Anyone take Propecia Long Term & Quit w/out Problems

[blakes33]

I have never heard of anyone developing side effects after stopping when they had no side effects on the drug. I suppose anything is possible, but it is certainly not "many" men who experience this. I stopped almost 2 years ago after being on the drug for 12 years. All my hormone levels went back to where they are supposed to be as soon as I quit. A few days after I stopped the drug, I noticed slightly improved sexual performance and the return of morning erections. I guess I lost these while taking the pill and never even realized it.

As far as hair loss goes, I noticed some increased shedding starting a couple of months after I stopped and lasting several months. Nearly two years later, my hairline has thinned some, but I am certainly not bald as I thought I would be.

How aggresive was your hairloss when you started propecia? Was it frontal hair-loss?

I am kinda glad to be off now for 11 weeks but very worried I will have "catch-up" hairloss soon if I don't start back? I don't know if it's true that happens (Merck claims it does) but will I really go bald within a year?

[bob13]

Blake what happened to you.

Why ask now after taking it for 14 years . sounds really strange.
Just quit for 6 months and find out.
Your asking questions nobody can answer.
Everybody body is different.

But you'll lose a lot pretty soon.
Just take the pill and forget it.
Im old couldn't care less about sex.
I've had plenty.

[blakes33]

Yeah - not many worries until I found out the new information on propecia side-effects that have been recently released that are permanent.

I do realize that at 65 sex may not be that important anymore. But, at 35 my friend, loss of sexual ability is akin to losing the ability to walk!!!

[blakes33]

Anyone else multi-year user of propeica and ended up OK after quitting????

Or like me, did problems emerge months after quitting?

[blakes33]

I'm even MORE interested to know (and there seems to be NO answer to this) if someone who had no problems on the drug but developed major problems after quitting, RESTARTED the drug and if it restored them back to health again!!!!

[blakes33]

Over the 13 years I took the drug, I would occasionally quit for several weeks (even as long a 3 months around year 10) just to give my body a break. It wasn't until quitting this last time, around end of 2011 that the symptoms struck me and the nightmare began... I was a great responder all those years with no side-effects, until the end of my usage of the drug, and in particular after I stopped it.

[Karlton]

Over the 13 years I took the drug, I would occasionally quit for several weeks (even as long a 3 months around year 10) just to give my body a break. It wasn't until quitting this last time, around end of 2011 that the symptoms struck me and the nightmare began... I was a great responder all those years with no side-effects, until the end of my usage of the drug, and in particular after I stopped it.

Hello Blakes33,
Do I understand correctly that you quit fin in 2011 and have been having problems ever since? I have been on for about 13 years myself, with the exception of one short break at the 10 year mark. I have had no issues beyond the occasional testicular pain/low libido. What sort of problems are you having, and what specifically has brought you back to the forum today? How has your hair held up? Forgive me if I've missed something.
Best,
Karlton

[blakes33]

Hello Blakes33,
Do I understand correctly that you quit fin in 2011 and have been having problems ever since? I have been on for about 13 years myself, with the exception of one short break at the 10 year mark. I have had no issues beyond the occasional testicular pain/low libido. What sort of problems are you having, and what specifically has brought you back to the forum today? How has your hair held up? Forgive me if I've missed something.
Best,
Karlton

Karlton,

Thanks for your response. Sorry it took awhile to get back.

Yes, that is correct - I quit in Nov 2011 for just a "break" and to prove that all the fuss about the drug that it could cause permanent damage was not true. I had seen the George Washington University study and it made me a little nervous, although I had taken the drug for so long without any real side-effects (until the very end of usage), I thought it was surely bogus or biased. So I just thought, I've quit before for several weeks to give my body a break and been just fine - I'll do it again and then feel better that this information and fuss about Post-finasteride syndrome isn't true or real.

Symptoms are sort of difficult to explain, because this is not a problem in which you develop a few symptoms, it is truly a whole-body or hormonal system shutdown. I don’t want to list everything here, as it is personal (look in your PM Inbox for details). Overall, metabolism has slowed to almost a shut-down with all symptoms of a hypogonadal condition, even though my testosterone, estrogen, free T, etc.. levels all "show" to be in perfect normal range! So, my body responds as if my hormones are not there at all.

The two studies being done right now, one at Baylor College of Medicine headed by world-renowned Dr. Mohit Khera and the other at Harvard University are both looking at the two most prevalent theories to describe what happens in PFS - that there is brain-damage (neurosteroid levels altered) and that the androgen receptors have become sensitized so that testosterone and DHT cannot be absorbed by the body anymore. They are beginning to think it is NOT only happening to men that have some sort of genetic pre-disposition - how do I know this? *Because Dr. Khera did genetic testing on me, testing my number of CAG repeats and mine were completely normal showing I was a "good responder" to propecia (which of course I was for a long time).

The two studies by the way, are investigating and looking into almost EXACTLY what this comprehensive article (The 5ARI Withdrawal Syndrome) reports on. --> http://www.protocol-online.org/forum...1282061244.ipb

One more side-note: I ran across this article yesterday and it made me really feel for the loss of this family. This good-looking bright young man took propecia and his damage from the drug led him to a place of desperation and hopelessness. His family has asked that in lieu of flowers/cards, donations be sent to the Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation. He was a Doctor (PhD) and Professor of Criminal Justice, where he taught at University of North Texas. His story here --> http://www.pfsfoundation.org/news/da...art-1976-2014/

[Andrew Vernon]

Blakes33

For me initially taking Propecia made me ' Cloud headed ' and my inhibition to have sexual urge was slightly diminishing . However after switching to Proscar and lowering the dosages . I found that I have regained all my faculties again .

[AfterHair]

i quit after 2 years and then got catch up loss.. about a year later i restarted.. probably would have been ahead if i had never quit.