Beliebtes Medikament gegen Haarausfall mit höherem Suizidrisiko verbunden: Im Vergleich zu Nichtkonsumenten haben Finasterid (Proscar/Propecia)-Konsumenten ein deutlich erhöhtes Risiko für Depressionen, Angstzustände und Selbstmordgedanken. Über 30 Beobachtungsjahre hinweg wurde mit 19.320 Suiziden gerechnet.
https://newatlas.com/mental-health/finasteride-hair-loss-drug-suicide-risk/
30 Kommentare
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/analytical-review-depression-suicidality-finasteride/
From the linked article:
**Popular hair loss drug linked to higher suicide risk**
Brezis‘ review, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, combines findings from eight key research studies: four reports that look at side effects experienced by individuals, and four studies that analyze large datasets of health records. This research took place between 2017 and 2023, and the results are certainly concerning: **compared to non-users, finasteride users have a markedly increased risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts**.
Sold under the brand names **Proscar and Propecia** among others, finasteride works by blocking the enzyme 5α-reductase, which changes testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone that causes AGA hair follicles to shrink. But that same enzyme also helps make important brain chemicals called neurosteroids, like allopregnanolone, that help control mood. When the drug interferes with their production, it may cause lasting changes in the brain, such as inflammation in areas linked to memory and emotion, and changes in how new brain cells are formed.
The numbers tell a troubling story. By 2011, only 18 suicides had been linked to finasteride, while, based on global usage, statistical models estimate between 6,440 and 12,880 should have occurred over 10–20 years in a population of 4.6 million. By 2024, there were 320 reported suicides. **Over 30 years of observation, 19,320 suicides were expected**. For suicidal thoughts, the expected number was 414,000, but in 2011, only 31 cases were reported, and in 2024, that number rose to 1,062.
The review points out several reasons for the mental health risks of finasteride being underreported. Often, doctors don’t connect symptoms like depression or suicidal thoughts to the drug. Families might not even know their loved one was taking finasteride. And in tragic cases of suicide, the person can’t speak up, making it hard to trace the cause.
Is this why I’m on the brink of killing myself?? That’s crazy
Non users would have hair. In this study, did the non-users experience Balding?
A man individual experiencing hair loss may be predisposed to depression and anxiety given their condition…
Non users being people who are also bald or would qualify for this drug? If not could be correlation without causation. Going bald can be potentially very distressing
Edit: i understand that the mechanism is being explained in the article, not disagreeing with that potentially leading to increased risk. Im pointing out the comparison groups
I’ll stick to my topical minoxidil and rosemary.
A person who cares enough about their appearance to take a medication to try and retain their hair is probably gonna be more socially fragile than the general population
This is well known to the r/steroids and r/trt and r/testosterone communities.
Guys come through wondering why they haven’t had an erection in years… many cases point directly to post finasteride syndrome.
Generally known that it has risk of depressive side effects …
The first thought that comes to mind is that people taking hair loss medications are going to be generally more predisposed to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts (regarding their hair), pushing them to seek the medication in the first place.
I couldn’t tell if that was a like that was clearly addressed by the authors and unsupported by the data? But that might just be me not reading it closely enough.
these people should taken an ANTI hair loss drug…
Are we sure it’s the drug and not the situation of hair loss?
There’s another drug for that.
Are we sure that it’s not just because these particular people are hopelessly bald? I mean… I bet the people who the stuff works for are much happier.
Probably due to balding, not the drug. My hair is falling out, and it’s destroying my mental health.
I knew youtube had a motive with those HIMS ads, though I thought they were going for my sanity. Turns out they wanted me dead. Going to have to try harder than that, finasteride! I’m watching you too, minoxidil!!
The people taking a hair loss drug would be the ones taking the biggest mental health hit from that loss of hair, no?
Maybe they shouldn’t worry so much about it? Lots of men lose their hair,.what’s the big deal?
Whats the correlation of being bald with depression while also taking this drug to help not be bald though. Not saying it cant chemically cause depression. Just saying guys who are balding that havent been able to accept it are gonna be more prone to depression and suicide.
I’d rather be bald.
(which I am)
All of these studies that rely on correlation to wink wink, nudge nudge, imply causation are just haphazardly contributing to the decline of modern medicine.
Turns out people that seek medicine for seeing their hair fall out in front of their very eyes may already be distressed. More at 11.
But no, instead the takeaway is that yet another helpful and largely benign drug is going to get demonized. It’s Propecia now, but what about next week? Was it worth the journal author credit?
Yea that’s the only reason I’m not on it. It’s just not worth the risk. I think about how nice it would be to have my hair back literally every day but it doesn’t make me want to kill my self. I’d rather just cope with this than gamble on something so serious
It’s just hair. You’ll be fine. I don’t get the big deal. Less maintenance as far as I’m concerned. I noticed people walking on egg shells when I began losing my hair… So weird cuz I never cared.
Honestly this sounds more like it’s just middle age to me in all seriousness.
Yeah, that’s what I would assume before actually looking at any data about folks who use hair loss drugs. If you find having hair so important that you feel compelled to take drugs to restore it, it would make sense that you’re a type of person who’s more likely to have self-destructive ideation.
I personally can’t imagine caring about hair, but this it is obviously very important to many people.
Finasteride is (can be) also used in trans women’s HRT. The T-Inhibiting effects are part of what makes it a valid option, and trans women on finasteride report the same positive effects from that as other HRT medications. Drawing conclusions from that, hormone disruptions for people who are cis and taking finasteride would essentially parallel the positive emotional and psychological effects HRT has on trans women.
Food for thought.
I have tried the drug three different times. The side effects are horrendous, and yes it absolutely increases depression. I was already depressed but I made peace with the sexual side effects, but it was the marked increased in depression that made me quit. The pharmaceutical company has lied about the side effect profile. They claim sexual side effects in 2% of users, absolutely false. And it’s really bizarre to see people defend this drug and pharma.
5 alpha reductase inhibitors prevent the creation of neurosteroids like allopregenenolone. Allopregenenolone is antidepressive, anxiolytic, and mood stabilizing. So much so that it’s now a treatment for women with Postpartum Depression.
It blocks DHT a hormone. Im not totally surprised it would have a mental health effect. It isnt a total T blocker but this would be most often used on people who are already in a somewhat fragile state of mind if they went out of their way to get medicine for their hair.
[Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation](https://www.pfsfoundation.org) has been all over this issue.
This is really sad, especially because bald men are hot AF. Don’t take hair loss drugs, just shave it off. I’m female and I check in once a day on r/bald just to see the glow-ups (before and after taking the full-shave plunge). Most men (my husband included) look great with a groomed beard and a shaved head. It exudes confidence and masculinity.