30 citations
,
January 2020 in “Fertility and Sterility” Finasteride can cause serious side effects in some men, needing more research for treatment.
86 citations
,
July 1993 in “Drugs” Finasteride treats enlarged prostate, shrinks it, improves urination, but may cause sexual dysfunction and isn't for women or children.
January 2017 in “Indian journal of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS” Finasteride, a hair loss drug, can cause sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction in 2.1%-3.8% of users, but these usually go away with time or if the drug is stopped. Despite this, its impact on sexual function is minimal for most men.
March 2024 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Taking medication for hair loss might cause sexual problems.
187 citations
,
January 1994 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and may help with baldness, but effects on sexual function and male fetuses are unclear.
23 citations
,
August 2001 in “PubMed” Finasteride reduces caspase levels, helping hair growth in AGA patients.
May 2017 in “Urology and andrology” Finasteride and dutasteride, used for prostate issues and hair loss, can cause side effects like sexual dysfunction and mental issues, which may continue even after stopping the medication, a condition called post-finasteride syndrome, for which there's currently no cure.
February 2026 in “European Urology” 6 citations
,
January 2004 in “Acta dermato-venereologica”
March 2025 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Finasteride use may increase depression and suicide risk, especially at 1 mg, so monitoring is advised.
March 2015 in “The Journal of Urology” Finasteride reduces PSA levels by around 40-50% in BPH patients.
February 2021 in “The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update” Finasteride use in young people may increase risk of suicidal thoughts and mental health issues.
1040 citations
,
October 1992 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Finasteride effectively treats BPH but may increase sexual dysfunction risk.
5 citations
,
November 2015 in “Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences” Finasteride can cause serious physical, mental, and sexual side effects, even after stopping the treatment.
99 citations
,
October 2006 in “BMC clinical pharmacology” Finasteride may cause slight depression and anxiety.
65 citations
,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride effectively reduces hair loss by decreasing androgen levels.
May 2008 in “10th European Congress of Endocrinology”
3 citations
,
October 2011 in “QJM” The drugs finasteride and dutasteride reduce low-grade prostate cancers but may double the risk of high-grade cancers.
February 2026 in “Journal of Psychosexual Health” Finasteride can cause long-lasting sexual dysfunction even after stopping the drug.
Finasteride reduces DHT to treat prostate issues and hair loss.
June 2018 in “Journal of Clinical Periodontology” Finasteride may cause gum side effects in some patients.
15 citations
,
September 2014 in “JAMA Dermatology”
211 citations
,
November 1990 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Finasteride effectively treats BPH, but needs more trials to understand potential.
October 2025 in “Open Repository of the University of Porto (University of Porto)” Dutasteride is more effective than finasteride for hair growth, and sublingual apomorphine quickly improves Parkinson's symptoms.
73 citations
,
January 1994 in “European Urology” Finasteride works better than Permixon in reducing dihydrotestosterone levels.
Finasteride may help prevent prostate cancer, but more research is needed.
61 citations
,
April 2014 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Finasteride affects brain and blood steroids, causing lasting sexual and emotional side effects.
May 2025 in “Reactions Weekly”
137 citations
,
March 2006 in “Cns Drug Reviews” Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and hair loss, but may cause side effects in some patients.
2 citations
,
April 2021 in “Canadian Journal of Urology” Five-alpha reductase inhibitors, like finasteride and dutasteride, can treat enlarged prostates, improve urination, reduce need for prostate surgery, and lower the risk of prostate cancer, but may increase the risk of higher grade prostate cancer. They can also treat male pattern baldness.