Studies Show Sexual Side Effects After Using Propecia

Early clinical studies showed sexual side effects from Propecia (finasteride) included decreased libido (1.8 percent of users); erectile problems from Propecia (1.3 percent of users); and decreased ejaculate (1.2 percent of users). In 2011, the Boston University School of Medicine found these side effects were much more prevalent among Propecia users than previously thought. Additional studies show that sexual side effects exist in four to eight percent of Propecia users.

It is believed that Propecia interferes with the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a hormone.

Sexual side effects lead to lawsuits

Men suffering from persistent side effects, such as erectile dysfunction, have filed Propecia lawsuits in an effort to receive compensation for financial and emotional hardships related to their sexual dysfunction.

Persistent sexual side effects have been reported to last up to several years after a person stops taking the drug. Although the manufacturer of Propecia, Merck, alleges that the side effects are temporary, a 2011 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine showed that several of these side effects persist after cessation of Propecia use. In fact, 90 percent of those interviewed in the published study said they experienced erectile dysfunction, decreased arousal, and/or low libido for up to 40 months after they stopped taking Propecia. Click here to find a Propecia lawyer.

A Propecia MDL is organized

The side effects from Propecia and Merck’s alleged failure to warn the public about them have prompted hundreds of men to file litigation.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Propecia in 1997 to treat male pattern baldness. Side effects such as abnormal ejaculate volume, impotence, sexual dysfunction, and ejaculation disorder were allegedly evident in early studies on Propecia. Since then, reports of sexual dysfunction have increased as have increased the number of lawsuits against Propecia.

A Propecia multidistrict litigation (MDL) was organized in April 2012 in the Eastern District of New York. This was done in an effort to manage the large amount of pending lawsuits. MDLs are created when several plaintiffs make similar allegations against a defendant. One judge oversees the MDL with the intent of developing a system to efficiently reach a resolution for both parties.

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