Father of Patient

all the joy has been taken from his life…he just wants to die

My son, who is 37, is suffering from PFS. He took finasteride–only 3 doses–about a year ago. He was immediately affected both mentally and physically. Mentally, he has problems focusing and concentrating. Since taking finasteride he hasn’t read a book–though he’d been an avid reader. And he hasn’t written anything–though he had been an aspiring short-story writer. Physically, the finasteride has affected his libido and genitals. Since all the joy has been taken from his life, and he has no hope of recovering, he just wants to die–something he tells me and my wife nearly every day. I have many questions, but I’ll ask these two: (1) My son thinks the adverse effects of finasteride are permanent–hence his desire to die. Are you aware of anyone who has experienced the mental adverse effects of finasteride ever recovering? (2) Are there any recognized treatments for PFS? My son has seen a urologist (who has dealt with PFS ) who prescribed medications to affect his testosterone and DHT levels, but while the levels have improved, his ability to function has not. And yes, my son has seen 3 different psychiatrists and none of them have been able to help him. Thank you for any information (and any “hope”) you can provide.

DL, Warren, Ohio: Feb. 7, 2019

Condition update: August 2020

Slightly worse

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