Category: Drugs

I started taking Propecia a year & a half ago, switching to a generic finasteride earlier this year. Shortly thereafter, I started noicing a dull throbbing in my groin area. I thought it might be epididymitis, but I was experiencing the uncomfort primarily in the right side of my testicles (I’m told epididymitis is usually the left). I made an appointment with my doctor & even went in for an ultrasound, but nothing was detected. The throbbing seemed to go away, but just last month, it started again. The throbbing lasts for a few seconds before going away. It usually comes back at other points in the day, sometimes happening off & on for a couple hours at a time. I notice it when I’m sitting, when I’m standing, etc.

The fact that I got a “clean bill of health” from the ultrasound & what not put me at ease, but while it may not be anything serious, there definitely seems to be SOMTHING going on! The only thing I can think of are side effects due to the finasteride (I told my doctors about it), as it’s the only drug I’m taking. Do you think that’s the case? Am I being paranoid?

I guess I should add a few things:

I am 26 years old. I haven’t noticed any swelling or anything physical in & around my groin area; furthermore, there is no pain if I feel my testicles & scrotum. I don’t recall any trauma to my groin area. Lastly, when I was at the doctor, I was also treated for any STDs like chlamydia & those tests turned up negative.

So… any guesses?!? Do you think it has to do with the finasteride?!

You seem to have done the right thing with an evaluation from a doctor. If you think your groin pain is due to finasteride, consider stop taking it for a week to see if the pain goes away. Stopping finasteride for one week should not have a deleterious effect on your hair loss treatment. Discuss these issues with your doctor and make sure both you and your doctor are on the right page about the plan. You should never stop or start any medication without consulting with your doctor (I am not your doctor). I am a general surgeon (by training and years in practice) and groin pain is often the sign of a hernia. As you can see from your history and the above, a doctor must direct your diagnosis.

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I am only 25 but I am starting to see signs of Male pattern baldness and I wanted to be proactive. I asked my doctor about Proscar, because I read that it could be cut into fourths, and he told me that it would look fishy if he prescribed this medication to someone so young. He told me he could only prescribe Propecia for me. However, I’m not sure that the cost of Propecia fits into my budget. Any advice on what I could do would be great.

Thanks

Really, the only thing I can suggest is to find another doctor who will prescribe what you want. If you came to see me, I would first insist on an examination to determine if you are really balding (miniaturization study).

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Hi Dr. Rassman,

I started taking 1.25mg of finasteride last week and I have to say up to now there do not seem to be any sexual side effects. The only thing which concerns me a little bit is this slight burning sensation in my groin area, I think its in the prostate area. Is this a common side effect showing that the drug is working? Should this go away after a while?

Your advice would be quite helpful cause there are a lot of bad publicity out there for Propecia and I wanted a more balanced opinion. Thanks!

Please keep in mind that not all sexual dysfunction should be linked with finasteride use. You may have a preexisting medical condition that you are only noticing now that you are more focused on the issue. I have read some rare reports on testicular pain with taking Propecia, but the association is tenuous.

Interesting facts:

1. Finasteride causes sexual side effects in only 1% of men, while some form of erectile dysfunction has a much higher incidence in men (not taking finasteride)
2. You cannot feel your prostate unless you are probing deep inside your rectum with your finger. So I doubt that what you are feeling in your groin is your prostate.

My advice would be for you to discuss these issues with the doctor that prescribed you the medication and have a good physical exam.

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hi. i took propecia for about 1-2 months. I suffered from a loss of libido and stopped taking it during the end of May. Its now mid August and my libido has not returned. Do I need to wait longer?

Propecia (finasteride 1mg) has a very short half life (about 4 hours), which means it would be almost completely out of your blood stream in one day. There are reported tissue binding that occurs, but that should be gone in a week or so.

Sexual side effects (decreased sex drive) associated with Propecia are relatively exaggerated and it occurs only in about 1% of men. If you continue to experience negative sexual effects after of month of discontinuing Propecia you should consider other underlying medical problems. Keep in mind that erectile dysfunction is a largely underappreciated and unreported medical condition.

Erectile dysfunction statistics:

• One in 10 men in the world have erectile dysfunction (10%) and it rises with age (30% of men in their 30s, 40% of men in their 40s and 50+% of men over 50).
• 30 million men in the United States have erectile dysfunction.
• 50% of men with diabetes have erectile dysfunction, frequently within 10 years of diagnosis.
• Smokers have a higher likelihood of erectile dysfunction as well as men with high blood pressure (with or without treatment), diabetes, etc… Men who smoke more than 1 pack per day have a 50% higher chance of impotency than nonsmokers the same age.

Stats source: MMHC – Facts About Erectile Dysfunction

My question is about taking finasteride while taking an SSRI (Zoloft to be exact). Is there any interaction between these two medications that should be of any concern? I have been using Rogaine foam for a few months will little success (my problem is balding/thinning on the crown); and from everything I’m reading finasteride is a better, more effective option for the hair loss I am experiencing. I’m taking 50mg of zoloft daily, but for only 2 months now, for anxiety – the hair loss was going on way before. I am 38, and think what I am experiencing is somewhat normal for my age based on everyone else I know (who is my age), but if I can stop it that would be great. Thanks

As far as I am aware, Propecia (finasteride) does not have any interaction with other medications (including Zoloft). I do not know what you are experiencing and what type of hair loss you have. You should see a doctor if hair loss continues to be a problem and have a baseline miniaturization study to objectively document the progression of your treatment. There are rare reports of depression and mood alterations with Propecia so how this medicaion interacts with Zoloft is beyond my expertise. Discuss this with your prescribing doctor.

Dr. Rassman, first off, just wanted to thank you for making your skills, experience and educated opinions available to everyone around the world through such a fantastic site.

Quick question: is it better to take Propecia along with a meal or to take it on an empty stomach followed by a normal meal about 2 hours later (from an absorption point of view)?

Thanks again!

Take it any time with or without meals… whatever it takes for you to remember to take it every day. Some doctors recommend taking it in the morning when the testosterone level is the highest and I like that recommendation personally, as that is what I do.

I am currently a college athlete taking 2.5 mg/daily of finasteride. I just noticed that it had been added to the NCAA’s list of banned substances. I do not take any performance enhancing substances. How long would I need to be off finasteride in order not to test positive? Any suggestions? I would usually know of the test a half day in advance. Thank you.

First of all, you do not need to be taking 2.5mg of finsteride for the treatment of male pattern hair loss. 1mg is the ideal dose.

Second, the half life of finasteride in your blood stream is 4-5 hrs. So it should be out of your blood stream within a day, but it may still remain in the tissues. When I say it is out of your blood stream after a day, you can calculate how much remains by taking off half the impact with each successive 4 hour period. For example, at 4 hours 50% is gone from the blood stream, at 8 hours 75% is gone, at 12 hours 87.5%, etc. This does not necessarily mean it will not be detected after a day, because they may not be testing for finasteride in your blood stream and I do not know what they are really testing for. In other words, without knowing more about the testing process, I don’t know what to tell you. I will research this further and repost at another time.

Although I do believe Propecia (finasteride 1mg) to be the best FDA approved treatment for hair loss currently, in your particular case it might be smarter to stick to the NCAA guidelines and stay away from this prohibited substance to maintain your athletic career. It is up to you.