Propecia - Androgen Deprivation
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- Created on Tuesday, 06 December 2011 14:24
As we've mentioned several times in the past, to understand the side effects of Propecia, it is important to understand how the drug is intended to work.
To recap, Propecia is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. In certain tissues the body converts testosterone into the hormone, androgen DHT. This hormone causes hair follicles to shrink or "miniaturize" which shortens their lifespan and prevents them from producing hair normally. By blocking 5-alpha reductase, Propecia blocks the conversion of testosterone into the more powerful androgen DHT.
It is important to note that androgen suppression or androgen deprivation is by no means always a bad thing. For example, some medical treatments suppress or block the production of male sex hormones in order to treat some cancers that rely on the the male hormones for its growth.
The purpose of this article, however; is to look at some of Propecia's side effects that can specifically arise due to androgen deprivation. This list includes both 'official' and 'unofficial' side effects, with the distinction being that causality has not been scientifically proven for unofficial side effects.
The following side effects can be broken down into four main categories: Sexual, Physical, Metabolic, and Emotional.
Sexual side effects
- Impotence
- Erectile Dysfunction
- A drop in libido
- Genital skrinkage
- Atrophy of testicles
Physical side effects
- Gynecomastia (male breast growth)
- Muscle atrophy / chronic fatigue syndrome
- Lack of energy
- Weight gain / fat redistribution
- Aches and pains in the joints
- Urinary frequency
Metabolic side effects
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Heart diesease
- Increased cholesterol & triglyceride levels
- Loss of blood sugar control
Emotional side effects
- Depression
- Changes in mood / mood swings
- Memory difficulties
- Alzheimer's-like symptoms
Not all of the above have been scientifically proven to be caused by Propecia but there are links between the above side effects and androgen deprivation - which is essentially what Propecia does. The reason why this list is so important is because someone who has taken Propecia may not have the most common side effects but that doesn't make Propecia any less responsible. Further, the official list of Propecia side effects is much smaller than the above list and may have discouraged some people from coming forth sooner. Quite possibly, there are a lot of victims of Propecia that have simply not come forward because they haven't made the direct link between their symptoms and Propecia.
Perhaps the most important measures you can take, after speaking with an unbiased medical professional, is to speak with a Propecia Lawyer as soon as possible. Whether you're the litigious type of not it is crucial that you keep all of your options open as you don't know the extent of the potential side effects that you may suffer from in the future. And for cases of this nature, the statute of limitations is rarely on your side.
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