FDA sounds alarm over drug taken by millions that changes people’s GENITALS due to horrific side effect
The FDA has issued a warning over the crippling side effects of a popular hair-loss drug doled out by online health companies.
The government agency says that there are ‘potential serious risks’ associated with the use of topical finasteride products, which are used by millions of Americans to help stop hair loss and promote regrowth.
These hair aid products, which come as sprays or serums, are not approved by the FDA but they are available via a number of telehealth companies including Hims, Hers, and Ro, with prices ranging from $25 to $90.
The hair-loss remedies do require a prescription but all people have to do is make an online appointment with a doctor, see them briefly over a video chat and get an order signed off.
The products advertise their efficacy but say little of side effects, and records show there have been 32 complaints regarding the products issued to the FDA between 2019 and 2024.
Consumers have detailed incidents such as erectile dysfunction, anxiety, suicidal ideation, brain fog, depression, fatigue, insomnia, decreased libido and testicular pain after applying the hair-loss drug.
Most of the men and women who filed the complaints said these side effects continued to persist even when they stopped using the products.
Some said these symptoms led to depression, constant pain and ‘ruined their lives’.
The FDA has issued a warning over the crippling side effects of a popular hair-loss drug taken by millions (stock image)
However, the reports aren’t verified, so while people say the side effects are caused by the products, there is no way to confirm a direct link.
Other concerns the FDA warns of is that the medication has the ‘potential to cause abnormalities of a male fetus in a pregnant woman’.
In several reported cases, consumers said they were not made aware of the potential adverse events associated with the use of topical finasteride.
Meanwhile, other patients claimed they were told by medical providers that there were no adverse effects associated with the products because they were topical, not oral.
The FDA says other side effects from using finasteride lotions or serums include irritation, erythema (a skin disorder characterized by a rash of target-shaped lesions), dryness/scaling, stinging and burning.
It says the creams and serums also leave other people open to exposure if they come into contact with someone using the product as they are easily absorbable through the skin.
There are two FDA-approved oral finasteride products currently available in the US, including Proscar and Propecia, but currently there is no FDA-approved topical formulation of the drug.
DailyMail.com has reported on similar side effects from finasteride when taken in a pill format.
After spending years being insecure about his thinning hair, Mark Millich turned to the internet to help reverse his baldness.
The former US Army sergeant, 26, completed a 14-question intake on the telehealth company Hims.com and received a bottle of anti-balding pills at his home in January 2021.
The government agency says that there are ‘potential serious risks’ associated with the use of with the use of topical finasteride products (stock image)
Mark Millich, 26, a former US Army sergeant, took finasteride pills to cure his baldness. Instead, his libido plunged as his genitals shrank and changed shape
At no point did Millich speak to a doctor or a healthcare professional, so he was unaware of the potential side effects, he said.
Within six months of taking finasteride, he began experiencing dizziness, fatigue, cold sweats and was slurring his words – which he described as feeling ‘lobotomized’.
Psychologically, he became numb, feeling ‘nothing but blunted emotions’. Physically, he lost muscle density and his skin become stretchy.
In fear of his mental state, he stopped taking the medication in July 2021 but soon after, even worse side effects kicked in. His libido plunged and his genitals shrank and changed shape.
As the former soldier continues to battle his situation, he claims the telehealth company never shared information about the dangerous side effects of the drug as warned of by the FDA and falsely advertised the medication.
Finasteride, the generic name for Propecia, is recommended by doctors in cases of male baldness to help improve hair growth and hair count over time.
In the male body, an enzyme called 5α-reductase is responsible for converting testosterone into a hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone).
DHT causes hair to become shorter and finer, eventually stop growing in the affected area.
Finasteride reduces the amount of DHT produced in the body by blocking the production of 5α-reductase.
But DHT is also crucial for sexual arousal, erectile function, and genital tissue health, and its reduction can negatively impact these functions.
In some cases, including Millich’s, the side effects persist even after stopping the drug. This is known as Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS) and can include long-term sexual dysfunction, depression, and cognitive issues.
According to Hims.com, the $22 bottle of oral once-a-day finasteride tablets can help reverse hair loss
As of 2024, over 2.6million Americans are taking the hair loss drug – an increase of nearly 200 percent over the last seven years, according to a report by Epic Research.
Between one in 100 WOMEN? and one in 10 men suffer at least one of its major side effects.
Dr Justin Houman, a urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, told the Wall Street Journal an increasing number of young men have been left plagued by the sexual side effects of finasteride.
The side effects are ‘very very common’ these days due to accessibility of the medicine from companies such as Hims.com, Dr Houman explained.
The specialist warned: ‘This is not something young men should take.’
According to Hims.com, the $22 bottle of oral once-a-day finasteride tablets can help reverse hair loss.
A Hims.com spokeswoman confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that customers ‘go through a comprehensive intake that is reviewed by a licensed provider who makes a clinical determination about the patient’s eligibility for medication’.
The company exclusively told DailyMail.com: ‘Treatments and care available through the Hims & Hers platform are part of treatment plans designed and led by a team of medical experts.
‘The clinical framework followed by providers reflects decades of experience from our medical team and advisory board, supported by rigorous clinical quality measures.
‘We are committed to transparency and always provide customers with essential information, including potential side effects, before they begin treatment and throughout their care journey to help them make informed decisions and use their medication safely.’
