sweet, i initially saw the date it started and figured it was already closed.
Please sign up ASAP. It would be nice if we could get a figure around 1000 people…Imagine a study with 1000+ plus long term sufferers, that would get the courts involved eventually…
I emailed him as to hows it getting on. Here is his response:
The study is coming along well. It has been submitted to a medical journal and is being revised currently. Hopefully it will be accepted in the next month or two. I’ll email you the results once they become available.
Happy 2011!
Dr. Irwig
.
I have a concern about this study.
What if it only focuses on the sexual sides?
The fact that Propecia can cause permanant sexual dysfunction has been obscured in an attempt to make money. But Finasteride is well known to cause ED when used to treat BPH, so its not difficult to connect the dots.
But myself and most of the other people here are suffering from other side effects, sides that arent easily understandable. What if this is only mentioned as a foot note in the study? Since this study’s main aim may well be to uncover the truth behind sides that have been denied in the first place, other side effects which dont fit with that picture may continue to be ignored.
It requires a lot of attention on these permanent hypogonadal-like side effects before a cause is found or anyone starts working on a fix. The ‘remedy’ for just ED is a lifetimes worth of Viagra.
Attention:
To those of you that participated in Dr. Irwig’s first study - you should have received a second survey to fill out related to one of the other common side effects. This would have come via e-mail within the last 10 days. Please fill it out and return it, 2 pages of multiple choice questions; doesn’t take more than 15 minutes.
So far participation in the second study is running less than 20% - we can do better than that I hope.
Thanks -
kazman
Dr. Irwig has requested the 2nd survey not be discussed publically. Please return your results to him in confidence via email but do not discuss on the forum.
I have recieved no such e-mail… maybe i wasnt supposed too?
Is Dr. Irwig still looking for participants for this study? I would like to contribute if needed.
I’d also like to participate. The expiration date of the original form says 3/12/11, so does this mean the original study is still open? Anyone know?
Contact Dr. Irwig and ask.
Apparently enough of us filled out Dr. Irwig’s first questionaire, but only a third of us have followed up. If you haven’t followed up yet, please do immediately. Otherwise our intial efforts will be in vain, we owe it to ourselves.
Supposedly there will be an announcement about the study this week.
This will no way help you right now but i want to participate to this or Karolinsk Institutes research (not eligible for this but maybe in future in another research?) but it’ll take time to find a doctor who would be willing to take those tests for this. I think another finnish could do this but he has the same problem as i do.
O_O gulp we’ll see what comes now…
EDIT Hey, if you get email about this, would you kindly let us know what is going on with the research. Thank you in advance.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAZ3-t7vJeg[/youtube]
[Size=4]Dr. Michael S. Irwig from George Washington University has published his 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.
BRAVO!! Bravo!! 
I’ll try to see if i can get two more succesful applicants to the second phase of Irwing’s research.
THANK YOU DR IRWIG.
Regarding this new study though I am quite worried that Dr Irwig is only asking for two hormone levels: TT and DHT.
I think most of us will recognise the huge limitation in looking at only these two levels. Even if they show a tendancy of low levels, considering this is a study where people with sexual dysfunction have volunteered, what credibility would really be gained? No bases, no considerations of age (i assume?) and other hormone levels to assess? Basically - no real tangible evidence or trends.
Testosterone levels seem to be all over the place on here anyway. My TT and DHT are high for instance.
What we need is full hormonal profiles done for 15-30 highly eligible candidates. More candidates if possible but its quality over quantity. Smaller focus groups will be a start here as opposed to scattered results with limited readings.
Either this or just request more hormone levels for everyone. Oestradiol is essential, really. So is FSH, LH and perhaps even Progesterone. Even this is only scratching the surface. 3-ADIOL-G would be something really worth sinking our teeth into. That and urinary analysis of DHT metabolites and their ratios.
Please Dr Irwig. I understand this could take longer but I think it’d be worth taking the extra time to get together really meaningful data as opposed to a bunch of guy’s basic TT and DHT levels. Doctor’s with 30+ PFS patients are stuggling to find connections between their own patients, its going to take a massive and elaborate effort for us to do so.
I’m sure you will agree - due to the “inherent bias” in such studies the onus is on us to become as specific as possible.
Ultimately , I’m imagining you are intending on forming a “causual relationship” between post-finasteride complainants and low TT/DHT. In that regard what i would say is that most guys are low-mid range with some even being high like myself and a few others, so even here it could be difficult. Since I “foresee” this, I suppose i am somewhat impatient and want closer analysis from the word go.
Thanks.
Colin
Glad to see this. Thanks, Dr. Irwig. 
Good Doc!
I agree with a previous post. I wish the Doctor would shed some light on the other common, long term side effects. Hope this is a start to more and larger studies
Is anyone able to share the full article beyond the abstract?