81 citations
,
June 2014 in “American Journal of Men's Health” Finasteride can cause lasting sexual, emotional, and cognitive issues, with varying severity.
77 citations
,
June 2015 in “Nature Reviews Urology” Some common medications can harm male fertility, but many effects can be reversed.
71 citations
,
November 2012 in “Expert Opinion on Drug Safety” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors can cause sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction and reduced sexual desire, sometimes lasting after stopping the drug.
69 citations
,
July 2015 in “Pharmacotherapy” Low-dose finasteride may cause lasting sexual dysfunction and suicidal thoughts in young men.
66 citations
,
April 2017 in “International Journal of Andrology” Men taking 5α-reductase inhibitors for enlarged prostate have a higher chance of experiencing reduced sexual desire and erectile dysfunction.
59 citations
,
November 2018 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Lower levels of certain brain chemicals are linked to worse PTSD symptoms in men.
54 citations
,
May 2018 in “International journal of risk & safety in medicine” Antidepressants, 5α-reductase inhibitors, and isotretinoin can cause long-lasting sexual dysfunction.
50 citations
,
March 2017 in “PeerJ” Using finasteride or dutasteride may cause long-lasting erectile dysfunction.
40 citations
,
November 2020 in “JAMA Dermatology” Finasteride may cause suicidal thoughts and mental side effects, especially in young people with hair loss.
35 citations
,
June 2018 in “Urology” The review suggests younger men taking 1 mg finasteride report more side effects, including sexual, skin, metabolic, and psychological issues.
35 citations
,
April 2013 in “Sexual medicine reviews” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors slightly increase the risk of sexual and mood side effects, and breast growth in men.
34 citations
,
June 2011 in “Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research” Three drugs change mice's alcohol drinking patterns by affecting GABAA receptors.
33 citations
,
January 2016 in “Skin appendage disorders” The document concludes that sexual and psychiatric side effects from 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are reported, but more high-quality research is needed to understand how often they occur.
31 citations
,
February 2016 in “American Journal of Men's Health” Finasteride can cause serious emotional side effects; doctors should check patients' mental health history before prescribing.
30 citations
,
February 2003 in “Annals of Neurology” Progesterone and related compounds may help control seizures linked to the menstrual cycle but have limitations that need addressing.
30 citations
,
October 2015 in “Journal of Ethnopharmacology” Herbal compounds like ricinoleic acid, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, and hinokiflavone may be safe and effective for treating hair loss.
27 citations
,
June 2013 in “Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research” Finasteride use may lead to less alcohol consumption in men with lasting sexual side effects.
26 citations
,
September 2018 in “Neurobiology of Disease” Finasteride and dutasteride reduce unwanted movements from Parkinson's disease treatment by normalizing certain brain signals.
26 citations
,
July 2012 in “Epilepsy & Behavior” Finasteride worsens seizures in epilepsy rats and speeds up epileptogenesis in mice.
24 citations
,
July 2018 in “Drug Design Development and Therapy” NTF gel improves finasteride delivery for hair loss treatment, reducing side effects.
24 citations
,
July 2016 in “Revue Neurologique” Gilles de la Tourette syndrome is treatable, with behavioral therapy as a recommended first option and other treatments available for more severe cases.
24 citations
,
December 2013 in “Sexual medicine reviews” Finasteride can cause sexual problems and depression in young men.
23 citations
,
October 2018 in “Expert Opinion on Drug Safety” Consider benefits and risks of new alopecia treatments for safety.
21 citations
,
April 2016 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” Finasteride may cause mental and sexual side effects, with hand preference and sexual orientation possibly affecting severity.
20 citations
,
August 2019 in “Expert Opinion on Drug Safety” Some medications for bladder problems can cause memory issues or mood changes, and doctors should monitor these side effects.
20 citations
,
January 2018 in “Expert Opinion on Drug Safety” Personalized treatment with inhibitors, minoxidil, and laser therapy helps hair loss.
20 citations
,
June 2017 in “Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation” Long-term use of dutasteride for enlarged prostate may worsen blood sugar, cholesterol, and erectile dysfunction.
19 citations
,
March 2019 in “Behavioural Brain Research” Finasteride use can cause depression-like behavior in male rats.
19 citations
,
June 2006 in “Physiology & Behavior” Finasteride slows down motherly behavior in first-time pregnant rats.
19 citations
,
September 2016 in “Pharmacotherapy” Finasteride for hair loss increases risk of long-lasting sexual dysfunction.