Pharmacological treatments, including finasteride and oral contraceptives, that inhibit 5α-RI, which results in a blood and brain allopregnanolone decrease also affect subunit expression of GABAA receptor and are associated with mood symptoms and suicide and are part of post-finasteride syndrome. Post-finasteride syndrome, in addition to depression, anxiety and cognitive deficits also induces sexually-related side effects, […]
Tag Archives: Post-finastasteride syndrome
Macular Abnormalities Associated With 5α-Reductase Inhibitor
Among 31 male patients with foveal cavitation, 5-ARI was used for 10 of 14 patients (71.4%) with macular abnormalities of unknown origin and for 2 of 17 patients (11.8%) with macular abnormalities of well-known specific origin… Optical coherence tomography imaging showed a disease spectrum ranging from tiny foveal cavitation to an impending macular hole. Of […]
An evaluation of the federal adverse events reporting system data on adverse effects of 5‑alpha reductase inhibitors
Post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) has been described as physical, neurological, or psychiatric side effects which persist for three or more months after discontinuing the medication, affecting approximately 900,000–1.5 million men. In 2015, the National Institute of Health (NIH) added PFS to their list of genetic and rare disease… Analysis of FAERS data suggests [adverse events] of […]
Penile vascular abnormalities in young men with persistent side effects after finasteride use for the treatment of androgenic alopecia
While the sexual side effects of 5ARIs are well known, there may be persistent genitourinary, physical, psycho-cognitive, anti-androgenic and penile vascular changes after 5ARI discontinuation. Use of 5ARIs for treatment of AGA may lead to persistent sexual, genitourinary, physical, psycho-cognitive, and anti-androgenic sequelae even after cessation of 5ARI therapy… Two subjects (8%) committed suicide during […]
Health Risks Associated with Long-Term Finasteride and Dutasteride Use: It’s Time to Sound the Alarm
Here we advance the concept that blockade of the 5α-R enzymatic activities by such irreversible inhibitors results in a state of new form of androgen deficiency, independent of circulating T levels. This new form of androgen deficiency has not been recognized before, simply, it is thought that as long as T levels are in the […]
Prolonged use of finasteride-induced gonadal sex steroids alterations, DNA damage and menstrual bleeding in women
[F]inasteride is associated with common adverse health effects in women with long-term treatment for androgenetic alopecia such as; irregular menstrual cycle, aromatase disorder, high cholesterol, heavy menstrual bleeding and induced DNA damage…Finally, the study recommended that finasteride should not be administrated as treatment for androgenetic alopecia in women. Albasher G, Bin-Jumah M, Alfarraj S, et […]
Post-finasteride syndrome: a surmountable challenge for clinicians
It is not surprising that almost all studies published to date do report increased sexual adverse effects. However, even when such sexual adverse events were reported, many argued that the numbers of subjects afflicted are small and propagated the falsehood that the adverse effects do resolve with continued treatment. This is unfortunately a willful blindness […]
Finasteride and Suicide: A Postmarketing Case Series
In this postmarketing case series of 6 former finasteride users who committed suicide, all reported insomnia and persistent sexual dysfunction after medication discontinuation. The most prominent psychiatric symptoms were depression, anxiety, panic attacks, feelings of isolation and “brain fog.” Some of the most debilitating symptoms were insomnia and fatigue. Apart from 1 case who had […]
Post-finasteride syndrome: An emerging clinical problem
[T]hese data indicate the urgent need for high quality clinical trials, with long-term follow up, specifically addressing sexual function and mood disorders. In addition, it is imperative to study in detail the molecular mechanisms that cause this condition, trying to identify a possible genetic predisposition, in order to limit the burden of PFS. Finally, therapeutic […]
The Steroidogenesis Inhibitor Finasteride Reduces the Response to Both Stressful and Rewarding Stimuli
[W]e tested the effects of [finasteride (FIN)] in a battery of tests aimed at capturing complementary aspects of mood regulation and stress reactivity in rats. FIN reduced exploratory, incentive, prosocial, and risk-taking behavior; furthermore, it decreased stress coping, as revealed by increased immobility in the forced-swim test (FST). This last effect was also observed in […]