Talk:Finasteride

I wish to propose an addition to the Adverse Effects section. For the comment on contraindication in pregnancy I think it could be improved. The current text is:

Finasteride is contraindicated in pregnancy.[36][37] The Food and Drug Administration advises that donation of blood or plasma be deferred for at least one month after taking the last dose of finasteride.[38]

I suggest, based on Refs 36 and 37 (manufacturers' prescribing information as deposited with the FDA), that the above be altered to:

Finasteride is contraindicated for women who are pregnant or become pregnant while exposed to it, as it may cause abnormalities in a male fetus.[36,37] Exposure through skin contact to broken or crushed tablets is identified as a risk vector. The Food and Drug Administration advises that donation of blood or plasma be deferred for at least one month after taking the last dose of finasteride.[38]

The motivation for this proposed edit is to (i) specify the reason as to why finasteride is contraindicated (abnormalities in the male fetus may be caused) and (ii) to add a comment that skin contact is a risk vector. I think that the latter is important to include as this is important information for someone who may have come into contact with finasteride unwantedly due to the serious consequences.

Silverfoil92 (talk) 13:56, 31 March 2022 (UTC)

I was amazed that this isn't mentioned in the article. I will something on this on a later date. Robert Brockway (talk) 03:24, 9 December 2023 (UTC)

Different specialties have different positions on this syndrome.

Finasteride was first developed for prostate conditions, to be prescribed by urologists (approved in 1992). Then it was approved for hair loss, to be prescribed by dermatologists (approved in 1997). Certain urologists and dermatologists worked directly with Merck as “key opinion leaders” on each effort. Some of these same people have authored articles casting doubt on post-finasteride syndrome.

The specialty that has begun to recognize the syndrome is sexual medicine (a subspecialty of urology): see Leliefeld et al, 2023 and Healy et al, 2022. Recent dermatology articles either omit or downplay the syndrome.

Dermatology has conflicts of interest since they are prescribers, and Merck worked closely with this specialty to bring it to market. It's also relevant that dermatologists don't typically have special training in sexual medicine or neuropsychiatry. As a result, they are not in a position to recognize the syndrome. Mariedegournay (talk) 01:01, 2 October 2023 (UTC)

Ah, the "scientists have a conflict of interest with science (when I don't like what they say)" gambit. For Wikipedia's guidelines on reliable sourcing for biomedicine, see WP:MEDRS. Bon courage (talk) 06:18, 2 October 2023 (UTC)

From WP:MEDRS: "Case reports and series are especially avoided, as they are uncontrolled."

See my discussion of the Trüeb article above. Mariedegournay (talk) 13:50, 2 October 2023 (UTC)

The only "motives" being called into question are those of "experienced wikipedia editors ", "dermatologists" and Merck (by you). Pointing out a line of argument is flawed is necessary to make progress, I certainly agree we don't base WP:BMI on case reports. Bon courage (talk) 14:00, 2 October 2023 (UTC)

In the study "Sexual dysfunction in men taking systemic dermatologic medication: A systematic review" that is cited in the Long Term section of the Finasteride Wiki. Only level 1 evidence of Finasteride potentially causing long-term side effects is cited. This is very weak evidence and it far from being a double-blinded control study. In addition, there are no double blinded control studies currently that prove that Finasteride causes long-term side effects after the drug has stopped circulating in the blood.

In fact, in a double blind long-term control study there was no evidence of side-effect continuation after cessation of the drug: https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(98)70007-6/abstract

"These adverse events (Sexual dysfunction) also resolved in many of the patients who reported them but who remained on the finasteride regimen and continued in the study."

" a few men in the current studies experienced reversible impairment of sexual function, but only 11 men receiving finasteride, compared with 8 men in the placebo group, discontinued treatment for this reason, with resolution in all."

In conclusion, I feel that the evidence cited here is extremely flimsy and is contradicted by studies with better methodology, study design and far more subjects. Thus this entry should be removed as there is far stronger evidence to the contrary of what this study and entry claims. Zpalmati (talk) 19:48, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Finasteride is prescribed to women for excess hair growth but there is no mention of side effects on women. Is there none at all? That is hard to believe... ~2025-41970-67 (talk) 00:12, 22 December 2025 (UTC)

what is seen by some as a side effect is actually important in the treatment of transgender women. It has been used for this purpose for many decades. Testosterone must be decreased for the body to absorb estrogen the primary female hormone. All the information I've seen is about its use for hair loss in men. ~2026-37249-7 (talk) 23:00, 17 January 2026 (UTC)