27 replies to this topic

[SnowRider22]

Hello all. I have a pretty bad problem I am dealing with. From December 2006 - July 2007 I was taking Propecia (finasteride) at a .5mg dose every day for hair loss. At first everything was ok, I noticed an increase in my sex drive, my ability to get and maintain erections, it seemed like everything was fine. However, during June and July I started noticing bad side effects. My libido decreased dramatically, to the point where it became nearly impossible for me to become sexually aroused anymore, I am actually still dealing with this problem 5 months later. My cognitive functions have also taken a huge hit. It is incredibly difficult for me to process information now, I have extreme trouble holding conversations with people. Before I took Propecia I was a very out going guy, I was funny, I could entertain people very well and they were just happy to be around me. Now it is the complete opposite, I can no longer think of anything witty to say, I cannot hold good meaningful and long conversations with people, my short term and long term memory are very bad. It seems like part of me has died ever since I took Propecia.

I don't know what to do. All of my relationships are suffering because of this. I am getting very upset and depressed about it, I'm at the end of my rope and I do not know what to do and where to go and if anything can help me. Since my sex drive has been taken away, I am no longer interested in any type of sexual activity, and when I do find a girl I like (which is rare because my libido is so low anyway), I cannot get sexually aroused by her. As if this isn't bad enough, I can't even hold a meaningful conversation anymore. It just seems like there is a roadblock in my head preventing me access to my thoughts.

I am starting this regimen in a couple of days to try and help restore my body to my pre-Propecia days:

-Ginkgo Baloba 240mg daily
-St. John's Wort 300mg daily
-Horny Goat Weed 500mg daily \
-Maca 4:1 Extract 250mg daily ---Horny Goat Weed, Maca, and Yohimbe all in one pill
-Yohimbe Extract 100mg daily /
-Melatonin 300mcg every third day
-Vitamin C 500mg daily
-Vitamin E 400IU daily
-Primordial Performance Sustain Alpha (99% Resveratrol)
-Paravol 4 times daily
-Reset-AD twice daily
-GABOB 500mg before bed
-ZMA 3 pills before bed

I am 20 years old. My diet is good. I drink a gallon of distilled water everyday. I just started drinking green tea every morning. I also work out 5 times a week (no cardio though).

Please help if you can, this is probably my last hope, my life just doesn't seem meaningful anymore. I haven't been to a doctor yet about it, I'm wondering if I should. I don't know if they will be able to help me though.

Thank you.

Edited by SnowRider22, 09 January 2008 - 04:50 AM.

[rabagley]

Please help if you can, this is probably my last hope, my life just doesn't seem meaningful anymore. I haven't been to a doctor yet about it, I'm wondering if I should. I don't know if they will be able to help me though.

Cut out the St. John's Wort and the herbal stimulants for a while. Also, go to a doctor. Did you know that SSRI's (including St. John's Wort) have well known side-effects of libido depression, lethargia, insomnia, etc.? There are also some straightforward imbalances that can lead to the symptoms you're describing. Two that occurred to me while I was reading your account were hypothyroidism or some other disruption of your HPA axis. Some parasites can also cause symptoms similar to what you describe.

My statements are not any sort of diagnosis as there are any number of issues that you may have instead, and: I don't know you, haven't met you, haven't seen any test results, and I am not any sort of trained medical professional.

There's zero chance of knowing what what's going on and if it can be easily fixed unless you get some tests and a well-informed opinion. You've got a valid medical condition. It may or may not be caused by the supplements you're taking (how long have you been taking the St. John's Wort?). Get a trustworthy medical opinion. If they can't figure it out, you'll at least have ruled out a long list of possibilities, which is itself a valuable set of data to have.

Good luck.

[SnowRider22]

Please help if you can, this is probably my last hope, my life just doesn't seem meaningful anymore. I haven't been to a doctor yet about it, I'm wondering if I should. I don't know if they will be able to help me though.

Cut out the St. John's Wort and the herbal stimulants for a while. Also, go to a doctor. Did you know that SSRI's (including St. John's Wort) have well known side-effects of libido depression, lethargia, insomnia, etc.? There are also some straightforward imbalances that can lead to the symptoms you're describing. Two that occurred to me while I was reading your account were hypothyroidism or some other disruption of your HPA axis. Some parasites can also cause symptoms similar to what you describe.

My statements are not any sort of diagnosis as there are any number of issues that you may have instead, and: I don't know you, haven't met you, haven't seen any test results, and I am not any sort of trained medical professional.

There's zero chance of knowing what what's going on and if it can be easily fixed unless you get some tests and a well-informed opinion. You've got a valid medical condition. It may or may not be caused by the supplements you're taking (how long have you been taking the St. John's Wort?). Get a trustworthy medical opinion. If they can't figure it out, you'll at least have ruled out a long list of possibilities, which is itself a valuable set of data to have.

Good luck.

Thanks for the reply. I have recently just started taking St. John's Wort, been on it for about a week and a half now. I'll get a appointment scheduled with the doctor and let him know what's going on.

[Yearningforyears]

Hey man. I´ve had exactly the same problems as you described. Little by little it creeped up on me, until I noticed that I, just like you, had no sex drive at all. But the strange this is that I eventually had zero drive for ANYTHING. The world was a just a big sphere of nothing.
Trouble falling asleep and every morning felt like groundhog day (memory whipe, brain fog, depression.. you name it). I also had insane mood swings and started to create an alter ego. Things were really starting to get f**ed up. Social interaction? forget it... The only thing possible was to act instead of interacting with people.
There´s a theory floating around that finasteride in some way interferes with lechitin in the brain. Connection to the problems maybe.
So what about now? After ten days I feel GREAT! My sex drive is back, motivation at an all time high... I could possibly shag anything right now and then I´ve never been a very outgoing person like ever. Was at a party today and the hormones were all over the place. It´s like this drug makes one slow, depressed and introverted.
BUT a couple of days ago (some days prior to quitting finasteride) I started using aniracetam (always at amounts were I got a brainfog from it. The ani fog is a pleasant one however. Anxiety vanished and my mood became stabilized. Anxiolytic effects came on within 10 minutes. No more swings... no mania... no OCD... no paranoia / alter egos.. just me!

Before starting with the aniracetam I used piracetam (now these two are taken together). St johns wort, sam-e has worked to some extent (but mood swings and crazy thoughts always came sooner or later). NOTHING has really worked as good as nootropics (or maybe... as bad as finasteride... treatment has been going on for 1.5 years.

The plan is start finasteride again next week, to see if symptoms worsen again (or if the nootropics broke a depression, which may or may not have been caused by finasteride. After all... Depression and anxiety has always been a loyal follower, but now... this time it´s different.
Life is exciting "again"!!!


My complete regimen as of now

Daily value of vitamin C (from fresh oranges)
carrots
omega 3
One fruit per day (one month ago it was at most once per month;)
Piracetam (4-5 grams divided in two doses)
Aniracetam (at first 1 -1.5 grams per day divided in two doses. Always causing a short, but pleasant brain fog)

Best of luck to you!

[SnowRider22]

Hey man. I´ve had exactly the same problems as you described. Little by little it creeped up on me, until I noticed that I, just like you, had no sex drive at all. But the strange this is that I eventually had zero drive for ANYTHING. The world was a just a big sphere of nothing.
Trouble falling asleep and every morning felt like groundhog day (memory whipe, brain fog, depression.. you name it). I also had insane mood swings and started to create an alter ego. Things were really starting to get f**ed up. Social interaction? forget it... The only thing possible was to act instead of interacting with people.
There´s a theory floating around that finasteride in some way interferes with lechitin in the brain. Connection to the problems maybe.
So what about now? After ten days I feel GREAT! My sex drive is back, motivation at an all time high... I could possibly shag anything right now and then I´ve never been a very outgoing person like ever. Was at a party today and the hormones were all over the place. It´s like this drug makes one slow, depressed and introverted.
BUT a couple of days ago (some days prior to quitting finasteride) I started using aniracetam (always at amounts were I got a brainfog from it. The ani fog is a pleasant one however. Anxiety vanished and my mood became stabilized. Anxiolytic effects came on within 10 minutes. No more swings... no mania... no OCD... no paranoia / alter egos.. just me!

Before starting with the aniracetam I used piracetam (now these two are taken together). St johns wort, sam-e has worked to some extent (but mood swings and crazy thoughts always came sooner or later). NOTHING has really worked as good as nootropics (or maybe... as bad as finasteride... treatment has been going on for 1.5 years.

The plan is start finasteride again next week, to see if symptoms worsen again (or if the nootropics broke a depression, which may or may not have been caused by finasteride. After all... Depression and anxiety has always been a loyal follower, but now... this time it´s different.
Life is exciting "again"!!!


My complete regimen as of now

Daily value of vitamin C (from fresh oranges)
carrots
omega 3
One fruit per day (one month ago it was at most once per month;)
Piracetam (4-5 grams divided in two doses)
Aniracetam (at first 1 -1.5 grams per day divided in two doses. Always causing a short, but pleasant brain fog)

Best of luck to you!

Great, thanks a lot man. It's good to see there are people here who know what I'm going through, I'll order some Piracetam and Aniracetam and see how it goes for me. Do you take the Aniracetam in the morning and the Piracetam at night?

Also, are you taking any Choline? I heard it's pretty important to pair with nootropics, especially when you are using Aniracetam and Piracetam together.

Edited by SnowRider22, 09 January 2008 - 10:44 PM.

[genesis svk]

I have the same problem. I used finasteride in my 21 during one year (only 1 mg daily) . Now I'm 29 and finasteride side effects have not disappeared till now. I was at three sexuologist but no one helped me. Endocrinologist said me my hormonal levels are ok. I imprecates the day I took finasterid first time.

Hello all. I have a pretty bad problem I am dealing with. From December 2006 - July 2007 I was taking Propecia (finasteride) at a .5mg dose every day for hair loss. At first everything was ok, I noticed an increase in my sex drive, my ability to get and maintain erections, it seemed like everything was fine. However, during June and July I started noticing bad side effects. My libido decreased dramatically, to the point where it became nearly impossible for me to become sexually aroused anymore, I am actually still dealing with this problem 5 months later. My cognitive functions have also taken a huge hit. It is incredibly difficult for me to process information now, I have extreme trouble holding conversations with people. Before I took Propecia I was a very out going guy, I was funny, I could entertain people very well and they were just happy to be around me. Now it is the complete opposite, I can no longer think of anything witty to say, I cannot hold good meaningful and long conversations with people, my short term and long term memory are very bad. It seems like part of me has died ever since I took Propecia.

I don't know what to do. All of my relationships are suffering because of this. I am getting very upset and depressed about it, I'm at the end of my rope and I do not know what to do and where to go and if anything can help me. Since my sex drive has been taken away, I am no longer interested in any type of sexual activity, and when I do find a girl I like (which is rare because my libido is so low anyway), I cannot get sexually aroused by her. As if this isn't bad enough, I can't even hold a meaningful conversation anymore. It just seems like there is a roadblock in my head preventing me access to my thoughts.

I am starting this regimen in a couple of days to try and help restore my body to my pre-Propecia days:

-Ginkgo Baloba 240mg daily
-St. John's Wort 300mg daily
-Horny Goat Weed 500mg daily \
-Maca 4:1 Extract 250mg daily ---Horny Goat Weed, Maca, and Yohimbe all in one pill
-Yohimbe Extract 100mg daily /
-Melatonin 300mcg every third day
-Vitamin C 500mg daily
-Vitamin E 400IU daily
-Primordial Performance Sustain Alpha (99% Resveratrol)
-Paravol 4 times daily
-Reset-AD twice daily
-GABOB 500mg before bed
-ZMA 3 pills before bed

I am 20 years old. My diet is good. I drink a gallon of distilled water everyday. I just started drinking green tea every morning. I also work out 5 times a week (no cardio though).

Please help if you can, this is probably my last hope, my life just doesn't seem meaningful anymore. I haven't been to a doctor yet about it, I'm wondering if I should. I don't know if they will be able to help me though.

Thank you.

Edited by genesis svk, 10 January 2008 - 08:19 PM.

[Yearningforyears]

Prior to quitting finasteride I used 2-3 grams of piracetam in the morning and evening (sometimes more and more often ). Increased creativity, slight colour enhancement and improved "multi tasking" + better memory were the effects. Anxiety would come and go as usual along with depression (more of a dysthymic one with bipolar patterns).

When starting the aniracetam I would take it sporadically (like a cup of coffe when needed, as it kind of speeded me up a little), placing some of the powder under the tongue and letting it dissolve (don´t know if that really is necessary.

First days: Approx- 1 - 1.5 grams of ani divided in three doses. This was during the christmas holiday. (piracetam dosage: unchanged).
Back at work the side effects became a problem, since I could not think very clearly. I thought it would have the opposite effect (just like piracetam had) but they are quite different in this regard. A lot of posters say that choline supplement along with aniracetam is a must, but it seems to work good without it (eggs are an abundant source of choline by the way). Suspected that the fog was due to choline deficiency, but the problem has subsided.

After starting to work again, the daily amount of aniracetam consumed is somewhere in the range of 500-700 mg and taken shortly after closing time (don´t want to have the slightest fog at the pharmacy). Piracetam dose is still unchanged, because it´s not sedating in the same way for me. It´s been a while since the last "ani-fog" and they do seem to get shorter and shorter. Mood, memory and motivation is better than ever though. This so called sedation (which is like stimulated and slow at the same time) lasts for no more than two hours.

Would be nice to know how this works out for you.

[SnowRider22]

Prior to quitting finasteride I used 2-3 grams of piracetam in the morning and evening (sometimes more and more often ). Increased creativity, slight colour enhancement and improved "multi tasking" + better memory were the effects. Anxiety would come and go as usual along with depression (more of a dysthymic one with bipolar patterns).

When starting the aniracetam I would take it sporadically (like a cup of coffe when needed, as it kind of speeded me up a little), placing some of the powder under the tongue and letting it dissolve (don´t know if that really is necessary.

First days: Approx- 1 - 1.5 grams of ani divided in three doses. This was during the christmas holiday. (piracetam dosage: unchanged).
Back at work the side effects became a problem, since I could not think very clearly. I thought it would have the opposite effect (just like piracetam had) but they are quite different in this regard. A lot of posters say that choline supplement along with aniracetam is a must, but it seems to work good without it (eggs are an abundant source of choline by the way). Suspected that the fog was due to choline deficiency, but the problem has subsided.

After starting to work again, the daily amount of aniracetam consumed is somewhere in the range of 500-700 mg and taken shortly after closing time (don´t want to have the slightest fog at the pharmacy). Piracetam dose is still unchanged, because it´s not sedating in the same way for me. It´s been a while since the last "ani-fog" and they do seem to get shorter and shorter. Mood, memory and motivation is better than ever though. This so called sedation (which is like stimulated and slow at the same time) lasts for no more than two hours.

Would be nice to know how this works out for you.

Sounds good. I just ordered some Aniracetam and Piracetam yesterday, I think it may have actually arrived today. I got a hold of my doctor to get some blood tests done and hopefully some tests done on my brain. Hopefully I respond to it as well as you have. I also ordered some Alpha GPC 50% choline as well to pair with them. As you can tell I'm really wanting to restore my body to pre-propecia regardless of the expense, so hopefully everything works out.

Thanks again.

[SnowRider22]

Well it's been about 5 days now since I have been on Piracetam, I also purchased some Aniracetam (got both from relentlessimprovement) but I'm holding off on taking it until about a month or two of use with Piracetam. So far I'm loving it, I'm almost positive it is already helping me. My ability to concentrate has improved, my mood is increasing, depression is basically gone, and motivation is going up, still working on the sex drive though. Looks like things are going up so hopefully everything continues. I'll update as time goes by.

[zoolander]

Please help if you can, this is probably my last hope, my life just doesn't seem meaningful anymore. I haven't been to a doctor yet about it, I'm wondering if I should. I don't know if they will be able to help me though.

Please go to the doctor. It's dangerous to trust information given to you by someone from an internet forum unless you know them extremely well. Traditionally what you see in these situations is that all the wanna be doctors come out of the wood work and let rip with their untrained/uneducated diagnoses. Big trouble in Little China if you ask me. No offense if your chinese by the way that was just a reference to one of my favourite movies of all time.

Go see a doctor SnowRider

Edited by zoolander, 16 January 2008 - 06:48 AM.

[SnowRider22]

Please help if you can, this is probably my last hope, my life just doesn't seem meaningful anymore. I haven't been to a doctor yet about it, I'm wondering if I should. I don't know if they will be able to help me though.

Please go to the doctor. It's dangerous to trust information given to you by someone from an internet forum unless you know them extremely well. Traditionally what you see in these situations is that all the wanna be doctors come out of the wood work and let rip with their untrained/uneducated diagnoses. Big trouble in Little China if you ask me. No offense if your chinese by the way that was just a reference to one of my favourite movies of all time.

Go see a doctor SnowRider

Yeah, I will. I'm just not sure what they can do for me. I'm only 20, so Testosterone Replacement Therapy is basically a no go if that is indeed the problem. I'm also against taking pharmaceuticals, I have a big vendetta against the pharmaceutical companies, I only took Propecia because losing my hair really frightened me, but as you can see that ended up backfiring on me. I kinda came to the conclusion that what I'm doing as far as treatment for myself right now and time are the only factors that will help me recover from this.

[lucid]

Yeah, I will. I'm just not sure what they can do for me. I'm only 20, so Testosterone Replacement Therapy is basically a no go if that is indeed the problem. I'm also against taking pharmaceuticals, I have a big vendetta against the pharmaceutical companies, I only took Propecia because losing my hair really frightened me, but as you can see that ended up backfiring on me. I kinda came to the conclusion that what I'm doing as far as treatment for myself right now and time are the only factors that will help me recover from this.

First of all there are plenty of natural ways to control your testosterone, so there is no good reason not to go and see if you have high low or normal testosterone levels. Second, pharmaceutical companies are a mixed bag as are their products. Some products are wonderful others are not so much, most of them are very powerful and should be used carefully. If you search through the forums here there are a few good threads on natural hormone modulation through diet, excercise and supplementation.

There are also some good threads on brain fog. Here is one: http://www.imminst.o...o...st&p=217888
Brain fog and memory problems go hand in hand. So if you knock out some of the causes mentioned in the thread above that could alleviate some of your problems. Like zoo said, you should check in at the doctor though if for nothing else, then just for a blood test.

[poesis]

Daily value of vitamin C (from fresh oranges)
carrots
omega 3
One fruit per day (one month ago it was at most once per month;)
Piracetam (4-5 grams divided in two doses)
Aniracetam (at first 1 -1.5 grams per day divided in two doses. Always causing a short, but pleasant brain fog)

I fully support this - piracetam in particular has done wonders for my memory - and I would personally add:

Lecithin and/or Alpha GPC - Choline supplementation vastly improves the functionality of the piracetam and aniracetam, and some friends of mine have reported getting headaches or cranial tension when taking pir/aniracetam without some form of choline precursor or supplement. These two, in my experience, are the most readily absorbed and biologically neutral.

L-Tyrosene - Precursor for dopamine, an increase of which should assist in both cognitive clarity and libido.

Cordyceps - These insect-devouring fungi are bizarre but they reportedly increase blood levels of testosterone and in my experience cause a significant rise in energy and libido and sense of well-being. May increase blood pressure, which could potentially be a concern when combining with cholinergics and (especially) with Maca.

This is my first post here, hope this helps

Edited by poesis, 19 January 2008 - 04:42 AM.

[SnowRider22]

Daily value of vitamin C (from fresh oranges)
carrots
omega 3
One fruit per day (one month ago it was at most once per month;)
Piracetam (4-5 grams divided in two doses)
Aniracetam (at first 1 -1.5 grams per day divided in two doses. Always causing a short, but pleasant brain fog)

I fully support this - piracetam in particular has done wonders for my memory - and I would personally add:

Lecithin and/or Alpha GPC - Choline supplementation vastly improves the functionality of the piracetam and aniracetam, and some friends of mine have reported getting headaches or cranial tension when taking pir/aniracetam without some form of choline precursor or supplement. These two, in my experience, are the most readily absorbed and biologically neutral.

L-Tyrosene - Precursor for dopamine, an increase of which should assist in both cognitive clarity and libido.

Cordyceps - These insect-devouring fungi are bizarre but they reportedly increase blood levels of testosterone and in my experience cause a significant rise in energy and libido and sense of well-being. May increase blood pressure, which could potentially be a concern when combining with cholinergics and (especially) with Maca.

This is my first post here, hope this helps

Thanks for your post poesis, a mighty good first post if I do say so myself.

I have some 1Fast400 Alpha GPC 50% choline I just started 2 days ago. I'm taking about a gram a day, so hopefully it'll start doing good stuff. I haven't gotten any headaches from taking Piracetam by itself though, but I'll probably continue taking the choline. I'll also looking into the other things you mentioned, thanks a lot!

Edited by SnowRider22, 19 January 2008 - 04:53 AM.

[wiserd]

Was there some event that coincided with you starting to lose your hair? Did you get sick, say?

[tavius]

Please help if you can, this is probably my last hope, my life just doesn't seem meaningful anymore. I haven't been to a doctor yet about it, I'm wondering if I should. I don't know if they will be able to help me though.

Cut out the St. John's Wort and the herbal stimulants for a while. Also, go to a doctor. Did you know that SSRI's (including St. John's Wort) have well known side-effects of libido depression, lethargia, insomnia, etc.? There are also some straightforward imbalances that can lead to the symptoms you're describing. Two that occurred to me while I was reading your account were hypothyroidism or some other disruption of your HPA axis. Some parasites can also cause symptoms similar to what you describe.

My statements are not any sort of diagnosis as there are any number of issues that you may have instead, and: I don't know you, haven't met you, haven't seen any test results, and I am not any sort of trained medical professional.

There's zero chance of knowing what what's going on and if it can be easily fixed unless you get some tests and a well-informed opinion. You've got a valid medical condition. It may or may not be caused by the supplements you're taking (how long have you been taking the St. John's Wort?). Get a trustworthy medical opinion. If they can't figure it out, you'll at least have ruled out a long list of possibilities, which is itself a valuable set of data to have.

Good luck.

Hi rabagley

Do you know if taking St John's Wort can be hazardous for your mental health? I ask because I started displaying most of the symptoms described by the thread starter about a year ago and I distinctly remember that as being around the time I tried out St John's Wort for a short while. It could also be due to the pressure and stress I 
was undergoing during that period
however it's been a year without evidence of much in the way of an improvement. Thanks alot for any advice offered in advance.

[juanjo_asdf]

I can really relate to the brainfog issue and it affecting my social life.

It was after heavy use of piracetam for six months which were followed by stupidly testing high amounts of silbutramine and DMAE together. I an anxiety through the course of a few days (combined with exam taking) and became socially inept (and in every way really) for two months. Since that episode I can't take more than 400mg of piracetam without getting serious brain fog.

If you lay out of all drugs you're taking (are you taking anything else you havent mentioned) the brain/body will go to its natural ways or at least close.

I can relate to the low sex drive, the social stupidity, the lack of wit, humor...

Your not alone. My hopes are that everything will get better no worry. Take it easy. Talk to a doctor, dont worry about chicks, if you dont feel like social do sport/reading/hobbies.

I dont know what else to say but that my heart is with you

[emery54]

Hi there,

I'm a 28 year old female that has recently suffered from what I believe to be brain fog. Does anyone else have this? and if so do you know what causes it?
The only time i've ever gotten it is when i've went out and drank and smoked all night long. I will wake up and of course with a hangover and then by the next day it will start....and the worse part is....it lasts for 14 days...always 2 weeks. I know its one of those two things or both that cause it or perhaps it just compounds another issue that is wrong with me.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

thank you!

[vincentv]

Any updates for this topic I am suffering extremely low libido cased from 5 months on Finasteride. I have ceased taking it for more than six months but side effects still remain.

Any updates would be great.

[nowayout]

This seems to be a not uncommon problem. You may find useful information at propeciahelp.com, which is dedicated to this issue, but the very first step MUST be to see a doctor and get a hormone panel done. Even if you don't like doctors or pharmaceuticals, there is no other way to know what is wrong with you. More information on which hormones to test are at that site, as well as links to doctors who are knowledgeable about this problem.

By the way, to the OP, I don't understand how someone who is against doctors or pharmaceuticals would be willing to take a crapload of supplements. You should keep in mind that those supplements are in many cases no different from drugs except that they often have less rigorous or no efficacy or safety studies to back them up, not to mention the problem of quality control, and can cause problems of their own just like finasteride did?

Edited by andre, 02 April 2009 - 06:08 PM.

[Imagination]

When you say your working out 5 days a week with no cardio, is this heavy weights your lifting and how hard are you lifting? These could all be symptoms of over training, exhausiting your body all the time with not enough time to recover. I get this from working out too much with all the symptoms you described above. You don't actually need to work out 5 days a week, it becomes counter productive. 2-3 days is enough with a rest day in between training days. Try taking a week off from the weights and see if that fixed things. Get a bit of cardio done too.

[JasonLV]

Hello all. I have a pretty bad problem I am dealing with. From December 2006 - July 2007 I was taking Propecia (finasteride) at a .5mg dose every day for hair loss. At first everything was ok, I noticed an increase in my sex drive, my ability to get and maintain erections, it seemed like everything was fine. However, during June and July I started noticing bad side effects. My libido decreased dramatically, to the point where it became nearly impossible for me to become sexually aroused anymore, I am actually still dealing with this problem 5 months later. My cognitive functions have also taken a huge hit. It is incredibly difficult for me to process information now, I have extreme trouble holding conversations with people. Before I took Propecia I was a very out going guy, I was funny, I could entertain people very well and they were just happy to be around me. Now it is the complete opposite, I can no longer think of anything witty to say, I cannot hold good meaningful and long conversations with people, my short term and long term memory are very bad. It seems like part of me has died ever since I took Propecia.

I don't know what to do. All of my relationships are suffering because of this. I am getting very upset and depressed about it, I'm at the end of my rope and I do not know what to do and where to go and if anything can help me. Since my sex drive has been taken away, I am no longer interested in any type of sexual activity, and when I do find a girl I like (which is rare because my libido is so low anyway), I cannot get sexually aroused by her. As if this isn't bad enough, I can't even hold a meaningful conversation anymore. It just seems like there is a roadblock in my head preventing me access to my thoughts.

I am starting this regimen in a couple of days to try and help restore my body to my pre-Propecia days:

-Ginkgo Baloba 240mg daily
-St. John's Wort 300mg daily
-Horny Goat Weed 500mg daily \
-Maca 4:1 Extract 250mg daily ---Horny Goat Weed, Maca, and Yohimbe all in one pill
-Yohimbe Extract 100mg daily /
-Melatonin 300mcg every third day
-Vitamin C 500mg daily
-Vitamin E 400IU daily
-Primordial Performance Sustain Alpha (99% Resveratrol)
-Paravol 4 times daily
-Reset-AD twice daily
-GABOB 500mg before bed
-ZMA 3 pills before bed

I am 20 years old. My diet is good. I drink a gallon of distilled water everyday. I just started drinking green tea every morning. I also work out 5 times a week (no cardio though).

Please help if you can, this is probably my last hope, my life just doesn't seem meaningful anymore. I haven't been to a doctor yet about it, I'm wondering if I should. I don't know if they will be able to help me though.

Thank you.

A few users of propecia get nasty (very long term if not permanent) side effects from it. What you're describing are classic symptoms of low testosterone (I know, I have been there myself and am on TRT right now - 27y/o).

I understand exactly what you're going through - hot girls aren't really doing it for you even though you KNOW they should, you're dragging ass all day, feel very emotional and hopeless, can't think of anything useful to contribute... almost like you're invisible, the glass is half empty, and nothing is going to get better anytime soon.

Definitely get yourself a hormone panel, Testosterone, Free Testosterone (Bioavailable T), SHBG, DHT, LH, FSH, & Estradiol E2 ("Ultra Sensitive") and see where you are at. Post up your labs here or PM them to me and I'll try to help you interpret them. After that you would need to see a solid doctor that will listen (not just anyone unless you want to be told its all in your head go see a shrink, given anti-depressant medication, and viagra)

If propecia screwed you, you'll need to accept that and fix the problem. I know you're 20 and have a thing against pharamceuitcal companies... if it helps any, the big companies don't make testosterone (no patent = no profit). Its around 90 dollars for a 5 month supply. If you go the route of TRT, I would slow down (if not stop) all of the suppliments you are taking so that you know exactly what TRT is doing for you, where your magic dosage is, etc... until you're pleased.

Good luck, hope this helps.

Edited by JasonLV, 07 April 2009 - 09:50 PM.

[nowayout]

I would not recommend going the route of TRT until ALL other options have been exhausted. TRT can shut down your natural production of androgens and cause testicle atrophy. Since TRT makes it harder and harder to restart endogenous androgen production the longer you are on it, it becomes for most users a lifetime commitment.

Edited by andre, 08 April 2009 - 10:56 AM.

[JasonLV]

I would not recommend going the route of TRT until ALL other options have been exhausted. TRT can shut down your natural production of androgens and cause testicle atrophy. Since TRT makes it harder and harder to restart endogenous androgen production the longer you are on it, it becomes for most users a lifetime commitment.

There comes a point where getting the HPTA to an optimal natural balance is no longer possible. By optimal I don't mean numbers on a lab, I mean - how is the quality of your life? Low testosterone is BRUTAL on almost every aspect of life for a male, especially a younger male that knows he is supposed to be in the 'prime' of his life. The psychological road blocks it creates get in the way of normal life.

I've read several horror stories about finasteride causing problems in men for years and years and, in extreme cases, permanently. Most of what I'm saying comes from people in the same boat (check the allthingsmale or mesorx - mens health forums if you have some time). The scary things are the unknowns of finasteride damage... it isn't like a steroid cycle where you have options to jump start your HPTA.

That is why it is important to get your labs done... if your LH and FSH levels are normal and your T is on the ground... you've probably got a case of primary hypogonadism. If your T is fine and your SHBG is through the roof, then the T isn't as effective as it was before and something needs to be done.

Andre is absolutely right, TRT is a lifelong commitment and should be the last choice...

This is a really shitty situation to be in, obviously no one wants to depend on meds forever (especially T / HCG injections). But how much longer can you wait to be back to normal & what if 'normal' never comes?

Deifnitely seek out a qualified & experienced doctor!

[JasonLV]

I just realized this thread was over a year old... hah

[dbsbank]

@jason, but ur sharing helped

[nowayout]

I just realized this thread was over a year old... hah

No matter. The information is useful to others.

I wish the OP would give an update on how he is feeling now. These kind of threads are always abandoned without any resolution.

[Orion Quest]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I realize this is an age old thread, but I'm gonna weigh in with a few things here...

1) You need to see an endocrinologist. JasonLV is correct in that you need a full hormonal work-up.

2. JasonLV is incorrect in saying that "[if your] LH and FSH levels are normal and your T is on the ground... you've probably got a case of primary hypogonadism" - that's not correct. If your LH / FSH levels are normal, and your T is low - that's an indication of SECONDARY hypogonadism, not primary. Big difference. Primary Hypogonadism is indicated through *high* levels of LH / FSH and low levels of T. Secondary means that your testes can produce T - they just aren't getting enough of the correct hormones from your pituitary to do so…this leads to my next point:

3. You have another option aside from TRT - if you are in fact suffering from secondary hypogonadism - this is something caused within the hypothalamic / pituitary axis. TRT will eventually cause the body to stop producing its own T and cause your testes to shrink. This is a bad option for young men and for someone with secondary hypogonadism.
For secondary hypogonadism - the best solution is a cycle of Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid). This is commonly used in women to help encourage pregancy. In men, it's used off label for secondary hypogonadism. It will cause your LH /FSH levels to increase, and your testes will start producing more testosterone on their own. Ideally, this will help to reset/restart the hypothalamic/pituitary axis…and you can even eventually taper off.

As someone who dealt w/ the same issue you have, this is really what helped me start to pull my life back together.

Hope this helps.

ur LH and FSH levels are normal and your T is on the ground... you've probably got a case of primary hypogonadism. If your T is fine and your SHBG is through the roof, then the T isn't as effective as it was before and something needs to be done.

Andre is absolutely right, TRT is a lifelong commitment and should be the last choice...

This is a really shitty situation to be in, obviously no one wants to depend on meds forever (especially T / HCG injections). But how much longer can you wait to be back to normal & what if 'normal' never comes?

Deifnitely seek out a qualified & experienced doctor!