Finasteride and Erectile Dysfunction: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• April 12, 2012

Finasteride for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "Had problems immediately (Tiredness after 7-10 days) with Flomax and so doctor prescribed Proscar and it helped somewhat. However, It caused me to feel tired and occasionally extreme exhaustion. After about one year of use, I became impotent even with Viagra. I quit it for about 6 weeks. Felt normal with no erectile dysfunction. Started again and felt tired and had ED. Quit for about 2 months again and felt OK. Started a third time with the same tiredness and ED problems. Have now stopped using it."

• Anonymous
• April 12, 2012

Finasteride for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "Had problems immediately (Tiredness after 7-10 days) with Flomax and so doctor prescribed Proscar and it helped somewhat. However, It caused me to feel tired and occasionally extreme exhaustion. After about one year of use, I became impotent even with Viagra. I quit it for about 6 weeks. Felt normal with no erectile dysfunction. Started again and felt tired and had ED. Quit for about 2 months again and felt OK. Started a third time with the same tiredness and ED problems. Have now stopped using it."

• JBa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 24, 2020

Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia "I have PFS (Post-Finasteride Syndrome). I cannot sustain an erection during sex, suffer from genital anesthesia and/or numbness, have muted/blocked/pleasureless orgasms when I masturbate, and suffer from brain fog, memory loss, and thinking at times. I have low testosterone, extremely high FSH, low cortisol, low vitamin D, adrenal issues, and pituitary problems as a result of being on Propecia on and off for years. I've been off of Propecia for a year. Although I've had shockwave therapy to remove penile scar tissue and improve nerve damage and had testosterone replacement therapy, my sexual functioning and cognitive issues persist. Oh! And I became infertile on Propecia too. Fortunately, I had enough sperm left to have a baby with my wife via IVF. Stay away from this toxic and poisonous medication! It will potentially destroy your life."

• Lif...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I took this drug for only 4 days in May 2019. I had mild hair thinning and went to a dermatologist who recommended it. I had done research beforehand and knew about finasteride already, and how for some men the drug could have serious side effects, but decided to listen to a doctor who assured me it was safe. It’s not, and I had to learn the hard way. This poison has completely ruined my life. I’ve completely lost my sleep and have total insomnia, no libido, ED, brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, penile tissue changes, muscle wastage, and weakness... The list goes on. I’m not making this up, this drug should be avoided. I’m 23 years old, I was healthy before I took this. There is no reason to believe this drug won’t mess your life up. Please avoid it. I don’t even feel like the same person and regret my decision every single day and am having trouble adjusting to this new life. I hate myself for taking this risk."

• cal...
• September 1, 2013

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "Taking finasteride for 9 years for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia, urinary issues improved by about 50%. Total loss of erections, seminal ejaculate near zero, greatly reduced libido, though this may partly be due to age. This is okay compared to my previous condition of frequent urinary incontinence, especially when on the road or when sleeping."

• Joe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2019

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "I started this medicine and used it for several weeks. I immediately noticed strong sexual side effects. I started to do research on the side effects and determined that the side effects are downplayed by both the manufacturer and the doctors that prescribe them. My side effects were a complete lack of interest in sex, along with considerable erectile dysfunction, not to mention startling and disturbing ejaculation problems. I am a normal guy with an active lifestyle. This medicine is poison and I stopped taking it. It even affected my mental masculinity after suffering these symptoms. Please stay away from this venom. If you do further research you will find many stories like mine. Just use the minoxidil and that is all you can do."

• Anonymous
• July 16, 2009

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "Second medicine for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia. Flomax didn't work. This medicine helped a little bit after six months but the side effects were greater than the benefits. Experienced erectile dysfunction, semen reduction, and impotence. Sex is good 3 weeks after quitting this medicine. Some hair growth associated with this medicine."

• Anonymous
• July 16, 2009

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "Second medicine for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia. Flomax didn't work. This medicine helped a little bit after six months but the side effects were greater than the benefits. Experienced erectile dysfunction, semen reduction, and impotence. Sex is good 3 weeks after quitting this medicine. Some hair growth associated with this medicine."

• QC9...
• August 23, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Don’t get scared off by some of the negative reviews on here. Yeah, there’s a small chance you may get erectile dysfunction, but the vast majority of men who take this drug don’t experience that. I haven’t experienced any kind of depression, ED, brain fog, or any of the other symptoms people mention on here."

• Fre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2020

For Androgenetic Alopecia "WHAT I WISH I HAD KNOWN before taking this drug: 1. Sexual side effects are common: 20% of men, says the Head of Urology of St. Louis Hospital in Paris. I believe it's 100%, see my next point. 2. This is not a drug you can 'try and see how it goes'. First, my side effects came so gradually... 'this must just be a natural fluctuation'... 'Is it just in my head?'... 'Oh wow, I'm half impotent now, at age 36, I guess it wasn't in my head.' 3. The side effects do NOT go away after quitting (it's been several years for me), and there is no known cure. 4. What is at stake, besides 'ED': less desire for your partner affects the affection/quality of your relationships and happiness. The drug damages your brain chemistry/regeneration (hello, depression and early Alzheimer's). And then, of course, the fact that sex/masturbation don't bring me all that much pleasure anymore."

• Anonymous
• November 8, 2015

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "Been using Finasteride for 9 months. Still get up every 2 hours at night to pee. No erection, sex is impossible. Penis looks like it is smaller and different shape. Would not recommend this drug to anybody. Probably going to quit, there has to be something else other than this drug. No sex drive at all."

• Wis...
• September 12, 2019

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Please do NOT use this drug. I took it at a healthy, sexually active 19-year-old because I wanted to stop losing hair. My girlfriend broke up with me six months later...because I could not get an erection. My penis is not the same. I told myself everything would be the same after I stopped. I quit this poison six months later and have not had a girlfriend since. Thought the side effects would go away, but they haven’t. Please don’t."

• Jus...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 12, 2016

Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia "Complete brain fog, worse than anything you can imagine, literally can't get out of bed because of the brain damage that this drug induced on me. I feel completely, literally detached from the world now, not to mention even the less serious it caused, ED, no libido, head pressure, complete cognitive shift. Feel like I'm in a whole different world. NEVER TOUCH this drug EVER, EVER, EVER, unless you're old and have nothing else to lose and don't care about life anymore. I would trade this with ANY other disease just for my brain function to come back again. I feel like I'm in a coma, it's absolutely frightful, every day 24/7, it never leaves. Sexual sides are a joke compared to this."

• BPH...
• February 4, 2017

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "Age 63, using finasteride for 2 years and no other medications. Took many months for improvement in urination and now much improved, though definitely not what it was when I was young. I am no longer scouting for spots to stop in a 30-minute walk. I typically sleep about 5 hours at night before having to get up. Other changes since beginning dosage: ejaculation volume has decreased, occasional but rare loss of erection during intercourse. No other changes noticed, in particular no loss of libido, and no mental changes noticed. After doing the research, physiological effects seem to be the same at 1 mg (for hair loss) as 5 mg (for BPH), so I quarter the 5 mg pills and take a 1/4 pill per day."

• Sim...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 1, 2023

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I used this for many years and didn't realize how bad the sexual effects are until I started losing women and confidence. The scandalous thing about this drug is the misreported risk of side effects originally given by Merck, who had the original patent on this med. They stated 2%, but the reality is a lot higher. I would be surprised if everyone on it isn't getting side effects, as a percentage may not even be aware of them. I experienced ball shrinkage, ED, loss of libido, and loss of confidence, and in all of this, nobody is sure if hair loss is stopped or reversed. Most people cannot tell if the hair is lost or gained because the process is slow, and unless we take photos daily in various lighting, most, if not all, of our perceptions are going to be unclear. What I'm saying here is that you can't really tell if you get your hair back unless a bald spot gets coverage, which I haven't seen."

• Big...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2018

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "I've been taking finasteride for 3 months now. It works well in shrinking the prostate, but has definitely seemed to take away my libido, sex drive, and my erections are very weak. It is not solid in the morning when you have to go to the bathroom, which is normal for guys. I'm thinking that it's not worth taking the pill. It does work on shrinking the prostate, it is just that it takes your libido and sex drive away, which is very disappointing, very discouraging, and sad. I hear different professional opinions: some say it will come back when I'm off it, and some that I've read said it may take a very long time for things to get normal."

• Ton...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 17, 2022

Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia "Do not use it! This is a very dangerous product. After 4 weeks of using it, I had a total loss of libido and almost became impotent. I have now stopped for three weeks and am still not back to normal. This product is a chemical castration! I don't understand how this product is available on the market. Use other alternatives such as Regaine. Do not use, do not use, do not use!!!!! Giving a 1 rating is overrated."

• Anonymous
• August 31, 2016

Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia "Don't take this drug. I used it for a few months, and it killed my libido. I did get some noticeable hair regrowth during that time, so at least that worked. It became very hard to get an erection, and I became completely disinterested in sex. I've read accounts that some people never regained their libido and suffered lasting erectile dysfunction. This is not natural. Your libido is part of who you are, and so is hair loss. Be a man and accept the loss of your hair as part of who you were meant to be."

• tea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 22, 2023

For Androgenetic Alopecia "Currently noticing slight hair loss at 28 years old and decided to give this a go, but I cannot stress enough to not touch this, especially for young guys. Your body will be naturally producing high levels of test and DHT to alter these levels more than likely will cause really bad side effects. I personally had to stop after a few months. I experienced a really low, flat feeling like something was always missing and nearly went on antidepressants because I thought it was me and not the drug. It really heightened anxiety and a lot of anger and agitation at everything. I noticed I've went from 7'9" erect to 6'4" erect, and I struggle now to maintain the erection. It can disappear extremely fast and ultimately lose it all, which was never an issue before, but I also have a lot of clear, watery semen. I also pee a lot like I can't fully empty the bladder, always frequently going. Thankfully, this drastically improved after stopping, but I still don't feel 100% where I was before."

• Bob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 14, 2022

For Androgenetic Alopecia "The drug is posed as a clinically safe way to reduce hair loss. Studies supposedly proved this, and all doctors considered it safe. After taking this drug, within 2 hours, something shifted in the way I perceived the world; anxiety and emotional empathy were abnormally heightened. Attributing it to temporary effects, as seen in painkillers and recreational substances. Took one more dose. It’s currently >6 months after quitting. These effects and more still remain. Research concludes its effects are set in the epigenome. - sour ammonia body odor - pale skin - thin body hair - more subcutaneous body fat - muscle loss calves; forearms; neck - gynecomastia - female fat distribution - loss of ambition/enthusiasm/life energy - loss of libido/ED - personality alterations - altered brain-body connection - depression/suicidal ideation"

• vet...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 24, 2021

For Androgenetic Alopecia "This drug is bad! It is given by the Veterans Administration for enlarged prostate. VA doctors, including urologists, have been incompetent and derelict in failing to warn veterans about the side effects of the drug and its dangers. They also fail to give hormone blood tests before taking and after taking for testosterone and other hormones to get a baseline. This drug has messed me up and millions of veterans who have enlarged prostate with no recognition nor treatment from the Veterans Administration or its urologists/doctors. VA doctors will tell you a fat lie that Post-Finasteride Syndrome doesn't exist, as all the symptomology goes away once you cease the drug. This drug has caused our veterans total impotence, shrinkage of the penis and genitals, enlarged breasts, brain fog, anxiety, depression, severe memory loss, sleep apnea, sleep deprivation, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleeplessness, suicidal ideation, and suicide."

• DO...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2022

For Androgenetic Alopecia "There is no way the '1.2% of men experience side effects' is accurate. Almost everyone I talk to has serious side effects. This drug has ruined my life. I can't get an erection anymore. My sex life is nonexistent, I have no feeling down there and no drive to have sex. It has been 2 years, and no cure! I wish I could figure out a way to sue this company for misleading information. That's how bad my life has become because of this drug. It changes you forever."

• Cur...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 10, 2018

For Androgenetic Alopecia "I don't get the negativity surrounding this drug. Most of those reviews are by people who have used it for just a week at the most. Maybe what they experienced could have been some confirmation bias heightened by what they read in reviews like this. But still, I can't speak for their part. As for me, I have been using it for the last 4 months. Never experienced those side effects of loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, or any other. My hair loss has stopped, but I am not seeing hair growth still. They say it takes 4-6 months to see some noticeable growth. Maybe that is because I am not pairing it with Minoxidil. Planning to use it for the next 5 years if things don't go wrong."

• SPA...
• September 7, 2020

Finasteride for Androgenetic Alopecia "I've decided to write this review for Propecia because I didn't take this drug for 9 years because of the horror reviews online, even though my hair loss was causing me intense anxiety every day. I didn't have the courage to take it until my brother started taking it. It truly does give you relief knowing that someone you know closely is taking it. Once he started taking it, I told myself it is time I take the plunge. At least if the worst happens, we'll experience it together. I've been taking it for 6 months now with little to 0 side effects. Before taking it, I was concerned about permanent penile shrinkage, ED, and watery semen. ED is definitely not an issue in the slightest. Penile shrinkage, I don't think so at all, but I'm not positive since I didn't measure before and after. If I thought there was penile shrinkage, I would stop. My GF hasn't noticed a difference. It's possible my semen is slightly more watery, but that's it."

• far...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 27, 2024

For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia "I started it 6 days ago. I immediately felt discomfort in my testicles. I'm on 5 mg finasteride. I did orgasm yesterday, but was soft. The color was brownish for semen. I have major brain fog. I do feel it in my left testicle. My nipples are very sensitive. My fingers are tingly. My wife and I have not been sexually active for 5 years. So if I develop impotence, I'm okay with it. I did tell my urologist, I might as well take my testicles out. But he said no. So, I do have most side effects. As far as results, too short of time to know. There are many reviews of impotence from this drug, as long as you're okay with that."