The drug that treats baldness, Propecia (finasteride) has been shown to cause decreased sperm count levels in a recent study by researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
On average, sperm counts rose 4-fold and as much as 12-fold in men who stopped taking the drug, reported Keith Jarvi, MD and co-authors of the study in the journal Fertility and Sterility.
Records of 4,400 men seen at an infertility clinic were reviewed and 27 (0.6 percent) were taking finasteride 1 mg/d for alopecia areata, a form of hair loss. Three men were excluded from the study and the remaining 24 were evaluated. The authors found that 14 of the 24 men had semen analyses before and after discontinuation of finasteride.
Sperm count increased significantly from an average of 32.34 to 127.62 M/mL, about four times the amount. In nine of the men who were oligospermic (having very low levels of sperm) sperm counts increased 11.6 fold after they stopped the finasteride.
It is not known whether the increased sperm counts would be high enough to cause pregnancy but researchers feel that bringing sperm count levels up may offer some options of less invasive fertility treatment.
As I researched about finasteride affecting sperm count, I was surprised to find that there is an entire other set of side effects that may be due to the use of Propecia.
KPBS.org and Times Healthland both reported finding that the drug Propecia can cause sexual side effects such as problems with libido, ejaculation and orgasm which can continue after the drug is discontinued and may last for months or even years.
The FDA updated the warnings about sexual side effects on finasteride in April, 2012, reported Times Healthland.
This was based upon their review of 421 post-marketing reports of Propecia for sexual side effects from 1998 to 2011. There were also 131 cases of erectile dysfunction and 68 causes of decreased libido from 1992-2010 for the drug Proscar, a drug that treats enlarged prostates and that has higher levels of finasteride.
KPBS.org said that more men are not only reporting sexual side effects but also increased cases of anxiety and depression.
They reported on John Davis (not his real name) who took finasteride to help treat his baldness and found himself becoming extremely depressed. He went to several therapists and took six different antidepressants. Nothing helped.
“There was nothing that was lacking in my life at all, so I had absolutely no reason to be depressed," Davis recalled. "But yet, I was sliding down into probably the worst depression imaginable. It just didn’t make any sense at all.”
Davis came across an online forum called PropeciaHelp at http://www.propeciahelp.com and found an entire group of men with complaints such as his. He realized that taking the drug could be his problem.
According to Dr. Irwin Goldstein, president of the Institute for Sexual Medicine and expert on sexual problems, most health care providers aren’t aware of the dangers of Propecia, so they don’t tell patients they could lose their desire for sex.
“So they’re not warned at all about this potential side effect," he said. "They may be told there are temporary sexual problems that are rare, but that’s the extent of the warning,” reported KPBS.org.
Both the FDA and Merck maintain that finasteride is safe and effective, reported Times Healthland.
If you or someone you know is taking finasteride and suffering from infertility, sexual problems or behavioral problems it could be the effect of the medication. Seek medical care with someone who is knowledgeable about the side effects of finasteride to help determine if that may be the cause.
Other resources:
Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation:
http://www.pfsfoundation.org
Propecia-Help (not the same website mentioned above. Sponsored by 2 law firms):
http://www.propecia-help.com
Sources:
Baldness Drug May Depress Sperm Count. Medpagetoday.com. Retrieved Sept. 8, 2013.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Infertility/41424?xid=nl_mpt_D...
Samplaski MK, et al "Finasteride use in the male infertility population: Effects on semen and hormone parameters" Fertil Steril 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.fertstert.2013.07.2000.
Abstract: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(13)02786-6/abstract
Men Say Hair Loss Drug Causes Sexual Problems And Depression. KPBS.org. Retrieved Sept. 8, 2013.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/may/17/men-say-hair-loss-drug-causes-sexua...
Propecia Problems: Baldness Drug Linked with Long-Lasting Sexual Side Effects. Time Health & Family. Retrieved Sept. 8, 2013.
http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/12/propecia-problems-baldness-drug-li...
Michele is an R.N. freelance writer with a special interest in woman’s healthcare and quality of care issues. Other articles by Michele are at www.helium.com/users/487540/show_articles
Edited by Jody Smith