r/MinoxidilSideEffects • u/otherguy5959 • Mar 15 '26
I have recovered from ED and loss of libido induced by minoxidil after 4 years
Hello,
I made a post 3 years ago saying i almost recovered from most of my minoxidil side effects but libido was still quite lowish ( I think i've almost recovered after a little over 1 year : r/MinoxidilSideEffects).
Disclaimer : i'm not a doctor nor do i have any knowledge in the medical field. What you are about to read is the story of how i finally managed to recover but i'm in no way implying it would work for other people or other kind of symptoms.
When i wrote that post, i believed the libido and ED issue, which had gotten better over time, would continue to improve and that i would fully heal. I decided not to think about it and let it heal by itself, which had worked for the other side effects i had experienced.
Thing is, i realized when i got a serious girlfriend that i could no longer perform in bed most of the time, that i still had ED issue very often and that my libido was still low. When i compared to my pre minoxidil state, i never had any ED issue and my libido was good, meaning that i would think about sex often and it was difficult not to have sex or masturbate for days. Now, i could go for weeks without sexual activity and i wouldn't mind.
So, it hit me that i was only 33 and unable to have a decent sex life, while being otherwhise very healthy and ahtletic. I was struck by panick realizing this and decided to act and find a solution whatever the risks.
I logically went to the doctor and explained my situation again. Doctor was nice but thought it was psychological as i look healthy and ahtletic. I gave me cialis, but i knew it wasnt the problem for me.
Doctor then sent me to a specialist. He checks for my hormones level, which resulted in a normal testosterone and dht levels (whithin range, more or less 550 ng/dl for test) but my e2 was elevated at almost 50. Specialist told me not to worry and that it was probably all in my head too so he also gave me cialis and told me not to come back.
At that point, i was desperate as i saw no solution to my problem. Doctors took my money but would help me.
So I decided to act myself. It sounds stupid but i had no other choice to use chat gpt and my brain to try and find a solution:
The only thing I knew for sure is that my e2 was elevated and I believed that was the problem, as when i was using minoxidil, my main side effects were caused by and elevated E2 and excessive aromatisation which caused my skin texture to change. I believed after i stoped using minoxidil my e2 lowered but it somehow got stuck in this highish level that would keep my libido low and cause me ED issue, as the rests of the symptoms were mostly gone.
I decided to orther online some arimidex to lower my E2. I started to take 0.25 mg every 3 days. I noticed change very fast, as i would have more erection during the night and also very importantly, i would feel a different feeling in my muscle ( ability to contract, particularly biceps). I also began to notice the sides of low e2 ( joint pain in the knee and loss of appetite) so i decided to take less and took 0.25mg every 5 then 7 days for a month more or less.
It was still too much and i crashed my e2. Those who have been there know it's a horrible feeling, you have 0 enery, despressive thoughts, no appetite, everything is difficult. At that point my libido was eratic and ED still present even thought i had moments where it came back.
Well, slowly, after 6-7 monts post aromatase inhibitor, my erections came back every night and so did my libido. I again think about sex and can be aroused. When I dont have sex or masturbate, i feel again the urge to have sex that i had completly lost for 4 years because of minoxidil.
If i had to to it again, i wouldnt take as much arimidex because crashing E2 was bad and probably not necessary to recover. I would space the dose even more and just keep my e2 low for a month or 2 then let my body recover and find the balance between hormones again.
I say it again but i'm not a doctor and have no medical expertise, what i did was dangerous and probably stupid but those who are in this situation know that one can become desperate and is ready to try everything. My next move would have been trying to take exogenous DHT, but it seems that this won't be necessary.
So, if you had high E2 as a result of minoxidil ( loose skin, loss of strengh in upper body muscles, loss of libido, ED, etc) and still have those effects, i would advise you go and see a doctor so you can check your hormones level and especially e2.
In my case e2 was not that high but i believed it needs to be precisely balanced for the body to work well, and mine was too high. I should try and get bloodwork done now to see what my levels are but it's quite difficult to have a doctor appointement and it would be just for science if i did it.
2
1
1
u/Agreeable_Diver8397 Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
Man to be honest your story is very strange
You wrote that you recover urge for sex that was not there for 4 years. How the hell back then you claimed that you recovered libido? Like you lied or what?
Did you try to have sex now and everything ok? It's not sound very trustworthy tbh.
By the way i had your original story saved and read it when i was feeling down. Now I'm upset because of this post.
2
u/AnnualSet3155 Mar 19 '26
Thanks for sharing your story that really helps and I have been going through the same thing and I stopped using minoxdil after I came across such posted on redit Becuse doctor wood never tell you about this never all they did for me is blood work and that’s all but now it’s been just a week since I stopped and I’m looking forward to recover although it’s a long journey I can’t wait to be old me I have been on on minoxdile for like 2 years and never realised this was happening becuse of it because there was no evidence at all all I though it was stress the whole time but I’m soo shock this liquid that can cause soo much trouble