Baldness Drug May Cause Sexual Side Effects

[SoothSayer]

Could it be because most if not all of the complaints have come from men taking Propecia who fear these side effects might occur? This is an very interesting development if you ask me and leads me to wonder if the mental side effects are even greater then we once thought.

This doesn't really make that much sense. Many of the MedWatch reports were received from doctors whose patients were suffering from these side effects. Also, why would men who are not experiencing side effects report on adverse events they did not suffer?

The reason why the Proscar label changed is that many of the men who reported these problems already had existing sexual problems which effectively blurs the significance of the signal. Proscar is also used to treat BPH, a serious medical condition that can eventually lead to impotence where Propecia is strictly used for cosmetic purposes. The label change really has very little to do with the nocebo effect.

[kramer]

Two Merck drugs -- one to treat hair loss in men, the other to treat an enlarged prostate gland -- will get revised labels warning of potential sexual side effects that can last even after patients stop taking the drugs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

Although a cause-and-effect relationship between the drugs and these side effects hasn't been established, case reports suggest there's a potential problem, the FDA said.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news...de-effects-fda

So do all the older men who have never taken these drugs have normally functioning gear?

[blakes33]

on a side note, has your hair loss increased?

Hair loss increased pretty substantially the first couple of months, but since my issues have gotten worse my hair loss seems to have stabilized - I HOPE that my hair will continue to fall out as that usually coincides with everything "else" functioning properly.

I know SOMEONE has to have experience - Have you heard or know of anyone who developed problems only after quitting the drug who went back on to try to stop them??? Did going back on make things worse or stop the damage???

[the_charger]

I agree with what amadeus said!

This fda warning is really weird and doesn’t quite make sense to me. so if I have it right, the FDA looked a bunch of cases that were submitted over the internet by people who believe propecia caused their side effects?

how is any of this any different that irwig study that came out a year back? that study looked at a bunch of case reports also, but at least he ruled out any other factors that might have contributed like depression or a history of sexual dysfuntion. here the FDA is just looking at reports in their database and drawing a conclusion that there is a risk just based on quantity alone. Also what stops people from submitting multiple cases under fake names? people like STTB create multiple accounts on forums to bash propecia, I definitely wouldnt put it beyond certain people to submit multiple FDA cases!

Also from what it looks like, most cases of this persistent dysfunction resolved after 3 months too. this is really important information, since the general idea is that once you get these persistent symptoms, they are permanent. This clearly isnt whats happening.

If I have this wrong then I hope someone can correct me, but this is the way I am seeing it.

Its also strange they fda says that propecia can cause these serious symptoms but then also say they believe its a safe and well tolerated medication? its all a bit confusing. I hope Spencer has a discussion about this, and I would love to hear a professional perspective on this!

[chrisis]

Could it be because most if not all of the complaints have come from men taking Propecia who fear these side effects might occur?

I can tell you in my personal experience the answer is no. I took finasteride and was confident that I'd not suffer side effects. I thought hard about it and equated 2% to placebo, so the risk was virtually nil. For about 2 months I was absolutely fine, and then I started noticing low libido, numb penis and inability to orgasm comfortably and a much less forceful ejaculation as well as ejaculate quantity and consistency.

In conclusion and for what its worth, as my own experience:

1) I did not start taking finasteride with concerns that I'd be in the supposed "2%" (a figure I have gross doubts about now)

2) I did not suffer side effects until 2 months after taking the drug, which pretty much rules out fear as the factor behind my symptoms. In fact for a period I was actually in denial about suffering sides, until it became far too obvious to ignore and I stopped immediately. I wasn't really afraid until my jizz literally seeped out of my dick, instead of the usual explosive orgasm. Who wouldn't be afraid at that point?!

3) I still suffer from side effects despite the fact I stopped back in January.

Given all of the above, I think it should be perfectly understandable why myself and other guys get angry when people who have not had side effects state there's no risk and it's all in our heads. It makes me furious to be honest.

To top it all off, we have guys calling into the Bald Truth Talk promoting Propecia's safety after taking it for 3 days.

I honestly have to suspend my disbelief about how casually and carelessly this topic is being discussed. I can only put it down to sheer desperation to keep hair. Let me tell you, sexual health is far more important and I wish I'd not taking finasteride.

[gmonasco]

FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Yao said the drugs were previously known to cause adverse sexual events in a small number of patients, and that information was included on labels at the time of approval.

The latest labeling change "expands the list of sexual adverse events reported to the FDA postmarketing," she said, adding that "no new clinical studies were reviewed to evaluate these adverse events."

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-styl...icle-1.1062408

[gutted]

Hair loss increased pretty substantially the first couple of months, but since my issues have gotten worse my hair loss seems to have stabilized - I HOPE that my hair will continue to fall out as that usually coincides with everything "else" functioning properly.

I know SOMEONE has to have experience - Have you heard or know of anyone who developed problems only after quitting the drug who went back on to try to stop them??? Did going back on make things worse or stop the damage???

i dont think hairloss continuing to worsen/increase after stopping fin is a good indicator that things will be getting back to normal, but you would think that is the case as this would imply testosterone and dht levels are going back to normal. (there are other factors involved in hairloss)

ive not known anyone who has got back on the drug to try and mitigate the side effects, but i have read experineces where people who wish to stop a drug usually taper off a drug rather than stop cold turkey.

It could be worth a try and getting back on fin and then tapering off it.
I think overtime you'll return back to normal, let the body flush the fin out.

[Cyberdyne]

you guys have me worried, I have been on Finasteride for about 5 years, havent noticed any side effects but now I am scared to come off the drug

[chrisis]

If you do come off it I'd suggest weaning off. Apart from taking finasteride in the first place, that's a big regret.

[the_charger]

you guys have me worried, I have been on Finasteride for about 5 years, havent noticed any side effects but now I am scared to come off the drug

why on earth would you be thinking about coming off it if you have taken it for 5 years without any side effects? over like 95% of guys who take it will not have any side effects, and you are one of them. I am also one of these people, I have been on it for close to a year and havent really had a single side effect.

You have no reason to be afraid. It seems like some people actually want to scare everyone so they will come off propecia, even though you arent having a single problem with it. It almost makes me think these people are more jealous that other people can tolerate it well, rather than legitimately feeling concerned for your welfare.

my very genuine advice to you is to stay on it and don't worry. If you havent had any side effects after 5 years, there is no reason you will just suddenly start having them! the worst thing too is if you stop taking it, there is a good chance your hair loss will quickly play catch up, and all the gains you have maintained over the years might be lost quite suddenly. if you change your mind when this starts happening, you might never recover what you have lost. If you are completely okay with losing your hair, all the more power to you, and you have no reason to keep taking it....

Im not telling you there isnt a risk, because there appears to be a very small one. however, you have already taken this risk and you are in the clear, so why worry?