DesperatelyNeedAdvice

Ive been off of 5% minoxidil for a little over a year now and my sexual functioning has NOT returned. To the original poster: did you end up quitting the minoxidil and if so did you ever recover? How long did it take if you did?

take gaba in supplement form and see if that does anything for you.

Gaba supplement? Do you know of any that you could recommend? Can one get these supplements anywhere say like walmart or walgreens?

Guys i had my T tested and i am well in the normal range. I tested at 619 and the normal range for my age, according to the nurse, is 241-837.

I am beginning to believe that the Minox either damaged blood vessels or messed with another hormone curcial to sexual function like DHT.

I am so frusterated!

Just had my testosterone tested by my urologist. The nurse told me i tested at 619 and she said the normal range is 241-837. So, it seems my T is rather high (normal for my age).

Apparently the minoxidil didnt mess with my testosterone. So Im now assuming its caused a blood flow issue. Or maybe messed with some other hormone?

Where have you heard minox affects prolactin and thyroid hormone???????

 

Have you had any blood tests done of your hormones and thyroid hormones? Have you ever taken propecia?

If you have done blood tests, do you care to share them with me, Im pretty knowledge with this sort of things since I suffer from side effects after quitting propecia...

Nope, I never used Propecia (I was well aware of all the side effects of that drug so would never touch the stuff). Never had any blood tests done either.

I am young (in my twenties), and NEVER had any impotence issues before I used the Minoxidil. If you read my thread I posted my whole story on there. But to summarize I started using the 2% minoxidil and began experiencing mild ED. A little after that I switched to the 5% and it pretty much killed my libido and ability to hold erections. That's when everything went down hill from loss of morning erections to a shriveled ball sack during the day (a feeling as if I just got into a cold shower), etc.

After I had stopped using the Minoxidil my symptoms never went away. I think that these symptoms are similar to those of Propecia sufferers from what I've read.

I don't know if the Minox had affected my testosterone or if it caused a blood flow issue. I say that I am not sure about the testosterone angle to it because I really didn't lose any muscle mass or facial hair...but I know that's not a full proof way to conclude whether or not my testosterone was compromised. It may have affect both T and blood flow.

I really wish the original poster of this thread would update us on hows he's doing. I'd really like to know if he ever got better.

I'm here to give you guys an update. Its now been about a year and a month since quitting the Minoxidil 5% and the sexual side effects are still present. Still getting either weak or no morning erections, not waking up rock hard like I used to, random erections throughout the day haven't come back, maintaining an erection during sex is very difficult, and I still get that cold, tight feeling in my testicles/scrotum during the day.

I should note that 5 months ago I found out I had a varicocele in my testicle and thought may have been contributing to my sexual issues. I had an operation to fix the varicocele but it didn't fix my sexual problems. Looking back I do believe that somehow the Minoxidil somehow was responsible for the development of my varicocele as I know that Minox opens up blood vessels which in turn creates our problems. I've also read that Minox can mess with the thyroid and prolactin thus leading to impotence.

This past year has been a nightmare. I'm now beginning to believe that these side effects are going to be either permanent or very long term. I'm just trying to accept this, which is the most difficult thing to do. I'm only 28 years old. Life will certainly never be the same again. I'm thankful that I have a girlfriend who is very understanding.

Can any of you who have had the sexual side effects from Rogaine please update your condition? Have you improved? Did a urologist/endocronologist determine what the problem was and fix it?

Im going through the exact same problems and ive been off it for 8 months now. I was using the 5% minoxidil.

Thanks, but this thread was not posted for an open debate. Look, I understand that the MAJORITY of people who use Rogaine do not experience these side effects, and that's great for them. However, I am one of the people who is.

Before using the Rogaine I was perfectly normal sexually. It has had some kind of reaction in my body. My testicles have literally shrunk, and the last time I woke up in the morning with an erection was just before I used the Rogaine.

When I was on the 5% minoxidil is when I noticed the symptoms bad. I believe it got into my bloodstream as I used enough to where it caused my scalp to redden severely. I regret the day I ever touched the stuff. And NO, this is NOT just in my head. I never even attributed the Rogain to the ED while i was on it. The only reason I even stopped was because how bad it was irritating my scalp.

I just want to know from the people who HAVE gone through this--> how long did it take to recover if ever? Its been 8 months now that Ive been of it and there has been little improvement.

Hi there,

 

First off I'm sorry to hear about your problem, although I'm sure everything will return to normal at some point. Also, at the risk of sounding glib, stress and worry are two really quite major cause of ED and whilst I'm not blaming those things for your problem they can't be helping.

 

The best thing you can do, as someone suggested. is take the advice of your doctor and go see a specialist (urologist and/or endocrinologist) and maybe get a blood test if you can as well. This will look at hormone levels and may be able to give you some help. That having been said, whilst I am no expert I don't think minoxidil has any effect on your hormones so I don't see that as being the problem.

 

A urologist and endocrinologist should be able to give you a good examination and hopefully shed some light on your problems. You seem to be reluctant to visit your urologist in case he just gives you drugs but nobody on these boards will be able to give you better advice than a professional at a face-to-face consultation.

 

Where did your minoxidil come from? Was it Rogaine or were you buying generic drugs from a website or ebay? I am not suggesting you were getting ineffective or bad drugs but there could be other factors at play here. Whilst there is a possible link between Minoxidil and ED there is very little useful evidence and the numbers of people who report such problems are tiny. That's not to diminish your concerns but to say that finding answers to your questions on this message board might be a little difficult and might not help you in your personal journey. What I will say though is, at 28, if you're otherwise fit and healthy, you should be able to get back to normal.

 

The best thing to do is take a deep breath, make an appointment with a specialist (whoever your doctor recommends) and go from there. This will make you feel better psychologically (more proactive, less sad and depressed) and that in itself could put you on the path to recovery. If your urologist prescribes you ED tablets then perhaps try them; if you manage to get and maintain a good erection on them then if nothing else it proves the "machine" is working, even if it needs a bit of help at the moment! That could put you on the path to recovering your sexual appetite as well.

 

I really hope and believe you'll be able to overcome this problem but the best you'll get on this messageboard is somebody else's story which, whilst helpful, will be no indication of what will happen to you and will likely worry you or give you false expectation. Are you eating well? Do you do much exercise? Do you take any other drugs? Has anything else changed in your life which may be causing or aiding the problem? The worst thing you can do is convince yourself minoxodil has permanently altered your sexual drive. Whilst it may have made some negative impact convincing yourself you've done something irreparably bad is just going to depress you and make you feel unhappy. ED from depression and worry is horrendously common, so just by being in the position you're in you could be exacerbating or even maintaining the ED problem.

 

Best thing to do is take some proactive steps with your specialist, tell yourself you're going to make yourself better, look after yourself, try to manage your stress and stay positive. I'm sure your problem will be solved and those steps may go a big way towards it. Hope all goes well with your doctor and look forward to hearing when you're back on your feet again!

As soon as I can afford to do it im gonna make an appointment with a urologist. The 5% minoxidil was a generic brand that I had bought from Kmart. The 2% was the off brand that walmart sells.

I hate to keep repeating it, and you dont know HOW BAD I wish this was the case, but this is NOT a psychological issue. During the time this all started happening I was happy, stress free, etc. The only thing different in my life was the minoxidil. I still get very turned on mentally and still have the drive for sex, but achieving and maintaining rock hard erections is very difficult now. Its gotten to the point that Im having difficulty even masturbating when im aroused cause it wont stay hard usually. Another big indication that this isnt psychological (and even my doctor said) is that I NO LONGER EVEN WAKE UP WITH ERECTIONS.

You know, after I got off the stuff and finally made the connection to the minox, I still didnt stress out too bad. And this was because I figured that hey, i must of applied too much of the 5%, the minox probably got in my bloodstream, but since im off it now this terrible side effect will eventually go away. So, I just waited it out and didnt think about it a lot because, like i said, you get off something and side effects should go away...right? Well, after about the 3rd/4th month I started worrying--I knew there was something very wrong. And what made me worry even more is reading on a few different forums of other people with the same problem and theyve been off it for years.

Not to get to graphic but it has made my penis feel like its not getting a lot of blood to it, like a numbed, lifeless feeling. Also, one of my testicles has gotten slightly smaller.

Before using the 5% every single day I would wake up in the mornings with a very firm hard erection--so hard that I would literally sit on the toilet a few minutes and wait for it to go down so I could urinate. Its been 7 months since Ive woken up with an erection. My doctor told me that he read about the possibility of rogaine causing ED, but hasnt came across any literature stating whether sexual disfunction will cease over time. He actually did prescribe me viagra after the visit and I took it for a week. It helped, but barely. I should also mention that I am in good shape and fit.

And now I am extremely depressed and sad. To some people they would just let it go, but you dont understand my life almost revolved around sex. That was one of the main activities I enjoyed the most in life. This has come as a trauma to me. The thing that bothers me the most is that I essentially did this to myself. If I would of not freaked out so bad about my thinning hair I would of never gotten on the minoxidil. I should of just let nature take its course. Ironically when I was on the 2% it did help me grow some hair back. Now my hair is the least of my worries

I appreciate your response and supportive words. Again, I really wish this was all just psychological..you dont know how bad I wish that. But its more than evident that it isnt. I guess my only choice is to wait it out and hope that things get better. I will see a urologist when I can but im not having much hope that one will even be able to do anything for me.

Ive never used propecia. I never even linked the ED to the rogaine until after i got off it then researched a lot and seen on a few forums other people with the same complaints.

And no, this isnt psychological. Im not saying this is a common side effect. From my research ONLY A FEW people suffer from this side effect. A lot of websites say that one of the side effects can indeed be ED and reduced libido, and that it is RARE but it happens to some. Even on this website others have had the same experience.

Its way too much of a coincidence to believe that when i was on the 2% i developed a mild form of ED, then when i got on the 5% it got severe. Up to the very point before I even started using the 2% my sexual health was strong--I never had any issues with erections whatsoever.

As I was on the 5% things got worse. Even when I quit the 5% it was because it always left me with a VERY irritated and red scalp. So no, it isnt just "in my head" as I never even linked the rogaine to my ED until after I was totally off of it. I started researching this side effect because once i realized i had a serious problem I recalled back to when it had first occured and during that time the only thing I was on was rogaine.

Although i wish i had researched it before ever using it as if I knew there was even a small chance of ED occuring I would of never touched the stuff.

Ive read other threads of ppl experiencing erectile dysfunction from using the 5% minoxidil solution, HOWEVER no one has ever followed up and stated if their sexual function had ever returned to normal.

I first started off using the 2% solution and was on that for maybe 5 months. During that time I did notice that my erections were becoming a little weaker, but I never gave the minoxidil a single thought as a cause. Then I got off the stuff just because it was making my head itchy. When i discontinued it my sexual functioned returned.

Then about a month later I bought 5% minoxidil solution (remeber I didnt attribute my erectile dysfunction to the minoxidil when I was on the 2% so dont tell me i shouldnt of started using again as I DIDNT KNOW). About a week into being on the 5% I had noticed my erections were becoming EXTREMELY weak. Sex with my girlfriend was difficult due to not being able to sustain a real hard erection. I started waking up in the mornings without erections which was not normal at all. After about 2 weeks total of using the 5% I stopped completely.

Heres the problem now: This was 7 months ago! I still am NOT waking up with erections, having difficulty achieving/maintaining erections during sex, and not getting random erections at all throughout most days. Im 28 years old. Up until ever using any minoxidil I had an extremely high sex drive. And I would ALWAYS wake up in the mornings very hard--now nothing.

So here my question for those of you who have experienced these side effects: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR YOUR SEXUAL FUNCTION TO GO BACK TO NORMAL? Like I said its been 7 months for me now and im getting extremely sad/depressed about this. I dont even want to imagine that this is permanent. My doctor says I seem healthy otherwise. He recommended a urologist but Im pretty sure the urologist is just gonna prescribe me an ED med.

Serious answers please and only respond if you have gone through these symptoms.

Ive read other threads of ppl experiencing erectile dysfunction from using the 5% minoxidil solution, HOWEVER no one has ever followed up and stated if their sexual function had ever returned to normal.

I first started off using the 2% solution and was on that for maybe 5 months. During that time I did notice that my erections were becoming a little weaker, but I never gave the minoxidil a single thought as a cause. Then I got off the stuff just because it was making my head itchy. When i discontinued it my sexual functioned returned.

Then about a month later I bought 5% minoxidil solution (remeber I didnt attribute my erectile dysfunction to the minoxidil when I was on the 2% so dont tell me i shouldnt of started using again as I DIDNT KNOW). About a week into being on the 5% I had noticed my erections were becoming EXTREMELY weak. Sex with my girlfriend was difficult due to not being able to sustain a real hard erection. I started waking up in the mornings without erections which was not normal at all. After about 2 weeks total of using the 5% I stopped completely.

Heres the problem now: This was 7 months ago! I still am NOT waking up with erections, having difficulty achieving/maintaining erections during sex, and not getting random erections at all throughout most days. Im 28 years old. Up until ever using any minoxidil I had an extremely high sex drive. And I would ALWAYS wake up in the mornings very hard--now nothing.

So here my question for those of you who have experienced these side effects: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR YOUR SEXUAL FUNCTION TO GO BACK TO NORMAL? Like I said its been 7 months for me now and im getting extremely sad/depressed about this. I dont even want to imagine that this is permanent. My doctor says I seem healthy otherwise. He recommended a urologist but Im pretty sure the urologist is just gonna prescribe me an ED med.

Serious answers please and only respond if you have gone through these symptoms.