Propecia Side Effects

In June 2011, the FDA issued a press release informing the public about new safety information for the popular hair loss drug Propecia. Men who take Propecia may be at an increased risk for severe sexual side effects, male breast cancer and high-grade prostate cancer. Individual lawsuits are currently being investigated nationwide in an attempt to hold Merck accountable for its negligence.

Free Propecia Side Effects Case Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been injured by Propecia side effects, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.

Propecia Background

There has always been a significant percentage of the male population who have lost their hair relatively early on in life. For centuries, this phenomenon was linked to genetics and fate, and it was assumed that nothing could be done once someone’s hair began to disappear. Over the last few decades, however, a number of pharmaceutical companies have studied the issue extensively and released medications designed to combat the symptoms of male pattern baldness.

Manufactured and marketed by Merck & Co., Propecia was first approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997 as a prescription treatment for male pattern hair loss. Propecia contains the active ingredient finasteride, which is an irreversible and highly potent inhibitor of Type II 5-Alpha Reductase that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). As DHT has been implicated in the balding process, finasteride can aid in stopping hair loss. In addition to Propecia, other drugs containing finasteride in the 5-ARI class include Proscar, Avodart and Jalyn.

Side Effects of Propecia

The following side effects have been reported in a large number of Propecia users:

• less desire for sex
• difficulty in achieving an erection (erectile dysfunction)
• decrease in the amount of semen
• problems with ejaculation
• gynecomastia
• impotence
• testicular pain
• male breast cancer
• prostate cancer

Other, less severe side effects linked to Propecia include:

• breast tenderness
• allergic reactions
• rash
• hives

Propecia Sexual Side Effects

Merck reported that the sexual side effects of Propecia include:

• impotence (1.1% to 18.5%)
• abnormal ejaculation (7.2%)
• decreased ejaculatory volume (0.9% to 2.8%)
• abnormal sexual function (2.5%)
• gynecomastia (2.2%)
• erectile dysfunction (1.3%)
• ejaculation disorder (1.2%)

According to Merck, Propecia side effects should cease after discontinuing treatment.  “In clinical studies for Propecia, a small number of men experienced certain sexual side effects, such as less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, or a decrease in the amount of semen.  Each of those side effects occurred in less than 2% of men and went away in men who stopped taking Propecia because of them.” However, recent studies suggest that this may not be entirely true.

In April 2011, a study published in the Los Angeles Times suggested that Propecia side effects can include a number of severe sexual problems which can potentially continue indefinitely after men stop using the product. The study, which involved male test subjects between the ages of 21 and 46 who used Propecia for an average of 28 months, found that sexual side effects lasted an average of 40 months after taking the drug.

“The looming question for all the subjects is whether their sexual function will ever recover,” wrote the authors of the new study, from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “Many of the study participants have developed anxiety and depression as a consequence of their sexual dysfunction and all reported a significantly decreased quality of life, especially with dating and intimacy.”

Propecia Prostate Cancer

In June 2011, the Food & Drug Administration ordered the labels of Propecia and other 5-ARI medications to be changed to include information about the risk of high-grade prostate cancer that had been associated with the drugs. The label change was based on the agency’s review of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) and the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) trial, which evaluated daily use of finasteride 5 mg for seven years in men at least 50 years of age. According to the FDA warning, “The trials demonstrated an overall reduction in prostate cancer diagnoses with finasteride 5 mg and dutasteride treatment. This overall reduction was due to a decreased incidence of lower risk forms of prostate cancer. However, both trials showed an increased incidence of high-grade prostate cancer with finasteride and dutasteride treatment.”

Signs and symptoms of Propecia prostate cancer may include:

• delayed or slowed start of urinary stream;
• dribbling or leakage of urine, most often after urinating;
• slow urinary stream;
• straining when urinating, or not being able to empty out all of the urine;
• blood in the urine or semen;
• bone pain or tenderness, most often in the lower back and pelvic bones (only when the cancer has spread).

Injured by Propecia Side Effects?

If you’ve experienced any of the side effects listed above after undergoing treatment with Propecia, you may want to consider filing a lawsuit to seek compensation for your injuries. At Schmidt & Clark, LLP, we have Propecia lawyers who may be able to help you. Complete the form at the bottom of this page to request your free confidential case evaluation today.

Do You have a Propecia Side Effects Lawsuit?

The Product Liability & Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Propecia side effects lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Propecia side effects cases in all 50 states.