Finasteride and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Tom...
• November 24, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I was given this drug finasteride by a complete imbecile of a dermatologist at the age of fifteen. I am now 30, and I am only just getting over the side effects after more than ten years of being off the drug. It is highly destructive, far more than the reported 2% of people. I suffered pretty much every symptom in the book: sexual, cognitive, muscular, sleeping, depression, gastrointestinal. Why potentially risk destroying your life? I can assure you from firsthand experience, it is absolutely not worth it! At one stage, I went eight years without any form of sexual activity, and as a former sports enthusiast, I can now no longer run more than a few seconds without horrendous leg pain. I piled on around three stone as part of a monstrous metabolic crash, and my university degree was absolutely ruined. Take this and mess with your hormones at your peril. Do not trust money-grabbing dermatologists or pharmaceutical companies. I was not provided with the facts/risks."

• Ton...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 17, 2022

Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia "Do not use it! This is a very dangerous product. After 4 weeks of using it, I had a total loss of libido and almost became impotent. I have now stopped for three weeks and am still not back to normal. This product is a chemical castration! I don't understand how this product is available on the market. Use other alternatives such as Regaine. Do not use, do not use, do not use!!!!! Giving a 1 rating is overrated."

• Anonymous
• August 31, 2016

Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia "Don't take this drug. I used it for a few months, and it killed my libido. I did get some noticeable hair regrowth during that time, so at least that worked. It became very hard to get an erection, and I became completely disinterested in sex. I've read accounts that some people never regained their libido and suffered lasting erectile dysfunction. This is not natural. Your libido is part of who you are, and so is hair loss. Be a man and accept the loss of your hair as part of who you were meant to be."

• Jim...
• May 21, 2013

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Well, I have been on the 1 mg for years. It really helped make my hair thick. It quit working as well as hair falls out some in the shower. Plus, I have a lower sex drive, but that is good. I am more concerned about my hair than my sex drive. Anyway, I am starting on the 5 mg today. I will see what happens. I am 49."

• Woo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2019

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "I'm eighty, been battling my enlarged prostate for thirty years. I've been on finasteride for two months. Not aware of any side effects, though my sex drive is somewhere back down the highway anyhow. On a scale of one to ten, pain on urination, which was a screaming fifteen, is now a mild one. I'm very happy with the results so far."

• Chr...
• March 10, 2017

Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia "After 2 days on Propecia, I started to feel heavy brain fog. I didn't know about this side effect, but I found out on the internet that it is a common side. I can tell you that feeling is worse than the sexual side effects. I wish no one to feel that horrible feeling."

• eph...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2021

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I've applied 0.2 mg topically to my scalp daily, and after a week, I started to experience decreased penile sensation, decreased libido, and a weird pain in my testicles. No erectile dysfunction or mood swings, but I thought I'm sensitive to it and the sides would get worse if I continued. So I stopped, and everything went back to normal in like 2 days. I actually kinda liked the decreased libido effect, you see the world in a different way."

• Ben...
• September 2, 2018

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Why the FDA hasn't pulled this drug is gross negligence at best. The data is clear (despite what some pathetic incel science deniers on hair loss forums would like to believe). Since the beginning of the decade, there have been plenty of publications showcasing the dangers of finasteride and other 5AR inhibitors (like dutasteride and saw palmetto). The most damning publication is this one - 'The Dark Side of 5α-Reductase Inhibitors' Therapy: Sexual Dysfunction, High Gleason Grade Prostate Cancer, and Depression.' Finasteride also inhibits 5AR 3 just as much as 5AR 2, and the former enzyme wasn't even discovered when this came onto the market. 5AR 3 is essential to healthy cell signaling. Stay away from this garbage. If you're losing your hair and other treatments don't work, then lose your hair with dignity like a man. I wish I had. Taking this poison was the biggest mistake I've ever made. It's been two years and I regret it to this day. Any person or organization that continues to peddle this horrible drug I think should be sent to prison."

• Bob...
• November 28, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I have been taking the drug finasteride for over 10 years for hair loss. First 6 years, hairline recovered well. Gradually fading but still decent. You have to be consistent with the taking of it. As for side effects, still horny but definitely not trying to get hold of the missus every day. Knob shrinks a bit, but after a shake, comes back to life. No depression or lack of energy. I do think going to the gym and working out helps counterbalance things. I'll carry on for another few years and see what happens."

• Bob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 14, 2022

For Androgenetic Alopecia "The drug is posed as a clinically safe way to reduce hair loss. Studies supposedly proved this, and all doctors considered it safe. After taking this drug, within 2 hours, something shifted in the way I perceived the world; anxiety and emotional empathy were abnormally heightened. Attributing it to temporary effects, as seen in painkillers and recreational substances. Took one more dose. It’s currently >6 months after quitting. These effects and more still remain. Research concludes its effects are set in the epigenome. - sour ammonia body odor - pale skin - thin body hair - more subcutaneous body fat - muscle loss calves; forearms; neck - gynecomastia - female fat distribution - loss of ambition/enthusiasm/life energy - loss of libido/ED - personality alterations - altered brain-body connection - depression/suicidal ideation"

• Jim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 3, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I have taken this drug for 3 months and take writing this review very seriously, as I can see some negative feedback which I believe to be inaccurate. The drug does not work immediately, so be wary of any review where the user has taken it for less than 3 months. After becoming anxious about going bald, I bought a 3-month supply. I started noticing hair loss reducing from about 6 weeks on, as my desk was no longer covered. Hard to tell if any regrowth, but as I started early, I still had a reasonably healthy cover. Not being anxious about premature aging has really helped my confidence. Have experienced no tangible side effects, but in the first week believed it may have affected sex drive, but as this has disappeared, I now think it was a mental block. Can't say I have noticed any other issues. For me, it has been very positive, as I no longer worry about looking old for my age."

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 15, 2019

Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia "Took this drug for 2 months in the year 2011, it has ruined my life. I have all sexual side effects, and the physical side effect, penis shrinkage, is the worst. It's been years since I quit the medicine, and I am still suffering with nasty side effects."

• Rob...
• December 9, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Took Propecia for 18 years. Worked great. Insignificant sides. Well, it was years afterward that I started getting all the sexual and some cognitive (brain fog, bad sleep) side effects. Went to the doc about semi-hard erections, he gave me Cialis. I decided to go off the drug, and after about 2-3 months, I noticed my erections were completely hard as a rock. So much so, that it hurt when I got an erection (in a good way). It was growing BACK! I went back on the drug after about 1 year. My new hair loss stopped soon after, along with my penis working. This time it also started to get hard crooked. I stopped again. Many of the side effects men speak of on this forum are also dissipating. When I was on and had no big side effects, all was good and I thought the negative experiences were small. I'm done for good with Propecia - had I known before what I know now, I would not have started."

• joh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Taking finasteride was the biggest mistake of my life. Finasteride is a type II 5α-reductase inhibitor. 5α-reductase is responsible for so many important bodily functions, and some unlucky individuals, like me, become damaged from it. I suffer physical, sexual, mental, and digestive symptoms every single day. I don't know if I will ever recover from this poison."

• No...
• January 30, 2017

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Been taking this medicine since I was 23 and found I had a receding hairline. My hairline has stayed mostly at the same level for the grace of this medicine. No brain fog, no low sex drive. You just need to do exercise and keep a positive attitude. In fact, it was exactly what I did and feel like it was the most productive 2 years of my life (I was doing an engineering master). If you worry about the hair, give it a shot, and divert the time spent on worrying to something else important. Cheers."

• Cur...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 10, 2018

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I don't get the negativity surrounding this drug. Most of those reviews are by people who have used it for just a week at the most. Maybe what they experienced could have been some confirmation bias heightened by what they read in reviews like this. But still, I can't speak for their part. As for me, I have been using it for the last 4 months. Never experienced those side effects of loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, or any other. My hair loss has stopped, but I am not seeing hair growth still. They say it takes 4-6 months to see some noticeable growth. Maybe that is because I am not pairing it with Minoxidil. Planning to use it for the next 5 years if things don't go wrong."

• Nic...
• July 14, 2016

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I am taking this since the last 4 years. 1 mg tab from Dr. Reddy, and it costs less than $3 for a month in India. It's a wonder drug, and it stopped hair loss and also gives me good thick hair. Wish I had started earlier. I had very little loss of libido and think it's good for me to concentrate on other activities. No erection problem so far, but yes, reduced morning wood. I am happy with the results."

• JJa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 27, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I was worried in my late 20s about hair loss, but it wasn't noticeable. The main side effect was I couldn't achieve an orgasm, which forced me to stop. I was also taking a diuretic for blood pressure at the time. In my early 30s, my blood pressure medication was changed (a non-diuretic), and I started really noticing hair loss in the front of my head (a bald spot was forming between the front of my hair and the midline -- like my father). I went back to 1mg finasteride. The sexual side effects were gone, and the balding spot is now full. I can get the generic for $14 out of pocket."

• Adv...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 12, 2022

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) Symptoms: genital shrinkage, genital numbness, ED, zero libido, increased penile curvature/fibrosis, ejaculation disorder, low semen quality/volume, changes in color & texture of skin (yellow/brown), tight, red scrotum every morning, dark prominent veins on scrotum, varicocele left testicle, spontaneous weight gain, moon face, emotional blunting/anhedonia, anxious 'crash', persistent anxiety/fight or flight response, shaking hands, depression, muscle atrophy, blurred vision, red/yellow eyes, night sweats, insomnia, nightmares, general fatigue/malaise, brain fog/cognitive impairment, digestive issues, body hair loss, tinnitus, chills, high blood pressure, random rashes torso/forehead, back/neck pain, muscle/eye twitches, sensitive skin, swollen lymph nodes, shallow breathing, scooped fingernails, heart arrhythmia, tingling/numbness in hands/feet, weakness in hands/arms, thinning eyebrows, receding gums."

• Joe...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 30, 2025

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "Works great for me. Sleeping all night long. Yes, it lowers sex drive, but I still have more than enough. I’m 53 years old, and finasteride has worked way better for me than Flomax. It has greatly improved my life."

• Sky...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 11, 2022

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Finasteride has ruined my life sexually and mentally. I wish I never took this poison and hope there will be a cure and/or it will improve over time. It’s almost been a year and a half since I stopped. I only took it for 3 months, it’s horrid living this way."

• Tex...
• October 5, 2020

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "I have been taking finasteride for several years. About a year ago, I noticed shrinkage of my unit and testicles, no energy, depression, and low libido. I thought it was my age. Brain fog all around, lack of excitement for life. I couldn't figure it out until a few weeks ago. I hope it goes away. I can't get into my doc for 3 months. Be careful. Was on the med for 6 years for BPH. It helped with that but screwed everything else up. I am so mad at my doctor."

• Ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2021

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Wow! I never believed the people who got PFS. Now I do, I took just half a pill a week ago. The night I took it, my penis had shrunk a bit, got an intense brain fog (which I still have today), couldn’t get hard (I was basically impotent), and semen was watery. The next day, I lost interest in sex, motivation hit rock bottom, joint pain in legs, and I had extreme anxiety and lots more symptoms. I quit immediately. So... this stuff is dangerous/poisonous for a few! If you want to risk chemical castration, then go for it. After half a pill a week ago, I still have fatigue, brain fog, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, small joint pain, and a lowered sexual interest. Which has gotten better each day after HALF A PILL, A WEEK AGO."

• Sam...
• December 23, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I’m 29 years old. I took finasteride for hair loss for 14 days and experienced sexual side effects like decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, loss of interest in sex. It has ruined my sex life. I immediately discontinued and am waiting for improvements."

• Sam...
• December 23, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I’m 29 years old. I took finasteride for hair loss for 14 days and experienced sexual side effects like decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, loss of interest in sex. It has ruined my sex life. I immediately discontinued and am waiting for improvements."