Side Effects of Propecia; How Serious Can They Be?
Propecia (Finasteride 1mg) pills were developed with the purpose of treating hair loss in men, by checking the formation of DHT and promoting the growth of new hair. It is till day, one of the most successful and clinically proven drugs for treatment of hair loss in men. But like most other drugs, Propecia has some side effects too, which can vary from something as mild as the drug not taking effect to some very serious and life-threatening ones.
The first negative point about Propecia is that it remains effective only till the day it is used regularly. Stopping the use will immediately start to reverse the condition. Some men also may be allergic to Finasteride, the key ingredient of Propecia pills. These are not side-effects, but drawbacks of Propecia. Side-effects may be a little more serious. Allergic reactions like itching skin, rashes, hives, swollen lips and face, sexual dysfunction and problems with ejaculation, enlargement and tenderness in breasts, lumps in breasts and pain in the testes are side-effects that go away as soon as a person stops using Propecia, but they are serious enough to cause grave discomfort and agony. Some men may have to face serious sexual problems like lack of desire for sex, inability to achieve an erection, problems in ejaculation and lesser quantity of semen. But, like all other side-effects, these go away too as soon as one stops using Propecia.
A more serious side-effect of Propecia can be seen in men suffering from cancer of the prostate gland. Finasteride, the key ingredient of Propecia, was originally deputed to fight prostate cancer in men over 50. Ironically, it can affect a blood test for checking the PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels in a man by suppressing it, thus giving misleading results and often leading to non-detection of prostate cancer in a person who has been using Propecia regularly. If a person is going for a PSA and has been using Propecia regularly, he must inform the doctor and must stop the therapy immediately. Men who start using Propecia at a young age may also suffer from some side effects, as their scalp and follicles develop a dependency upon Propecia, resulting in an increased generation of DHT in the scalp if one stops using it regularly. It thus implies that a young man using Propecia regularly will probably have to use it for several decades to maintain his hair.
However, it is women and children who are at the risk of life threatening consequences. Propecia is a medicine meant only for adult men and should not be used by women and children under any circumstance. Women, especially the pregnant ones, are at the greatest risk. Just the contact of Finasteride, the active ingredient of Propecia, with the skin of a pregnant woman is enough to cause genital abnormalities in a male unborn child, and at times even miscarriages. Women, under no circumstance, should handle Propecia with bare hands or Propecia tablets in a crushed or broken state. It is for this reason that all pharmaceutical companies making Propecia apply a thick sugar coating on their pills.