61 citations,
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.
54 citations,
August 2005 in “Alcohol” Finasteride affects alcohol intake in male mice, possibly due to neurosteroids.
47 citations,
December 2002 in “Journal of Neurochemistry” Progesterone boosts alcohol's effect on brain, finasteride counters it.
46 citations,
May 2009 in “Maturitas” Taking DHEA for a year is generally safe for postmenopausal women but may cause acne and more facial hair without improving metabolism or aging.
27 citations,
May 2015 in “Neuropharmacology” Dutasteride protects dopamine neurons in Parkinson's mice, but Finasteride doesn't.
26 citations,
August 2014 in “PubMed” Testosterone improves mood and thinking skills; finasteride has no effect.
25 citations,
March 2017 in “Steroids” Allopregnanolone increases growth and changes gene activity in human brain cancer cells.
23 citations,
July 2003 in “Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior” Finasteride blocks progesterone's effect on absence seizures in rats.
15 citations,
October 2014 in “Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation” Some hair loss and prostate drugs might increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
14 citations,
October 2016 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Finasteride affects brain processes related to neurotransmission and metabolism, potentially helping with neuropsychiatric conditions.
13 citations,
January 2020 in “Neuroscience” Blocking 5α-reductase can harm memory and brain structure, and increase harmful brain changes in male mice used for Alzheimer's disease research.
13 citations,
December 2017 in “CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics” Finasteride affects young male rats' brain function and behavior negatively.
12 citations,
June 2019 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Allopregnanolone is needed for certain brain processing issues caused by D1 dopamine receptor activation.
8 citations,
July 2019 in “Endocrine connections” Finasteride affects SRD5A2 gene pattern, possibly causing lasting side effects.
7 citations,
January 2018 in “Reproduction” Inhibiting 5α-reductase increases progesterone levels in late pregnant mares.
3 citations,
January 2017 in “Revista chilena de nutrición” Certain natural compounds called terpenes may help prevent prostate cancer.
2 citations,
December 2019 in “Neurobiology of Stress” Changing allopregnanolone levels in baby rats affects their adult behavior and alcohol use.
January 2020 in “Archives of urology” Finasteride, a drug used for certain conditions, can cause serious side effects like sexual dysfunction, suicidal thoughts, and increased diabetes risk, and there's a need for more awareness and research about these effects.
403 citations,
November 2005 in “Journal of Endocrinology” Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a prohormone important for producing sex steroids and has potential health benefits.
223 citations,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Some patients taking finasteride or dutasteride may have ongoing sexual problems and depression even after stopping the medication.
112 citations,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride may cause long-lasting sexual side effects.
110 citations,
August 2015 in “Neuropsychopharmacology” High-dose dutasteride reduces PMDD symptoms by stabilizing neurosteroid levels.
99 citations,
October 2006 in “BMC clinical pharmacology” Finasteride may cause slight depression and anxiety.
75 citations,
January 2014 in “Korean Journal of Urology” 5α-reductase inhibitors can cause sexual problems, higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer, and depression.
66 citations,
April 2017 in “International Journal of Andrology” Men taking 5α-reductase inhibitors for enlarged prostate have a higher chance of experiencing reduced sexual desire and erectile dysfunction.
65 citations,
January 2011 in “Frontiers in Endocrinology” Neurosteroids show promise for treating epilepsy and more research is needed.
65 citations,
October 2008 in “Journal of Neuroendocrinology” 
59 citations,
November 2018 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Lower levels of certain brain chemicals are linked to worse PTSD symptoms in men.
50 citations,
March 2017 in “PeerJ” Using finasteride or dutasteride may cause long-lasting erectile dysfunction.
43 citations,
January 2016 in “International Journal of Andrology” Finasteride caused long-term sexual and non-sexual side effects in young men with hair loss.