All my health problems started with finasteride then gradually got worse.
If finasteride triggered all your symptoms, then presumably you have
post-finasteride syndrome (PFS).
These are the symptoms of PFS:
PFS Symptoms: Physical
Gynecomastia
- Female-like breast development and enlargement
Fatigue
- Chronic fatigue, listlessness
Muscle
- Muscle atrophy, weakness
- Muscle twitching
Skin
- Decreased oil and sebum production
- Chronically dry, thinning of skin
- Melasma (brownish macules and patches that typically affect sun-exposed areas on the face)
Hearing
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Metabolism
- Increased fat deposition, obesity and elevated body mass index
- Decrease in body temperature
- Reduced HDL cholesterol, raised fasting glucose and triglycerides
Self-Harm
- Attempted suicide
- Suicide
PFS Symptoms: Mental
Memory
- Severe memory/recall impairment
Cognition
- Slowed thought processes
- Impaired problem solving, decreased comprehension
Psychological
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Suicidal ideation
Emotional
- Emotional flatness and anhedonia
Sleep
You may be interested to know that
@mariovitali said he cured his PFS using the supplements detailed in
this post. I will copy these supplements here:
-Methylation Protocol (If you have Methylation problems you must follow it according to your Gene mutations)
-TUDCA (tauroursodeoxycholic acid): ameliorates Misfolded Proteins/ER Stress
-Taurine : Ameliorates ER Stress
-Vitamin C : Boosts BH4 functionality in case you have impaired production. I have reduced Tetrahydrobiopterin production therefore i use Vitamin C to increase it. Phenylketonuria creates Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Unfolded Protein Response
-Selenium : Deficiency/Over-supplementation increases ER Stress. Induces HSP70, Prevents Protein Misfolding. Note that P5P (=Active form of Vitamin B6, Part of Methylation support regimen) is essential for proper Selenium metabolism.
-Curcumin: Ameliorates ER Stress by boosting HSP70 (Heat Shock Protein). NOTE : High Curcumin intake (=In Supplement form) acts as a DHT Inhibitor.
-Vitamin D3 : Ameliorates ER Stress, Induces HSP70 but it can be problematic to some people because it increases Calcium Absorption which could cause Symptoms if your Calcium Homeostasis is impaired.
-Resveratrol : Induces HSP70. Note that many Resveratrol supplements contain Vitis Vinifera extract which is a potent HmG-CoA Inhibitor (Statin drugs are also HmG-CoA Inhibitors).
-N-Acetylglucosamine (NAG) : Could play a role in controlling ER Stress. DO NOT take NAG and sweets or anything else that increases Glucose levels at the same time.
Note : Foods high in Cholesterol and Glucose increase HmG-CoA activity which is beneficial for us but it is not suggested that you increase HmG-CoA by having Foods high in Cholesterol and Sugar!
-Caloric Restriction (But don't go overboard) : Induces HSP70. Note however that severe drop of Insulin Level (Hypoglycemia) stops HmG-CoA production which for us could be a problem. Probably a good practice is to not eat anything for a day apart from drinking water. Check with your doctor that this is ok for you to do.
-Calcium : Ensure that you have normal calcium levels. Calcium is VERY critical for proper handling of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress but it can be a double-edged sword if Calcium homeostasis is not functioning properly. In this case, supplementing with Calcium will worsen your symptoms. It is recommended that you first supplement with Magnesium (Calcium Antagonist) and see how you feel.
Apparently these supplements boost heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), which then reduces endoplasmic reticulum stress, and this the mechanism by which
@mariovitali believes he cured his PFS.
Mario had post-finasteride syndrome for 7 years; he took heat shock protein 70 boosters to reduce endoplasmic reticulum stress, and within 2 months he was in full remission.
I think TUDCA is one of the most important supplements in the list, as Mario said in
this post that:
Unfortunately i crashed really badly because i stopped TUDCA 5 days ago and minimised Alpha GPC intake. I got very depressed ( i would say severely)...i also got Brain Fog and lost my Libido.
Though I don't know if any other patient suffering from PFS has tried this protocol.