In this episode of Moral Medicine, Marko shares his personal experience with finasteride — and the life-altering crash that followed after just three pills.

Marko began taking 1 mg per day after following advice from online experts and consulting with a dermatologist. The prescription process was brief and straightforward. Within three days, he noticed side effects and stopped immediately.

The next day, he crashed.

What followed was a year marked by neurological dysfunction, psychological distress, and physical symptoms that left him unable to work and struggling to function. He describes being dismissed by doctors, having his symptoms minimized, and being told his condition was psychological.

Marko opens up about:

• How easily finasteride is prescribed after minimal evaluation.• The unpredictability of who develops persistent symptoms.• The experience of medical gaslighting and lack of recognition.• Losing five of the most important years of his life.• Gradually rebuilding and reaching partial recovery.

Five years later, Marko is significantly improved compared to where he was at his worst — but he is not the same person he was before.

His testimony underscores a difficult reality: while many individuals take finasteride without immediate issue, a subset report persistent or long-term symptoms often referred to as Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS). The mechanism remains unclear, and there is currently no reliable way to predict who may be affected.

🔬 Research into PFS remains largely patient-funded, but awareness is growing.

📢 If you’ve been affected by PFS, PSSD, or similar post-drug syndromes, your story matters. Reach out at [email protected] to share it.

🔔 Subscribe to Moral Medicine for more testimonies and discussions that continue to be overlooked.

🔬 Learn more and support ongoing research:👉 https://www.pfsnetwork.org/science

💡 Donate to PFS research:👉 https://www.pfsnetwork.org/donate

🗣 By speaking up, we break the silence and move closer to recognition, accountability, and hope.