[Size=4][b]NOTICE (Feb 2011):
If you are suffering from PERSISTENT Finasteride side effects, please participate in Dr. Irwig’s NEW 2011 study on Testosterone, DHT & Fertility parameters.
VIEW STUDY DETAILS: viewtopic.php?f=33&t=4815
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[Size=4]We invite you to be a part of this important project so that he can report the hormone levels and fertility parameters in men who developed persistent sexual side effects after taking finasteride for male pattern hair loss. [/size]
EDIT, March 2010: DR. IRWIG’S FIRST STUDY HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, SEE BELOW:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAZ3-t7vJeg[/youtube]
[Size=4]Dr. Michael S. Irwig from George Washington University has published his first study on persistent Finasteride (Propecia) side effects in young men aged 21-46.
Study published March 18, 2011: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02255.x/abstract[/size]
gwtoday.gwu.edu/people/adrugsunintendedconsequences
A recent study by GW Professor Michael S. Irwig reveals persistent and possibly permanent side effects associated with a common hair loss drug.
Men taking medication for hair loss may suffer from prolonged and possibly irreversible sexual dysfunction, according to a recent study by Assistant Professor of Medicine Michael S. Irwig.
The study, recently published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, reveals that finasteride–an antiandrogen that treats hair loss and is found in popular male pattern baldness drug Propecia–can cause persistent sexual dysfunction, including low sexual desire, erectile dysfunction and problems with orgasms.
While labeling on the medication in the U.S. currently warns about possible reversible sexual side effects, there is no reference to the effects being persistent, says Dr. Irwig, who conducted the study along with Swapna Kolukula of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Other countries, including the United Kingdom and Sweden, have documented persistent risks and required medical companies to include them in labeling.
Dr. Irwig first became aware of the problems caused by finasteride several years ago when he encountered several men who reported they had developed sexual dysfunction while taking the medication.
“It’s been very frustrating for a lot of these men because they’ve sought care from medical professionals who have looked at the literature and have not seen a risk of persistent sexual dysfunction,” says Dr. Irwig. “So a lot of these patients have been told to see psychiatrists and psychologists and that it’s all in their head.”
Dr. Irwig then noticed that men had reported sexual dysfunction for months after they stopped taking the medication.
“I came across a website called propeciahelp.com with more than 1,400 registered users—many young healthy men who developed the same sexual side effects from finasteride—and I discovered that nobody had published a series looking at these men—who they are, how long the sexual side effects lasted, what types.”
Dr. Irwig’s study included results from interviews with 71 men aged 21 to 46 years old to assess how long they took finasteride, the type and duration of sexual side effects and their sexual frequency before and after the medication.
Dr. Irwig discovered that 94 percent developed low libido, 92 percent developed erectile dysfunction and decreased arousal, and 69 percent developed problems with orgasm. On average, the men used finasteride for approximately 28 months but experienced persistent sexual side effects for an average of 40 months, from the time they ceased taking the medication to the time of the interview.
Dr. Irwig also found that the average number of sexual episodes per month dropped after finasteride use.
“It turns out that almost all the men had multiple sexual function problems,” says Dr. Irwig. “Before finasteride use, the men experienced average sexual activity of approximately 26 episodes per month, but after use, it came down to approximately eight per month —an almost two-thirds reduction.”
“Twenty percent of patients I interviewed experienced persistent sexual dysfunction for more than five years, which makes me wonder if their persistent sexual dysfunction is permanent,” he adds.
Dr. Irwig says roughly 5 percent of men who take medicine will experience sexual dysfunction, but that “out of that 5 percent, it’s hard to tell how many will experience persistent symptoms.”
“We know that this is a potential problem, but we can’t quantify what the exact risk is. I can’t tell a man if he has a 1-in-100 chance, or a 1-in-1000 chance of developing persistent sexual dysfunction, but it’s pretty clear there’s a relationship here,” he says.
Topical Rogaine can be used as an alternative to Propecia —applied directly on the skin, it does not get absorbed by body and thus does not cause sexual side effects—but Dr. Irwig says Propecia is very effective in treating hair loss and thus is commonly prescribed.
So Dr. Irwig says it is crucial physicians treating male pattern hair loss discuss the possibility of persistent sexual side effects associated with finasteride with their patients.
“I think it’s very important that doctors who are prescribing this medicine talk about potential risks, so men can make an informed decision,” he says.
[b]March 17, 2010 - posted by:
Michael S. Irwig M.D., F.A.C.E.
Assistant Professor of Medicine,
George Washington University School of Medicine
Division of Endocrinology, Medical Faculty Associates
Director, Center for Andrology[/b]
[Size=4]We now have official approval from GW University to begin the study.[/size]
[Size=4]Dr. Irwig and colleagues at the George Washington University are conducting a study to describe possible persistent sexual side effects related to the use of finasteride (Propecia).
Interested subjects would email and complete a study consent form and 5 item questionnaire. A telephone interview of less than 30 minutes would be scheduled so that Dr. Irwig can ask basic questions about the subject’s medical, psychiatric and sexual histories.
All information will be kept confidential and each subject will be assigned a unique ID number so that the data is analyzed anonymously. Participation is entirely voluntary.[/size]
[Size=4][b]Eligible subjects are:
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Men who between the ages of 18 and 40 took finasteride (Propecia or Proscar) for male pattern hair loss treatment or prevention
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Men who experienced new sexual dysfunction (low libido, erectile dysfunction, decreased orgasm) that has persisted despite stopping finasteride (Propecia)
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[Size=4][b]Subjects are not eligible if they had:
- Any significant baseline sexual dysfunction before using finasteride.
- Psychiatric diagnoses including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc.
- Medication use other than finasteride BEFORE or DURING treatment with finasteride.
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We invite you to be a part of this important project so that we can report the persistent sexual side effects of finasteride to both the medical community (doctors who prescribe the medicine) and to the general population.
Interested subjects should send their signed consent forms (scanned to PDF, JPG image) to propeciastudy@gmail.com to participate.[/size]
[Size=4]Alternatively, you may also FAX or MAIL your signed consent form:
FAX: 202-741-2490 (add +1 prefix for long distance/international calls)
MAIL: Dr. Irwig
2150 Pennsylvania Ave NW # ACC 3-416
Washington DC 20037[/size]
021009c1 Consent.pdf (44.1 KB)