Merck’s blockbuster hair loss treatment Propecia (finasteride) has been linked to a number of serious sexual side effects including impotence, erectile dysfunction, testicular pain and genital shrinkage.

Propecia Side Effects

Experts now recognize that Propecia, generic finasteride, can cause permanent sexual dysfunction in men. Previously, it was thought that Propecia side effects would go away after men stopped taking the drug.

However, various medical journals have reported that use of the hair loss treatment can cause the following permanent sexual side effects:

• Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
• Sexual Ejaculation Dysfunction
• Total lack of sex drive
• Soreness of the testicles

Most Propecia Sexual Dysfunction Side Effects Are Permanent

Contrary to the Propecia label, most men who suffer from Propecia erectile dysfunction and other sexual side effects continue to experience side effects to some degree even after they stop taking the hair loss treatment.

One study found that only half of men who stopped taking Propecia experienced resolution of their sexual dysfunction side effects. Another study found that only 4 percent of men experiencing these side effects saw a complete elimination after they stopped taking Propecia.

FDA Warns About Propecia Side Effects

Since Merck first launched Propecia in the United States more than 17 years ago, millions of men have used the drug to treat thinning hair. Merck states that the hair loss cure can improve symptoms of male pattern baldness by up to 30 percent within six months.

It wasn’t until 2012 that the FDA revised the hair loss cure’s product label to warn of adverse Propecia side effects that can last even after cessation of the drug. The drug’s label now cautions of the following side effects:

• Ejaculation problems
• Lowered sex drive
• Orgasm difficulties
• Sexual dysfunction
• Poor semen quality

Propecia Multidistrict Litigation

After many men filed similar complaints against Merck, a judicial panel created a Propecia Multidistrict Litigation in April 2012 to more efficiently handle the growing number of complaints with similar accusations.

Plaintiffs contend that Merck knew, or should have known, that when taken as prescribed to prevent hair loss, Propecia could cause erectile dysfunction, reduced libido, impotence, and other permanent sexual problems.

Many of the plaintiffs are men under the age of 50 who took the hair loss cure as an allegedly safe and effective male pattern baldness treatment or male hair loss treatment and claim they were not provided proper and sufficient warnings about adverse Propecia side effects.

To date, over 1,100 men across the country have filed Propecia lawsuits against Merck seeking compensation for these complications.