FDA issues warning against popular hair loss medicine, could cause penile shrinkage

London: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised concerns about finasteride, a medication used by millions of men to treat hair loss. This medicine, warns the FDA, could cause severe sexual and genital dysfunctions.

Meanwhile, many men who have had this medicine have been revealing shocking side effects. They claim that the medicine had caused their penis to bend or shrink. Some of them even felt a burning sensation in their genital area. They argue that these side effects have caused severe mental trauma. A few international media even reported the news of a mother who said that her son had died by suicide due to the side effects caused by this medicine.

Zoyer Heart, a 28-year-old man, had purchased a hair gel containing finasteride via Keeps, a popular telehealth startup that sells medicines for hair loss. He began applying the gel every day as instructed. However, he reportedly began experiencing many health problems within a week.

“I began having erectile dysfunction. I realised this was a severe problem only when I visited my ex–lover. So, I stopped using the gel,” said Zoyer. Zoyer had felt severe pain in his testicles as a side effect of the medicine. Besides the genital problems, Zoyer suffered anxiety even after he stopped taking the drug. Zoyer claimed that he couldn’t meet people and felt embarrassed even to look into their eyes.

Mark Milich also revealed that he suffered severe penile shrinkage and other genital problems after taking medicines that contained finasteride. It took months for him to have a normal penile erection after stopping the drug.

After a barrage of complaints from customers, the FDA, in 2011, included depression in the list of side effects of finasteride. Seven health problems, including sexual dysfunction, breast growth, pain in the breast, swelling and rashes on the skin, have been marked on its label as possible side effects. Besides, cases of breast cancer in men have also been reported. Studies have noted that this can occur when the level of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body decreases.

Finasteride, initially sold as tablets, gained popularity in the 2020s in the form of lotions and gels. However, the FDA hasn’t approved these products. Telehealth companies like Keeps and Hims sell these products for around $ 25 to $ 90 for a 30-day dosage, online. Tablets, gels and lotions containing finasteride are sold for these rates.

Finasteride will slow the production of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a hormone that causes hair loss. However, doctors say that around 2 – 3 per cent of people who use finasteride products suffer side effects like erectile dysfunction, low libido and reduced sperm count.