What side effects can this medication cause?
Like all prescription products, finasteride may cause side effects. In clinical studies, side effects from finasteride were uncommon and did not affect most men. However, a small number of men experienced certain sexual side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
• a decreased libido (less desire for sex)
• impotence (difficulty in achieving or maintaining an erection)
• a decreased volume in the amount of semen
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
• changes in the breasts such as lumps, pain, or nipple discharge
• an allergic reactions (including rash, itching, hives and swelling of the lips and face)
• testicular pain
Additionally, finasteride is not indicated for use in women. This medication also falls into the FDA pregnancy category X, which means that it is known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Despite this, women who are or who may become pregnant must not handle crushed or broken finasteride tablets, for the medication could be absorbed through the skin. Finasteride is known to cause birth defects in a developing male baby. Exposure to whole tablets should be avoided whenever possible, however exposure to whole tablets is not expected to be harmful as long as the tablets are not swallowed.
Moreover, it is not known whether finasteride passes into breast milk, and thus should not be taken by breastfeeding mothers. However, it appears that finasteride can pass into the semen of men, thus, at certain dosages, caution should be used to avoid ingestion of semen during oral sex if a woman is pregnant or may become pregnant.
Finasteride can also be used to mask steroid abuse, and many professional sports have banned finasteride use for this reason.
If you experience any other serious side effect not mentioned above, you or your doctor may send a report to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm) or by calling 1-800-332-1088.
Why is this medication prescribed?
Dosage and using this medicine
What special precautions should I follow?
What should I do if I forget a dose?
What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?
In case of an emergency/overdose