Side Effects of Propecia Can Leave men impotent

Propecia, a pill used to counter male pattern baldness, which occurs in about half of the male population as they age, has come under scrutiny when the Propecia sexual side-effects, which were known to occur but believed to be temporary, have turned out to be permanent in some cases. Although Propecia’s manufacturer, Merck, acknowledges the drug may cause some sexual side-effects, the information passed on to doctors and patients did not indicate the possible permanence of these side effects. For some men, the advantage of having hair outweighed the possibility of a short-term sexual side-effect. Recently, however, studies have shown that for some Propecia users, the “short-term” side-effects may actually last indefinitely– even after the men have stopped using the medication, leading to a slew of Propecia lawsuits.

Although Merck has warned men in other countries that sexual side effects may be permanent, suits allege that the drug maker has downplayed the potential Propecia side effects in the United States and continues to provide misleading information that suggests the problems will resolve when the medication is stopped. Label warnings for Propecia in the U.S. indicate that the small number of men who experienced sexual side effects while taking the medication during clinical trials had the dysfunction resolve after stopping the medication.

Since introducing Propecia for hair loss, Merck has engaged in an aggressive direct-to-consumer marketing campaign for their medication, which has been referred to as a “cosmeceutical” product. Within two years of receiving approval to sell Propecia, Merck was spending over $125 million a year advertising the product, though none of those ads ever mentioned loss of libido or other sexual side-effects as a possible permanent situation. Male pattern baldness is caused partially by an individual’s reaction to a male hormone, DHT, which is found in the scalp. This hormone causes the hair follicle to shrink, making it difficult for hair to grow. Propecia blocks the hormone, which makes it easier for many men to grow and re-grow their hair. Some studies are beginning to show that the blocking of that hormone may be leading to these side-effects and that Propecia may be shutting the hormone down permanently.