Propecia Side Effects

PROPECIA is generally well tolerated. Side effects, which usually have been mild, generally have not required discontinuation of therapy.
Finasteride for male pattern hair loss has been evaluated for safety in clinical studies involving more than 3,200 men. In three 12-month, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter studies of comparable design, the overall safety profiles of PROPECIA and placebo were similar. Discontinuation of therapy due to any clinical adverse experience occurred in 1.7% of 945 men treated with PROPECIA and 2.1% of 934 men treated with placebo.
In these studies, the following drug-related adverse experiences were reported in ≥1% of men treated with PROPECIA: decreased libido (PROPECIA, 1.8% vs. placebo, 1.3%) and erectile dysfunction (1.3%, 0.7%). In addition, decreased volume of ejaculate was reported in 0.8% of men treated with PROPECIA and 0.4% of men treated with placebo. Resolution of these side effects occurred in men who discontinued therapy with PROPECIA and in many who continued therapy. In a separate study, the effect of PROPECIA on ejaculate volume was measured and was not different from that seen with placebo.
The incidence of each of the previously mentioned side effects decreased to ≤0.3% by the fifth year of treatment with PROPECIA.
Finasteride has also been studied for prostate cancer risk reduction at 5 times the dosage recommended for male pattern hair loss. In a 7-year placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 18,882 healthy men, of whom 9060 had prostate needle biopsy data available for analysis, prostate cancer was detected in 803 (18.4%) men receiving finasteride 5 mg and 1147 (24.4%) men receiving placebo. In the finasteride 5 mg group, 280 (6.4%) men had prostate cancer with Gleason scores of 7-10 detected on needle biopsy vs. 237 (5.1%) men in the placebo group. Additional analyses suggest that the increase in the prevalence of high-grade prostate cancer observed in the finasteride 5 mg group may be explained by a detection bias due to the effect of finasteride 5 mg on prostate volume. Of the total cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in this study, approximately 98% were classified as intracapsular (clinical stage T1 or T2) at diagnosis. The clinical significance of the Gleason 7-10 data is unknown. 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may increase the risk of development of high grade prostate cancer. Whether the effect of 5α-reductase inhibitors to reduce prostate volume, or study-related factors, impacted the results of these studies has not been established.
Postmarketing Experience: The following additional adverse experiences have been reported in postmarketing use. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate the frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.
Immune system disorders: hypersensitivity reactions such as rash, pruritus, urticaria, and angioedema (including swelling of the lips, tongue, throat and face).
Psychiatric disorders: depression; decreased libido that continued after discontinuation of treatment.
Reproductive system and breast disorders: sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) that continued after discontinuation of treatment; breast tenderness and enlargement; male breast cancer (See PRECAUTIONS); testicular pain; hematospermia; male infertility and/or poor seminal quality. Normalization or improvement of seminal quality has been reported after discontinuation of finasteride.