Propecia, a popular hair loss treatment drug, has been linked to several side effects, including permanent sexual dysfunction.

Hundreds of men negatively affected by the drug have stemmed Propecia lawsuits against Merck, alleging that the company omitted information about their drug’s side effects from the safety label. In filing these suits, plaintiffs hope to receive compensation for Propecia’s medically and emotionally damaging effects.

Background on Propecia

Manufactured by Merck & Co., Propecia (originally called Proscar) was first introduced in 1997 to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is also known as enlarged prostate gland.

Though Merck’s Proscar drug was originally intended to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, the company discovered that the treatment caused some patients to grow hair. The drug manufacturer dropped the dosage to twenty percent, and as a result found a way to correct male pattern baldness. Male pattern baldness is hereditary and affects nearly fifty percent of men over the age of fifty.

The drug, at its new, lower dosage and rebranded as Propecia, entered the drug market after nearly $500 million of research. Fortunately for the manufacturers, the drug received high acclaim. After only one year on the market, nearly half a billion men in the United States had filled prescriptions to take Propecia daily.

Both Propecia and Proscar came with warning labels and a list of potential sexual side effects discovered during research, but the manufacturer failed to warn patients that the potential effects can persist even after patients stop taking the drug.

Propecia Side Effects

Merck had originally disclosed that 1.7 percent more Propecia patients had adverse sexual experiences after taking the drug than those who took a placebo, but claimed that these issues would be resolved simply by discontinuing the drug.

Side effects of Propecia include decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculation disorder. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analyzed data of adverse events associated with the drug, and found a wide range of similar sexual side effects in users of Propecia between the ages of 21 and 46. Unlike Merck’s original claim, these problems did not stop with the discontinuation of the drug, but instead persisted on average for approximately four years after stopping treatment.

The FDA has also warned that Propecia may slightly increase the risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer, which is aggressive and difficult to treat.

It is unlikely that patients taking Propecia will experience sexual side effects or develop prostate cancer as a result, because the risk is fairly low and ultimately affects only a small percentage of users. However, sexual problems such as these 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 or someone you know has taken Propecia or Proscar and developed sexual side effects such as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, or ejaculation disorder, or if Merck did not adequately warn you of the potential side effects of their product, you may be able to file a lawsuit.