What you need to know about the side effects of Finasteride

Finasteride, one of the most used drugs to fight against male pattern hair loss is also known for its side effects, normally reversible, which affect erectile dysfunction and libido. Among the most frequent questions are: "Are these effects temporary ?" or "Can they persist even after stopping the medication ? and If so, for how long ?"

A study based on an interview with 71 men in good health aged 21 - 46 reports that the sexual side effects associated with the temporary use of finasteride persisted for at least 3 months after stopping the drug.

According to the same study, during the period of finasteride use, it is reported that 94% of participants had low libido, 92% had erectile dysfunction, 92% had a decrease in sexual arousal and 69% had problems related to orgasm. Among the participants in the study the average duration of finasteride use was 28 months and persistant sexual side effects lasted an average of 40 months from the time they stopped finasteride use to the study date.

Another study shows that in most men who developed persistent sexual side effects (more than 3 months) despite stopping finasteride, the sexual dysfunction continued for many months or years.

In any case, it appears that the longer the exposure to 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (finasteride and dutasteride), the higher the probability of having persistent erectile dysfunction.

On the other hand, among young men, using a longer duration of finasteride would pose a greater risk of persistent erectile dysfunction than all other evaluated risk factors.

These results should prompt doctors to inform patients very well about the potential persistence of unwanted side effects of these drugs before prescribing 5-alpha reductase inhibitors such as finasteride intended to fight against male pattern baldness.