‘Propecia Castrated Me,’ Says New York State Man

[Mark2010]

https://www.drugwatch.com/beyond-side-effects/propecia-castrated-says-new-york-state-man/

 

For a New York state man, Propecia started out as a solution to hair loss. Then, he says, it turned into a nightmare of side effects, including mood problems and sexual disorders.

“I don’t know of anything that can change you so much,” the man identified as G.M. told Drugwatch. “I don’t know any other pharmaceutical that basically castrates you.”

Propecia sufferers call the condition post finasteride syndrome (PFS). But, few doctors even know what the disorder is or acknowledge it exists.

For many men living with PFS, online forums are the only place to get support. Many of these men filed lawsuits.

Depression, Suicidal Thoughts

 

G.M. says he was a healthy young man who lived life to the fullest. Now, he no longer sees a future.

“Sometimes, the depression is so bad that I think about committing suicide,” G.M. said. “I say, ‘Well, I can jump off a cliff.’ But, I stop and think that I would be a bad example to my family. I have other people who love me. They would feel hurt.”

February 2018 marks about five years since G.M. stopped taking Propecia. He still suffers from genital pain, lack of sexual desire, fatigue and other side effects of Propecia.

Now in his early 40s, he feels like an 80-year-old. He has given up on relationships because he cannot be intimate with a woman. G.M. described his life as a roller coaster heading to the bottom.

“Sometimes I wish I could have a heart attack,” G.M. said. “Or I say, ‘Give me cancer and take me away from this prison.'”

Propecia ‘Totally Destroyed Me’

 

G.M. first started Propecia in the early 2000s. The medication insert said little about the drug’s lasting side effects. In fact, the drug’s label said any sexual side effects were temporary.

“I thought I could try the drug and stop it if something was wrong,” G.M. said.

He found out that wasn’t true.

G.M. took Propecia for about a year at first. The drug worked for his hair loss, and he stopped it. He felt good and thought he had avoided side effects.

Five years later, he took it again. On the second day, he immediately noticed difficulty getting an erection and ringing in his ears.

“I kept taking it for about 10 days because I thought the side effects would be temporary,” G.M. recalled. “But, after the second day, I was probably already toast. It totally destroyed me.”

Propecia works by blocking a hormone in the testosterone family called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. Too much DHT can cause hair loss. But, too little can affect sex drive and cause other issues in men.

When men stop taking the drug they experience a temporary hormone spike, G.M. said. The only problem is the spike may put the body into overdrive, followed by a brutal crash.

Men on the forums describe the crash as a system shutdown. They suffer penis shrinkage, and pain or numbness. For some, symptoms include anxiety and sleeplessness. But, the symptoms are diverse and unique to each man.

After the crash, G.M. said he lost his vibrant social life. Depression and difficulty concentrating cost him his job.

“I had a girlfriend who was patient for a while,” he said. “But I didn’t feel like a man, and we broke up a year after I began suffering PFS. Since then, I don’t date. What is the point?”

‘Something is Broken’

 

G.M. sought treatment from a doctor in New York state who specialized in PFS. He tried testosterone injections and a cocktail of other drugs to normalize hormone levels.

He said the doctors can only offer peace of mind. They don’t really have a solution.

“Nobody I know was able to reverse [PFS],” G.M. said. “I can say I feel better, but I am not the same as before I took Propecia. I feel something is broken in my body.”

G.M. was fortunate to be financially secure after he lost his job. But, he finds no enjoyment in the money or freedom.

“The loneliness is the worst,” G.M. said. “Only my ex-girlfriend knows I have this condition. My family doesn’t know because they aren’t very strong. My mother would just panic if she knew. So, there is no point in telling her.”

G.M. lives day by day with the secret burden of PFS. He is also angry that the drug company never told anyone about how serious the side effects would be.

 

“If they tell you that taking Propecia is like Russian roulette, I don’t think anyone would try it,” he said. “Once the drug company released the drug and made their money, they don’t care about people.”

The scariest thing, G.M. said, is that this drug is still on the market. He urged people to do their research on this or any drug before taking it.

[Bill - Seemiller]

PFS (post finasteridd syndrome) has been reported by many as a very real phenomenon. In the scheme of man and how many people suffer from it first though, it is said to be minimal. But that doesn’t take away from it’s very real existence and nature. Anybody considering finasteride your Propecia need to be aware that the medication comes with a potential for temporary and maybe even permanent side effects.

 

Thanks for sharing,

 

Bill

[Legend007]

Stories like this was what made me delay taking propecia.. when I started noticing my own hairloss around 35 and got off the drug after 4 months usage, didn’t really notice any sides n my hair was still thick n full .. so didn’t want to be dependent on a drug , n got off it for no reason because i didn’t felt like it was regrowing my hairline .. now 3 years later after my hair is thin , n weak , I’m fukked , hair isn’t thick anymore , thinner n weaker now n don’t know if propecia can help anymore , I should of stayed on it years ago ..now I have to spend thousands on a transplant .. going to my consultation today .. driving 2 hours to doctor diep for a consultation ..

 

It’s true propecia can cause some issues.. n some people don’t respond well to it or not get its benefits ..

But does this story make sense ? He was on the drug for 1 year , it helped his hair. He was satisfied with its benefits then n didn’t mention side effects .. but he still Quit after one year..

then 5 years later , he started it again for 10 whole freakin days n now blames propecia for his impotency n depression ... i calll that bullshit!!! Dude had depression already , probably cuz of his hair loss n life issues .. now he’s scaring people off the drug .

[jjsrader]

All medications have risk of side effects. I am so tired of dut/fin stories - but each year millions of new men start losing their hair and poorly research the actual clinical results and scientific facts.

[BadBeat]

Yep, and every day some people who get in a car end up dying in a car crash but that doesn't stop us all from driving. I've been on fin for 10 years and have had zero issues. Fathered 2 healthy children during that too. There is a risk, a small one, that there could be side effects. Happens with every single medication out there.

 

I'm tired of the people who are having side effects trying to convince everybody not to take it or to get it outlawed.

[Triple7]

I agree 100%. If you don’t want to take it, that’s your choice but don’t try to scare others that it might help. I’ve been on it 18 years taking it every single day with no problems and have fathered 2 kids and have another on the way all while taking finasteride daily.

[mattj]

It's important to be aware of these risks, but remember that all drugs have some sort of side effects ranging from the common and the minor to the more serious that are statistically unlikely.

[quidproquo82]

I've noticed that at the bottom of a lot of these anti-propecia websites is a link to an attorney's office. What's the chance that many of these websites are set up by these very same law firms?

[Legend007]

I hate these propaganda people .. it’s fine if u have an opinion , but don’t force it upon us and spreading hate about something ..

I too am suffering from post finasteride syndrome when I quit using it 3 years ago ..

I had permanent loss of my hairline , thinning hair on my scalp .

Depression from my hair loss , lost of confidence and ambition . N now $10,000 to restore what I lost in the hairline .. makes me upset n so mad at myself for not doing enough research back then n quit propecia and instead trying herbal supplements n laser caps only to waste time n letting my hair continuing to miniaturize.. because of these kind of propaganda ..

[Mark2010]

I hate these propaganda people .. it’s fine if u have an opinion , but don’t force it upon us and spreading hate about something ..

I too am suffering from post finasteride syndrome when I quit using it 3 years ago ..

I had permanent loss of my hairline , thinning hair on my scalp .

Depression from my hair loss , lost of confidence and ambition . N now $10,000 to restore what I lost in the hairline .. makes me upset n so mad at myself for not doing enough research back then n quit propecia and instead trying herbal supplements n laser caps only to waste time n letting my hair continuing to miniaturize.. because of these kind of propaganda ..

 

Letting people know the truth about Finasteride is not propaganda its informed choice, something I didn't get.

 

 

[Mark2010]

I've noticed that at the bottom of a lot of these anti-propecia websites is a link to an attorney's office. What's the chance that many of these websites are set up by these very same law firms?

 

Good luck with trying to sue Merck you will most likely die of old age before the trials come to court.

 

This is probably why most of the law firms are pulling out of the propecia class action law suits.

 

Plus even if you win you will get very little money.

[Mark2010]

It's important to be aware of these risks, but remember that all drugs have some sort of side effects ranging from the common and the minor to the more serious that are statistically unlikely.

 

A 1.4% chance of getting PFS is NOT statistically unlikely.

 

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mens-health/hair-loss-drug-propecia-carries-risk-losing-something-else-n731841

[Mark2010]

Stories like this was what made me delay taking propecia.. when I started noticing my own hairloss around 35 and got off the drug after 4 months usage, didn’t really notice any sides n my hair was still thick n full .. so didn’t want to be dependent on a drug , n got off it for no reason because i didn’t felt like it was regrowing my hairline .. now 3 years later after my hair is thin , n weak , I’m fukked , hair isn’t thick anymore , thinner n weaker now n don’t know if propecia can help anymore , I should of stayed on it years ago ..now I have to spend thousands on a transplant .. going to my consultation today .. driving 2 hours to doctor diep for a consultation ..

 

It’s true propecia can cause some issues.. n some people don’t respond well to it or not get its benefits ..

But does this story make sense ? He was on the drug for 1 year , it helped his hair. He was satisfied with its benefits then n didn’t mention side effects .. but he still Quit after one year..

then 5 years later , he started it again for 10 whole freakin days n now blames propecia for his impotency n depression ... i calll that bullshit!!! Dude had depression already , probably cuz of his hair loss n life issues .. now he’s scaring people off the drug .

 

 

You be should be glad you still have your health.

 

I'd give anything to turn back the clock and to have never taking Finasteride.

[Mark2010]

Yep, and every day some people who get in a car end up dying in a car crash but that doesn't stop us all from driving. I've been on fin for 10 years and have had zero issues. Fathered 2 healthy children during that too. There is a risk, a small one, that there could be side effects. Happens with every single medication out there.

 

I'm tired of the people who are having side effects trying to convince everybody not to take it or to get it outlawed.

 

You may be fine now but try stopping the drug for a few weeks.

 

I had no sexual side effects until after I came off Finasteride.

 

Then my hormones crashed and my Libido was wipped out over night.

[balden]

have you tried topical Finasteride ?

[Rashid36]

fin is a very sensitive topic here especially because it's the only main thing which is effective against hair loss hence many would risk it

[Cheddar]

I started taking Fin 3 months ago and no side effects, and no plans to quit any time soon. It seems to be working well for me and actually wish I had started earlier. Just my 2 cents on the topic.

[Legend007]

I couldn’t get a Hard on today after reading this post . Stop trying to scare me off the drug .

[Gasthoerer]

You may be fine now but try stopping the drug for a few weeks.

 

I had no sexual side effects until after I came off Finasteride.

 

Then my hormones crashed and my Libido was wipped out over night.

 

Why don't you get on FIN again, you would have your Libido and you hair back?

 

 

I am on FIN for almost 3 years now. No issues and my loss has (almost) stopped. Without all the fear mongers I would have been on FIN 2 years earlier instead on MINOX only. I have lost so much hair on MINOX only. 2 years earlier on FIN would have saved me several thousand € and several thousand hours in the Internet searching for clinics etc. Never mind the pain of having a bad crown...

 

By the way: The week after I bought FIN I felt really terrible. Started right after a couple of hours. I felt weak, depressed and had no energy. But...I just bought the FIN and I didn't take it until one week later after I felt better.

[Legend007]

I feel exactly as u do gasthoer .. I wasted a good two years on natural sulplemnts , minoxidil n shampoos n laser cuz of the fear mongering .. I lost a lot of hair wasting time on those things. Only fin will keep ur hair from miniaturizing

[Triple7]

You may be fine now but try stopping the drug for a few weeks.

 

I had no sexual side effects until after I came off Finasteride.

 

Then my hormones crashed and my Libido was wipped out over night.

 

If you were taking it and had no sides, why would you stop? That makes no sense.

[Mark2010]

If you were taking it and had no sides, why would you stop? That makes no sense.

 

 

I developed severe insomnia while on the drug along with other non sexual side effects.

[Legend007]

I don’t want to diminish the pain u r going thru..

I also feel like finiasteride has lowered my libido .. when I was on fin 3 years ago for 4 months .. after coming off it ,, my erections were definitely harder n I wanted sex

More. So no side effects when I got off it. Except for an acceleration of thinning hair n recession. So I’m back on .. the positive effects has far out weighed the negative ..

.. ur situation is weird , u would quit fin when u had no sexual side effects n saw improvement with ur hair ? Because of insomnia ? I think u have other health issues that u r blaming on prophecia. Don’t be too adamant about blaming it on that . But best of luck to u ..

[quidproquo82]

You may be fine now but try stopping the drug for a few weeks.

 

I had no sexual side effects until after I came off Finasteride.

 

Then my hormones crashed and my Libido was wipped out over night.

 

 

Have you actually had real blookwork done? Are your hormones actually deficient?

[sadhairlossman]

I am also coming to the conclusion that Finasteride is pure poison... I have unearthed a ton of credible research and reports of side effects. I developed major sleep related issues and now that I go back to where it all started, I can clearly point out Finasteride is behind my condition. Going for more tests...