learn Finasteride
Popular 5-alpha reductase inhibitor that lowers DHT, taken as a pill or used topically
- Is finasteride safe? In one-year trials most men tolerated finasteride 1 mg, but its risks are not only sexual: US, UK and EU regulators warn of sexual dysfunction, depression and suicidal thoughts, and of sexual and mood symptoms that have continued after stopping, and men also report cognitive, anxiety and physical symptoms. How often lasting problems happen, and how much of that the drug causes, is not known; finasteride is prescription-only and must not be taken, or handled as crushed or broken tablets, by women who are or may be pregnant.
- What does finasteride do to the female body? Find out its side effects. Finasteride is not approved for hair loss in women anywhere; the one controlled trial, in 137 postmenopausal women at 1 mg daily, found no benefit over placebo, while smaller uncontrolled studies at higher off-label doses report some improvement. It is contraindicated in pregnancy and crushed or broken tablets must not be handled. Side effects in women are poorly described; in men the range of reported side effects is wider than sexual alone (mood and suicidal thoughts, cognitive complaints, breast and semen effects), some reported to persist after stopping.
- Finasteride for alopecia: the definitive guide to using it correctly. Finasteride 1 mg daily blocks DHT and, in trials, slowed hair loss in most men over 6 to 12 months, though some men do not respond and the benefit lasts only while the drug is taken. It is prescription-only, carries a pregnancy contraindication, and has reported sexual, mood, breast and semen side effects, some of which men report continuing after stopping.
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