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Baldness drug linked to sex problems in men
E-mail | Print | Comments (21) Posted by Deborah Kotz January 12, 2011 08:49 AM
Baldness or loss of sexual function? That’s the choice some men face when considering taking a pill called finasteride (Propecia) to stop their hair from thinning, according to researchers at Boston University School of Medicine. The drug is also used to treat a benign enlarged prostate condition.
In a recent review study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, the researchers culled data from a number of clinical trials and calculated that about 15 percent of Propecia users experienced decreased libido, ejaculatory disorders, and erectile dysfunction compared with 7 percent of those who took placebos.
They also reported a case of a 24-year-old man who took the drug for male pattern baldness and then developed a total loss of sexual function that remained irreversible even after he stopped taking the drug and tried Viagra.
This all sounds pretty scary, but when you take a look at the three studies that looked at largely younger men who took a 1 milligram daily dose for hair loss – rather than a higher dose for enlarged prostate – the findings aren’t so dire: In one trial, about 1.9 percent of Propecia takers who took the drug for up to two years experienced a loss of libido compared with 1.3 percent of placebo takers; 1.4 percent of Propecia users had erectile dysfunction and 1 percent had an ejaculatory disorder compared with 0.9 and 0.4 percent of the placebo takers.
The 15 studies that looked at older men who took a 5-milligram daily dose for enlarged prostate, on the other hand, had higher rates of libido loss and erectile dysfunction, ranging from about 2 to 13 percent for libido loss and up to 16 percent for erectile dysfunction; placebo takers were about half as likely to have these conditions.
Propecia may produce “persistent side effects,” the authors write, that “have received minimal attention.” That’s most likely because it alters sex hormones like testosterone and progesterone. At the very least, they add, “physicians should inform men” about the possibility of sexual side effects, which also include breast growth and testicle soreness.
Merck, manufacturer of Propecia, acknowledges the drug’s side effects, stating:
“In clinical studies for Propecia, a small number of men experienced certain sexual side effects, such as less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, or a decrease in the amount of semen. Each of these side effects occurred in less than 2% of men and went away in men who stopped taking Propecia because of them.”
And, of course, there’s the baldness prevention benefit. Nearly half of men who take the pill experience no further hair loss, and nearly another half have some hair regrowth. That compares with one-quarter of placebo takers.
Bottom line: Men considering Propecia for hair loss should weigh the small risk of sexual side effects into their desire to prevent baldness and potentially have mild improvements in their hairline. Rogaine, a liquid applied to the scalp, is another option, which promises to just slow hair loss, not stop it altogether.