Propecia/Proscar and ED

[finasterided]

Hi guys

I though I'd share my stupid and sad story about how I messed with finasteride and came off second best. A few years ago I realised I was slightly shedding hair, probably a normal amount to be honest, but being a neurotic went on the internet to research it and found out about propecia, a one pill a day option to stop your hair falling out. I read about a supposedly slight risk of ED but decided to go ahead and order proscar online, and divided it up for cost saving purposes. Unfortunately I didn't do enough research, and missed the accounts of permanent ED which were already appearing on the net on sites like this.

Initially I had a higher libido and with that forgot about sides. Sadly I started to have problems with ed and lowered libido soon after which probably cost me a few relationships in retrospect. Being that I was self medicating and had never been on a run of medication before, and thus never even read the packaging, I just kept on not knowing what was causing this, figuring it was maybe nerves or inexperience. I even went to a (female) doc and complained of low libido, she just gave me a script for Viagra and ushered me out amused, an experience which probably made me bury my head in the sand even more. I was also unaware I was being hit by other side effects too, I felt tired a lot, emotionally flat, moderately depressed and generally much less joie de vivre. I even began to just consider these normal parts of my personality. Nothing that was drastically altering my life, but was probably compromising my overall quality of life.

In 2008 things came to a head. I didn't take the drug for 3 months and remember during this time I wouldn't slouch into work marginally late every day and had more energy. I went back on and then had a big panic attack when the drugs ran out (the offshore 'pharmacy' had not sent the meds) as I came off, at the time though it was work stress and took a month off. Went back to work off the drug and full of life with much more energy and libido (hindsight is always cruel).

Late 2008 is when things got bad. I started taking it again and soon became depressed, again attributing it to work and living in a cramped apartment with an idiot for a roommate. Strange other stuff began occurring , my balls seemed smaller a couple of times and I had bad ball ache once. I noticed my balls semmed to hang higher and even my flaccide penis seemed marginally smaller, to the extent I even bought a measuring tape to check. By now I would come home from work and just watch porn then fall asleep for an hour or so, and slept later. Noticed dark circles under my eyes once.

Still I didn't make the connection until finally I was jerking one night and this translucent cum came out. Finally I searched finasteride side effects and finally pinpointed my low libido, that stupid pill I was taking for minor hair loss. I came across propeciahelp.com and realised all the depression and apathy I'd felt was also due to the drug. I dropped it straight away and waited for my normal life to begin again, cursing my stupidity.

Unfortunately within a couple of weeks I began to notice insomnia and anxiety, alongside the return of a high libido. That was short-lived however as I went out drinking one night and the next morning my penis tilted to the left! Worse soon I couldn't get an erection AT ALL! I'd had ed on the drug but could always get some sort of erection. I also had a lower libido but it was still there, now I felt nothing to porn! Worse, I began losing muscle and my balls shrank - no joke - I'd had a testosterone collapse. Chronic 'brain fog' set in too.

Fast forward a year or two and after having tried testogel without success my uro (initally his colleague and an endo didn't believe me) said I could think about getting an implant in a couple of years! I'm 32!

Anyway that's my long story, I don't know what my next move should be. This has been going on for 10 years+ and no one has got a clear handle on it...

[Flavio]

Finasteride is a dangerous drug and yes, ED is one of the possible side effects.

I took Proscar everyday for almost 15 years and it was very effective in the first ten years. Side effects were minimal: watery semen, low libido but not impotence. In the last couple of years, however, the drug clearly lost its efficacy, so I decided to quit.

Finasteride is an effective baldness treatment but reactions vary a lot. At first, I was a staunch fin supporter because it really worked. I was also very sceptical of all the negative testimonials but not anymore. I do believe that fin can cause serious side effects, incl. permanent ED.

[Dustyknox]

I have experienced permanent sexual side effects from Propecia for the last 10+ years. I won't bore you with the entire story, but I have experienced perseistent severe erectile dysfunction, less sensitivity, less ejacualted, less ejacualte velocity, less intense orgasms, etc. I was a perfectly happy, healthy, for twenty something when I started taking this poison. It should be banned.

[rahod1]

I take BOTH Proscar (finasteride) and Avodart which is a similar drug (dutasteride) daily for enlarged prostate and elevated PSA. Been doing Avodart for 8 years and added Proscar myself (no RX...generic from India) a year ago. NO PROBLEMS with sex drive and sex (I inject Trimix). I'm 71 and have a strong sex drive with great orgasms. Keep in mind these drugs INCREASE testosterone because they BLOCK it's conversion to a more potent hormone DHT which is responsible for increased PSA (and prostate size) and hair loss in younger men. Had my testosterone tested and it was 780. Just my personal experience.

[mlc2010]

I'm 32 and have lifelong ED, I have never touched finasteride.. so sometimes the drug is not the cause, if you think you are going to get symptoms, you probably will

[mr.skin]

I have experienced permanent sexual side effects from Propecia for the last 10+ years. I won't bore you with the entire story, but I have experienced perseistent severe erectile dysfunction, less sensitivity, less ejacualted, less ejacualte velocity, less intense orgasms, etc. I was a perfectly happy, healthy, for twenty something when I started taking this poison. It should be banned.

Just wanted to emphasis this. I experienced exactly the same (no mental sides or whatsoever) , a limp dick, and all the same stuff (less intense orgasms, sperm does not shoot anymore etc..)

About to get an implant as well.

[Dustyknox]

It is obvious the majority of people that take Propecia have no major side effects. However a significant minority (like me) experience disastrous, life changing consequences. I don’t want to write out all the details, but the only new variable in my life at the time was Propecia. I am 100% certain that it was caused by this. Thousands have reported similar experiences to the FDA and WHO. Multiple doctors have diagnosed my issue. I feel insulted that someone would carelessly cast doubt on my story.

[Cigar56]

I take BOTH Proscar (finasteride) and Avodart which is a similar drug (dutasteride) daily for enlarged prostate and elevated PSA. Been doing Avodart for 8 years and added Proscar myself (no RX...generic from India) a year ago. NO PROBLEMS with sex drive and sex (I inject Trimix). I'm 71 and have a strong sex drive with great orgasms. Keep in mind these drugs INCREASE testosterone because they BLOCK it's conversion to a more potent hormone DHT which is responsible for increased PSA (and prostate size) and hair loss in younger men. Had my testosterone tested and it was 780. Just my personal experience.

My experience is similar to this, but I was only on Finasteride for nine months for an enlarged prostate. I did not experience any side effects or sexual dysfunction. Finasteride can obviously affect people differently.