TLDR Finasteride reduces alcohol withdrawal effects, especially in female mice.
This study from 2004 investigated the interaction between chronic ethanol exposure and finasteride, a drug used to treat hair loss, in male and female mice. The researchers found that finasteride pretreatment decreased the severity of ethanol withdrawal in mice, with the reduction being more pronounced in female D2 mice. The study also suggested that finasteride may alter ethanol pharmacokinetics, which could explain its effect on withdrawal severity. However, additional studies are needed to determine the mechanism by which finasteride alters chronic ethanol withdrawal severity.
Cited in this study
3 / 3 results
47 citations
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December 2002 in “Journal of Neurochemistry” Progesterone boosts alcohol's effect on brain, finasteride counters it.
3 citations
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October 1993 in “Endocrinology” 
211 citations
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November 1990 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Finasteride effectively treats BPH, but needs more trials to understand potential.
17 citations
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February 2014 in “The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology” 
34 citations
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November 2011 in “Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research” Three drugs change mice's alcohol drinking patterns by affecting GABAA receptors.
61 citations
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September 2008 in “Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin” Finasteride almost fully depletes allopregnanolone in rat brains and enhances 20α-DHP, but doesn't change 3α-DHP levels.
34 citations
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May 2007 in “Neuroscience” Finasteride reduces alcohol withdrawal severity in male mice but increases it in female mice.
26 citations
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November 2006 in “Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior” Pregnancy reduces anxiety in rats, but finasteride reverses this effect.
