May 2017 in “Psychiatric news” BPH medications may increase the risk of self-harm and depression, especially in the first 18 months.
September 2021 in “Fertility and Sterility” Public interest in finasteride's sexual side effects has significantly increased, highlighting the need for better patient discussions.
3 citations
,
April 2003 in “BJUI” Doxazosin alone or combined with finasteride improves prostate symptoms better than finasteride alone, without extra benefits.
2 citations
,
April 2019 in “Journal of Internal Medicine” Men using steroids or finasteride to look more attractive may harm their fertility and sexual function, creating a paradox where they seem fit but may be less able to reproduce.
15 citations
,
April 1997 in “Muscle & Nerve” 5 citations
,
April 1997 in “Muscle & Nerve” May 2011 in “MOspace Institutional Repository (University of Missouri)” Finasteride at 1 mg daily doesn't help hair loss in postmenopausal women and has similar side effects to a placebo.
2 citations
,
October 2017 in “Drug safety - case reports” Finasteride for hair loss may cause painless bleeding in urine and semen.
May 2024 in “The journal of sexual medicine” Finasteride treatment may cause erectile dysfunction, but stopping it reverses these effects.
December 2023 in “International Journal of Biomedicine” Topical finasteride might help with male hair loss with fewer side effects than pills, but more research is needed.
24 citations
,
January 2010 in “Endocrine Regulations” Taking 1mg of finasteride daily can mildly improve metabolic health and glucose regulation in men with male pattern baldness.
30 citations
,
December 1999 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Finasteride increases hair count in middle-aged and elderly men without causing sexual dysfunction.
1 citations
,
January 2009 in “CRC Press eBooks” Finasteride increases hair count and improves hair growth with low risk of side effects.
2 citations
,
February 2023 in “BJUI” Urologists should monitor mental health in patients taking finasteride due to potential links to suicidal thoughts, adjusting dosage or stopping use if necessary. More research is needed to confirm if finasteride causes these thoughts.
January 2013 in “China Medical Abstract of Dermatology” Finasteride effectively reduces acne with minimal side effects.
1 citations
,
March 2023 in “Scientific Reports” Finasteride may increase the risk of suicide or severe self-harm in men with mood disorders but not in the general population.
20 citations
,
August 2018 in “The World Journal of Men's Health” Finasteride may increase erectile dysfunction risk in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
May 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride and dutasteride increase sexual dysfunction reports.
5 citations
,
May 2011 in “Movement Disorders” Finasteride may help reduce tic severity in male Tourette syndrome patients.
February 2026 in “NeuroSci” Finasteride and dutasteride may cause depression and anxiety, especially in younger men.
5 citations
,
January 1995 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” A trial found that using finasteride, a hair growth drug, can be effectively measured by comparing before and after photos.
6 citations
,
April 2015 in “Behavioural Brain Research” Finasteride worsens stress effects on sensory processes, possibly linking to anxiety/depression.
May 2025 in “Reactions Weekly”
93 citations
,
January 1996 in “Clinical Pharmacokinectics” Finasteride helps regrow hair and shrink prostate by reducing DHT, with some sexual side effects.
January 2011 in “International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery” Finasteride may reduce body hair in men.
April 2016 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine”
February 2026 in “PubMed” Finasteride withdrawal causes anxiety-like behavior in male rats.
1 citations
,
January 2013 in “Shandong yiyao” Preoperative finasteride can help prevent and reduce transurethral resection syndrome.
65 citations
,
March 1999 in “Urology” Finasteride didn't significantly improve ICPPS symptoms, more research needed.
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.