Encinitas, CAThe Propecia lawsuit count appears to be growing. According to a published report in the Chicago Tribune (03/22/17) originating from Kaiser Health there are 1,370 lawsuits in the pipeline alleging a host of Propecia side effects from finasteride, the generic name for a product that has proven to successfully grow hair, but at a cost or so it is alleged.
Side effects from Propecia are alleged to run the gamut from Propecia sexual dysfunction, to suicide. The latter is demonstrative of how important to a man’s identity sexual function is. Enter Propecia impotence that for some men has not been reversible, and suddenly you have a situation that can – and has – threatened a man’s self-esteem and the capacity to pleasure his partner. Plaintiffs in Propecia finasteride lawsuits have alleged relationships have been ruined as the result of finasteride use, when Propecia sexual dysfunction continued to be an issue even after the medication was stopped.
Plaintiffs in Propecia sexual dysfunction lawsuits have claimed they were not aware of the risk to their sexual function. Others claim they were aware of the risk – there is reference to the potential for Propecia impotence on the product website maintained by Propecia manufacturer Merck & Co. – but were not aware that impotence could continue even when the medication was stopped.
Many plaintiffs have alleged their normal sexual function was slow to return. Others have alleged it never did return to normal, and that their Propecia sexual dysfunction has become a chronic condition.
Mikael Mikailian, a 39-year-old entrepreneur from Encinitas is identified in the published report as a survivor of Propecia – but not without years of effort and cost to return his sexual function to normal. According to Bruce Horovitz of Kaiser Health, Mikailian began taking Propecia 19 year ago when he turned 20 and discovered his hair was beginning to thin early (Propecia was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1997). At the time, Propecia finasteride was a newly-approved drug indicated for thinning hair associated with early onset of male pattern baldness.
His hair, thanks to Propecia, returned. However, within three years Mikailian was experiencing Propecia sexual dysfunction at a time in life when males normally are reaching, and maintaining their sexual peak. Mikailian was also, at 23, experiencing unexplained lapses of memory.
Instead of quitting Propecia cold turkey, Mikailian sought the aid of a specialist who slowly weaned Mikailian from finasteride over the course of 18 months. Mikailian’s mood and hormone levels were carefully monitored. He was also prescribed a hormonal drug more commonly used by women.
In the end, Mikailian’s normal sexual function and memory slowly returned. It was not made clear in the report if Mikailian has filed a Propecia lawsuit. However, it is important to note that his treatments to eradicate his system of finasteride and return his sexual function and memory to normal were not covered by health insurance, thus he is out-of-pocket for those treatments. Still, he remains amongst the lucky: for some men, Propecia sexual dysfunction has become chronic.
Lawsuits alleging Propecia side effects in men have been consolidated in multidistrict litigation. A bellwether trial, originally scheduled for last year, has reportedly been delayed until September of this year.
For its part, manufacturer Merck & Co. lists decreased sex drive, decreased semen count and difficulty with erections as three of the “most common side effects” of Propecia finasteride. However, there are other Propecia long term side effects. A safety communication from the FDA released in 2011 warned that Propecia may be associated with a risk of high-grade prostate cancer. There is a similar warning attached to Proscar, which also has finasteride as its primary ingredient but is five times the strength of Propecia. Proscar is indicated to treat an enlarged prostate – however, ironically Proscar is associated at the same time with a risk for high-grade cancer of the prostate.
Kaiser Health reports in the Chicago Tribune that Merck & Co. has revealed in financial statements some 50 lawsuits allege that Propecia finasteride has caused, or can cause cancer of the prostate, testicles or male breast cancer.
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