Coming off Propecia temporarily?

[wstef]

I take Propecia and my penis is numb. Orgasms are crap and it takes me a long time to climax.

I have had pretty decent results just 7 months in but it's came to a stage where I am constantly thinking about his numbness issue, and lots of people online seem to report it never going away... so I am scared.

I hope I haven't permanently damaged myself so I am considering coming off Propecia for a while to see if the numbness stops (well, proper sensitivity returns).

Do you think this would be a good idea? I considered reducing the dose but people seem to have done that and get no benefit anyway.

Would I lose much of what I have gained? Any ideas of the timescales I should stop for?

 

[Quantum Cat]

it takes me a long time to climax.

that's a good thing for most men!

A lot of libido problems are psychological. You may be thinking so much about finasteride and what it's doing to you, that the worrying is causing your problems.

Maybe see a psychologist who deals in impotence libido problems before considering stopping the finasteride

as far as permanent side effects... I started a thread in the side effects forum about that issue. The responses make for interesting reading (ie that permanent sides are BS)

 

[wstef]

This isn't a "placebo" effect. My penis is numb when erect and numb when flaccid. I don't feel much when I orgasm, and I don't feel much when I piss. I can literally scrub my penis (not that I do!) and I would only feel it slightly.

This issue came (pardon the pun!) within the first 3 months of taking Propecia then went away gradually, but now it's back to haunt me and it's worse than before and not showing any signs of changing. I reduced the dosage to 0.5mg a week ago and there's been no change (I appreciate it may take longer for side effects to diminish)

Although lasting longer can be a good thing, 30 minutes "on my own" is stupid. It would take me a lot longer with someone else doing it for me.

It's such a shame because I am massively more confident now my hair is thicker and I don't have a bald patch any more, but that confidence is stripped away when I think about the potential situation I could be in sexually; "errrrm sorry you're sore, it's going to take me an hour before I'm done... and it's dead boring".

 

[Quantum Cat]

well I can only advise seeing a penis/sexual health specialist and see if they can do tests

 

[wstef]

It's obviously the finasteride causing it; it's a side effect many people report.

I take approx 50mg of zinc every day and my diet is relatively good. Anyway, I am going to move on to ZMA. Although the reports for it are conflicting it at least helps with sleep which will be good for me, and it's designed for better absorbtion.

I have a theory that it's linked to the size of my prostate, which finasteride can shrink. I've researched around and men who have their prostate removed (due to cancer, usually) often lose sensitivity in their penis.

My balls are more sensitive than my dick!

Anyway, I'm going to come off it for a few weeks and see if the sides fade. If the do I'll continue at smaller doses.

 

[LawOfThelema]

its up to you to decide. these guys cant tell you where to place your value in life.

 

[lobsterlobster]

I'm sorry to hear that, wstf. I was really happy for you when you got rid of your sides over the summer. I know the rate at which finasteride sides diminish is different for everyone, but for me, personally, it's been such a slow process. After not taking any dht blockers for about 2 months, my erections and orgasms are fine. But my libido still isn't the raging beast it used to be. I took other experimental dht blockers for awhile after finasteride, so there may have been other factors, but cognitively, too, I feel like I'm not as clear-headed as I used to be. This is slowly improving, however. I'm definitely not going to mess with internal dht blockers anymore. I know you don't have my body, so you may bounce right back. But retrospectively, I feel a lot of regret for messing with my body so much

 

[wstef]

its up to you to decide. these guys cant tell you where to place your value in life.

I understand this and I have made the decision to temporarily come off Propecia, but I was wondering if others have lost what they have gained quickly... I always assumed that drugs that prevent DHT forming take longer to work, therefore take longer to 'stop' working (i.e. because the hair follicles need attacking all over again it takes time for this to happen).

I'm sorry to hear that, wstf. I was really happy for you when you got rid of your sides over the summer. I know the rate at which finasteride sides diminish is different for everyone, but for me, personally, it's been such a slow process. After not taking any dht blockers for about 2 months, my erections and orgasms are fine. But my libido still isn't the raging beast it used to be. I took other experimental dht blockers for awhile after finasteride, so there may have been other factors, but cognitively, too, I feel like I'm not as clear-headed as I used to be. This is slowly improving, however. I'm definitely not going to mess with internal dht blockers anymore. I know you don't have my body, so you may bounce right back. But retrospectively, I feel a lot of regret for messing with my body so much

Cheers.

It's odd how it affects people differently. Perhaps some of us just need 5-ar to function properly.

I will see how it goes with staying off the stuff for a while. At the moment there's no noticeable improvement and it's been a week. I am worried about it it I am honest.

I too was really happy when I got over the sides initially, especially since I was seeing results. Does anyone actually get over sides if they get them?! It seems the only ones I see go away is ball ache.