January 28 2008, 3:34 pm PT | Posted in: Drugs + Favorites
I am concerned about the loss of sex drive from taking propecia. I took propecia for about 6 months and my sex drive was non existant. I stopped taking it over a year ago and it has returned, some what, but not nearly where it was before. Is there a product that will help it return, or anything that can be done? I would rather be bald with a strong sex drive, than a head full of hair without one.
You need to go see your doctor for a physical examination and possible testing. While Propecia can cause a decreased sex drive (in 1 to 2% of men), it is temporary since the drug only lasts in your blood stream for about one day. After one year, I hardy doubt your sexual problem is due to Propecia. You need to see a doctor for further evaluation. In fact, erectile dysfunction may be one of the first signs of an underlying medical problem.
Here are a few facts about sex drive / erectile dysfunction / impotence that I found at Minnesota Men’s Health Center:
- One in 10 men (10%) in the world have erectile dysfunction.
- 30 million men in the United States have erectile dysfunction.
- 50% of men with diabetes have erectile dysfunction, frequently within 10 years of diagnosis.
- The likelihood of erectile dysfunction increases with age: 39% at age 40, 65% over the age of 65.
- Smokers have a higher likelihood of erectile dysfunction.
- Men who smoke more than 1 pack per day have a 50% higher chance of impotency than nonsmokers the same age.
And from the Mayo Clinic:
Nonphysical causes:
- Psychological problems. The most common nonphysical causes are stress, anxiety and fatigue. Impotence is also an occasional side effect of psychological problems such as depression.
- Negative feelings. Feelings that you express toward your sexual partner — or that are expressed by your sexual partner — such as resentment, hostility or lack of interest also can be a factor in erectile dysfunction.
Physical causes:
- Nerve damage from longstanding diabetes (diabetic neuropathy)
- Cardiovascular disorders affecting the blood supply to the pelvis
- Certain prescription medications
- Operations for cancer of the prostate
- Fractures that injure the spinal cord
- Multiple sclerosis
- Hormonal disorders
- Alcoholism and other forms of drug abuse
The physical and nonphysical causes of erectile dysfunction commonly interact. For instance, a minor physical problem that slows sexual response may cause anxiety about attaining an erection. Then the anxiety can worsen your erectile dysfunction.
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Balding Forum




Okay, I am really starting to think that Propecia’s side effects to the sex drive are not always temporary. I seem to have less passion. In fact, I don’t think there has ever been a time where I didn’t want sex like I do now. I read a forum where many others have also lost their sex drive to a permanent degree after taking propecia. I asked my doctor and then my urologist and both of them said propecia’s side effects were temporary. I stopped taking after three months and that was about two months ago. What am I to think? Is something slipping through the cracks here in the medical community?
http://www.propeciahelp.com/forum/index.php
I had the side effects of very high, yes high, sex drive while on propecia (finasteride). Sometimes I would skip class and social functions just to masturbate because I could not control my sexual apetite.
But suddenly in June 2007 I completely lost my sex drive. I quit propecia and regained my libido for about a week, but it disappeared again within another week. It has been 15 months since I quit but still no sex drive. I can’t be certain that propecia (finasteride) caused this, but propecia has been the only thing to ever affect my sex drive in any way.
My story is here:
http://www.baldingblog.com/2008/09/10/i-went-from-incredibly-high-libido-with-propecia-to-now-having-zero-libido/
It seems that more and more people are becoming affected, yet no doctors will believe us. I see posts about this issue here and elsewhere, but doctors seem to just dismiss this as erectile dysfunction or some psychological issue because of the “small minority” of people that are affected. More research needs to be done.
If I can say…I am a medical doctor, and I am 28- I have been using propecia for just under 3 months. My long term girlfriend will agree with me that in 3 years of being together, I only failed to achieve a strong erection three times (mostly when drunk). Now it has happened out of the blue, in the absence of psychological factors. I am thinking of discontinuing the drug as a bit of extra hair on my scalp is not going to deter me from having sex again!
Fortunately the side effects are likely to be temporary