PFS on Reddit: where to look, what to check

Want to talk to others who have been through it? Reddit has several communities where people with post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) swap experiences, studies and advice. It is good for feeling less alone, but treatment tips there need checking before you act on them.

PFS is the name patients use when side effects of finasteride can last after stopping. The UK Propecia leaflet lists “persistent difficulty having an erection after discontinuation of treatment”. That line is worth bringing to any doctor, whatever you read online.

So where should you look, and how do you tell good advice from bad?

Which subreddits talk about PFS?

Three communities come up most often. Each has a different focus.

• r/PostFinSyndrome: general peer support for people living with PFS.
• r/FinasterideStudies: links to studies and research news.
• r/Finasteriderecovery: people sharing what they’ve tried and how they’re doing.

Hair-loss forums discuss finasteride too, but most posters there are still taking it. If you suspect PFS, the communities above will be closer to what you’re going through.

Reddit lets you stay anonymous. For many people that makes it easier to describe sexual problems, low mood or brain fog for the first time.

What do people share there?

Mostly their own story: when symptoms started, what changed, and how they cope. You’ll also find links to new research, questions about tests, and long threads about treatments.

PFS is more than sexual problems. The 2022 diagnostic criteria say cognitive problems, depression and suicidal thoughts “can occur independently of any sexual difficulties”. Many people first find those words in a Reddit thread, long before a doctor uses them.

Common topics include hormone treatments, supplements, lifestyle changes and mental health. Some people post when things get better, which can give hope.

Watch this to hear, in one person’s words, the kind of change people describe on Reddit. Matt took finasteride for three years and says he felt “very emotionally numb” after stopping.

Play video: Matt on feeling emotionally numb after finasteride (extract)

You can read more in Matt’s story on our site.

How can I tell good advice from bad?

Treat every tip as one person’s experience. What helped one poster may do nothing for you, or may cause harm.

A few habits help:

• Look for the source. A good post links the study it talks about. Open it and check it says what the post claims.
• Be careful with treatments. Hormones and supplements sold online can have their own side effects. Talk to a doctor before you start anything.
• Search, then sort. Search “post finasteride syndrome” or “PFS symptoms” and sort by “Top” to find threads others found useful.
• Notice the mood. Some threads are frightening. If a forum makes you feel worse, take a break.

Nobody has measured how often PFS happens. Reddit can’t tell you that either: the people posting are the ones who were affected and went looking for help.

What should I do besides reading Reddit?

These medicines help many people. If you have side effects, that’s a decision for you and your prescriber. The Propecia leaflet says to stop taking it and contact your doctor if you notice mood changes, such as depression or suicidal thoughts.

Write down what you’ve read that seems to fit you, and take it to your GP. Our guide on how to approach your doctor about PFS has more detail.

If you’d rather talk in a smaller group, SIDEfxHUB runs WhatsApp peer support groups for people with PFS.

If you’re having thoughts of suicide, call the Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK, any time.

Report it: it helps everyone

A doctor’s note helps you. A report to the medicines regulator helps everyone else: it is how patterns get noticed. A Reddit post can’t do that.

• No proof needed. A suspicion is enough, even years after stopping.
• Where: the Yellow Card scheme in the UK, MedWatch in the US.
• Use the right words. If symptoms continued after stopping, write Post 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor syndrome (MedDRA 10082430).

Our reporting guide walks you through it

What else do people ask?

Is Reddit a reliable source on PFS? It’s reliable for what people experience, and less so for treatments. Posts aren’t checked by doctors. Use it to find questions and studies, then check them with a doctor or a trusted source.

Do I have to post to get help? No. Many people only read. You can search old threads without an account, and join when you’re ready.

Is PFS only about sex? No. Many people also describe low mood, brain fog and emotional numbness. The 2022 criteria say cognitive problems, depression and suicidal thoughts can happen without any sexual problems.

You don’t need to work this out alone or only online. Start with our PFS page, and bring one question from Reddit to your next appointment.

Sources

1. Healy D, Bahrick A, Bak M and colleagues. Diagnostic criteria for enduring sexual dysfunction after treatment with antidepressants, finasteride and isotretinoin. Int J Risk Saf Med 2022;33(1):65-76. Proposed criteria from expert agreement. Section 5 (finasteride): cognitive impairment, depression and suicidality “can occur independently of any sexual difficulties”. Full text not re-opened on 22 October 2026 (captcha); wording as verified for other SIDEfxHUB articles.
2. Organon. Propecia 1 mg film-coated tablets, patient leaflet, electronic Medicines Compendium, last revised May 2026. Section 2: mood alterations such as depressed mood, depression and, less frequently, suicidal thoughts; “stop taking Propecia and contact your doctor for further medical advice as soon as possible”. Section 4, frequency unknown: “persistent difficulty having an erection after discontinuation of treatment”, and persistent decrease in sex drive and problems with ejaculation after discontinuation.
3. Moral Medicine, This Year I’m turning 30 years old, and I haven’t felt an orgasm since I was 24, Matt’s film, 6 April 2026, embedded as an extract from 5:26 to 6:45. From the auto-captions: “I began to feel very emotionally numb” (5:32 to 5:37).
4. GOV.UK. Report a problem with a medicine or medical device.
5. Reddit communities: r/PostFinSyndrome, r/FinasterideStudies, r/Finasteriderecovery. Not reachable from our checking tools on 22 October 2026; links kept from the original article. SIDEfxHUB does not run or moderate them.

Sources checked on 22 October 2026. AI-assisted writing and review, not clinical review.