Month: March 2011

Snippet from the non-hair-loss-related article:

Of those who took painkillers regularly, 64 percent said they could never get an erection, compared with 36 percent who did not routinely take NSAIDs.

After accounting for factors like age, weight, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, the researchers still found a 38-percent higher risk of ED among men taking painkillers.

Read the rest — NSAIDs Linked To Higher Risk Of Erectile Dysfunction

The study, published in Journal of Urology, looked at nearly 81,000 men aged 45-69 and found that of those that took aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and similar NSAIDs, there was significant risk of developing erectile dysfunction.

USA Today also has the story.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

I took Propecia for 7 months before developing erectile dysfunction over night and a low libido that onset more slowly. I immediately discontinued my use of the drug. Unexpectedly, one year later I still have erectile dysfunction and low libido, and my hairloss has not resumed!

I had my hormone levels tested by a neuroendicronologist and it was found that my DHT levels were far below the normal range for adult males. I had an appointment with a sexual psychologist and she determined it was a physiological issue. Is there anything I can do to restore my body to where it was before I took Propecia?

I have difficulty believing that you just developed erectile dysfunction (ED) overnight after taking the medication for more than half a year. You need to see an expert in sexual dysfunction. I have seen a few patients who had your symptoms, though none of them with rapid onset and all of them who stopped the drug saw a complete reversal in less than a week.

ED will likely lead to your confidence going down, which in turn causes the gradual of libido… but I do not believe that the ED can be blamed on Propecia if you have been off of it for some time.

Dear Dr. Rassman –

Just thought it might be worth flagging up with your readers that the new rogaine foam is scent free. That is, it no longer smells like grandma’s hair spray. I know the awful smell kept me from using it in the past, so maybe other readers out there would benefit from knowing the change.

While we’re on the topic, can I ask a Rogaine question?

I’ve stopped taking propecia because I was one of the few with side effects and was curious whether you thought Rogaine was worth it in isolation. So, what I mean is would you take it on it’s own or is the impact of taking it in isolation limited. I ask because I don’t really want to go through a shed and the hassle of taking it regularly if it doesn’t seem worth.

Certainly curious about your other readers’ experience with the product.

Thanks for the tip about the foam now being available in unscented. I found this press release about it for those interested. But really, Rogaine Foam is now scent free. That’s all the press release really says.

As for your question — I have seen patients in the past who use Rogaine with good results, but most men are not creatures of habit and the compliance of applying it twice a day makes it a challenge over the months/years.

I (male aged 34 years) am taking Cipla’s Finpecia (Finasteride 1mg) for the past 1.5 years. One of the side-effects i seem to be experiencing for quite sometime now (not sure if it is due to finasteride but seems to be very much linked) is hesitation during start of urination (need to exert some pressure during start of urination to start the urine stream).

Please let us know if this is a known side-effect or i need to undergo any further medical diagnosis like medical tests etc. of this symptom. Thanks.

I think that you should see a urologist and have your prostate checked. The symptom you are referring to may be the result of some prostate problem.

I would doubt that this symptom is a result of finasteride, which is used to reduce urination problems in men with BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia).

Snippet from the study abstract:

PURPOSE: This post hoc analysis of the Medical Therapy of Prostatic Symptoms trial examined the effect of finasteride alone compared to placebo on the clinical progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia in men with a baseline prostate volume less than 30 ml, or 30 ml or greater.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Men were randomized to placebo (737), 4 to 8 mg doxazosin alone (756), 5 mg finasteride alone (768) or doxazosin plus finasteride (786) (average followup was 4.5 years). Approximately 50% of patients had a baseline prostate volume of 30 ml or greater. The present analysis was based on the finasteride alone and placebo arms only, and included patients for whom baseline and end of study data were available. We examined the effect of treatment on the cumulative percentage of men who did not experience clinical progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia by study end.

Read the rest — Long-Term Treatment With Finasteride Improves Clinical Progression of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Men With an Enlarged Versus a Smaller Prostate: Data From the MTOPS Trial.

This was new data mining of a previous study that included over 2200 men with an average followup of 4.5 years. The new study concludes:

“Long-term treatment with finasteride led to a significant beneficial effect compared to placebo on the clinical progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms with an enlarged prostate (baseline prostate volume 30 ml or greater). Finasteride had no significant effect compared to placebo on the clinical progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms with a smaller prostate (baseline prostate volume less than 30 ml).”

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):