Over 1 million men annually receive a prescription for a drug that may grow back their hair while robbing their health and wellness resulting in decreased libido, mental fogginess and depression (who would not be depressed from just the first side effect?). A study of 54 men under 40 years old by researchers at George Washington University (http://www.gwu.edu/explore/mediaroom/gwinthenews/researchspotlight/gwstudyshowsmenreportpersistentsexualimpairmentafteruseofcommonhairlossdrugs) revealed a troubling result: Loss of sex drive that lingered after they stopped taking the drug.
The participants for the GWU study came from an online forum, PropeciaHelp and may not reflect all users of this product. However, 94% of those studied were reportedly healthy prior to using Propecia and without any of the reported side effects.
Did the FDA know about the problems with Propecia?
Other lesser known victims of the side effects may remain unknown. Men like Kevin Malley was a typical 30 year old healthy male who later had a serious, lingering reaction after he decided to follow his doctor’s advice and take the prescribed drug Propecia to remedy his problem. However, within six months after taking Propecia his sex drive, mental and emotional state declined drastically. Malley’s experience ends up not being so uncommon amongst otherwise healthy men using the drug.
Journey of Sexual Medicine Report
The Journal of Sexual Medicine’s study (released March 18, 2011) suggests that the side effects after a patient has stopped using the drug can linger longer than a year and according to some, may have caused permanent damage.
The history of Propecia (originally called Proscar), dates back to 1992, when first introduced as a treatment for an enlarged prostate. By 1997, Propecia made its way through the FDA approval process even though the drug’s producer, Merck, knew some men were already reporting the same side effects after they stopped using the drug. However, those side effects appear to be more common and longer than what anyone had expected.
Over 400 men reported having problems with Propecia when finally in 2011, the FDA stepped in demanding the label reflect a warning. Even with the known complaints, Merck still stands behind their product, declaring its safe use:
"Merck believes that Propecia (finasteride) has demonstrated safety and efficacy profiles and that the product labeling appropriately describes the benefits and risks of the drug to help inform prescribing".
The most troubling part to the lingering effects is the “head in the sand” response influential companies like Merck take when their victims begin voicing their experiences. The warning at Merck’s website reflects a startling statement in comparison to the resounding complaints of those men now voicing their experience after using the drug:
“In clinical studies for PROPECIA, a small number of men experienced certain sexual side effects, such as less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, or a decrease in the amount of semen. Each of these side effects occurred in less than 2% of men and went away in men who stopped taking PROPECIA because of them.
In general use, the following have been reported: breast tenderness and enlargement (tell your doctor about any changes in your breasts such as lumps, pain, or nipple discharge); depression; decrease in sex drive that continued after stopping the medication; allergic reactions including rash, itching, hives, and swelling of the lips and face; problems with ejaculation that continued after stopping medication; testicular pain; difficulty in achieving an erection that continued after stopping the medication; male infertility and/or poor quality of semen; and, in rare cases, male breast cancer. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
PROPECIA can affect a blood test called PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) for the screening of prostate cancer. If you have a PSA test done, you should tell your health care provider that you are taking PROPECIA because PROPECIA decreases PSA levels. Changes in PSA levels will need to be evaluated by your health care provider. Any increase in follow-up PSA levels from their lowest point may signal the presence of prostate cancer and should be evaluated, even if the test results are still within the normal range for men not taking PROPECIA. You should also tell your health care provider if you have not been taking PROPECIA as prescribed because this may affect the PSA test results. For more information, talk to your health care provider. There may be an increased risk of a more serious form of prostate cancer in men taking finasteride at 5 times the dose of PROPECIA.”
The question now is, “How many men have allowed their symptoms to go unreported?” If you have experienced side effects from the use of Propecia report them immediately to your doctor.
Visit “PropeciaHelp” to learn how you can voice your experience and concerns (http://www.propeciahelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6237)
Quick Tips for Wellness: Before you take any drug, fully investigate it yourself. If you begin experiencing side effects report it immediately to your doctor.
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