On Propecia for 10 years, photos, measurements, concerns and questions

[memoryboy]

Got my latest bloodwork done. Still waiting for some numbers.
They don't measure DHT in my country, so they actually have to send to Germany to get measured. So it takes 7 days.

Met up with endocrinologist. Was a quite unpleasant guy to begin with. But he didn't think there's anything wrong with my hormones, and all are in range.

My liver numbers were high but this cannot be finasteride. I have the numbers from a year ago, and they were normal. I'll go and make a 9 day liver detox.

Met up with my original andrologists/urologists as well. He said all my numbers are alright as well.

I still have prostatitis and he said to concentrate to get rid of that. He prescribed me prostate massage and some milder antibiotics regime.

Maybe my prostatitis really had nothing to do with finasteride. But I read somewhere that high estrogen in young males could potentially cause prostatitis. And my estrogen was high probably because finasteride. Not sure.

Regret I didn't do the blood tests before starting finasteride 10 years ago.

My sperm quality was the same bad as in the fall, maybe slightly worse. But the measurement in the winter with very bad almost infertile results was done in another place, and was supposedly wrong.

He checked me and didn't think I have gyno. Coudn't detect any breast tissue by hand. Doctor asked to go get a mammography if I wanted to. I can get it done in the end of the month if I choose so.

I kind of regret ever having read all the Propeciahelp stuff and kind of regret ever had come of finasteride. After 3 months off it, I'm shedding like crazy and loosing hairline day by day. Even going though my hair by hand, tons of hair is coming off. Not no mention showering or combing. I'm actually considering to start taking it again. Should I? How long I could expect to stop shedding? The big shedding has been going on for a week o so. Maybe try 0,5mg a day dose at first? I was on that one for the last 3 months before quitting. Could I expect growing back that I've lost in this shed? Considering that I grew it back the last time I started using it.
Any supplement to take to keep my androgen/estrogen ratio in check along with finasteride?

I miss the 8 years I didn't think about my hair loss and never visited these forums ))

I've taken a month break before a few times, this was the first 3 month break. I think it's safe to say, finasteride was keeping all my hair.

Being off Propecia, my morning erections are back though.
Also sperm is more white and less transparent.
And I'm starting to think a lot of my ED was in my head.
My doctor also said to me I should maybe see a psychologist.
I'm still using Cialis sometimes though, it's just rock hard with that for a long time.

It's often like this, that you see one little side effect that could or could not have to do with finasteride and you can blew it all up in our head reading all the horror stories that probably feed on from each other. Not to say some of it is true but it's millions of people taking the drug.

My current tests. 3 months off Propecia.
Testestorone seems pretty low to me though and estrogen pretty high (dropped a little but still high).
Even though my doctor said he doesn't see any problem.

Anyway, testestorone is a lot lower than it was on Propecia (then it was 22.49) and even lower than 3 months ago after quitting (around 17). Could quitting of finasteride has caused this?

My doctor said it's in range and alright. And it's fluctuating and that's normal.
It's a very trustworthy doctor and the leading andrologist in my county. But also, he is the one that is prescribing finasteride to hundreds of patients, so I guess it would be hard to admit any persistent problems as he has preached the drug is safe to use.

Prolactin is alright (high Prolactin would be the cause of gyno).

Testestorone 14.4 nmol/l...................8-29 nmol/l
Oestradiol 118.7 pmol/ll..................<146 pmol/l
SHBG 22 nmol/l
TSH 3.33 mlU/l...........................0,40-4,00
Prolactin: 192 mlU/l....................53-360
Progesterone (P4): 1.72 nmol/l.............<4.11
FSH 8,1 IU/l..........................1,4-18,1
LH 4,37 IU/l..........................1,5-9,3
S-DHEAS 8,3........................0,9-15,4
Cortisol 331 nmol/l................138-690
FT4 15,08 pmol/l....................11,5-22,7
FT3 5,60 pmol/l.......................3,5-6,5

Androgen/Estrogan ratio......still waiting for the result
DHT......still waiting for the result
Free testestorone......still waiting for the result
Bioavailable Testosterone......still waiting for the result
3-alpha-diol G 5AR-II activity......still waiting for the result

If anyone experienced care to elaborate on my results, I'd be happy to hear that! Thanks!

The weird thing is. Propecia and generic are still not available in any pharmacies in my country. For more than 3 months. Could be even more as I had a little supply in store. My inital quitting was because I couldn't get the drug any more... And noone seems to know why.

yeah, the NOCEBO effect can be strong on us. Especially if it's messing with sexual organs and functions. It's so important for us as males.

I'm shedding like crazy in the front and temples and receding hard. Really having different looks already in matter of days.

If I start finasteride again, how soon I could expect the shedding to stop? But I've lost so much already that if I don't grow it back then I would definitely need to get an transplant.

I've read that this DHT shock shedding after and starting Propecia should stabilize though and some of it could grow back.

The shedding is so depressing that I consider shaving it at least for the time being.

I've never had shaved head, so I'm a bit scared how it would suit me.