Took Finasteride Last Year. Still Having Low Libido and ED

Pharma / TRT Testosterone Replacement
1

Hey i took finasteride at a super low dose about 1.5 years ago because i was worried about sides. 0.25mg every 3 days. After about 2 weeks i felt my libido drop off but i read its just my body adjusting. I took it for 4 months then stopped cuz i couldnt keep my dick up during sex and it felt like my dick was shrinking. I had a high libido and good sex life before taking this but then i broke up with my girlfriend and am not sure if this is all in my head or if its real. My symptoms are it feels like my dick is less sensitive and im not as sexual feeling. Also feels like my balls dont hang as low as they used to and aren’t as big. Although now im hyper analyzing my dick and balls 24/7 which im sure doesnt help. I feel like i cant get a boner from thought or fantasizing anymore. I dont feel that jolt in my penis when i see a hot girl anymore. Once again I’m not sure if this is just mental because i am a high anxiety person to begin with. When i was on finasteride my morning wood went away completely but it has slowly returned but i dont get rock hard boners in the morning anymore ill just typically be half erect. Ive been off this shit for over a year. Here is my latest blood results which looks like both my lh and fsh are low but my testosterone seems normal? Is this a problem? If so how can i fix this? Im deathly scared i permanently ruined my endocrine system so please no horror stories about how i never should have touched this stuff, I’ve got massive anxiety over it…
Im a 31 year old male located in canada btw.

Pituitary Function
Follicle Stimulating Hormone [FSH]
1.3
1.0-8.0
IU/L
Luteinizing Hormone [LH]
1.3
1.0-7.0
IU/L
Reproductive and Gonadal
Estradiol
83
<162
pmol/L

NOTE: Fulvestrant has been shown to interfere
with estradiol testing by this direct
immunoassay. Results for patients taking
this medication may be falsely elevated to
a clinically-significant degree.

Some steroidal aromatase inhibitors are
structurally related to estradiol and may
interfere with some direct immunoassays.
Progesterone
1.6
<1.7
nmol/L
Testosterone
19.5
8.4 - 28.8
nmol/L
Reference interval applies to AM collections.
Total Testosterone levels may not reflect the
biologically-active testosterone when SHBG levels
are abnormal.
Testosterone Free
369
196-636
pmol/L

2

Testosterone levels are fine as well as estrogen levels. I have heard countless stories of men who had taken finasteride and the common complaint is lifeless shrinking penis and testicles.

It will take time to heal from the finasteride use.

3

Is my lh and fsh fine being that low though?? I thought symptoms of low lh and fsh are small testicles? Sorry I don’t know much about endocrinology. When im active in the day my testes are pretty tight to my body but it seems at night they lower and relax to how i remember them being pre fina. Thank you very much for the help

4

LH is pulsatile and has a very short half-life, your total testosterone levels are above midrange (561 ng/dL) and Free T is as well. Men with secondary hypogonadism have low LH and low-T, you don’t.

5

Finasteride symptoms are a very common and usually an overrated concern among men. Although side effects do exist, in reality they affect a very very small percentage of the population and they are supposed to be 100% reversible after quitting the pill.
Usually men who claim to go through those side effects are in bad emotional state or very anxious about having the side effects so they tend to put all the blame on finasteride.
Anyway, if you feel you are going through the side effects, just stop taking the pill and you 'll be fine, so there’s nothing to worry about!

6

Honestly thank you guys so much, i admit that im unsure if this is all in my head and just anxiety or not because I’ve lost all confidence in my dick unfortunately. The lack of morning wood when i was using finasteride really fucked me up and I’d have anxiety in any sexual situation so hearing that my hormones are atleast normal really puts me at ease. Ive ordered some generic cialis im going to take for a couple months to see if that helps my mental state. It just feels like i cant get horny anymore but that might be mental. Thanks again.