The U.S. National Institutes of Health officially is now officially recognizing post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) as a condition that occurs when men taking Propecia suffer sexual dysfunction.

In light of this decision, the NIH has also added the popular hair loss medication to its Genetics and Rare Diseases Information Center in order to better inform consumers and doctors about the Propecia side effects.

Background on Propecia and Its Side Effects

Propecia (finasteride) is a used as a hair loss treatment for male pattern baldness, as well as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, more commonly known as enlarged prostate. The drug is manufactured, marketed, and sold by Merck & Co. and has been prescribed to over a million men in the U.S.

While many consumers have found success in managing their bph and male pattern baldness by using Propecia, or its cousin drug Proscar, countless others have reported experiencing some serious Propecia side effects. Some sexual side effects reported by numerous men who took Propecia include:

• Erectile dysfunction (ED)
• Loss of sex drive
• Impotence
• Low libido
• Inability to orgasm

Propecia Studies Support Sexual Dysfunction Side Effect

This decision by the NIH came soon after a finasteride study was published in the June edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) that suggests the clinical trials for finasteride (the active ingredient in Propecia) failed to fully report the various Propecia side effects.

Lead author Steven Belnap, a researcher from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine had this to say about finasteride use and Propecia side effects: “People who take or prescribe the drug assume it’s safe, but there is insufficient information to make that judgment.”

Additionally, Thomas Moore, a senior scientist for the Institute for Safe Medication Practices was interviewed by Jama Dermatology about finasteride and the possible side effects and Propecia complications like male sexual dysfunction. Moore states: “We know now, more than 20 years after [finasteride] was first approved, that it is unequivocally true that the drug impairs male sexual function. And we can see this in all our standard references: the package insert, the major textbooks. So the facts are clear. The question is, why didn’t they show up more clearly in the clinical trials?”

In response to the various reports by men about developing sexual dysfunction as a Propecia side effect, the Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation was established in 2012, which curates reports from health professionals regarding incidences of Propecia sexual dysfunction.

In addition to the JAMA article on finasteride side effects, the Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation published a study in June about Propecia complications, finding finasteride: “increases severity of erectile dysfunction and decreases testosterone levels in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.”

Propecia’s manufacturer is facing over 1,200 finasteride lawsuits filed by men who allege they suffered a Propecia complication like sexual dysfunction. If you believe you or someone you love have suffered from a Propecia side effect, you should consider talking with an attorney to see if you have legal grounds to file a Propecia lawsuit.