Hair loss medications linked to suicide risk in various studies: review

This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Millions of men undergoing hair loss treatment may be putting their mental health at risk.

Finasteride, a hair loss medication prescribed for androgenetic alopecia, the most common form of baldness, has been linked to a higher risk of suicide in global studies.

A recent study by Mayer Brezis, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, says there is now enough evidence to consider depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies as real risks of the drug.

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Finasteride has been associated with depression and suicide for more than 20 years, Brezis revealed, drawing attention to the lack of action from manufacturers and regulators.

These concerns were raised in several studies as early as 2002. Four independent analyzes and four studies indicating a “significant increase” in depression, anxiety and suicidal behavior were published between 2017 and 2023.

Several global studies have linked finasteride to increased depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior. (iStock)

“There has therefore been a two-decade delay in awareness of the incidence and severity of neuropsychiatric effects, allowing harm caused by a drug prescribed for a cosmetic indication of hair loss,” the author writes in the study.

“For 20 years around the world, hundreds of thousands of people may have suffered from depression and hundreds have committed suicide.”

Finasteride users have reported persistent symptoms even after stopping the drug, including insomnia, panic attacks, cognitive dysfunction, and suicidal thoughts.

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In a press release from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Brezis reiterated that the evidence for this link was “no longer anecdotal.”

“We are now seeing consistent trends across diverse populations. And the consequences may have been tragic,” he said.

Finasteride is a hair loss medication prescribed for androgenetic alopecia. (iStock)

“The lesson is that before approving a drug for the market, regulators should require manufacturers to commit to performing and disclosing ongoing post-approval analytical studies, and this requirement must be enforced,” Brezis concluded in the study.

In 2011, the FDA reportedly recognized depression as a potential side effect of finasteride, adding suicidal tendencies in 2022.

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The agency recorded 18 finasteride-related suicides in 2011, although Brezis argued that number should have been “in the thousands.”

In an additional statement sent to Fox News Digital, Brezis confirmed that doctors frequently prescribe finasteride “casually because they are unaware of its risks.”

“My recommendation to patients and doctors: avoid this drug,” the researcher said. (iStock)

“Young people often get it from the Internet without realizing that it can cause anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts, in addition to sexual dysfunction,” he said. “Unfortunately, these side effects may persist after treatment is stopped.

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“My recommendation to patients and doctors: avoid this drug,” he said. “My recommendation to the FDA: Take it off the market.”

Finasteride is believed to have been invented by the biopharmaceutical company Merck, which manufactures the drug under the brand names Proscar and Propecia. Other companies produce generic versions of finasteride.

“Organon guarantees the safety and effectiveness of its finasteride products.”

Organon, formerly part of Merck, is the maker of Propecia and Proscar, two finasteride products. The company provided the statement below to Fox News Digital.

“Organon guarantees the safety and effectiveness of its finasteride products. Regulatory agencies around the world carefully reviewed the safety and effectiveness data of these drugs prior to their approval, and they, along with Organon, have continued to review additional safety and effectiveness data over the decades that these products have been on the market as part of the rigorous and routine post-marketing surveillance process.

The company encourages patients to talk to their doctor if they have questions or concerns about their health or medications.

For more health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

A spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services also commented on the findings in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“The FDA advises patients to discuss the potential risks and benefits with their health care providers before using a pharmaceutical product,” the statement said. “This is particularly important because the FDA has not approved any topical finasteride products, which have been associated with numerous adverse reactions reported to the agency.”