"Sexual dysfunction in younger men can result in depression and, in a subset of these men, suicidal ideation," Irwig mentioned.
Trinh mentioned that these findings shouldn't be over-interpreted to say that finasteride causes suicides, solely that there appears to be an affiliation.
He thinks, nevertheless, that many extra younger males taking finasteride ponder suicide than reported to VigiBase.
Abdulmaged Traish, a professor emeritus of urology at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that finasteride has a organic impact that disrupts the central nervous system in some younger sufferers, which might have psychological results like despair and suicide.
The drug can assist some folks, he mentioned. "But it comes with a high price, especially for a nonthreatening disorder like alopecia [hair loss]," he famous. "It's not a disease that kills people."
If a person desires to strive finasteride for hair loss, he ought to no less than be informed of the dangers, Traish mentioned.
"Physicians should have a frank, open discussion with the patient about the potential adverse side effects of the drug," he mentioned. "If the patient still wants to take it, it's OK, but at least tell him, honestly, this is what we know."
Traish additionally thinks that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ought to have a "boxed warning" that the drug might trigger suicide ideation in some younger males. No such warning is on the bundle insert now.
The report was printed on-line Nov. 11 in JAMA Dermatology.
More data
For extra on despair in males, head to the National Institute of Mental Health.
SOURCES: Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, division of urologic surgical procedure, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Abdulmaged Traish, Ph.D., professor emeritus, urology, Boston University School of Medicine; Michael Irwig, MD, division of endocrinology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston; JAMA Dermatology, Nov. 11, 2020, on-line
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