6 citations
,
January 2020 in “Dermatology” This study suggests that men under 40 who develop persistent sexual side effects and insomnia after using finasteride for alopecia may be at increased risk of suicide.
11 citations
,
March 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This review identifies evidence of sexual adverse effects, particularly linked to finasteride, in men using systemic dermatologic medications but reports no new clinical findings.
90 citations
,
March 2017 in “JAMA Internal Medicine” In this study, older men using 5α-reductase inhibitors for prostatic enlargement did not show increased risk of suicide, but had elevated risks of self-harm and depression.
21 citations
,
January 2017 in “Dermatology Online Journal” This review discusses the sexual side effects of finasteride and dutasteride, two 5-α-reductase inhibitors, and reports no new clinical findings while calling for further research into dosage differences.
50 citations
,
September 2016 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” This study found no evidence of androgen deficiency or decreased peripheral androgen action in men with persistent sexual symptoms after finasteride use, but identified links to depressed mood and abnormal brain function.
69 citations
,
July 2015 in “Pharmacotherapy” This study found that low-dose finasteride use in young men was associated with higher reporting of persistent sexual dysfunction, with some cases linked to suicidal ideation.
44 citations
,
April 2015 in “PubMed” This study reports that clinical trials of finasteride for androgenic alopecia provide insufficient and systematically biased safety data, with most participants unrepresentative of those in pivotal trials that led to FDA approval.
134 citations
,
August 2012 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” This study found that former finasteride users with persistent sexual side effects reported significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts compared to controls.
185 citations
,
March 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study found that 94% of healthy men reported low libido and 92% reported erectile dysfunction as persistent sexual side effects after using finasteride for male pattern hair loss, with these effects lasting on average 40 months post-discontinuation.
223 citations
,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This review discusses persistent adverse effects of 5α‐reductase inhibitors, like diminished libido and erectile dysfunction, in some patients and highlights the need for patient discussions before therapy, especially for androgenetic alopecia.
99 citations
,
October 2006 in “BMC clinical pharmacology” This preliminary study suggests that finasteride might cause depressive symptoms, indicating the need for cautious prescription in patients at high risk for depression.
82 citations
,
August 2006 in “Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior” This review proposes focusing on relationships between neuroactive steroids and psychiatric disorder symptoms, rather than relying on traditional disorder classifications, and reports no new clinical findings.
408 citations
,
May 2004 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” This study found that dutasteride more effectively reduced serum dihydrotestosterone levels than finasteride in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
