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Tranquille fréro, il faut seulement faire se que tu à besoin de faire pour t'en sortir. Au début je me suis sentis complètement foutus mais maintenant je suis carrément presque guérie.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maximilien
Relax, don't overthink and all will be good.
Merci mec, prend soin de toi.Quote:
Originally Posted by MungYarlon
Welcome. And good luckQuote:
Originally Posted by Maximilien
Temps + constance = succès.
I'll keep that in mind. Merci 🙏Quote:
Originally Posted by Cdsnuts
Hi all,
I suffer from PFS since two months now and my hope to recover naturally vanished.
Someone recommended me this forum and the protocol so I am here now trying my best to overcome this shitty condition.
I already have all the herbs and started to cycle them. I will also start one of the recovery threads as it seems like a good idea to me.
I always hab "bad luck" in live and this condition will either break me completely or I will overcome it and it will make me stronger.
Thanks all!
You're the only one who can decide that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sterlo
Hey guys,
Got off fin a month ago April 4th. Luckily found this place through reddit and have been reading through this forum and TMO for a few weeks now. This forum has been keeping me sane and hopeful. You guys are awesome just for us anons who come through here. I may not technically have PFS yet but I know I must act sooner rather than later!
Bro relax, you can stay here for the self improvement if you want, but I can guarantee you don't have PFS. It isnt the type of thing which will lay dormant for months before rearing its ugly head.Quote:
Originally Posted by index
You're likely to somaticize symptoms if you start worrying about it.
Yeah I probably have exacerbated the symptoms after crashing just from anxiety to an extent, but the sexual symptoms did started suddenly April 1st, got off fin April 4th and it got very bad 5-6 days later. I have been experiencing many sexual/mental sides since then. Was going to detail more in a dedicated post.
Hello boys, I'm not happy to find myself on this forum but here I am. I have been suffering from "PFS like" symptoms form 5% minoxidil that I used on my face for 5 days. That might sound crazy but here's what happened.
I was 19 years old, had no health issues and had a perfect hormone profile. I wanted to fill out my beard for the hell of it. After watching some YouTube videos about growing facial hair, I stumbled across videos about men using 5% minoxidil to grow their beards. This lead me to the subreddit about it called /r/minoxbeards and it seemed to work great for most people, I saw posts of guys with zero facial hair growing full beards in a year! For a guy like me with decent facial hair but with some patches to fill in I assumed that in a few months of using it my beard would be perfect. I looked up the sides for minox and they all seemed minor: Hair growth in other parts of the body, fast heart rate for an hour or two after using and some itchy skin. This medication came off as a miracle drug with minor symptoms so that day I walked to the store and picked up a three month supply. I took some pics of my beard before, applied it and went to bed. I did the recommended 1ml twice a day for only 5 days.
By only the third day I noticed my libido was down when I didn't feel anything when I talked to an attractive girl at the gym, at the time I didn't think much of it (just assumed it was because I just worked out and maybe I was tired). In the following two days I noticed my penis go almost completely numb and my flaccid penis that was previously fairly large shrink to where it was when I was 14 years old (lost about two inches and some girth). I stopped the med on the fifth day but didn't think it was caused by it. I thought maybe it was just because I was working out too hard and that would go away after a few days. Keep in mind this couldn't have been placebo considering, I didn't know it could cause this and I didn't know what PFS was let alone what propecia even was! I had 0 knowledge on baldness or anti-balding meds.
I spent the next few weeks getting increasingly scared because my symptoms were not getting better. I still did not think it was because of the medication. On the third week I brought this up to my father and awkwardly asked him if he ever had something like this. He immediately said "Did you use propecia that stuff can screw up guys for years!", I reassured him it was Rogaine and not propecia (this was the first time I heard of PFS or propecia). I ended up finding the propecia forum that night and after some internet searching I found these guys had the same damn symptoms as me! I searched "minoxidil" on the forum and found a few guys saying minox gave them PFS! I ended up finding a review page for Rogaine and there were over 250 reports of the drug causing sexual issues (most of them were from the last 4 years) averaging a few reports a month. This made my heart drop and I felt like my life was over, not only do I have PFS symptoms but I got them from an over the counter med that is said to cause nothing more than minor short term skin issues at worst! I found a group chat with about 80 guys suffering from PFS symptoms from minox, literally no one in that chat has been cured (some even 8 years down the line).
Its now month two of me discontinuing minoxidil and nothing has improved. My penis has actually gotten more numb and my libido has stayed the same (very low) but luckily my ED is still very minor. Also after the first month my energy has went down a ton and I always feel tired (though this could be because I am depressed from the other symptoms so I won't blame it 100% on the drug). One day I ended up chatting with a random dude on the YouTube comments who had similar symptoms as me. He got low libido/numb penis and ED from using minoxidil and referred me to the "CDNUTS" protocol that he said was making him feel much better. So here I am. I hope I can regain my manhood and conquer this beast. I am not the type to let issues consume my life, I will defeat this. I also quit the "propeciahelp" forum because the guys on there do anything but "help".
Welcome.Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenSun
Man....more and more minox guys. Fucking shame. Luckily I was spared by that one.
I think you'll find EVERYTHING you need on this forum and TMO.
Sooner you go all in, the sooner you'll have your life back....and more.
Hello guys, greetings from Spain
I've been reading the forum intensively for a week and TMO. I have learned what it takes to get started. But I have encountered a problem, losttempireherbs does not send to my country Spain.
Maybe if someone knows another European website or that sends their products to Europe, it would be very useful to me.
It's a shame because lostempireherbs products seem of great quality, also in powder, which I prefer to capsules.
You need to get a forwarder here....maybe one of the guys on the board would help. I've done it before but I'm so behind it's not funny.Quote:
Originally Posted by boldocore
Welcome dude,Quote:
Originally Posted by boldocore
I'm surprised, I just placed an order from France last week.
If you don't mind the extra cost you could try something like Shipito: they give you the address of one of their warehouse located in the US, then they send it to you
Thanks for sharing this!Quote:
Originally Posted by Maximilien
Hello everyone, I am from Colombia, I have been with this disease for 3 years, I had all the symptoms, serious neurological and sexual.
Fortunately all the neurological symptoms have reversed, but the sexual ones have been fluctuating. These days I think I have had a relapse into anxiety and depression because I met a girl that I love and that makes me nervous, because my penis responds when it wants, there are days when I can have a solid and strong erection and have sex, others days she is numb and without libido.
I recently started a strictly gluten-free paleo diet again, and I have bought some supplements to be cycled, but I have a question, do you consider it strictly necessary to do the cycle of pro hormones? What type of product is it and how is it applied? I thought I saw in the PH forum that CDnuts said that andro hard is no longer sold.
Thank you all very much, and let's never lose hope.
Whats up Fernando,Quote:
Originally Posted by Fernando_E
You found a good place here. People here have a good mindset, apply the protocol, and eventually recover.
The prohormones are not necessary, they simply speed the recovery process by helping regenerate the 5ar enzyme at a faster rate. You can recover without them, it might just take you more time.
Currently, the recommended prohormone is UltraHard by Iconic Formulations. Look at the sticky section (above the regular forum board), there is a post on DHT prohormone and a link to save 20% on your order.
However, what is more important than the prohormone is following every part of the protocol (look at the totalmaleoptimization website). Diet and supplements won't be enough.
If you have any questions don't hesitate to make a post. This protocol works, but the hardest thing is being patient and keep doing it long enough to achieve recovery.
Hey everyone. I am 21 from Canada.
I took finasteride for 2 years and did a course of accutane during that too, (yikes) and slowly developed all the typical PFS symptoms (sexual, cognitive, emotional, physical) throughout last year.
I first didn't know what was wrong with me, then put it together. I spent a lot of time on propeciahelp following my realization i had pfs. However, I eventually grew heavily disgusted with the attitudes of many users on that site and found this site, thank god.
I love how pragmatic and positive everyone is here, this is the right place for me. I will be starting the protocol immediately, just have to get my materials for the juice feast.
Also to be honest, I am a little worried because I also took the accutane and am yet to see an Post Accutane Syndrome sufferer recover from the CDNuts protocol, but the PFS recoveries are enough for me to give this thing a shot.
I am excited to get started and reclaim my health. This seems like a great community.
That's because it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Malibu
Welcome all new comers.
Thanks friends,Quote:
Originally Posted by Maximilien
I have found the herbs with suppliers in Spain, they are not Lost Empire but I think they are good ... I have been with the protocol for a couple of months, soon I will do my first cycle of pro hormones.
Reading many stories of the members, I have doubts when choosing either ultra hard or alpha four, I suppose that a hormonal analysis would help me to know which is the most suitable for me at this time, right?
Hi Folks
Adz here. Not sure if this requires a journey post of its own but I'll be brief here.
My whole story started in a matter of two weeks. Luckily I came across this forum as opposed to other forums because they were sending me down a horrible spiral. Looking for support from anyone and to support others as well.
Started losing hair this year. Typical story, go to dermatologist. Prescribed Fin. Have had several friends on it and they reassured me its fine. So took the plunge.
Dose: Took 0.5mg x 12 / over the course of 12 days.
Symptoms:
- Didn't experience any negative side effects until day 12 (which probably happened earlier but I only noticed on day 12). Any desire for sex is gone. It's like it left my body. Simply gone. No libidio. No drive. No hunger for sex.
- I don't have any other symptoms other than a slightly dull pulsating ache in the lower groin region/testicles. Comes and goes. I honestly don't know whether this is playing up because of stress.
- Note its been 4th day I've stopped Fin.
- Penis doesn't feel itself either. Like its half dead. It's a really weird feeling. I wouldn't say its shrunk or anything just 'not right'. Lifeless almost...
- Did a few tests getting hard/erect. With a little effort I can get erect but requires constant stimulation. As soon as I stop rubbing it goes limp. I can get excited if I was looking at something stimulating but it requires effort. Doesn't feel like my body needs it. I don't think I'd be able to maintain an erection during sex now.
Anyway, I've been so horrendously stressed. I've started taking a gander over this forum. I'm aware of the protocol just wondering whether I should give it a bit of time and see if things get better or start straight away.
I needed to post something somewhere and just feel there's support from others. So thank you to those who use this forum and Cdsnuts for keeping things going here which I've noticed already.
Also if anyone is keen to chat and keep each other updated on progress. Please feel free to reach out.
Hey guys,
I have been a lurker for around 4-5 months now. I crashed during December last year( 2020). I initially visited PH and quickly got sucked into deep depression as I thought my life was completely over and I got mostly every symptom. I was lucky enough to stumble on English, mitch, c.d and other people who pointed me in this direction. Since I was really down I started to implement the protocol slowly as layed down on TMO by C.d . As of now I have the following symptoms.
1. Physical - loss of muscle mass( 15 kgs) , old people like skin on my legs , extreme fatigue . The oil on my face has returned and my skin is looking better since I crashed . Also my hairfall has resumed.
2. Mental - brain fog and unable to read or work for long hours , anxiety, don't do well with noise, bright lights. Also experience derealization but has gotten Slightly better. Tinitus comes and goes and has some corelation to stress as I see it.
3. Sexual - mostly back to normal, leaving the size . Ejaculation does make me feel worse. Orgasm are also almost normal and enjoyable now. Semen quality is also almost back to normal.
4. Sleep - have worked on this the most - got it down to 5-6 hours of sleep
5. Gut - I am really intolerant to many foods like meats , lentils, some vegetables like peas and potatoes ( I got my gut tested and I have a dysbiosis)
6. Harmones - My cortisol levels both morning and evening are normal. My test levels have gotten better from low 300 to high 400 but my total test has fallen from 14 to 13.4 which seems to be an shbg problem like many others here. The biggest thing for me is my TSH which is 4.8 which is way over the mark and was wondering if anyone has faced this and solved i would love to get some help in this department. it as my t4 and t3 levels also seem fine.
What I am doing
Routine-
1.Wake up at 6 and look at the sun ( this helps alot to set the circadian rhythm and helps with sleep.
2.Do pranayam and yoga
3.Do some meditation and breathing exercises
4.Have a cold water shower ( dry scrubing , only use a anti fungal shampoo once a week as I have really bad Sebhoric dermatitis)
5.Get an hour or so of sun( live in india so it's possible) ( sun my boys and do mobility work)
6. Eat 2 eggs made in ghee in the morning with spinach
7. Get to work mostly am able to only work for like 2-3 hours in total a day ( I am a law student so I am not really working as of yet so I am lucky that I don't have to go to work)
8. Lunch - vegitables stew made in olive oil or ghee with sorghum roti( its an Indian flat bread)
9. Workout at 3 ( I can't handle weights and leads me to crash everytime so I have shifted to calisthenics 3-4 times a week)
10. Back to work 3 -6 ( snack is mostly a fruit like papaya or apple - I don't do well with sweet fruits)
11. 6 - 7.30 ( walks in forest while looking at the setting sun - helps to set circadian rhythms)
12. 7.30 - dinner ( usually the same as lunch instead of sorghum roti I'll go for brown or red rice)
13. Gadgets off by 9 ( I sit and meditate or use the holosync/ binaural beats to calmn down) and also journal before bed.
Supplements -
1.magnesium glycinate - makes me sleep well.
2. Zinc citrate
3. Digestive enzymes
4. B vitamin complex ( makes my piss look like Mt.dew)
5. Vitamin d3 k2
6. L- glutamine
Going to start -
1. Bacopa
2. L- tyrosine
3. L- theanine
4. Curcumin
I am also working with a functional medicine practitioner for my problems in the gut.
I had a few questions I hope someone more experienced can answer it , as I would be really grateful for any kind of help :-
1. What can somebody do for soul crushing fatigue cause it really limits what I can do for workouts or does it simply go away . It amazes me how alot of whom recovered actually kept jobs and went to work while dealing with this problem which seems super human to me.
2. Has someone successful solved their thyroid problems and can possibly tell me what they did to better their tsh.
3. I have tried to lower my carbs but don't do well on a low carb diet , is it okay to eat carbs more than once a day as c.d suggests to backload them in the evening
4. Has some else also expirenced intolerance to meats as i was a frequent meat eater before the crash but now all I can eat is eggs for some reason when it comes to non- veg. Also is gelatin, chicken broth and fish broth just as effective for the gut as beef broth?.
Also any other insights into what I maybe doing wrong is always welcome. I find the recoveries board really inspiring and shows me how much work I need to do.
As for the herb rotation I intend to order them but since I am still dependent on my parents for money as I am only 20 I still have to wait a little. Though a lot of the herbs suggested by c.d are ancient ayurvedic medicines like tribulus ( gokshura), bacopa( bhrami), ashwagandha, shilajeet etc. So I maybe able to source them locally till I can convince my parents to buy the lost empire brand of herbs.
Thanks a lot and I am looking forward to having positive discussions on this forum
What's up fellas. I'm 26 years old - took finasteride for 6 months before quitting. Symptoms (in order) - lack of appetite, brain fog, rash on legs, QUIT PILL, sexual side effects (all of them), depression, muscular atrophy, bone/skin changes (lost all my callouses on my guitar fretting hand).
I've been reading through a lot of posts and wanted to document my own journey. Looking forward to any guidance along the way. Currently on TMO protocol. Just finished 7 day water fast last week - rebuilding phase starting now. Will be starting a thread shortly to document my progress.
Welcome.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trixy
You shouldn't have any trouble getting good herbs in india. You can probably get most of them in a store where you live right over the counter.
For thyroid support, use this :Amazon.com: Optimox Iodoral 12.5 mg - Original High Potency Lugol Solution Iodine Nutritional Supplement - Energy and Thyroid Support - 90 Tablets : Health Household .. You won't need it the whole time. If you take it longer then necessary you start going in the other direction.
- - - Updated - - -
Welcome.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerf Yams
Hey all, just wanted to introduce myself.
i'm a 24 year old dude. I took finasteride for about three weeks, ending in late April of this year. I had some moderate ED while on the drug, but decided to discontinue. Two weeks following cessation I had my 'crash' though it didn't absolutely buttfuck me like it has to many here. It seems like my primary symptoms are disturbed and unrestful sleep, and as someone with hypochondria, a pretty immense amount of regret and anxiety surrounding my decision to take the drug, compounded by the fact that i've struggled with some neurological issues stemming from another drug as well as a concussion years ago. As it stands, things are okay and showing signs of natural recovery. Here's a list of what i'm currently dealing with
Dick: about 80% pre-fin. still get morning wood and orgasms and sexual pleasure seem unaffected but boners don't come as easily.
Mental: about 80-90% feeling pretty clear, anxiety is very high however and my life has really taken a hit as I can't stop the cycle of obsessive thoughts about wishing I never tried the shit.
Sleep: this is my main problem. I'm about 60% here. I have very vivid dreams and wake up a few times during the night. i don't feel refreshed in the mornings and have quite a bit of fatigue day in and day out. My energy is really low. It affects my motivation and well, and basically everything else in my life as sleep is a crucial aspect in one's overall health. This has improved but I am not back to baseline, four months since stopping.
that's about it. I've adopted about 70% of the protocol as of the past few weeks and this has coincided with me seeing improvements in the energy department. However, this is not enough. I'll go full bore in the next month or so when my schedule and finances allow for it. I may make a log later but i understand that frequenting these forums and nitpicking symptoms is not healthy for my mindset. I think a full recovery is definitely possible and I look forward to feeling normal again, and it's great to have found a community like this. I wish all of you the best in your recoveries.
All the best,
Flapjack
WelcomeQuote:
Originally Posted by Flapjack
hi guys, (i will try to keep it short)
randomdutch96 here. a healthy, slim, 24 athletic guy.
Dosage:
took finasteride 2 times: for 3 to 4 weeks in march, quitted for 1 month and 3 to 4 weeks in May. dose of ~0.25 eod.
had small sides like watery semen, and less hard erection, and a bit less libido so I quit and tried it a second time to see if I would have no sides the second time. but unfortunately the same.
in the first week of March I also had brain fog I suppose. it was weird, it was just like I couldn't concentrate and wasn't present sometimes.
Story:
After quitting in may, I had no sides anymore as far as I know for 3 to 4 months, was still horny, and had spontaneous erections. last week I was with a girl, and we tried having sex but due to her being very tight we had to try multiple times and after trying x times my d*ck stopped working and stayed numb. (i was hard tho without physical stimulation and horny but not extremely horny). the night before meeting her however i jerked off 3 times in 2 hours lol.. perhaps a little bit too much of the good stuff.. oops...
after that, I tried to evaluate how my libido was last week and my erections, and I noticed that it has been way less than the previous months.
maybe it's psychological, maybe it's PFS. I'm still in doubt whether it is PFS since I only had been suffering low/no libido, a numb penis, and weak erections for a week as far as i know.
will look for another month how it goes and gonna try out viagra(generic) tonight because I'm meeting up with this girl again. gonna get a blood test this coming week too.
If I won't have any improvements for a few months I might look into solutions provided here.
mentally I'm still 100% I guess and enjoying life, like sport, hanging out with friends, alcohol etc. (perhaps more tired as usual but that's perhaps just me doing nothing due to holiday.)
furthermore, sleep is still fine.
so the main issue is: low lobido, weak erections, numb penis.
anyway, I will keep you guys updated. (should I open a new folder for my story and how things go?)
Glad that we can come here to share our stories!
if anyone has a question, ask ahead.
All the best,
randomdutch96
Hey guys
Been on this thread for the last few days now, finding everything really valuable compared to the plethora of doom and gloom on other forums. There seems to be an awesome community and great advice so I thought I'd join.
I started with 0.25 daily about four months ago, I knew this shit was poison but after researching and listening to sources online I was slightly reassured and thought that lowering the dosage would reduce the instance of side effects. This was obviously a bad idea, throughout the four months the side effects came on very slowly and progressively which didn't prompt me to get off the drug as sooner.
Looking back now and checking the forums I'm getting more or less similar effects that most guys here are having. I've noticed the severe loss of libido, slight dick shrinkage, brain fog, headaches, loss of motivation, difficulty lifting weights, slight gyno and changes in body composition. I already had low testosterone to begin with so taking this has really not improved my situation.
I do have a few more questions and might make a seperate thread, grateful to have found this community as you guys seem super supportive and positive.
All the best
Welcome. Follow the protocol and as you'll see, you'll get where you need to go.Quote:
Originally Posted by krvs
30 year old guy here, I took finasteride for almost 1.5 years. What’s strange is I noticed I was having slight issues with getting an erection within the first few months but the issue went away so I figured continuing the medication was OK. Big mistake. I haven’t experienced the brain fog issue nor has my anxiety issue gotten worse (that I can tell). The only issue I seem to be having is sexually related.
Let me preface this by saying that I can still achieve an erection *usually. It’s harder for me to get at full mass and most of the time the erection doesn’t last if I’m not constantly touching my penis. I still have the morning wood. I can achieve orgasm although I feel it happens quicker than what it did before starting the drug. My libido has taken a big hit. Normally it wouldn’t take much to get me in the mood and now I’m lucky if I’m able to experience this feeling twice a week.
I was starting to feel that my issues were more psychological until I noticed a physical change in my member. It seems thinner than it was before and it curves at a weird angle when it’s soft. Hard to explain. I find that it’s easier for me to maintain an erection when I am lying down but when I stand I begin to lose it. All in all, my sex life has taken a big hit. I don’t want to get close to anybody because of my erectile issues. I’ve had testing done and I’m normal. Testosterone levels are fine.
Not sure if there is anybody here who may experience the more “mild” sexual side effects that come from taking finasteride. And I’m aware that this could be worse but it’s still a problem for me. I’ve been able to achieve orgasm using both pornography and just my thoughts so I don’t think it’s an overconsumption of porn, even though I do regularly consume it and masturbate. I don’t expect to be a horn dog for the rest of my life but this sudden change, especially around the time I started taking the drug propecia, leads me to believe that it’s to blame. Any advice or words of encouragement is welcomed.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Hey guys!
I'm new here, Im a 31 yo from Spain I'm going to briefly relate my story. Started to take the drug in January 2020. Took it in a dosage of 0.5mg for 6 months or so, until I started to notice those tipical white bumps on my nipples. Then nothing happened, no crash or anything during the followings months. But later, on late November, I restarted the treatment and took it only for two days before crashing. One day 0.5 and the other 0.25. I stopped on 2nd day bc I changed my mind and didn't wanted to take the pill after all.
The thing is that my sympton were only a mild numbed penis. No libido loss, no mental issues etc. My erections were pretty fine at that moment. Maybe testicle shrinkage and dryed penis skin too.
But things got worse 3 months ago after I did a short fast of 30 hours. Then my glans got even more numbed (the numbing is mostly on the glans, the skin below feels almost the same), and a bit shrinked too.
Few weeks ago, I took St John's Wort for a few days (it seem that it gave me alergic reactions so I discontiued it) and my erections and skin improved, but not the numbedness.
Tbh, I don't give this condition too much thinking , but it really gets annoying and it's time to take control of it.
Can someone be so kind to tell me what's that so called "Protocol" that you are following and where I can start?
Thank you all for reading
Hello all.
Been reading around and after 3 years of PFS (and having been lucky enough to see improvements in that time) I'm rather sick of it. I realised earlier in the year that cold showers (of all things) just felt like a benefit, so I started them. I had no intention of following the protocol at that stage especially, but I missed exercise and recently, although PFS takes a toll on the joints for some of us, this has also improved to a significant creaking, but exercise is not off the cards now in the way that it was. Have the opportunity around a period of 3 weeks of no work that'd be perfect for the fast and the juice feast and very much looking forward to cracking on. I was a bodybuilder and Thai boxer in my pre PFS life so you can imagine what it was to lose those. I'm looking forward immensely to having that all back someday.
I did have an abortive stab at the protocol a long time back but I was too lost in "the panic" of the early stages, and also don't feel too unhappy with myself - regrets about not starting sooner ain't going to help, I think all that will is the drive to succeed and so at least I come armed with that.
Looking forward to getting started, asking all the silly questions etc and hoping to take my place here if you'll have me.
So hi everyone. :)
Welcome!Quote:
Originally Posted by jinstewart
In my signatureQuote:
Originally Posted by Livermore90
Hi everyone,
I am new on this boards, and want to let you all know I have a thread coming up about my story. It's good to have found this place, and some hope to get better.
Hey guys,
I wrote this out once before but by the time I tried to post it, I'd been logged out and lost it all, so I guess I'll give it another go.
About 3 years ago, I started worrying that my hairline might be receding. In retrospect it was probably just maturing as I generally had a good head of hair and wasn't having any hair fall, but either way I went to a doctor and was offered either minoxidil or finasteride. Not wanting to mess with my hormones I went with the minoxidil.
I used 5% minoxidil for about 5 months but it caused constant hair shedding, a problem I hadn't dealt with before which didn't seem to slow down with continued use. After 5 months, my hair was in a much worse state and I decided to stop the minoxidil and let my hair recover. However, from there my hair seemed to only get worse, and after a six month break with continued decline I was starting to get fairly insecure about it. I wasn't keen on any hormone altering medications but I'd been burnt by minoxidil already and was feeling desperate to do something, so with multiple doctors proclaiming it to be safe and one even taking it themselves, I decided I'd give finasteride a go.
At first I took 1.25mg twice a week to try to minimise the dose. At first I felt I had more sex drive if anything which eased my worries a bit but after about 4 months I started to experience some sexual side effects. As a response to this, I quickly dropped the drug and seemed to recover fairly quickly after a week break. I talked to my doctor who told me that it was fine to take a break from finasteride and come back to it, as taking something for the issue was better than taking nothing at all. Still feeling fairly desperate about the situation, I followed this advice and jumped back onto the finasteride at a seemingly lower dose of 0.5mg every other day. After about 2 months I started to experience sexual side effects, so I took a break for a week and I felt normal again. I continued this cycle another two times over the course of a few months before eventually deciding I'd had enough with oral finasteride when the side effects became bad enough. I seemingly recovered okay though and decided to try topical finasteride as it appeared to have a lower side effect profile based on studies I read.
I started by applying a 0.1% finasteride + retinoic acid+ 5% minoxidil solution daily, with microneedling to promote efficacy. After a week of daily application I had more severe sexual side effects than I had experienced before and so I eased off the topical finasteride, using it twice a week and minoxidil all the days between.
I did this for about 6 months from November 2020 to April 2021. At this point, I could barely get an erection when I wanted one and with a new girlfriend, I decided I'd had enough of finasteride altogether. I dropped the topical and after about a week off I started to feel better. I tried using a minoxidil+ caffeine+ retinoic acid solution during this break period and I experienced immediate ED, which reoccurred on three different incidence of trying this solution but cleared up in the days after using it. I attribute this to the retinoic acid, as I was still using minoxidil on its own regularly but the straight minoxidil was not causing any fluctuation of the issues.
From there I experienced a decline overtime in sexual function and wasn't appearing to get better. I jumped on mucuna pruriens and Dim after a couple of months because I read in a forum that they helped someone recover, and added maca later. I added pine pollen a few months ago and have been cycling 16 herbs off the list for the last 5 weeks. I also exercise regularly and have done for a long time.
I continue to use minoxidil, I know it is heavily discouraged within this forum as some people have unfortunately experienced side effects from it but it is the only thing keeping my hair going at all and I believe self image and confidence plays into sexual function as well as any physiological factors. I tried the shaved head thing after using minoxidil and literally everyone around me, family and friends told me I looked worse. That being said, I get putting your ego aside for your health and everything, but I took minoxidil on its own for 5 months without any semblance of sexual issues so I feel as though I'm not particularly sensitive to it in that way.
I used to be able to have sex all day, I had no refractory period and could get a boner at a moments notice, where now I mostly rely on cialis for consistent erections. I also have next to no libido and have had almost no morning/ spontaneous erections in the past 4 or 5 months, which used to be a fairly common occurrence.
I would say that I've had a few small upswings but they've only ever lasted a day or two and I've only felt at most at about 40% of my former self sexually in the past 4 months or so.
I'm planning on doing a juice feast and running a cycle of r andro after 8 weeks on the herb cycle. I've been reading this forum for a while and wanted to say hi and maybe chat to some of you guys who have a lot more experience dealing with this issue than I do.
Thanks to anyone who read through the essay and I look forward to chatting more with you.
This isn't really the place for you unfortunately.Quote:
Originally Posted by emay459
You see, you're not going to fully help yourself by staying on the Min.
Here, you gotta get over it, to get over it, if that makes sense.
You're just spinning your wheels bro.
Greetings folks,
I have unfortunately been chosen to partake in getting out of this suddenly crappy situation I put myself into. I’m 25 y/o and After a single Fin pill in Oct my penis became numb and symptoms have progressed to the following after 6 weeks to waiting it out:
-moderate/occasional brain fog
-sleeping trouble
-muscle wastage, inability to get a “pump” in the gym
-slight Ed
-pale skin along with thinner body hair
-no oil or sebum production
-cheek facial wastage with hollow eyes
-fatigue
I luckily still have the ability to mostly be myself and get through the day but the changes have really got me to the point where I’d do anything to claw myself out of this mess and stop blaming myself for my predicament.
Will be starting my week long juice feast tomorrow and then TMO. I’ll also be creating a personal recovery thread to document progress and request advice if needed.
-Alt
Hello everyone
My first post here. I'm one of those idiots who put minoxidil on my face to make a beard. As a result, the beard did not grow much, the hair from the head began to fall out and a complex of sexual problems appeared.
Comedy.
So, first things first.
Started using Kirkland Minoxidil 5% twice daily about a year ago. I took one course (6 months) and since the results were so-so, I decided to stop. At that time, I noticed only a slight thinning of the hair on my head. They began to fall out, but not much. The loss increased over time. After 4-5 months after stopping minoxidil, the hair became very thin and when I woke up one morning I felt that something was wrong. Lack of morning erection and generally lack of life in the penis. Before that, I saw comments from people on the forums on growing beards about the loss of libido, but of course I did not pay attention on it.
I started looking for information in this direction and quickly found it.
There is a group in the telegram of victims of minoxidil with over 100 people. A very negative place. On the same day I got out of it, since there is nothing useful in it. It only contributes to the aggravation of your mental state.
Then I started researching the posts on Reddit and there were some quite helpful ones. In one of them, I read a PFS story from one of the members of this forum (I can't remember the nickname). He also brought up to date on the protocol described here and on the TotalMaleOptimization website.
This gave the only hope after two weeks of complete depression.
Now more about the symptoms I have now:
1. Hair loss on the head. And it is interesting that they also fall out a little on the body.
2. Complete lack of libido or 5% of the possible 100%. Sometimes it seems to me that it increases a little, but I tend to think that this is still a placebo.
3. I cannot say that I have complete erictile dysfunction. The penis stands when needed. But there is no attraction, so without effort, an erection does not last long. There is an erection from time to time in the morning, but I think it's because I want to go to the toilet.
4. Shrinkage of the testes and inability to cum more than 1-2 times. If I squeeze 2 out of myself, then the testicles begin to hurt terribly for several hours.
5. Low sperm count. And it is quite liquid.
6. Decreased pleasure from orgasm.
The symptoms described above are not the only ones that have been for all the time. Here are the ones that were, but seemed to be taken away:
1. Shrinking of the penis and testicles. It looked like he was constantly frozen. And it was, in general, cold.
2. Numbness of the penis / loss of sensation.
3. Pains somewhere within it.
I have been on the protocol for about 1.5 months. As I wrote above, some of the symptoms are gone. And quite sharply. I think it has to do with pumping. I haven’t pumped for about two weeks, and my penis visually looks absolutely normal, just like before the crash. Except of course the smaller testicles, but this is not very visible and varies from time to time.
I am 24. I am a master of sports in swimming. All my life in sports. I don't swim anymore, but 3 times a week I go to the gym and sometimes play football. I've always been on a good diet. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I don’t masturbate and have sex regularly. I have followed this lifestyle for most of my life. This is the most frustrating.
At first, I went on a juice fast for a week. Now I have tightened my diet, added the coldest shower possible, breathing practices, pumping and rotation of vitamins and herbs.
About pumping. I think the thing is useful, but the main thing is not to overdo it as I did at the beginning. At some point, I definitely overdid it and had pain in penis for about a week. After that, everything returned to normal. And it seems to have even improved.
Regarding Vitamim and herbs. I use almost everything that is indicated on the site. But most of them are from Now Foods, Swanson, Solgar. All in maximum dosages. I know that in the protocol a special bias is made precisely on the most natural supplements, but in my situation at the moment this is the best that I could order. Better than nothing.
About fasting. I guess I didn't fast long enough. I am considering fasting for 14-21 days on the water, but I want to do it in a specialized clinic. It costs a lot of money, so for now it is in the plans. The same goes for more natural supplements.
About sex. I have sex regularly, but without much desire or pleasure. Just to not forget how to do it. But as strange as it sounds, I think to do it less, since the constant emptying of the testicles does not feel like something useful. The same thing I would advise to those who masturbate.
Well, this is probably everything I wanted to write.
Of course, I am very interested in the question of why I developed symptoms after 4-5 months after stopping minoxidil. Apparently this thing causes serious damage to the body. For someone, everything collapses abruptly, for someone smoothly.
Mentally I control myself for the most part, but of course there are moments of slight despair and regret for what I have done. Plus, I still have a little doubt that PFS and minoxidil accidents are the same thing and respond to treatment in the same way. But what's the difference, there are no other options.
I wish everyone progress and not lose heart. I would be glad to read the comments and opinions. I will also make reports from time to time.
Good evening everyone, I am French, please excuse me for my English, I am not good at foreign languages.
First of all, I have had PFS for 4 years and had continued to take finasteride until 1.5 years ago. Indeed, I had not made the link because it came gradually ...
Today my disabling symptoms are:
- anhedonia
- 0 libido
- No erection in the morning and randomly
- if I masturbate, they are approximately equal to ~ 60-70% pre-finasteride - very bad sleep
- And I have had difficulty swallowing for 2 months after trying CBD ... Added to that: stomach ache, a lot of burping, feeling of lump in the throat and zero appetite.
(If some people have this last problem I would like some advice please, as it is difficult for me to feed myself. This is really the worst symptom for me. It had eased last week but it was comes back with the resumption of work (I was on sick leave). Stress probably has a big influence on it.)
At the same time, I was on TRT (250mg of androtardyl every 3 weeks) and I will not do the next injection because CD said that it would interfere with the smooth running of the protocol. Otherwise, I did a 1 week fast, and it's been 10 days that I have followed the protocol at 90% (I have not yet bought the Bathmate and the brush to wash): I already see the positive.
- More motivation
- Less tired (while my testosterone level is surely catastrophic because I did not renew my TRT)
- At times, I feel calm, it's very strange because it's been a long time since I felt this. In any case, I thank you very much because I regained hope by discovering this forum.
And that is very important to live the protocol 100%, and finally get out of this hell. Good evening, take care of yourself