Hey guys,
I’ve been holding steady at 90%-100% for a few months now and it hasn’t shown any signs of going away, so I think it’s time to make this post.
You can read most of the details of my story
here.
In a nutshell: I took Propecia from 2007 to 2016. Up until 2015, I was absolutely fine. No side effects at all. But I gradually became really sick. Bleeding gums, horrific depression, lack of libido, no morning wood, etc. When I realized what was happening, I got completely freaked out.
I tapered off the drug over the course of a month and a half, but unfortunately I still crashed. When I received my bloodwork back, I discovered my testosterone was in the 100s – so basically I had the hormones of a 90 year old man. I got every symptom you can think of (with the exception of penis curvature, I think. My little buddy stayed straight) and I can’t tell you how close I was to jumping in front of a train every day.
I joined an online support PFS support group and within a month two of the members had committed suicide. The others were close to giving up.
It was a dark fucking time.
Somehow, I was too stubborn to throw in the towel, so with the support of my girlfriend at the time I pressed on and tried to get better.
I decided to do my research and found the other PFS sites, which weren’t much help in terms of boosting my morale. Hearing about people who had my symptoms for years on end really made things even worse. I don’t know how I found this site and CDNuts, but thank God I did.
I thrive on planning out courses of action, so the minute I discovered his protocol I went to work. Just knowing I was taking positive action and not stuck in a slog did wonders for me. I did the following:
Herb rotation
Lifting
Bathmate
R-Andro Cycles
Cut down on masturbation
Got sun
Cold showers
Some breathing exercises
Little by little, things came back on line. It’s totally true that you take two steps forward and then one step back. For two and a half years, it was a constant trudge of some progress, then relapsing a bit. But forward progress was indeed made. The first and last R-Andro cycles were definitely big milestones for me and pushed me forward quite a bit.
You can read about my first cycle
here.
Right now, I can say my symptoms are gone. Libido is back, mind is totally clear, depression is gone, and I’m getting nothing but complements about my performance in the bedroom. I rarely if ever think about PFS, because it simply isn’t impacting my life anymore.
That said, I still rotate herbs, pump, and lift regularly. I don’t do the R-Andro cycles anymore, both because I don’t like how itchy they make me but also because I don’t have that kind of money.
I don’t take my health for granted and just happy to be back to being myself.
When I was at my worst, I would look to these recovery posts for hope. If you’re in that position, I can tell you the following things:
There is absolutely hope.
You WILL recover if you put in the work.
Just be diligent and mindful. You won’t get better overnight, but if you’re consistent before you know it those dark times you so desperately want to escape will be a memory.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or in any of my threads, please feel free to drop me a line. I still check this forum from time to time and I’m more than happy to help.
Be smart.
Be mindful.
Follow the protocol.
You WILL recover.
I promise.