In this postmarketing case series of 6 former finasteride users who committed suicide, all reported insomnia and persistent sexual dysfunction after medication discontinuation. The most prominent psychiatric symptoms were depression, anxiety, panic attacks, feelings of isolation and “brain fog.” Some of the most debilitating symptoms were insomnia and fatigue. Apart from 1 case who had […]
Tag Archives: Michael Irwig
2024 PFS Foundation Annual Address
Aug. 4, 2024 Dear Friends: Common sense would dictate that medical professionals are more likely than laymen to steer clear of risky pharmacological substances. They have, after all, read the product labels, and at least a smattering of the medical literature. They may also have witnessed adverse reactions in their own patients, and perhaps even […]
2023 PFS Foundation Annual Address
Aug. 4, 2023 Dear Friends: Finasteride was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in April 1993. But let’s put that aside for a moment. Let’s instead step back just a dozen years. In April 2011, I was driving down the Garden State Parkway, on my way from New York City, where I […]
Young Men Who Use Finasteride for Hair Loss ‘Are at Risk for Suicide if They Develop Persistent Sexual Adverse Effects and Insomnia,’ Says New Research
February 20, 2020 Dear Friends: “Clinicians should be aware that men under the age of 40 who use finasteride for alopecia are at risk for suicide if they develop persistent sexual adverse effects and insomnia.” That, according to new research by Michael S. Irwig, MD, attending endocrinologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, […]