Study: Sexual Side Effects of Hair Loss Drugs Persist

Analysis Suggests Lingering Side Effects of Drugs That Shrink Prostate and Treat Baldness

By Brenda Goodman
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

March 9, 2011 -- Medications that shrink enlarged prostates and treat male pattern baldness can have sexual side effects that may persist after the drugs are discontinued, a new research review suggests.

But a manufacturer of one of the drugs says side effects go away when patients stop taking the drug. And an independent expert is skeptical of the study’s results.

The drugs, called 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, block the action of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an androgen that’s more potent than its precursor, testosterone.

This class of medications includes Avodart, Propecia, and Proscar.

(Original here.)