Is Propecia Causing My Gastritis?

Hello Dr.Rassman,
Thanks for your wonderful service. I have a question on one of the side effects (not sure). I am 32 and started taking Propecia a month ago. I started to experience abdominal pain especially around the chest. When I searched for similar symptoms in your blog, I found that in one similar case you had advised that it may be because of ‘Gastritis’. I also compared the symptoms provided in the internet with mine and found it to be exactly the same. Any way I am planning to consult a doctor soon.

My question is that does Propecia cause ‘gastritis’? It is mentioned that gastritis may be caused due to ‘nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (also known as NSAIDs)’. Does Propecia belong to this category of drug?

I have seen good results with propecia even less than 1 month of using. Now in case the doctor tells me that Propecia caused the ‘gastritis’ do I have to stop taking that? Because i do not want to stop Propecia. Please advise. Thanks once again for your great work!

Propecia is not a NSAID drug and it most likely does not cause gastritis. Aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) are NSAID class drugs. Poor diet, spicy foods, alcohol, and obesity are generally the culprits of gastritis. This site (which polls people on the web, is not scientific, and I do not endorse) indicates that gastritis is seen in 0.1% (one in a thousand) Propecia takers, so I wouldn’t believe the medication is related to gastritis.

Finally, as I have had said numerous times, the Internet is not an ideal place to seek personal medical diagnosis or answers. It will confuse and distort the issue. If you have a medical problem, see a doctor for an examination and receive a diagnosis by a medical professional. You can then look up your diagnosis on the Internet for a better understanding.