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.

Propecia Causes Long-term Erectile Dysfunction and Other Side Effects

In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Proscar (finasteride, 5 mg) to treat benign prostate enlargement. Five years later, in 1997, the FDA gave the go-ahead to use the finasteride in one-milligram doses to treat male pattern baldness. Merck, the drug's manufacturer, marketed the new wonder drug as Propecia – the first hair-loss remedy available in pill form.

When Propecia first hit the market, Merck warned of several side effects that included a low risk of Propecia erectile dysfunction. However, later studies revealed that the risk of sexual side effects were higher than originally estimated.

Sexual Side Effects

During the initial FDA-approval process, Merck's clinical studies reported that use of Propecia showed a less than two percent chance of Propecia sexual side effects such as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction (ED), and a decreased amount of ejaculate. Additionally, a small percent of men experienced testicular pain and breast enlargement. The original label for Propecia warned users against these side effects.

Man Claims that Propecia Warning did not List Continued Sexual Dysfunction as Side Effect

Recently, a number of men who claim to have developed erectile dysfunction while using Propecia have filed suit against Merck & Co., the maker of that drug. According to a Propecia erectile dysfunction lawsuit filed this past April in federal court in New Jersey, Merck changed label warnings for the drug in Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom to include “persistence of erectile dysfunction after discontinuation of treatment” as a possible side effect. These label changes occurred after the Swedish Medical Products Agency began “investigating reports of persistent sexual dysfunction side effects which continue in men despite discontinuing finasteride” in 2006. But Merck revised the U.S. Propecia product monograph in 2010 without including an “updated warning regarding the persistence of sexual dysfunction,” the Propecia lawsuit claims.