Propecia, one of the most popular hair loss treatments on the market, has been linked in a growing number of lawsuits over side effects including permanent sexual dysfunction.

Some of these Propecia lawsuits allege that the unfortunate complications are permanent.

After being introduced to the market in 1997, Propecia rose quickly in popularity. More than 400,000 men in the United States filled Propecia prescriptions during its first year on the market in an attempt to reverse their male pattern baldness.

Unfortunately, many of these men have suffered from side effects and some of the affected men have taken legal action against Merck, alleging that the company actively omitted information about Propecia’s side effects from the labeling.

In filing these Propecia lawsuits, plaintiffs hope to gain some compensation in return for Procepia’s physically and emotionally damaging effects.

Propecia’s active ingredient is finasteride, which blocks the hormone leading to male pattern baldness. However, recent studies indicate that finasteride may also have potentially permanent effects on users’ sexual health.

Before its release the drug’s manufacturer, Merck & Co., released clinical trial data showing that 3.8 percent of those treated with Propecia reported at least one adverse sexual side effect. Only 2 percent of those given a placebo reported such side effects.

The most commonly reported Propecia side effects include erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder, and decreased libido. Merck, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have both stated that any sexual side effects of Propecia stop when a user stops taking the drug. Some Propecia lawsuits and studies, however, suggest otherwise.

Merck’s information came from preapproval trials, which were later to be found unreliable. The information for these trials came from a small patient group that was only treated for a limited amount of time – between six months and one year.

More recent studies indicate that Propecia’s side effects can continue for many months after a user stops taking the drug, and some people report that the complications have proven to be irreversible.

Propecia studies consistently show erectile dysfunction as a side effect. One review reported that somewhere between 6 and 8 percent of patients who take Propecia experienced erectile dysfunction. For some, these side effects lasted months to years. Other Propecia users have experienced loss of libido or ejaculatory disorder.

According to another Propecia study, the average duration of any sexual side effect associated with Propecia after stopping the drug was 40 months, or just over three years.

Though these Propecia side effects are not life-threatening, and extremely extended cases are rare, they can cause huge problems for the people suffering from them.

Plaintiffs suffering from Propecia sexual dysfunction started filing Propecia lawsuits against Merck & Co. in 2012. Because of the similarity between the Propecia lawsuits, they were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation, or MDL. Hundreds of Propecia lawsuits are now included.

Sexual problems such as those experienced as Propecia side effects can be emotionally draining for patients. Persistent sexual dysfunction, especially dysfunction that continues after the use of the drug is over, can damage personal relationships and quality of life.

If you have taken Procepia or Proscar and developed sexual side effects such as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, or ejaculation disorder and feel that Merck did not adequately warn you of the potential side effects of their product, you may be able to file an individual Propecia lawsuit, or join a Propecia class action lawsuit.