For Some Men, Propecia's Sexual Side Effects May Be Long-lasting

[Islander]

By CARRIE GANN, ABC News Medical Unit
July 12, 2012

Kevin Malley was almost 30, and he was starting to lose his hair. He went to his doctor to see if there was a way to keep from going bald, and his doctor prescribed Propecia (http://abcnews.com/Health/MensHealth/baldness-drug-sexual-effects/story?id=13152993).
"I looked young for my age, so I wanted to hold off my hair loss for a little bit," Malley said. "I didn't plan on taking Propecia for more than a year."

Malley started taking the drug in May 2011, and by October he was completely impotent and had no sex drive whatsoever. His body changed, even his genitals shrank, and he slipped into a mental fog that he just couldn't clear. His doctor told him the side effects would go away if he stopped taking the drug, so he did. But nothing changed.

Read more: http://gma.yahoo.com/men-propecias-sexual-side-effects-may-long-lasting-215732153--abc-news-wellness.html

[Mr. Wizard]

This is such a disheartening story, especially since there are natural and safer ways to achieve the effects that Propecia purportedly achieves. A substance in the body called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) damages hair follicles, thinning the hair to a point where eventually no hair is produced at all. This condition--although referred to as "male pattern baldness"--can also affect women to a much lesser extent because women produce relatively less testosterone than men. DHT is formed when the hormone, known as testosterone and the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase come together. Propecia is supposed to inhibit the conversion of testosterone into DHT. However, mother nature has provided us with natural substances that impede the conversion of testosterone to DHT. These substances include, zinc and licorice, and the following herbs: saw palmetto, pygeum, stinging nettle root, green tea extract, and grape seed extract. Most of these substances have been researched thoroughly to prove their inhibiting effect on DHT, without the nasty side effects from the use of Propecia.

[highlander]

Good info, Mr. Wizard. I've run interference many times when my husband wanted to take some crap advertised on TV for hair loss. "Let's get that!" Oh, hell no. He's lucky that his hair loss is very slow.

[Grandma]

When I was taking my friend to the Cancer Center for treatment I spoke to several cancer patients in the waiting room. I asked a few of them what kind of cancer they had. After telling me most of them "knew" what gave them the cancer. One man had taken a drug (not sure what the name of it was) for growing hair. He told me that he had a beautiful head of hair but after a while he developed cancer on his head. A lady taking a drug to quit smoking developed jaw and saliva cancer. The man that has cancer on his scalp doesn't have a bit of hair now.

[highlander]

Again, just 10 minutes ago my husband told me to Google some hair restore product and I told him about this story.