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Other Peyronies Disease Discussion Boards => Causes of Peyronies Disease => Topic started by: ben lamb on July 11, 2013, 01:47:12 AM

Title: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: ben lamb on July 11, 2013, 01:47:12 AM
First of all, let me say that I am not even sure that I have Peyronies. I am seeing a doctor in the morning and I'll have a better idea then.

I started taking Finasterdie (propecia) for hair loss in feburary 1st, 2013.

June 7th, 2013, I start noticing a pain/discomfort in my flaccid penis, and it appeared both hard but shorter when flaccid. Had never seen my flaccid penis like this ever. Also had problems getting and maintaining an erecetion

June 7th, 2013, immediately quit taking the propecia, having been educated previously about the sexual side effects of the drug. Haven't taken a propecia pill since/

July 10th, 2013, I still have all of the aforementioned symptoms. If anything they are more severe. When I started taking propecia, I was informed the side effects would stop once I stopped taking the drug. Like I said, I have decided to see a doctor in the morning

Now I had done all of my research regarding propecia in 2012, and finally made the decision to take the pill. I'm now reading there are new studies linking propecia to peyronies and a lifelong prevalence of an array of sexual dysfunctions.

I had never had any of these symptoms before. My symptoms for the past month are:

When flaccid, penis is constantly hard, yet small/stiff. Incapable of having the relaxing, comfortable feeling of a dangling, full flaccid member. Have an array of prominent veins sticking out, running down the sides and top of my penis, which where never present until this past month. Often have a pain and discomfort for no apparent reason.

Have difficulties achieving an erection or maintaining one. when I do, the penis is hard all the way from flaccid to erect, and the penis seems to get blood flowing at the base, but about 1/3rd of the way down my shaft, the penis cant fill up like it can at the base. there also seems to be a crease in the penis at this point. my sex drive is a joke. takes me hours to climax, if i can even get hard. havent had >80% erection since symptoms appeared.

anyways, I am more so hoping these symptoms are from the propecia, and not peyronies. However, the longer I'm off the drug with persistent side effects, the more I am thinking it could be propecia-induced peyronies.

Has anyone in this community heard of propecia causing peyronies?

Just thought I would share my story with you guys and see if you had any input. Thanks
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: IhatePD on July 11, 2013, 07:15:32 AM
ben,

I read some earlier posts on this blog speculating that propecia might cause Peyronies Disease. I started taking propecia for an enlarged prostate and two months later I started getting my first signs of Peyronies Disease without any specific identifiable injuries to my penis that could have caused it. The propecia also reduced my sex drive and I immediately stopped taking it. Two months after that, my urologist diagnosed me with Peyronies Disease.

I feel that the propecia cause my Peyronies Disease but there is really know way I can be 100% sure of that. It is possible that I was going to develop it anyway and it could have just been a coincidence although my life experiences have taught me to not believe in coincidences.

Just my opinion.
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: funnyfarm on July 11, 2013, 10:04:21 AM
BL you have many of the the symptoms of "hard flacid penis syndrome" not peyronies.  Unfortunately it is even more mysterious than Peyronies Disease and not recognized or acknowledged by the medical community.  If you go to the hard flaccid forum you could enquire if it has any connection with the finasteride, I dont know.  http://forum.hardflaccid.org
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: james1947 on July 11, 2013, 07:18:43 PM
ben lamb

I don't know if Finasteride is causing Peyronies, but it definitely causing ED.
ED is written as side effect and it made me ED. The doctor prescribed me Finasteride for enlarged prostate, didn't told me about side effects. When my wife noticed that on my head and all my body I am growing new black hair (I had reddish before getting silver) I made a research by the Interned and stopped immediately.

James
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: ben lamb on July 12, 2013, 12:09:01 AM
Quote from: james1947 on July 11, 2013, 07:18:43 PM
ben lamb

I don't know if Finasteride is causing Peyronies, but it definitely causing ED.
ED is written as side effect and it made me ED. The doctor prescribed me Finasteride for enlarged prostate, didn't told me about side effects. When my wife noticed that on my head and all my body I am growing new black hair (I had reddish before getting silver) I made a research by the Interned and stopped immediately.

James


James,

did your sexual function return to normal after you stopped taking the drug? if so, how long did it take for your normal sex drive to return? I have no sex drive whatsoever, which isn't normal for a healthy 24 year old male. It's been about 5 weeks since I stopped taking finasteride
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: james1947 on July 12, 2013, 04:54:40 PM
ben lamb

I was 61 year old at the time, taking Finasteride for 6 months. I had very strong erections before even my age.
It returned to "almost" normal after 3 or 4 months, but never as before, but shortly after then I had made TUNA treatment to shrink the prostate and had also an injury during sex and I had developed Peyronies and ED.
You are just 24, so I suppose will be back to normal after stopping Finasteride. I can't appreciate the time as those things are very individual, but again you are still very young and your body works different.
Maybe daily low dose Cialis (2.5 - 5mg) or Viagra 12.5 - 25mg) will help also.

James
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: MattFoley on July 12, 2013, 11:34:19 PM
Guys, I said this before and I'll say it again: Anything that messes with your testosterone is bad. Finasteride is a very dangerous drug to male sexual function. I've read horrible stories about that drug including one where a guy claims he started getting female attributes after taking that drug. Essentially, castration.

Causal relationship of lowered testosterone and Peyronie's is blatantly confirmed with Finasteride usage.

I would seriously consider talking to your doctor about testosterone replacement therapy. In the meantime, I would do the following:

https://www.peyroniesforum.net/index.php/topic,3052.msg47106.html#msg47106 (https://www.peyroniesforum.net/index.php/topic,3052.msg47106.html#msg47106)
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: Old Man on July 13, 2013, 08:04:13 AM
Matt:

You are 100% correct about your statements regarding Propecia in any form. It was developed to help guys with hair loss. And, in the process of testing and trials using it, guys found out it did to some degree help with erections. Probably due to the T levels being elevated was the result. However, their levels went too high and caused many sexual problems. This is IMHO a clear case of where FDA did not do their best job of clinical trials, etc.

The above is just my 2 cents on the subject.

Old Man
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: MattFoley on July 14, 2013, 04:48:25 PM
Old Man, well said.

The only reason I started researching Propecia is because I wanted to see what role that drug has in activating Peyronie's. Without doing any further research on it, I really don't know how elevated Testosterone would cause someone to start developing female attributes or weak erections. I just don't have all the answers on it but the only real importance in this is that Propecia plays some kind of role in Peyronie's and that should be a drug put on at least our internal list of drugs to avoid like the plague.

Thanks again for your thoughts.



Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: nemo on July 14, 2013, 08:51:09 PM
Old Man,

I think you may be confusing Propecia's clinical trials and those for Viagra, which was originally designed as a heart medication, but in trials, positively impacted erections - and thus, the Viagra explosion of the 1990s. 

With Propecia (Proscar), there is a suppression of di-hyrdro-terstosterone (DHT), which causes hair follicles to go dormant and eventually die. Thus, by suppressing DHT, the lifespan of follicles is improved and we grow thicker hair.  However, when you mess with DHT, you mess with other hormones, and this is why men on Propecia see water retention, weight gain, breast tenderness, etc., etc., etc., and most concerning for many - erectile dysfunction. 

I know all this because back when Propecia came out in '97, I was on it for about a year and a half and had to stop - it killed my erections (I was 26.)  I quit the drug and after a month, my erections came back.  My urologist basically said, "Look, you can take Viagra alongside Propecia if you want, but right now you know your erections will come back if you stop the drug. If you keep taking it for years, who knows if they'll come back? You're messing with your hormones."  He told me, based on the number of patients he saw who complained of the sexual side effects, Merck's 2% figure just couldn't be accurate.  I literally walked out of his office with tears in my eyes - here was the cure for baldness, yet it came with too high a price.

I can never prove it, but I do firmly believe Propecia contributed to (if not caused) my Peyronie's, which manifested about a year later, and ongoing testosterone/ED issues I've had since that time (I'm 42 now). 

I view Propecia as a toxic substance I'll never ingest again. Some docs use it in male-to-female sexual reassignment, if that tells you anything, and there is growing concern the sexual side-effects are often permanent in nature. 

It was a noble pursuit, but the price is too dear. 

Best,
Nemo
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: MattFoley on July 14, 2013, 09:29:26 PM
Nemo, that is some seriously scarey stuff. I didn't know about the use for it in sexual reassignment surgery. Wow. Merck needs to be sued for castrating some men and simply wrecking the sex life of others.
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: funnyfarm on July 14, 2013, 09:54:06 PM
Here is the forum if anyone is having trouble with post finasteride symptoms.  Unfortunately it seems to be pretty common:

PROPECIAHELP: Persistent Finasteride Propecia Proscar side effects info & discussion forum (http://www.propeciahelp.com/forum/)
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: bigfish on July 15, 2013, 06:11:04 AM
I developed Peyronies Disease about two years after taking finasteride. Just saying.
BigFish
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: RoyHobbs on July 15, 2013, 05:56:16 PM
I developed peyronies while on Propecia. Even if you don't have ED like some do it will soften erections. I was only 33 when I got it. So yeah, no definitive proof but I feel like at the very least it made me more susceptible to injury.
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: yyy on October 02, 2013, 08:51:42 PM
Finasteride can really cause Peyronies.


The reason can be low testo and high estrogen caused by the drug.
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: james1947 on October 03, 2013, 01:56:03 AM
ED is written on the box as one of the side effects of Finasteride.
Hair growth also.

James
Title: Re: Propecia (finasteride) a culprit?
Post by: MattFoley on October 04, 2013, 12:32:38 AM
Please, please stay away from that castrating poison called, "Propecia"!! What good is new hair growth when it causes your testosterone to drop and you develop Peyronie's?