Every medication comes with potential side effects. It doesn’t matter if they’re available by prescription or sold over the counter. They may be subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrutiny or not, undergo numerous clinical trials or none. No matter how effective a medication may be at treating a condition, it won’t come without some risk.
In the realm of potential side effects, sexual side effects can cause significant apprehension, particularly among men. This is especially true when men suffering from androgenic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, use medication designed to treat the condition. After all, male pattern baldness is a cosmetic issue. And many patients may balk at taking something to treat hair loss if it affects their sexual performance.
It’s easy to feel anxious when you read about the potential side effects of anything. While they need to be stated to inform patients about what could happen, it’s the likelihood and permanency that really matter. How serious are the sexual side effects of finasteride? Here’s what you should know.
Finasteride Is Highly Effective
You may wonder why someone will use a medication for male pattern baldness if it comes with sexual side effects. The answer really isn’t complicated: Finasteride is probably the most effective nonsurgical treatment for the condition. Its results make it worth the risk for many men.
Androgenic alopecia is caused when an excessive amount of testosterone is converted to the androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT shrinks the hair follicles until they stop producing new hair growth. Finasteride reduces DHT levels.
Finasteride is available by prescription only, and it comes in both oral and topical form. Numerous studies have shown that finasteride in either form is effective in stopping further hair loss and stimulating regrowth. However oral finasteride’s efficacy is increased because it addresses the overproduction of DHT internally, not just the scalp level.
Healthcare providers often prescribe both oral or topical finasteride and minoxidil. Minoxidil stimulates blood flow in the scalp and follicles and is available without a prescription. Ironically, one of minoxidil’s potential side effects is increased hair loss. Still, millions of men use it daily to treat that very issue.
Whether you take finasteride orally or apply it to your scalp, with or without minoxidil, you will likely see positive results. Short of surgical transplantation, finasteride is probably your best bet for treating male pattern baldness.
Finasteride May or May Not Be the Cause
As is true with most medications, there’s a lengthy list of potential side effects that could result from using finasteride. The purported sexual side effects include erectile dysfunction (ED), low sperm count, and premature ejaculation. It can also potentially cause a loss of libido, or interest in sex.
These shouldn’t be taken lightly, and you should talk to your doctor if you do experience them. However, there are other more common side effects that require immediate medical attention. These include rash, confusion, chills, dizziness, cold sweats, and swelling of the lips, face, arms, lower legs, hands, and feet.
The prevalent physical causes of ED, for example, can be age, high blood sugar, blood pressure, or cholesterol, and smoking, among others. ED can also be caused by depression, anxiety, and other emotional issues. So can an exhaustive list of medications, including finasteride.
Here is where determining the cause of sexual side effects can get complicated. Men often turn to finasteride to make them feel better about how they look. As such, hair loss can increase anxiety and depression, which can then cause ED and other sexual issues. The results of finasteride aren’t immediate, so overcoming such emotional issues may take time.
The physical and emotional causes of ED and other sexual dysfunction are significantly more common than finasteride. If you suffer from ED after beginning finasteride, talk to your provider. You’ll want to make sure it’s the finasteride and not something else.
Incidence Rates of Sexual Side Effects Are Low and Temporary
There have been numerous scientific studies conducted to discern how risky taking finasteride might be. Millions of dollars are spent every year on finasteride prescriptions alone. It’s not surprising that millions are also invested in researching the efficacy and risks of the medication.
The research is good news for men who want to reduce hair loss and regrow hair but worry about the potential sexual side effects. It’s also good news that these studies indicate the risk is very low. The studies have also revealed three other key results.
The first involves the “nocebo” effect. You’ve probably heard about the placebo effect. The nocebo effect is the power of suggestion without administering a placebo. Men who believe they will suffer sexual side effects when using finasteride report them in higher numbers. Remember that anxiety is one of the potential causes of ED.
The second important finding concerns longevity. Studies show that men who may suffer some sexual side effects when they begin taking finasteride stop experiencing them over time. In other words, once the body adjusted to the medication, men stopped having sexual issues.
Finally, for those men who experienced sexual side effects and stopped using finasteride, the side effects ceased. So, even if you notice some while you’re taking the medication, they are not permanent.
Risk Versus Reward
Of course, you have to decide whether the potential risks of finasteride are worth taking. For most men, treating their hair loss doesn’t come at the expense of their sex life. An important concept to remember is that sexual side effects are caused by numerous other factors. Even if they happen to be ushered in by finasteride, they aren’t permanent.
Talk to your healthcare provider about the potential benefits and risks of finasteride as treatment for male pattern baldness. The promise of potentially great results with researched low risk may just be worth taking.
