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France

Impotence fears over anti-hair loss drug Propecia

Fears in France have been raised over the use of an anti-hair loss treatment, Propecia, which allegedly causes a drop in male libido and impotence. According to the French daily Le Parisien, the treatment, which was prescribed to 32,000 Frenchmen in 2010, can cause impotence months after use of the drug has stopped or in some cases permanently. 

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The manufacturers of Propecia, Merck, says these side-effects are made clear on the instructions which come with the treatment which state that users may experience side-effects such as loss of libido and impotence.

Propecia contains finasteride which blocks the male hormone testosterone believed to be responsible for hair loss in men.

Professor Dominique Maraninchi, head of the French agency for Health Product Safety, told the French news agency that in small doses the chances of these side-effects are slight.

“When it is used in small doses it slows down, without stopping altogether, hair loss,”he explained. “In small doses over a prolonged period of time loss of libido is around three per cent.”

Maraninchi says every person must weigh up the pros and cons for themselves before starting the treatment.

In the US, users have created an internet forum, Propeciahelp, on the subject. According to one user, some men have found themselves with the testosterone levels of an 80-year-old.
 

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