Hair loss drug finasteride ‘biggest mistake of my life’

Some online sites are prescribing hair loss drugs to men that have potentially dangerous side effects without consistent safety checks, the BBC has found.

Finasteride side effects can include suicidal thoughts and impotence, but some big brand companies will send the pills in the post without ever seeing or chatting with the customer.

Kyle, 26, from Wakefield, regrets buying the pills online after filling out a ‘tickbox’ form.

He says his life was turned upside down by a too-savvy decision.

Kyle started taking finasteride last spring.

He says he did a little research beforehand, but it was easy to buy it online.

“I just typed it into Google and it came up with all these online pharmacies,” Kyle says.

“It’s everywhere. It’s very easy to access.”

My prescription medication arrived at my door within a week of ordering.

“I didn’t consult with the doctors. There were no Zoom meetings. I didn’t have to send them pictures or anything like that.

“I started it, and yeah – it was the biggest mistake of my life.”

Since taking the drug, Kyle says he’s had problems with his sexual, mental and physical health – problems he’s never had before and that he’s had problems since coming off the drug. It has lasted since.

“Life just feels gray. It’s like I’ve castrated my emotions,” Kyle says.

“It stripped everything from me – all my personality and everything. I stopped going out with my mates, I stopped playing soccer, I started having all these problems.”

Finasteride is one of the most popular pills for hair loss taken by tens of thousands of men in the UK. Available only by private prescription.

It works by stopping testosterone from turning into another hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which can stop hair growth.

Kyle took it for about six weeks, but stopped after experiencing problems, including thoughts of suicide.

In late April 2024 – just weeks after Kyle received his prescription – UK regulators took urgent action against finasteride. Packs must include a special safety alert card Warning of small risk of serious side effects including suicidal thoughts and sexual dysfunction.

After being contacted by other men like Kyle Your voice, your BBC Newswe asked a male colleague to buy finasteride from three major online providers to see what his current check was about.

Online prescriber “Hims” mentioned side effects.

SuperDrug also provided an option to chat with a doctor.

Only Boots Pharmacy asked for photos of hair removal.

When several packs arrived, none contained the new patient alert cards that drug manufacturers were asked to add.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says manufacturers have up to a year to comply, but it could take longer.

Boots, HIMS and SuperDrug are asking online Finasteride customers to confirm that they have read and understood the possible risks.

They say that until alert cards are “rolled out” into packs, users will be able to read the lengthy patient information leaf already included with the drug to learn about side effects.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says online prescribing can be very helpful for many patients. However, the checks must be robust.

James Davies, England RPS director, told BBC News:

“This means a complete medical history will be taken and you will have the opportunity to understand the medications, side effects, risks, and benefits that will be prescribed.”

He says it can be helpful to share photos of your hair removal with your prescriber and have a video call to discuss any issues.

British Hair Removal Society (Bahrs) We don’t believe patients should receive their medication just by filling out an online form.

Greg Williams, a hair transplant surgeon and vice president of Bahrs, says Finasteride is a good treatment for many people, but explains the small chance of serious side effects and must be closely monitored.

“There will be patients who have risk factors that could make finasteride a dangerous prescription. I’m not saying it can’t be prescribed, but patients need to be properly counseled.”

European drug regulator conducts independent safety review of finasteride Can contain prohibitions.

Almost a year after he first ordered the drug, Kyle says he deeply regrets taking finasteride.

“It’s just a little bit of medicine. You take it and don’t really think about what it can do to you,” he says.

“Every day I beat myself up by saying, ‘You had a perfect life, you didn’t have to risk anything with your hair.’

“It was a waste of me… But when you get anxious, you do stupid things.

“If I had known what it could do, I never would have taken it.”