Is Propecia Really safe?

[the_charger]

Thanks a lot for your post, Dr. Haber. You are truly taking a risk by posting your professional opinion, as I believe you are about to be the victim of a number of personal attacks! However, it is much appreciated to hear your thoughts.

There is really so much negativity out there about Propecia, but as you mentioned, people fail to realize that PFS has yet to be demonstrated in a clinical setting! Also, no data exists that proves that people are experiencing these side effects as a result of taking the drug. For all anybody knows everybody could be experiencing different medical problems and just believe Propecia caused them because it’s something they all had in common.

The word of a medical professional is much more powerful than a thousand anonymous know it all’s on a forum. Not to mention dr. Haber is using his real name, his picture, and basically putting his reputation on the line… Plus he himself and his own son are taking the medication! I don’t think any doctor would do this without having the utmost confidence in the drug. That’s why I sleep easy taking Propecia and enjoy the hair that is growing back thicker every day. I think many more people would be able to reap the same benefits if they just weren’t so damn afraid to try it.

Dr. Haber, among you and your colleagues, approximately how many patients total do you believe have been prescribed Propecia? I understand in an interview with Dr. Wasserbauer posted last year, she had prescribed Propecia to thousands of men without a single report of long term symptoms. I am wondering approximately how many men exist in your sample?

Thanks!

[khan]

Dr.Haber,
Thanks alot for sharing your opinion. Its nice to see an actual doctor give his opinion on the drug, specially someone that has had experience prescribing it.
So thanks for that!

[SoothSayer]

I can probably answer for him and say yes.

You really are in no position to be answering for him.

[Winston]

I am sure most doctors feel the same way. Like any other drug on the market there will be people that have very bad side effects. It’s all based on percentages. A percentage of people will react very badly to sleeping pills and sleep drive into a telephone poll. If that person is you, it’s very possible that you might be angry at the drug company or start an anti sleeping pill movement on the internet or try to put a class action law suit together with all the other people who sleep drove into telephone polls. When you choose to take any medication you risk side effects. That is just the way it is.

[khan]

I didn't mean that as a personal attack or to put him on the spot negatively!! I too am trying to sift through and understand what has come out about the SE's (believe me, I have skin in the game here too). I would be interested to hear a Doctor's opinion (like his) who has prescribed to so many men with good results to see if he still feels the drug is safe or if perhaps he now feels differently... that's all.

I know you didn't, but with statements like this he will get butchered on the internet by the anti-Propecia bullies.
Try searching for the thread on this forum where Dr.Sara Wasserbauer was interviewed. Or check out some of Dr Rassman thread...and so on...

No doctor has a right to say anything positive on the internet, without getting personally attacked.

[blakes33]

Dude why did you have to post this? Now, this doctor is going to get attacked all over the internet. And by that I mean personal attacks, labelling him a Merk employee, immoral, big pharma puppet, unprofessional...and on

He has absolutely no right to express his professional opinion. How dare he say anything postive based on his personal experience of prescribing the drug!

I didn't mean that as a personal attack or to put him on the spot negatively!! I too am trying to sift through and understand what has come out about the SE's (believe me, I have skin in the game here too). I would be interested to hear a Doctor's opinion (like his) who has prescribed to so many men with good results to see if he still feels the drug is safe or if perhaps he now feels differently... that's all.

[khan]

Dr. Haber - in light of the new information on propecia in the last year or so - do you still feel the same (utmost) confidence in its safety?

Dude why did you have to post this? Now, this doctor is going to get attacked all over the internet. And by that I mean personal attacks, labelling him a Merk employee, immoral, big pharma puppet, unprofessional...and on

He has absolutely no right to express his professional opinion. How dare he say anything postive based on his personal experience of prescribing the drug!

[NotBelievingIt]

Dr. Haber - in light of the new information on propecia in the last year or so - do you still feel the same (utmost) confidence in its safety?

I can probably answer for him and say yes.

Though new information on the potential for permanent or long standing persistence may lead to a better understanding of *why*

IMO they should have figured out why in the first place rather then just go "yah it might happen, but small chance"

Ultimately thats what I hope comes of the lawsuits - it'll take awhile for the science but thats what will happen.

[blakes33]

Taka:

You didn’t mention if your performance problem resolved while you were off the drug.

The most common reported side effects of finasteride are loss of sex drive and the inability to achieve or maintain an erection. The incidence of these problems however is very small. For men taking finasteride for five years, the difference between the treatment group and the placebo group was only 0.3%. In comparison, the incidence of these complaints in men not on finasteride is as high as 10-15%, particularly for men over 40. Notably, 60% of patients experiencing a sexual side effect found that the problem resolved spontaneously, even if the drug was continued. I’m not aware of any reputable study that has associated a permanent sexual problem with the use of finasteride. Wikipedia is not a reliable source of medical information.

I’ve prescribed finasteride to many thousands of men, and less than 1% of my patients have complained about sexual problems. The only way to manage decreased libido is to decrease the dose of finasteride, or stop it altogether. For problems with performance, I usually prescribe Cialis or Viagra, which allows the continuation of finasteride as well as robust sexual performance.

I’m in my 10th year of finasteride use myself, and I continue to have the utmost confidence in its safety and effectiveness.

All that said, any side effect from any drug should be evaluated by a physician, preferably the one who prescribed the medication, so that other causes can be considered, and a treatment plan developed.

I hope that helps!

Sincerely,

Dr. Haber - in light of the new information on propecia in the last year or so - do you still feel the same (utmost) confidence in its safety?

[Henrique]

Propecia worked magic for me. There was a difference in 2 weeks. I was nearly bald (thinned all over). I took propecia, and 1 year later, whole head of hair. There is always give an take. Give was hair, take was boobs and sex drive (5' 11'', 170, so not heavy, should not have boobs). I spent 7K on surgery to get rid of the boobs. So, my advise, if you REALLY want hair, but willing to have a non exsistant sex drive, and man boobs, go for it. You will have hair for sure.

When I am with a girl everything is normal. I have an erection and I perform at least two times. The problem is when I try to masturbate, nothing happens. I just can´t feel nothing.

[selfmade]

Propecia is magic, but you will grow boobs

Propecia worked magic for me. There was a difference in 2 weeks. I was nearly bald (thinned all over). I took propecia, and 1 year later, whole head of hair. There is always give an take. Give was hair, take was boobs and sex drive (5' 11'', 170, so not heavy, should not have boobs). I spent 7K on surgery to get rid of the boobs. So, my advise, if you REALLY want hair, but willing to have a non exsistant sex drive, and man boobs, go for it. You will have hair for sure.

[Henrique]

Henrique:

Side effects from Propecia are rare. When they occur, onset can be very variable, with some patients experiencing issues within months, and others only after a few years of treatment. That's why its difficult to know if Propecia or other factors are to blame. 60% of patients who have problems find that the problems disappear spontaneously, even continuing the drug. However, since Propecia is out of your system within a few days, I generally recommend discontinuing the drug until symptoms resolve. Then I recommend restarting the drug. If the symptoms recur, then its reasonable to blame the drug.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

It really helped me, altough it´s hard for me to descontinuate the treatment as it has been effective. I can do a blood test to see if my testosterone is in the right levels can ´t I? Another question is, how can be this side effects related to the drug itself if it is said that they happen in the beggining of the treatment. What is the placebo effect?

Thanks

[Henrique]

Side effects

Hi.

I would like to make a simple question. They said that the side effects appear on the begginning of the treatment. But when more? In the first month? In the first two weeks?

I´ve been on finesteride for about 4 months. In the beggining I felt no side effects.When I say beggining I say in the first 2/3 months. But now I think I think I feel a reduction of my sexual desire. I don´t know if it happenned because of a failed sexual experience and the worries about it or if it happened because of the drug. The fact is that the more I think about it the less I felt desire. Anyway they said that the effects when they happen they go away after a few time. Is that true?

My last worry is how can I know that this drug is or is not affecting me? Can I do a simply blood test?

I hope you can help me.

[john6776]

Hello Doc, i been reading about a procedure called BRP, what is your opinion and comments about this. thanks john

Hello Doc, my mistake i meant to type PRP. thanks john

[bungalowmike]

I have a history of sexual side effects from propecia, including no more erections during the morning, and difficulty maintaining one even if I manage to get one in the first place. I stopped eventually, but realizing that it was my last hope for stopping hairloss as rogaine and lasercomb didn't work either, I started taking propecia again, but this time .5 mg every other day to start. Still, I am experiencing side effects as close to one and a half weeks following the start of my regimen.

So I have 3 main worries/questions.

1) if I am getting side effects, should I carry on taking drug, and what percentage of men are able to get over the side effects after continued use.

2) There is news on the web of a Swedish Medical Products agency concluding a safety investigation of Propecia, advising that sexual side effects may be persistent even after the stopping of Finasteride intake.
Wikipedia has even noted it in its side effects column.

3) Even if Propecia is FDA approved, its Longer term effects are still unknown. Seeing as it was only introduced in 1997, it is still a relatively new and untested drug.

So in the end, is PROPECIA REALLY SAFE? I ask myself - what will i do now if in a few years I am both bald AND impotent? Are there other people out there who worry about the severity of these consequences?

Thanks for your time everyone.

I started using Propecia in 1997 to 2006, and experienced a different side effect than inability to get or maintain an erection. I had difficulty ejaculating while on the drug and have since been told that this may be one of the long-term side-effects. Once I stopped using Propecia, the problem went away. Fortunately, I haven't noticed appreciable hair loss since I stopped using it.