A practical roadmap to stabilize, avoid common triggers, and support recovery from Post Finasteride Syndrome and related conditions (PSSD / PAS, Post-Lions Mane and Post Ashwaganda Syndromes)—step by step.
PSSD - Post SSRI Sexual Disfunction
PAS - Post Accutane Syndrome
Recovery Roadmap
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After PFS/PSSD/PAS begins, some medications, supplements, creams, herbs, and personal care products that were previously “safe” can trigger crashes/flares or slow recovery. Because they didn’t cause issues before, they’re often overlooked.
Step 1: Identify triggers and simplify to stabilize.
See the Reported Crash Patterns Overview and Reported Crash Patterns Substance Directory below for commonly reported triggers.How to do it (when safe):
Pause potential trigger supplements and products for a short period
Keep your routine minimal and consistent
Only add something back if you truly need it
Before reintroducing, research the item (and consult a clinician when appropriate)
Reintroduce one item at a time so any triggering substance is obvious
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Once triggers are removed, many people find that time, a simpler routine, and an individualized diet can reduce symptoms—sometimes leading to major improvement or remission.
Key points:
Focus on consistency + time after removing triggers
Use a simple, personalized diet that you tolerate well
Many people benefit from reducing or removing: sugar, dairy, gluten, and processed foods
If you reach stable recovery, continue avoiding:
the substance(s) that caused your condition, and
any triggers listed in Reported Crash Patterns Overview below
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If you’ve stabilized as much as you can and still feel stuck, you may see people discussing “protocols” or targeted interventions. These can carry real downside, and results are highly variable, so the safest framing is risk management: avoid impulsive changes, start with the most conservative options, and introduce only one variable at a time. Whenever possible, involve a clinician—especially for prescription meds, hormones, research chemicals, or anything requiring labs/monitoring.
It is important to note that removing triggering substances, a healthy diet and lifestyle, and time, sometimes several years are the most common factors involved in improvement. There are many anecdotes of worsening from protocols as there is not scientifically proven cure for these conditions and no protocol with repeatable, consistent results has been identified.
Substance Risk Signals (Based on Community Reports)
Substances Commonly Linked to Lasting Worsening (Community Reports)
In community reports, these substances are more often described as triggering severe symptom escalations (“crashes”)that sometimes do not fully return to prior baseline.
Described outcomes may include persistent or semi-persistent worsening of core symptoms such as sexual dysfunction, emotional blunting/anhedonia, cognitive impairment, and stress intolerance.
This classification reflects frequency and severity of reported outcomes, not proven causation or population-wide risk. Individual responses vary widely.
Substances More Often Linked to Temporary Flares (Community Reports)
In community discussions, these substances are more commonly associated with symptom flares—temporary worsening that often improves after discontinuation and time to stabilize.
Some individuals still report significant or prolonged reactions, but lasting baseline deterioration is reported less frequently than in the group above.
These patterns are observational and vary greatly by dose, formulation, timing, and individual sensitivity.
*Community observations suggest that repeatedly starting and stopping substances—rather than steady avoidance—may be associated with greater destabilization in some individuals. Repeated exposures may stress already fragile regulatory systems and are often described as riskier than consistent avoidance with time for recovery.
Important: These groupings reflect reported patterns, not guarantees. A substance listed here may be tolerated by some individuals and poorly tolerated by others. This page is intended to help readers contextualize anecdotal risk, not to replace medical judgment.
Substance Risk Signals Directory (Community Reports)
More Often Linked to Lasting Worsening (Community Reports)
Some reports describe persistent worsening
Click a substance for the summary, citations, and community anecdotes.
More Often Linked to Temporary Flares (Community Reports)
Often improves after stopping
Click a substance for the summary, citations, and community anecdotes.
*This is community-reported sensitivity. Individual responses vary. Not medical advice.These groupings reflect reported patterns, not proven causation or probability. Individual responses vary widely.
Recovery / Improvement Anecdotes Database
How to Interpret This Section
There are currently no approved protocols, proven cures, or controlled clinical studies demonstrating a reliable treatment for PFS/PSSD/PAS. Reported improvements vary widely between individuals, and outcomes are inconsistent and unpredictable.
This section compiles mentions from self-reported recovery or improvement stories. A mention does not mean the substance caused the improvement, is safe, or will help others. Many recoveries involve multiple changes at once (time, stopping a trigger, diet/sleep changes, other medications or supplements), and reporting bias is common. Some items listed here have also been associated with flares or worsening in other reports.
How to use it: Treat this as a research index (what people tried and what they said happened), not a recommendation list. If you choose to test anything, do it cautiously and discuss it with a licensed clinician.
Inclusion criteria: “Listed here = appears in at least one publicly available anecdote describing improvement.”
Substances Mentioned in Reported Improvements
(Anecdotal mentions from self-reports — click a button to see sources and context.)
Mixed Reports: Improvement Mentions + Severe Worsening Reports
Recovery Anecdote Sources
(clickable buttons below)
Research & Community Updates
(clickable buttons below)
Disclaimer: This page is for tracking research and community anecdotes. It does not recommend any treatment or self-experimentation. Many items listed are unproven and some can cause harm or symptom worsening. Discuss any medical changes with a licensed clinician.
Research & Publications (Primary Sources)
*Propecia Help Results From 2 Studies coming 2026 (See Propecia Help Link)
Epigenetic Study Results Teaser: “While we cannot reveal specifics, early signals are promising, with clear differences between patient samples and controls. Researchers have commented the results are unusually clear for this type of work”
Community Active Experiments (Anecdotal / High Variability)
If this guide helped you in your recovery journey, consider donating—any amount helps keep the site running and improving.
I am a fellow PFS sufferer and understand the pain and suffering of this brutal condition. If this website helps prevent one person from worsening their condition that makes this a success for me.
No pressure at all. If you’d rather not donate, a kind message is just as appreciated—feel free to email me
Contact Us
If you have feedback on the site, questions, or would like to share your experience, feel free to reach out. Messages related to site improvements, clarification, or support requests are always welcome.
postfinasterideguide@gmail.com
