Balding Blog

What about propecia’s safety? The cancer study along with altering hormone levels just doesnt sound like a good idea. What do you think about starting propecia in your 20’s and altering hormone levels for say 15 years?

Finasteride (5 mg dose of the same drug as Propecia) was first used to treat prostate enlargement and cancer. There have been many studies through the years about this product which demonstrated its safety in the older male population (over 50). I have not seen any dangerous effect in my practice and the drug is carefully monitored by the drug company (Merck) under FDA guidelines. There is no doubt from recent articles published in the past few years that Finasteride in 5mg doses taken daily, reduces the risk of Prostate cancer. There is no suggestion that the slight rise in testosterone that occurs in many people will increase any particular cancer risk.

Hi Doc,

You are an impressive personality, I have been reading and making my decisions about my hair loss through the research on your website.

My wife is pregnant and and I want to start taking propecia, I am thinking about start taking it after the baby is born which is due on mid Nov. But I would like to know if breast feeding and propecia can create complications to the baby or wife. I think I am a norwood class 4 and have almost good coverage, I am 25 year old male.

Your reply would be a great help.

Keep up the great work.

Nope. Unless you have found a way to create milk from your own breast and are breastfeeding your baby, there is no danger to your wife and your baby as Propecia does not come over to the woman from sexual intercourse. It is not known if Propecia can be found in the breast milk of mothers that are taking Propecia themselves, but Propecia is not approved for use in women anyway. It will not affect your wife or unborn child even if you are having intercourse with your wife while she is pregnant. The pharmaceutical company Merck’s statement on this is, “Available data indicate that the level of PROPECIA in the semen of a man taking PROPECIA does not pose a risk to an unborn child. Accordingly, a man can take PROPECIA while conceiving a child with his partner, or have sexual intercourse with his partner if she is already pregnant.”

If you are still worried, use a condom.

Does Propecia make hair grow faster on other parts of my body?

I have seen reports that Propecia may increase body hair, but so does aging. On the other hand, there are reports that Propecia can decrease body hair in some men. As for the speed of body hair growth while on the medication, I do not know the answer.

Hi Dr: I am a 36 year old male. I have experienced hair loss and I would like to try Propecia (Finasteride). However, I am a heart patient and I take Toprol, Altace, Zetia, Plavix, Lipitor. Will the propecia interact with any of these? I have read that it may interact with blood pressure meds.

Thank you

If you are taking finasteride at the 1mg dose (Propecia), I would not worry about cross-reactivity. The official site does not mention a problem with the medications you listed. Minoxidil on the other hand, is an anti-hypertensive agent so if you mix it with the anti-hypertensive medication you take, you could drop your blood pressure further. For general information on drugs and pharmacologic vs. Toxic Effects, see: https://www.hpisum.com/downloads/Downside.pdf

I have been taking Propecia for about two years. It has always worked fine until roughly six months ago when certain side effects began to appear. My lips were swelling quite frequently and I would get hives on my body. I was able to combat this with a daily dose of claritan. I am worried though that these effects could be dangerous to my body, even though the hives never appear while taking claritan and the lip swelling is only a few times a month at most. Also, I was curious to know if there is any correlation to these side effects and the ineffectiveness of propecia. I have noticed an increase in hairloss over the past six months, but still nowhere near as bad as before I went on the drug. Any light you could shed on this matter would be great. Also, I thought I would add that I have experienced no sexual side effects.

Thanks

You need to have a good dermatologist take a look at you. Although some of the symptoms are reflective of a drug allergy, you may also have some other medical problem. Don’t play doctor. There is an old adage: a person who treats themself has a fool for a doctor. Adhere to good common sense and have a professional look at you.