Propecia(Finasteride) cause hypothyroidism? I am on propecia for more than 2years now. My TSH is elevated in the last one year. I would like to know if Propecia has any impact on the thyroid glands. I do not have any symptoms of hypothyrodism. I am planning to go off propecia now. Appreciate your reply.
There is no connection between thyroid function and Propecia.
Snippet from the article:
Health Canada is informing health professionals and the public that certain prescription drugs may be associated with an increased risk of developing a serious form of prostate cancer known as high-grade prostate cancer.
High-grade prostate cancer is an aggressive type of prostate cancer that grows and spreads more quickly than low-grade prostate cancer. This type of cancer is rare, and the increased risk seen with prescription drugs finasteride and dutasteride is still considered very small.
New warnings on this risk have been added to the Canadian drug labels for finasteride and dutasteride products.
Read the rest — Prostate cancer risk could increase with use of hair loss drug: Health Canada
There it goes again. Like the pendulum of a clock, the claims on cancer swing in bother directions (positive and negative). The focus here was on 5mg dose of finasteride (for treating enlarged prostate), not 1mg that is used to treat hair loss. And the focus of the study was on the rarer high grade malignancies classified by microscopic assessment of a pathologist. These conclusions may not apply to the lower dose, nor may they not apply to the young men under 50 years old.
We’ve written about the possible finasteride/cancer connection before, most recently here:
Dear doctor, this site has been helping me and guiding me a lot about hair loss. I suggested my brother to start Propecia 3 years ago and with doctor’s prescription he started it and has really been doing very well. Propecia controlled his hair loss and he even got some reversal. He was very happy about it till 2 months ago, where he was prescribed COQ10 by one of his endocrinologist. He started reading all kinds of information regarding COQ10 interactions with finasteride and found this article.
He became so nervous about parathyroid tumor they mentioned in that web site. He is blaming me for suggesting such drug to him now. He has been taking Co-enzyme 10 since 2 months and is worried a lot whether the parathyroid tumour has already started. Please please help him with his anxiety. Do they really interact with each other? What is the solution for such problem.? Your reply will help him get rid of his anxiety.
The COQ10 interaction is news to me. Although I doubt a parathyroid tumor connection, if that is one of his worries, he should seek medical attention to calm his fears. Parathyroid tumors can be diagnosed if he has one.
Hi doctor Rassman, I just read the update on the new pdg2 thing for hairloss. I emailed you the article yesturday by the way. I just want to know soemthing, what about DHT? does this mean DHT is not the cause and we don’t have to take propecia anymore? I would really appreciata a reply, becuase I have no clue on this.
There is no other identified effective replacement drug yet available, so it would be advisable to stay on your doctor’s prescribed finasteride. Of course, talk to your doctor about stopping or changing any prescription medication if you really are concerned.
We’re all still learning about this new PGD2 research, so I can’t comment further on it. I know everyone is excited about it, but we need to wait and see beyond these initial reports what the reality is.
I’m a 29 year-old male who’s been taking finasteride for about a year and a half. I had been experiencing mild to moderate thinning on my crown and hair line, which seems to have mostly halted, although there has been no regrowth of lost hair.
I’ve avoided minoxidil due to concerns about the shedding it can cause, and the fact that I’m relatively content about where the finasteride seems to have halted my hair loss. My question is, am I losing any potential for regrowth by holding off on minoxidil? Is the expected benefit greater in using minoxidil when hair loss has been relatively minor, compared to beginning its use only when hair loss starts to accelerate?
Finasteride and minoxidil work in different ways, so many patients try both. There is no risk for using these medications together. I have no way to know if minoxidil will regrow hair for you though, so I couldn’t say if you’re missing out on anything by not starting it.
(female)
Hi Dr. Rassman! I have a quick question for you. While I found a combination of Rogaine, Diane 35 birth control, and 200 mg spironolactone just about completely reversed my AGA hair loss, I was stupid enough to begin taking Dutasteride (Avodart) which I ordered from the internet at a dose of 0.5mg/ every other day. The predictable shed started recently as is common, but what really got me was my skin started getting filled with pimples (I take pride in having good skin) and I decided it wasn’t worth it, since my hair had already become pretty good before I started it, and who knows if the acne would be temporary, or even get worse. I stopped it about 5 days ago.
Now I am wondering if you have any idea, even a vague one, as to when my hair will return to how it would have been pre-Dutasteride use, since I stopped using it during a hair shedding phase which was induced by the drug. (weeks/months/ever?)
Any ideas would be so helpful in helping me feel reassured. Thanks so much for your time.
I hate to use you as an example, but this is exactly why you should not treat yourself with prescription drugs bought via the Internet. I can’t say this enough — you should not be self-treating your medical issues and you certainly should not be purchasing prescription medication without a physician’s prescription.
Unfortunately, I do not know anything about you to even begin assessing your medical issues. Sorry. You really need to see a doctor for an in-person examination. I realize the Internet is an easy way to try to diagnose and treat yourself, but you could be doing more harm than good.
Dutasteride (Avodart) is not recommended for women and it may have unforeseen long term side effects. I was able to find a forum where a woman took dutasteride and had a similar side effect that you had (acne breakout)… but beyond that, I really don’t know what it would do for treating female hair loss.
I am a 21 year old who has begun taking generic propecia for about a month now. However, I have yet to see any progress so far. I am shedding hair at the same rate as before, and the frontal hair line recedes at a very rapid pace that I can notice the difference daily. I understand from reading some of the answers on this blog that the effects of propecia become apparent after about four months of usage on the average. Does that mean the hair loss will suddenly come to a stop (assuming propecia works for me) after a few months of taking the drug? or Would my hair show a series of gradual signs such as thickening of hair and losing less and less hair that will eventually lead to a stop in hair loss? Thank you very much.
I generally tell patients it takes 6 to 12 months to see the effects of Propecia. You will definitely not see any effects in one month other than (in some people) the cessation of rapid hair loss, if they happen to have it. These things take time and it does not magically happen overnight, as the hair grows out 1/2 inch a month if it is healthy. Remember that seeing less hair falling out may be a positive sign. People do NOT always get more hair growth.
hello dr rassman
can i take bloating pills(gas x) with propecia or that will affect the effectiveness of propecia?
Gas or no gas should not have any effect on Propecia, nor will pills taken to relieve pressure or bloating from gas.
Dr. Rassman,
Thank you for your dedication to this blog site, it has been a source of great comfort on an issue that is often brushed under the table. Please respond at the very least by private message because I would really like to have a better understanding of what is happening.
Now that merck admits to prolonged site effects, do you at all feel betrayed? as looking back at most of the content on this website, you are rather adamant that any side effects will go away when propecia is discontinued…
as a propecia user myself, the idea of myself, or another young male in their 20’s losing normal bodily function permanently seems devastating to say the very least! even if the drug works well on 99%, and one out of 100 take it have a permanent reaction, then is that even really worth it? lives being ruined?
What is your whole hearted suggestion in light of recent developments, ie. class action suit, website removal etc. for someone like me. Do we stop taking the medicine? common sense says it takes a hell of a lot for a pharma giant like merck to take down their website. and it takes a hell of a lot of evidence to form a class action suit.
and at this point mercks acceptance of prolonged side effects almost negates the original clinical studies all together…no?
No. Every drug has its risks. I don’t believe that Merck knowingly withheld information from the public. The FDA and the drug companies work together to control safety and effectiveness, but they are never 100% certain that everything is covered.
One of my three sons is still on Propecia and I endorse his decision. He looked at his mother’s side of the family and saw Norwood class 6 balding patterns. Now he has all of his hair. I don’t know what his pattern would have been like had he not taken the drug when he was 29 and an early class 3 pattern, certainly not his mother’s family line. My son has had no side effects (same as most of my patients).
I always tell my patients of the risks, and they then make their own decisions as consenting, educated, knowledgeable adults. Pulling down a website and seeing advertisements for law firms trying to collect enough people to sue them isn’t enough for me to believe Merck is admitting guilt.
Dr. Rassman,
I have one or two drinks a day on average and also take propecia. Do I need to wait for a period of time after drinking before I take the pill? I don’t want to damage my liver!
Alcohol and liver damage is well documented. Alcohol can impact your hormones as well, and may slow down the excretion of finasteride from the liver.
Men with liver problems, including liver failure or cirrhosis, should talk to their doctors before taking finasteride. The liver helps to clear finasteride from the body, and finasteride could build up in people with liver problems give you many of the side effects discussed elsewhere on this site.
If you do not have liver disease and you take a 1mg Propecia in the morning, having a couple of drinks in the evening should not be a problem.
