The popular male-pattern baldness drug Propecia has been accused of causing persisting sexual dysfunction complications. To make matters worse, it has recently been discovered that Propecia can increase the chances of suicide.

The study was published in the most recent issue of the online issue of the medical journal, Pharmacotherapy, by researchers at the University of British Columbia. They conducted this study with Eli Lilly & Co., suspecting that there may be a strong correlation between Propecia and suicide.

This study examined 4,910 Propecia injury reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from men between the ages 18 and 45, from 1998 to 2013. Among these reports, the researchers noted 577 had indicated sexual dysfunction, along with a staggering 39 suicidal thought reports.

Propecia was first approved by the FDA in 1997, to be a treatment method for men who are suffering from male-pattern baldness.

Developed and sold by Merck & Co., Propecia’s main ingredient finasteride was originally released in 1992 to treat enlarged prostates. This is because finasteride blocks the hormone responsible for the hair loss.

Since its release, Propecia has garnered over 400,000 prescriptions in the United States, from men hoping to stop their hair loss. However, there have been numerous studies and injury reports suggesting that finasteride could cause potential harm to a man’s sexual functions.

This most recent study not only suggests that, but also suggests that suicidal tendencies could also be a prevalent side effect.

Overview of Propecia Side Effect Complications

When the researchers analyzed the suicide attempt reports from these Propecia patients, most of these ended in death or severe injury, with 34 of the 39 reports, 87.2 percent, also indicated that they were suffering sexual dysfunction at the time.

Six of these men died, 43 percent of them became disabled, 28 percent required medical intervention, and 5 percent near-fatal injuries. The researchers concluded that sexual dysfunction complications could induce suicidal thoughts, based on the fact that patients’ lives are greatly interrupted by these side effects.

Ultimately, the researchers suggested that doctors should be wary of prescribing Propecia to men who are losing their hair, as much more could be at stake. Patients who start contemplating suicide, are advised to seek medical counsel as quickly as possible, but to not stop the medication without consulting their physicians.

There are currently hundreds of Propecia lawsuits filed throughout the federal court system, filed by men who suffered chronic sexual dysfunction complications like erectile dysfunction, libido loss, and ejaculation disorder.

Since April 2012, these Propecia lawsuits were consolidated under U.S. District Judge John Gleeson in the district of Eastern New York, as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL), where more than 800 Propecia product-liability suits are pending.

Another Propecia MDL has been established in New Jersey state court, with nearly 400 Propecia lawsuits pending. According to the allegations in these claims, manufacturing company Merck had failed to protect consumers against Propecia side effects, and had failed to warn the medical community about these risks.

It is important to note that the previous Propecia label had suggested that sexual dysfunction complications were rare, and that they would cease if the medication was discontinued. After numerous injury reports were submitted, the FDA forced Merck to update Propecia’s warning in April 2012, warning men that these complications were not rare and they could be potentially chronic.

This was prompted by a data assessment by the FDA, observing Propecia injury reports from 1998 to 2011, this study showed that 14 percent of 421 men had developed sexual dysfunction in the first three months.