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Doctors & Researchers Speaking Out
Men under the age of 40 who use finasteride for alopecia are at risk for suicide if they develop persistent sexual adverse effects and insomnia.
An important pattern of symptoms was common among all cases who committed suicide in the setting of finasteride use – insomnia and persistent sexual dysfunction after medication discontinuation. Insomnia and fatigue/tiredness were some of the most debilitating symptoms… Men under the age of 40 who use finasteride for alopecia are at risk for suicide if they develop persistent sexual adverse effects and insomnia.
—Finasteride and Suicide: A Postmarketing Case Series: Dermatology, January 14, 2020
Even if the incidence of persistent sexual adverse events is 3% to 5%… approximately 900,000 to 1.5 million men would suffer persistent sexual and psychiatric adverse events.
[A]pproximately 30 million young men, worldwide, would be prescribed finasteride or dutasteride to treat male pattern hair loss. Even if the incidence of persistent sexual adverse events is 3% to 5%, which may be viewed as a small number, approximately 900,000 to 1.5 million men would suffer persistent sexual and psychiatric adverse events. By no means this would be considered a small number and should not be dismissed or ignored.
—Post-finasteride syndrome: a surmountable challenge for clinicians: Fertility and Sterility, January 2020
We wouldn’t recommend that any man take [finasteride], especially not young men.
We are certainly very cautious, because we see the side effects. We wouldn’t recommend that any man take [finasteride], especially not young men. The longer they take it, the greater the risk of experiencing persistent side effects, including after they’ve stopped.
—Do Anti-Baldness Remedies Make You Impotent? Puls, SRF-TV, May 7, 2018
FDA is concerned that use of finasteride by pediatric patients may pose long-term safety risks.
Finasteride inhibits Type II 5(alpha)-reductase, which metabolizes testosterone to the potent androgen 5(alpha)-dihydrotestosterone. FDA is concerned that use of finasteride by pediatric patients may pose long-term safety risks regarding growth, development and sexual function.
Wall Street Journal Letter to Editor Addresses Telemeds’ Easy Access to Finasteride
March 11, 2020 Dear Friends: On February 21, The Wall Street Journal ran a 1,280-word story headlined Losing Your Hair? Why This Solution Is No Longer Shameful, which went, in part, like this: [In 1991]…effective methods like Rogaine or hair plugs were discussed in hushed tones. A… TV ad didn’t mention hair loss, hawking instead […]
Young Men Who Use Finasteride for Hair Loss ‘Are at Risk for Suicide if They Develop Persistent Sexual Adverse Effects and Insomnia,’ Says New Research
February 20, 2020 Dear Friends: “Clinicians should be aware that men under the age of 40 who use finasteride for alopecia are at risk for suicide if they develop persistent sexual adverse effects and insomnia.” That, according to new research by Michael S. Irwig, MD, attending endocrinologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, […]
France’s FDA-Equivalent Issues Patient Fact Sheet on Finasteride Adverse Effects
December 20, 2019 Dear Friends: France’s FDA-equivalent agency last week issued an Information Point and fact sheet for men currently taking finasteride for hair loss, or for those considering taking the drug for hair loss. “Developed in conjunction with concerned patient associations and health professionals, this fact sheet aims to reinforce patient information on the […]
New Chinese-Language Website Ups Our Potential Readership by 1+ Billion
October 21, 2019 Dear Friends: PFS awareness took an enormous leap forward today—over the Great Wall and into the Sleeping Giant. At the stroke of midnight, we unveiled a Mandarin Chinese version of our website so that speakers of the world’s second most popular language can learn all about the condition (known to them as […]
Reuters Report on Merck Hiding ‘Secrets’ about Propecia’s Risks Brings our FDA Citizen Petition to Light Ahead of Federal Probe
Sept. 16, 2019 Dear Friends: Dan Levine, an investigative journalist with the largest news agency in the Western world, last week published a 3,900-word investigative report headlined Court let Merck hide secrets about a popular drug’s risks. A year in the making, the Reuters story uncovered testimony by former Merck executives in the US Propecia […]