If you’re experiencing hair loss, you must have heard of the amazing benefits of finasteride for improving hair growth. This medication is widely used across the world to reduce excessive hair fall in men. However, there are certain disadvantages of using finasteride as well. Let’s go through the cons of using this drug.
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Before diving into why finasteride can be harmful, it’s important to know what this medicine does. Finasteride is one of the most popular tablets prescribed for reducing hair loss by blocking DHT production. DHT is a male sex hormone that causes hair follicles to shrink and as a result, leads to male pattern baldness. Finasteride and minoxidil are often prescribed together to prevent hair loss.
Additionally, this drug is used to treat enlarged prostate caused by excess testosterone in the body. By turning testosterone into another chemical, rapid hair fall can be prevented along with prostate complications.
Following are some of the most common side effects of finasteride that you should know about:
Most of these side effects are temporary, particularly low sperm count. It will vanish as soon as you stop using finasteride and is not long-term infertility.
Even though finasteride is excellent for treating hair loss problems, taking this drug for a long time poses various negative effects on men’s health. It is mostly taken by males who are in their 50s and experiencing severe hair loss and are in danger of permanent baldness. At this age, men are already at high risk of developing prostate-related diseases, especially prostate cancer. Long-term use of finasteride is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. It’s a dangerous type of cancer and is among the most fast-spreading illnesses. Because of the high-dose finasteride prescribed to treat medical ailments, men often have adverse reactions to health and can result in cancerous tumors. Some studies have also revealed that finasteride can cause allergic reactions such as runny nose, low blood pressure, skin irritation, redness, and inflammation on the scalp region.
Finasteride is one of those medicines that is only prescribed to men. Males aged 18 years or more can take this drug safely and experience minimal side effects. It is not safe to use for females, pregnant women, or kids.
Among the most critical disadvantages is that finasteride can cause genital shrinkage in men. It usually leads to erectile dysfunction and low sexual desire. Erectile dysfunction by finasteride initially prompted FDA to investigate further into its uses but they discovered the benefits outweighed the negatives. This condition can be psychologically and physically detrimental to a man’s self-esteem. The good news, however, is that these side effects are usually pretty rare. Quitting the medicine helps deal with the symptoms.
While using finasteride is successful for growing hair on your scalp, it’s not a useful treatment for increasing hair production in other body parts, mainly the chest or beard. Additionally, using finasteride frequently at the start often results in rapid hair fall. This is a short-lived symptom and usually subsides after a few weeks. It’s also important to note that finasteride doesn’t work forever and you’ll start losing hair as soon as you stop taking the tablets.
Another side effect of taking finasteride capsules that has been recently highlighted by researchers is its negative impact on kidneys. During their studies on androgen deprivation therapies, scientists have discovered adverse effects of finasteride drugs on kidney function. In fact, long-term use is often associated with kidney injury cases.
Age-related hair loss prevention through finasteride usage is also detrimental to your heart health. Researches show that taking finasteride for years can result in heart failure. An increase in red blood cells can develop blood clots, that block the blood vessels and affect circulation. This might cause a fatal heart attack in severe cases.
In some people, finasteride has shown really bad impact on enzyme reactions that put the liver in danger of high toxicity. Finasteride core function occurs in the liver through high metabolization. If you have a liver prone to diseases, this medication should be taken with caution and never without consulting the doctor. This disease can cause the drug to be metabolized or processed slower than normal.
Now that you know the negative effects of taking finasteride on your wellbeing, it’s important to be cautious during its course. Watch out for any side effects and refer to a professional if you have any serious symptoms.
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