. Dont know if finasteride is to blame for my predicament, but then I dont smoke nor drink, and didnt use any other medicines for that matter. Also I was pretty healthy sexually before.
Oh my god, I don't know why this drug is even legal. I regret even why I listened it's name. Please advise everyone to not to go even near this poison. I don't know if I will ever go back to my normal life.
Hello there. same hell as everybody. In my sad case I only took about 2 pills of this poison/shit pills, having side effects problems for 2 years now after that. gone to all doctors all say I'm crazy that this is a mental state.I still mumble words, concentration shit, anxiety and of course low libido no spontaneous erections or night ones. I've tried many of the things you all mention, I would add the next suggestions to all the ones you provide:
2) Meditation, loads and tons of meditation//I do centering prayer (Christian meditation) I've had lots of healing thank God. cuts anxiety away, depression and trauma of this negative shit. I've even felt electricity (good one) going in my head while sleeping, really I tell you all God heals in ways so profound and unknown, reach God now, this is the time you've all been called to have a better relationship with Him.
about your experience,. I'm so glad you've gotten better. Not sure if we can share contact info on here..
Hey Serg,, have the effects faded off?? (I answered you via youtube)
btw=ginseng helps a ton or amino acids+exercise but first you must delete/cut off anxiety and for that you first need to recognize the anxiety, answer me via youtube.
Hey Orlando.. I responded to you on YouTube as well.. Please check it out. Sorry I took a while to respond.. Thanks brother.
PFS is similar to Post Isotretinoin Syndrome. I recovered from this by applying a large amount of Grapeseed oil (high in Linoleic Acid) to the back of my arms (where the red bumps were). I only applied this once topically because within seconds I felt my prostate twitching and knew that I was recovering. I am still recovering for past 1.5 years, it took 2 years for the symptoms to come about, so far so good in my recovery. PFS guys Give this a shot, maybe it can help you !
I'm taking for three weeks 0.5 to 0.75 mg daily Alprazolan because I suddenly could not sleep (14 days after discontinuation of finasteride) and this is recommended in this blog.
I slept better but not as good as before. My question is: the dose was high enough? should I stop now, after three weeks?
If you are not sleeping well yet, the dose was not enough. I would suggest you talk to your doctor to take 1 mg before bedtime instead. You should not stop before you feel you are sleeping well. Restoring sleep is the first step of recovery. It creates a domino effect. It is ok if you need to take it for a month or two as long as when it is time to stop it, you reduce the dosage gradually.
Thank you very much. Now I'm sleeping well, without Alprazolan.
hi am from mauritius took finasteride for about 9 month but when i stopped things got worst. i had a little erection but still it was hard but now after 1 year everything completely vanish am not getting anything its getting harder to get an erection. though it was going to stabilise but since 1 week things got worst having difficulties to get that small erection n nothing is exciting me. why after 1 year i an getting this problem. can anyone help please.
hello i do not want to take your time Weak erection has been a problem to me for a very long time until i came across a post on the net about a Doc who helped in curing weak erection problem,i contacted him and that was how i got the medication,now my erection is very good and i last long on bed.contact him on [email protected].
don't eat heavy meals before going to bed.
raw food lifestyle helps a lot.
and if you start looking thin on raw foods dont give a fuck what others have to say.
eat clean exercise but dont over do it.
listen to your body what it wants.
if you dont feel like masturbating or having sex then dont.
just chill and let your body recover.
As far as dosages with the alprazolam, what should I be taken a day/ for how long? Thanks.
For treatment of bad / light sleep: Are there any other ways to restore good sleep other than Alprazolam or Bromazepam, e.g. natural options? Thank you!
The moderator should find out if many of these recent comments are spam, seems like it. This is too helpful of a blog for those with PFS to have scams inundating the page. Thank you for putting this together. Any updates would be appreciated, I have been in regular contact with several men with PFS who use this blog, including myself.
Thank you or the input. The scams have been deleted, i will take a closer look on comments from now on. I should be updating this page soon, unfortunatelly there are not many news on how to treat, but i will add more details to the page.
Has anyone had numbness and tingling in the forehead/scalp after stopping propecia?
It comes in waves and almost feels like I haven't slept. Very annoying. No sexual or slept disturbances to report while I was on propecia and after I stopped.
Hey moderator, I have bad shrinkage and can't get an erection. I just quit 3 days ago after bring on FIN for 6 days. Will your step on noctural erection work? Even if I can't get one when I'm awake?
Yes. You probably are experiencing a crash. Best option in this case is to take a benzodiazepine, standard dose for anxiety, for a few weeks. This will work to reverse your shrinkage. Best options for PFS are Xanax or Bromazepam. Talk to your doctor.
Oh sorry, thought I was on a Lyme chronic forum ;-))))
I started taking propecia when I was 19. I was on the drug for almost 5 months before I started to notice swelling in the breast tissue. I immediately discontinued the drug as I was assured by the company who prescribed me the drug that my symptoms would soon disappear. They didn't and it's been 2 years and I only feel like things are getting worse as I'm suffering with pretty much all of the above symptoms. I consulted my GP who tells me it's all "in my head" and it feels as though nobody believes me or is even willing to try to help..but this blog has been so refreshing and I'm going to see my GP to start a low dose of bromazepan and I'll let you guys know what has hopefully worked out for me. One last thing..my face has changed so much in a bad way it looks pale, weak and it seems to bloat some weeks then be skinny the next. Is there anything that anyone has found to combat this? Hope to hear from you soon.
Excellent and helpful post… I am so glad to left comment on this. This has been a so interesting read, would love to read more here….
My boyfriend wAs on this for 3 weeks, almost a month when we noticed he was losing libido. He definitely lost sex drive and stopped it immediately. It's now been 5 months and he still hasn't completely recovered. He has a healthy diet, gyms regularly and takes his vitamins daily. We've started trying goat weed for the past month which has helped slightly, but cannot be relied on a daily basis. We're not sure what else to do but hope that he does get back to normal. We're shocked how 3 weeks of taking it has led to this. We don't really know what to do next. He doesn't have anxiety over it nor having problems with sleep or anything else. Just definitely lost sex drive and is no where near like before. He doesn't even get his morning wood and can tell straight away he's no where as hard as he used to be. Any other suggestions that we should be doing to help him improve? He's previously taken propecia on and half but didn't have this problem. It was only when he took finesteride (cut in quarters) for three weeks that this occurred.
Granted I only took the med for three weeks for what I thought might have been a little prostate enlargement on my urine stream. Should have tried Flomax instead. Better side effect profile. I took an average of 2mg a day. I noticed the next morning my errection was not as stiff. After a few days my pee was great but sex was not. Amount of ejaculate diminished. I did not seem to care. After a week, I started to forget more, then got more anxious. Seemed my brain could no longer talk to my penis. After 2 and a half weeks of useage I started to read more about side effects and freaked and stopped it soon after. Here is what I have put together for a recovery that worked for me.
1. Stop the fenesteride right away.
2. Drink more water every day.
3. Start exercising 30 min a day. Use weights if you have them. Do sit-ups, push-ups, squats, curls, leg raises, jumping jacks. Cardio is NOT what you need. You need power using lots of muscles for a few intense minutes then rest and repeat.
4. Eat watermelon, grind up the rind as well and start eating. Makes nitric oxide and this is natures Viagra.
5. Lose your fat (makes estrogen.
6. Check your serum testosterone AND your serum Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is what really gives you your sex drive and performance. Odds are it is low. Check it again in a month and see if it is back to normal. Check FSH, LH, PSA, serum estrogen as well. Important hormones that interplay. See your before and after. Will help if you need to see a doctor.
7. Take Citruline, Argenine, ginko, boron, zinc, and creatine supplements. Use about 4 grams of Argenine a day or 6 of citruline and about the same in creatine.
8. Hang out with fertile young females. Look at back page and read Craig’s list. The stimulus will help to rebuild pathways. Phermones are natural things women make that stimulate a man. We breathe them in so get close. Maybe a lap dance?
9. Pray to Jesus! Yes, miracles do happen when you believe that God has the power to heal you. You were engineered in a marvelous way so tap into the wisdom and power that goes beyond 4.5 billion years of Earth’s existence. Call it quantum field entanglement or whatever you want but anyone who can raise himself and others from the dead and heal the sick can certainly help you as well. Read about the Shroud of Turin if you want some interesting proof.
10. Get some sorghum flower. Induces 5 alpha reductase.
11. I read of Cipro (the antibiotic) having some benefit. (tried one pill myself) Just a couple pills over two days may be all that is needed. Works on RNA which is where the damage lies. I read of a man who blocked the side effects of Fen taking Cipro. May clear up any infections too.
12. No smoking, drugs or alcohol, though some claim marijuana may help??
13. Coffee 1 or two cups a day may stimulate the enzyme.
14. Get some beets, cucumber, Kale, Lemon, Lime, Watermellon, cellary, strawberries, apple, banana, ginger root, and blend. Makes a good drink to help clean you out and provide nutrients. Good way to lose weight.
15. Eat eggs, chicken, salmon and brazil nuts.
16. Take a Biotin supplement.
17. Vitamin D, 6,000 IU a day.
18. Multivitamin with iron. Try a prenatal vitamin.
19. Smile and be happy. My wife said I was really nice to be around.
20. Avoid saw palmetto, pumpkin, most vegetable oils and soy.
21. Went to a NuMale office and they only offer testosterone shots and implants or a shot into your penis. The penis shot will work but who wants to be doing that. Plus, there is a cost and this still does not address all that DHT does for you that is good. You want to have DHT turn on again in your body. Adding testosterone may help a little but you need the enzyme 5 alpha reductase to restart so follow the above tips and be patient. You are a miracle and already won the sperm race (that’s how you were born) so relax. Get 8 hours sleep and give your body a chance to normalize.
22. Play with your little friend. Practice makes better. You can still orgasm but it will take work. To inflate have her suck on it and milk it up towards the tip, not down. I consider it a reverse stroke but it works to build it up. A vacuum pump has a similar effect.
23. After about a week I felt my balls start to ache and get warm and then double in size. The next day I had a morning errection. By afternoon, I had a big hard on and felt a surge of wellbeing that I had not in years as my hormones roared back. Lasted for a day then ebbed and flowed back and forth for two weeks till it started to normalize again.
24. Good luck. Have faith and you will be well. You are more than just your dick but this should bring it back for you. You were given two heads so use them both, enjoy the recovery process, and you will come out more healthy than when you started.
Time is key. I took this posien for a month at half the dose. While I was on Propecia my testosterone went sky high along with my sex drive. When I went off I lost everything I have ever loved. I was a college party animal and have withdrawn from all kinds of drugs but 4 months off this Propecia and still not even a feeling in my dick is the scariest thing in the world. Merck needs to require a DNA testing before patients take this Stuff. The horror stories we all said can't happen to me its like playing russian roulette with 1000 chambers and 1 bullet but it happens and its doest gradually happen… Thats the worst part I was fine on it and 1 month off baaaaammm all hell broke loose..My question is, is 4 months off with no improvement a death sentence or is there any hope for all of us yet.
I'm' 43 and was on super high doses of saw palmetto (herbal form of propecia) from Feb 2015 and after nine months everything sexual just died. I have been off it for 1 month and have had some improvement. I have had no other side effects lucky for me and my erections are now at 70-80% from 0% and my libido is getting stronger. It is not in the head – this condition is real. After nine months there was certainly a big improvement in my hair but the side effects are terrible.
I saw a web site that some guy ate huge amounts of millet and took evening primrose oil for the deformed penis (1/2 a table spoon with fruit juice after the millet) there were other things and he has recovered %100 but it did take awhile. We all must remember that everyone is different and to expect different healing times and results. My best helper was Jesus. I fasted and prayed for healing and did some spiritual cleansing. He has also taught me many things while on a short journey and without this condition I would never have learnt them. I know he is healing me coz at the doses it was taking, I should be a eunuch for life and have a lot more side effects Saw palmetto in high doses is used for chemical castration but I never knew until too late.. NEVER lose hope or give up.
A couple questions for the moderator.
The problem is not about taking them together or only four days apart. It is about each drug. Each one of them may cause sexual side effects (in different ways and for different reasons). What i posted above has to do with men who are suffering from finasteride sexual side effects. Since you never had finasteride sexual side effects to begin with, a SSRI will not make these sexual problems worse. So there isn´t really a problem as you started the anti depressant only four days apart. However, observe how the anti depressant works for you. In my opinion it should be for a limited time, and you should monitor for side effects as well.
Thank you for the reply.
Exercises are probably the simplest, safest and cheapest option for getting some male enhancement results. The problem with this approach is that it requires patience and consistency. In addition, some exercises happen to be more effective than others.
You mentioned taking alprazolam (a benzodiazepine) for anxiety. I read that benzodiazepines raise estrogen so I would not do advise it.
It doesn´t raise estrogen if you take for a short period of time as i mentioned. Even if it did, i would raise it marginally and the benefits on you nervous system (plus coming out of the crash faster) and penis far outweight this risk.
It doesn´t raise estrogen if you take for a short period of time as i mentioned. Even if it did, i would raise it marginally and the benefits on you nervous system (plus coming out of the crash faster) and penis far outweight this risk.
What is Post-Finasteride Syndrome: How to treat
