Study Suggests Propecia Linked to Depression

Washington, DCA new study suggests that men who suffer long-lasting Propecia side effects also have a high incidence of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. The study, which examined the effects of Propecia sexual dysfunction on men, found that long-term Propecia side effects in men also had an effect on participants' emotional state.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and led by Dr. Michael S. Irwig, who has previously studied the effects of Propecia on men. This study, titled "Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Thoughts Among Former Users of Finasteride With Persistent Sexual Side Effects" involved an interview of 61 men who had previously used finasteride (the generic equivalent of Propecia) and suffered sexual side effects for more than three months. All participants were otherwise healthy with no history of sexual dysfunction.

The study also involved interviews with men who had male pattern hair loss but had not used finasteride. The study showed that of the men who had used finasteride, 11 percent had mild depressive symptoms, 28 percent had moderate depressive symptoms and 36 percent had severe symptoms. Only 10 percent of men who had not used finasteride showed mild depressive symptoms and none of the men in that group had either moderate or severe depressive symptoms. Additionally, 44 percent of men who used finasteride reported suicidal thoughts, compared with three percent of the men who did not use finasteride.

In the introduction to the study, Dr. Irwig notes the labeling of Propecia has been updated to include a risk of depression. He concludes, "Clinicians and potential users of finasteride should be aware of the potential risk of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. The preliminary findings of this study warrant further research with controlled studies."

The study does not show Propecia causes depression and suicidal thoughts. It shows that there is a link between the development of long-term sexual side effects linked to the use of Propecia and depression. In other words, men who did not develop the sexual side effects may not have had the same incidence of depression as those who suffered such side effects. But, of those men who suffered sexual side effects, the rate of moderate to severe depressive symptoms was high.

Dr. Irwig also authored a Propecia side effects study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (7/12/12). That study found that for some men the sexual side effects linked to Propecia can last years after the drug is discontinued.

Sexual side effects linked to Propecia include erectile dysfunction and disorders linked to libido and orgasm.