Did Finasteride Make Me Stutter?

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I want to start off by thanking you for acknowledging and attempting to help people in what can be such a stressful and consuming problem for people.

My question is in regards to the possible mental side effects of finasteride. I understand that you have touched on this in the past, but I was wondering if you could say based on your experience if you believe these claims have any merit. I took finasteride for about a month a few months ago, and thought that I noticed these symptoms(stuttering, etc) upon quitting. I really believe in the drug in the battle against hairloss and want to start again, but these claims and my possible experience with it prevent me. I am 32 years old, but I believe that my hairloss(mostly crown area) is in its early stages and I could benefit greatly from this drug.

P.S. I would try minoxidil, but am afraid of the experiences that I read online(bloated face, wrinkles, shedding, etc)

When a formal drug study is done it is carried out on thousands of people and the side effects are reported. When the drug is actually used by millions of people, I am sure there are rare side effects that were never reported that will come to light.

I do not mean to dismiss or invalidate the unusual reports such as yours. In my practice since Propecia has been introduced into the marketplace, I have seen this complaint once (while the patient was on the medication, not after he stopped it), but I generally do not see or hear of these issues other than on Internet forums. The one experience a patient had does not prove anything statistically. It is also very difficult to pinpoint if there really is a direct cause and effect relationship, as there may be other factors.

For example, it is conceivable that men who take Propecia are also taking other medications with other medical issues (such a blood pressure or depression). Certain blood pressure lowering and anti-depressant medications are well know to cause decreased erections and libido. Certain anti-depressants can even cause stuttering (Ritalin, Prozac, as an example). Certain medical conditions which you may not be aware of can also cause stuttering. So I really cannot even begin to say what your particular cause of stuttering may be. I would discuss your issues with your doctor and see if there are other issues at hand as well.

I find it rather interesting that you were more scared of minoxidil’s side effects than Propecia’s side effects based on what you read on the Internet. The web can be a scary place when researching medical issues, as most users with positive results won’t spend their time telling people about it, but those that feel slighted will try their best to alert everyone. Again, go see a doctor for medical questions and get your answers in person, where a doctor can evaluate your case better without the back and forth delay of emails.