Finasteride and muscle loss: can it last?

Worried about losing muscle on finasteride, or after it? What leaflets in Canada and the UK say, what patients report, and what a GP can check.

Lost strength since you started finasteride? Muscle weakness is a listed side effect in Canada, though the UK leaflet doesn’t mention it. People with post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) describe losing muscle too, and for some it has lasted years after stopping.

Watching strength you worked for slip away is frightening, especially when nobody can tell you why. Losing muscle can have other causes a GP can check, so it’s worth seeing one. Bring the dates you were on finasteride.

Chris was a professional boxer in the UK when he started finasteride in February 2004. He says he could spar men several weight classes above him. Watch this clip for what losing strength meant to someone whose job depended on it.

An extract from Chris's interview with Moral Medicine, August 2024. It plays from 1:40 to 4:23, under three minutes, in English. The views are his own.

“I was just so weak,” he says. His strength “completely went”, and he couldn’t take a punch from men his own weight. That was while he was still on finasteride.

Whether muscle loss can last after stopping is a harder question.

Is muscle loss a side effect of finasteride?

In Canada it’s an official one. After reviewing reports in 2017, Health Canada said the risk of serious muscle problems “could not be ruled out” and recommended the makers warn about it. Canada’s Propecia leaflet now lists “muscle injury, muscle pain, muscle weakness”.

A Propecia 1 mg finasteride carton with a foil blister strip marked with the days of the week, and one small tablet in front — Propecia is finasteride 1 mg, the hair-loss dose. This is a Canadian pack, photographed in 2010. Photo: Kristoferb, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The UK leaflet doesn’t mention muscles, and neither does the NHS page on finasteride’s side effects.

The UK regulator has had reports, though. Its 2024 review of finasteride counted 28 reports of muscle wasting or weakness with the 1 mg hair-loss dose, sent through its Yellow Card scheme. A survey by the PFS Network, a patient group, also listed muscle weakness, cramps and twitching. The regulator says reports like these can’t give firm answers.

The story in 3 lines

After a 2017 review, Canada's finasteride leaflet lists muscle weakness. The UK leaflet doesn't.
In a 2016 Italian study of young men with lasting problems after finasteride, about half reported losing muscle tone or mass.
The one study that measured muscle found no difference, but it saw each man once, years after he stopped.

Press: contact@sidefxhub.com

PFS is the name for problems that carry on after stopping finasteride, and it’s more than a sexual problem. A checklist for recognising it, proposed by doctors and researchers in 2022, also lists problems with concentration and memory, depression and suicidal thoughts, which can happen with no sexual symptoms at all. If you’re struggling, the Samaritans are on 116 123 in the UK.

Can muscle loss last after stopping finasteride?

Some people with PFS say theirs has, though muscle loss isn’t on the 2022 checklist. In a 2016 Italian study, young men with lasting problems after finasteride filled in a questionnaire. About half said they had lost muscle tone or mass. On average, they’d stopped years before.

The men were found through a hospital clinic and a website for people with these problems, so the study can’t say how common this is.

Matt took finasteride for three years. Five years after his symptoms began, he says: “The muscles in my back have completely atrophied.” Atrophied means wasted away.

It doesn’t last for everyone. In most of the Canadian cases that Health Canada looked at closely, the muscle problems went away after stopping. Michael, who took finasteride and later dutasteride, a similar medicine, got “weaker in the gym”. That eased about a month after he stopped, he says, though other problems stayed. He describes it in this short clip.

An extract from Michael's interview with Moral Medicine, May 2024. It plays from 13:53 to 14:22, about half a minute, in English. The views are his own.

For some people it has lasted years after stopping. Nobody knows yet who will be affected, or whether it will ease.

Has anyone measured muscle loss after finasteride?

One small US study did, and it found no difference. In 2016, researchers in Boston scanned men with lasting sexual problems after finasteride, most of them years after stopping. Their muscle mass and leg strength were much the same as in two other groups: men who’d taken finasteride with no problems, and men who’d never taken it.

The men with lasting problems did say everyday physical tasks were a little harder for them.

But the men were picked for their sexual problems, and each was measured only once. So it can’t show what anyone had lost since before finasteride.

We found no study that measured muscle before and after finasteride in people with PFS, or that counted how often finasteride users lose muscle (searched October 2026).

A scan compares you with other men. You’re comparing yourself with who you were. That’s why your own record matters.

What can I do?

These medicines help many people. What to do about side effects is a decision for you and your prescriber. The UK leaflet says to stop taking it and talk to your doctor if you notice mood changes such as depression.

The leaflet also asks you to note “what happened, when it started and how long it lasted”. For muscle, numbers help: “Finasteride 1 mg from March 2024, last tablet August 2024. Lost 6 kg since September without dieting. Leg press down from 120 kg to 70 kg.” Old training logs and dated photos count too.

The NHS says to see a GP if you keep losing weight without trying. Possible causes include depression, an overactive thyroid and digestive problems. Our page on PFS blood tests explains what a GP might check.

Three questions for your GP

What else could explain losing muscle like this, and how do we check?
Could a blood test for muscle damage, called CK, help?
Can my finasteride dates go on my record, and can we report this to the Yellow Card scheme?

You could start with: “I've lost muscle and strength since taking finasteride, and it hasn't come back since I stopped. Canada's leaflet lists muscle weakness. I'd like it checked and on my record.”

You can report it without a doctor agreeing.

Report it: it helps everyone

A doctor’s note helps you. A report to the medicines regulator helps everyone else: it is how patterns get noticed.

No proof needed. A suspicion is enough, even years after stopping.
Where: the Yellow Card scheme in the UK, MedWatch in the US.
Use the right words. If symptoms continued after stopping, write Post 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor syndrome (MedDRA 10082430).

Our reporting guide walks you through it

What else do people ask?

Is it low testosterone? On average, finasteride doesn’t lower it. The US information for doctors says testosterone rose slightly and stayed in the normal range. What finasteride lowers is DHT, a hormone the body makes from testosterone. More on finasteride and testosterone.

What about muscle pain, cramps or twitching? Canada’s leaflet lists muscle pain and a raised result on the CK blood test. A 2018 study looked at older men in Ontario, Canada. Muscle disorders, such as muscle inflammation, were recorded more often in men who’d started finasteride or dutasteride than in similar men who hadn’t. On our page about what PFS feels like, Sam describes his twitching muscles.

Is finasteride still in my body? Not for long. Half of each dose leaves your blood in five to six hours, says the UK information for doctors. Months later, the tablets themselves are long gone. More on how long finasteride stays in your system.

Chris lost the strength his boxing was built on. If yours went with finasteride and hasn’t come back since you stopped, report it as a possible sign of PFS.

Sources

Propecia 1 mg film-coated tablets, patient leaflet, electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC 2194), last updated on EMC 8 July 2026. Section 2 and section 4, mood changes and depression (“Stop taking Propecia and talk to your doctor”). Section 4: “It will help if you make a note of what happened, when it started and how long it lasted”; “persistent difficulty having an erection after discontinuation of treatment”. Muscles, weakness and wasting are not mentioned.
Propecia 1 mg, summary of product characteristics, EMC, last updated on EMC 14 July 2026. Section 5.2: “Mean terminal half-life is approximately 5-6 hours in men 18-60 years of age”. No muscle-related side effects listed.
Health Canada, Summary Safety Review: Finasteride, assessing the potential risk of serious muscle-related side effects, 22 June 2017. 11 Canadian reports and 508 in the World Health Organization database, mostly atrophy, weakness, muscle pain and spasms; three of four assessed Canadian cases recovered after stopping; the risk “could not be ruled out”; Health Canada recommended that the makers update the product information.
Organon Canada, Propecia (finasteride) Patient Medication Information, last revised 24 November 2023. Side effects include “muscle injury, muscle pain, muscle weakness, abnormal test results (CK elevation)”. The Canadian product monograph (revised 24 November 2023), section 8.5, post-market reports: “Rare cases of the following have been reported: rhabdomyolysis, myopathy, myalgia, myasthenia, and CK elevation. In some cases, these events were found to be reversible with discontinuation of finasteride therapy.”
NHS, Side effects of finasteride, page last reviewed 2 August 2023. Does not mention muscles.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Safety review of finasteride: public assessment report, April 2024. Section 5.2, Yellow Card data to 5 January 2023: “For muscle atrophy/asthenia there were 28 reports relating to the 1 mg dose but only 2 reports for the 5 mg dose”; “it is not possible to draw any firm conclusions” from spontaneous reports. Section 5.4, PFS Network survey (427 submissions): physical symptoms “not included in the product information”, “for example, muscle cramps/twitching, thin skin, fatigue, and muscle weakness”.
Healy D, Bahrick A, Bak M and colleagues. Diagnostic criteria for enduring sexual dysfunction after treatment with antidepressants, finasteride and isotretinoin. Int J Risk Saf Med 2022;33(1):65-76. Proposed criteria. Section 5: “cognitive impairment”, “depression”, “suicidality” can occur “independently of any sexual difficulties”. Full text searched 28 October 2026: no mention of muscle, weakness or strength.
Chiriacò G, Cauci S, Mazzon G, Trombetta C. An observational retrospective evaluation of 79 young men with long-term adverse effects after use of finasteride against androgenetic alopecia. Andrology 2016;4(2):245-50. Abstract only. Recruited at the Urology Unit of Trieste University Hospital and from a dedicated website; mean time since stopping 44.1 months; questionnaire; “loss of muscle tone/mass (51.9%)”.
Basaria S, Jasuja R, Huang G and colleagues. Characteristics of men who report persistent sexual symptoms after finasteride use for hair loss. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2016;101(12):4669-80. Boston, USA; 25 men with persistent sexual symptoms, 13 finasteride users without symptoms, 18 men who had never used it; median 3.5 years since the last dose; lean mass by DXA scan and one-repetition leg press. “Symptomatic finasteride users were similar in body composition, strength” to the other groups; self-reported physical function (PF10) “significantly lower” in the symptomatic group, “although the absolute difference was small”. One visit per man.
Propecia (finasteride), US prescribing information, DailyMed, revised August 2022. Section 12.2: testosterone “increased by approximately 15%” and remained “within the physiologic range”.
Welk B, McArthur E, Ordon M and colleagues. Risk of rhabdomyolysis from 5-α reductase inhibitors. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2018;27(3):351-5. Abstract only. Men aged 66 and over in Ontario, Canada; 93,197 men starting finasteride or dutasteride, matched with the same number of non-users; myositis and myopathy “significantly higher among 5ARI users”, a risk “not present prior to 5ARI usage”; no clear link with rhabdomyolysis.
NHS, Unintentional weight loss, page last reviewed 28 July 2025.
Moral Medicine, Professional Boxer’s Career Destroyed by Finasteride, interview with Chris, 24 August 2024. Before finasteride he could spar “12 stone, 13 stone men” at 1:51; started in February 2004 at 2:26; “I was just so weak” at 3:44; strength “completely went” at 3:52; “I can’t take a punch off a nine stone” at 4:19. Quoted from YouTube’s automatic captions. His story on our site: Chris’s story.
Moral Medicine, This year I’m turning 30 years old, and I haven’t felt an orgasm since I was 24, Matt, 6 April 2026. “What I’m describing happened in 2021. Fast forward to today, 5 years later” at 9:12; “the muscles in my back have completely atrophied” at 9:30. Quoted from YouTube’s automatic captions. His story on our site: Matt’s story.
Moral Medicine, Man Continues Dealing with Sexual Side Effects even after Stopping Dutasteride, interview with Michael, 31 May 2024. Took finasteride, then dutasteride (1:02); “weaker in the gym”, “that subsided maybe about a month after quitting dutasteride” at 14:07 to 14:12; “minor erectile dysfunction” at 13:26. Embedded here as an extract from 13:53 to 14:22 (the interviewer asks about muscle loss; he answers). Quoted from YouTube’s automatic captions.

Sources checked on 28 October 2026. AI-assisted writing and review, not clinical review.

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Finasteride: what the official texts say, country by country

For the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride (Propecia), the product information we read in the United Kingdom, in the United States, in Canada, in Australia, in New Zealand, in Germany, in France, in Italy, in Spain, in Brazil and in India, in some places that of another product, lists sexual dysfunction that continued after treatment was stopped. In each of those texts it stands among side effects reported once the medicine was in general use. Several add that these reports come from a group of unknown size, so how often this happens, and whether finasteride is the cause, cannot always be established. Patients call lasting effects after finasteride post-finasteride syndrome (PFS). The wording a European Commission decision set for the EU in 2025 is about mood and thoughts of suicide, and has no sentence about sexual side effects continuing after the medicine is stopped.

This is a record of what each text says and of the date it prints. A text is quoted in its own words, or summarised where the row says so. It is not a comparison of countries. All medicines and countries

Finasteride: the official texts, country by country (85 texts read)

Finasteride: what each text says about sexual side effects, and about side effects that continue after stopping.
Country or region	What the text says	Document	Dates
United Kingdom	Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Psychiatric disorders: · Uncommon:Decreased libido. Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Reproductive system and breast disorders: · Uncommon:Erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder (including decreased volume of ejaculate). Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 Undesirable effectsIn addition, the following have been reported in post-marketing use: persistence of sexual dysfunction (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorder) after discontinuation of treatment with 'Propecia'; male breast cancer (see 4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use). The same text also says4.8 Undesirable effectsThe frequency of adverse reactions reported during post-marketing use cannot be determined as they are derived from spontaneous reports. Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effectsIn these studies, the following drug-related adverse experiences were reported in ≥1% of men treated with 'Propecia': decreased libido ('Propecia', 1.8% vs. placebo, 1.3%) and erectile dysfunction (1.3%, 0.7%). In addition, decreased volume of ejaculate was reported in 0.8% of men treated with 'Propecia' and 0.4% of men treated with placebo. Resolution of these side effects occurred in men who discontinued therapy with 'Propecia' and in many who continued therapy. The effect of 'Propecia' on ejaculate volume was measured in a separate study and was not different from that seen with placebo. Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effectsDrug-related sexual undesirable effects were more common in the finasteride 1 mg-treated men than the placebo-treated men, with frequencies during the first 12 months of 3.8% vs 2.1%, respectively. The incidence of these effects decreased to 0.6% in finasteride 1 mg-treated men over the following four years. Approximately 1% of men in each treatment group discontinued due to drug-related sexual adverse experiences in the first 12 months, and the incidence declined thereafter. This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.	Text for professionals Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC): Propecia 1 mg Film-Coated TabletsPropecia 1 mg film-coated tablets, Organon Pharma (UK) Limited · Read in a compendium of product information: emcAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 5 related documents, with such a sentence; 5 related documents, with no such sentence	Text revised29 Jun 2026Checked14 Oct 2026
European Union	This text has no sentence about sexual side effects continuing after the medicine is stopped. This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text. This is wording for national product texts. There is no single EU product text for this medicine.	Document from the regulator Finasteride- and dutasteride-containing medicinal products, Article 31 referral: Annex III Amendments to relevant sections of the Product InformationRead on the regulator's site: European Medicines AgencyAlso on record: 2 more related documents, with no such sentence	The text prints no dateChecked14 Oct 2026
United States	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping6 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 6.2 Postmarketing ExperienceReproductive System: sexual dysfunction that continued after discontinuation of treatment, including erectile dysfunction, libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders; male infertility and/or poor seminal quality (normalization or improvement of seminal quality has been reported after discontinuation of finasteride); testicular pain; hematospermia. The same text also says6 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 6.2 Postmarketing ExperienceThe following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of PROPECIA. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure: This sentence stands in the list of adverse reactions. The warnings section of this text has no entry on sexual function. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record. This text names sexual side effects in several places that this row does not show. Together those passages are too long to reproduce here. The document link in this row opens the text. That they are not shown says nothing about how common these side effects are. On 14 October 2026 we searched the labels in openFDA, the FDA's open database. A sentence that sexual dysfunction continued after treatment was stopped stood on 151 of the 181 labels in that database that name finasteride, and on each of them among the adverse reactions, in no warnings section. Of the 30 without it, 10 are hair products with labels in the Drug Facts style, 5 are listings of compounded solutions for the skin, 2 have no text on adverse reactions, and 13 are older labels of 5 mg tablets with an earlier list of adverse reactions. A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.	Text for professionals PROPECIA® (finasteride) tablets for oral use: Full Prescribing InformationPropecia tablets 1 mg, Organon LLC · Read in the government's medicines database: DailyMedAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with such a sentence; 3 related documents, with no such sentence	Text revisedAug 2022Checked14 Oct 2026
Canada	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 8.5 Post-Market Adverse ReactionsPsychiatric disorders: mood alterations and depression, decreased libido that continued after discontinuation of treatment. Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 8.5 Post-Market Adverse ReactionsReproductive system and breast disorders: sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) that continued after discontinuation of treatment, breast tenderness and enlargement, male breast cancer, testicular pain, hematospermia, male infertility and/or poor seminal quality. The same text also says8 ADVERSE REACTIONS · 8.5 Post-Market Adverse ReactionsBecause these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate the frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. This sentence stands in the list of adverse reactions. The warnings section of this text has no entry on sexual function. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record. This text names sexual side effects in several places that this row does not show. Together those passages are too long to reproduce here. The document link in this row opens the text. That they are not shown says nothing about how common these side effects are. A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.	Text for professionals PRODUCT MONOGRAPH INCLUDING PATIENT MEDICATION INFORMATION: PrPROPECIA® finasteride tablets, Film-coated Tablets 1 mg, USPPropecia film-coated tablets 1 mg, Organon Canada Inc. · Read in the regulator's own database: Drug Product DatabaseAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with no such sentence	Text revised24 Nov 2023Checked14 Oct 2026
Australia	Sexual side effects that continue after stoppingSection 4.8 · Post-marketing experienceIn section 4.8, under post-marketing experience, Australia's product information for Propecia lists a lower sex drive, and sexual dysfunction (erection and ejaculation problems), each as having gone on after the treatment was stopped.Summarised, not quoted, because of the TGA's access terms. The same text also saysSection 4.8 · Post-marketing experienceThe text says these reports come from a group of unknown size, so how often this happens, and whether the medicine is the cause, cannot always be established.Summarised, not quoted, because of the TGA's access terms. The regulator's site asks readers to accept its terms before it shows this text. This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.	Text for professionals AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT INFORMATION PROPECIA (finasteride) TabletsPROPECIA, Organon Pharma Pty Ltd · Read in the regulator's own database: TGA eBSAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence	Text revised2 Sept 2026Checked14 Oct 2026
New Zealand	Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during clinical trialsIn these studies, the following medicine-related adverse experiences were reported in ≥ 1% of men treated with PROPECIA: • decreased libido (PROPECIA, 1.8% vs. placebo, 1.3%) • erectile dysfunction (1.3%, 0.7%). In addition, decreased volume of ejaculate was reported in 0.8% of men treated with PROPECIA and 0.4% of men treated with placebo. The same text also says4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during clinical trialsResolution of these adverse effects occurred in men who discontinued therapy with PROPECIA and in many who continued therapy. In a separate study, the effect of PROPECIA on ejaculate volume was measured and was not different from that seen with placebo. The incidence of each of the above adverse effects decreased to ≤ 0.3% by the fifth year of treatment with PROPECIA. Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during postmarketing experience · Psychiatric disorders:decreased libido that continued after discontinuation of treatment. Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during postmarketing experience · Reproductive system and breast disorders:sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) that continued after discontinuation of treatment The same text also says4.8 Undesirable effects · Adverse events identified during postmarketing experienceBecause these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate the frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. This sentence stands in the list of adverse reactions. The warnings section of this text has no entry on sexual function. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.	Text for professionals New Zealand Data Sheet, PROPECIAPropecia 1 mg film coated tablet, Organon (New Zealand) Limited · Read in the regulator's own database: MedsafeAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; patients' leaflet, with such a sentence; related document, with such a sentence	Text revised11 Dec 2023Checked14 Oct 2026
Germany	Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Nebenwirkungen · Psychiatrische Erkrankungen: · Gelegentlichverminderte LibidoOriginal text: German. Our translation:decreased libido Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Nebenwirkungen · Erkrankungen der Geschlechtsorgane und der Brustdrüse: · Gelegentlicherektile Dysfunktion, Ejakulationsstörung (einschl. vermindertes Ejakulatvolumen)Original text: German. Our translation:erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder (including decreased volume of ejaculate) Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 NebenwirkungenNach Markteinführung wurde zusätzlich über Folgendes berichtet: Persistenz von sexueller Dysfunktion (verminderte Libido, erektile Dysfunktion und Ejakulationsstörungen) nach dem Absetzen von Finasterid; Brustkrebs beim Mann (siehe Abschnitt 4.4 Besondere Warnhinweise und Vorsichtsmaßnahmen für die Anwendung).Original text: German. Our translation:In addition, the following has been reported after marketing: persistence of sexual dysfunction (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) after finasteride has been stopped; breast cancer in men (see section 4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use). The same text also says4.8 NebenwirkungenDie Häufigkeit der nach Markteinführung berichteten unerwünschten Ereignisse kann nicht bestimmt werden, da es sich um Spontanberichte handelt.Original text: German. Our translation:The frequency of the adverse events reported after marketing cannot be determined, as they come from spontaneous reports. Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 NebenwirkungenMit einer Häufigkeit von 3,8 % bzw. 2,1 % während der ersten 12 Monate waren sexuelle Nebenwirkungen bei den mit Finasterid behandelten Männern häufiger als bei den mit Placebo behandelten Männern. Die Häufigkeit dieser Nebenwirkungen sank bei den mit Finasterid behandelten Männern auf 0,6 % im Laufe der folgenden 4 Jahre. Ca. 1 % der Männer in jeder Behandlungsgruppe beendete die Behandlung aufgrund sexueller Nebenwirkungen während der ersten 12 Monate, danach nahm die Häufigkeit ab.Original text: German. Our translation:With frequencies of 3.8% and 2.1% respectively during the first 12 months, sexual side effects were more common in men treated with finasteride than in men treated with placebo. The frequency of these side effects fell to 0.6% in men treated with finasteride over the following 4 years. About 1% of the men in each treatment group stopped treatment because of sexual side effects during the first 12 months; after that, the frequency decreased. This is the holder's own copy. The regulator's database asks visitors to accept its terms first, which we did not do. This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.	Text for professionals Fachinformation (Zusammenfassung der Merkmale des Arzneimittels)Propecia® 1 mg Filmtabletten, Organon Healthcare GmbH · Read on the holder's own site: Organon Healthcare GmbHAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; patients' leaflet, with no such sentence; 2 related documents, with such a sentence; related document, with no such sentence	Text revisedSept 2025Checked14 Oct 2026
France	Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Effets indésirables · Affections psychiatriques · Peu fréquentbaisse de la libidoOriginal text: French. Our translation:decreased libido Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Effets indésirables · Affections des organes de reproduction et du sein · Peu fréquenttroubles de l'érection, troubles de l'éjaculation (y compris diminution du volume de l'éjaculat)Original text: French. Our translation:erection disorders, ejaculation disorders (including decreased volume of ejaculate) Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8. Effets indésirablesDe plus, depuis la mise sur le marché, les effets indésirables suivants ont été rapportés : persistance des troubles de la fonction sexuelle (baisse de la libido, troubles de l'érection et de l'éjaculation) après l'arrêt du traitement par finastéride ; cancer du sein chez l'homme (voir rubrique 4.4 « Mises en garde spéciales et précautions d'emploi »).Original text: French. Our translation:In addition, since marketing, the following adverse effects have been reported: persistence of sexual function disorders (decreased libido, erection and ejaculation disorders) after treatment with finasteride has been stopped; breast cancer in men (see section 4.4 “Special warnings and precautions for use”). The same text also says4.8. Effets indésirablesLa fréquence des effets indésirables rapportés depuis la commercialisation ne peut être déterminée dans la mesure où elle découle de cas de pharmacovigilance spontanés.Original text: French. Our translation:The frequency of the adverse effects reported since marketing cannot be determined, as it derives from spontaneous pharmacovigilance cases. Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Effets indésirablesLes effets indésirables sexuels ont été plus fréquents chez les hommes traités par le finastéride que chez les hommes recevant le placebo, avec des fréquences respectives de 3,8 % vs 2,1 % pendant les 12 premiers mois. L'incidence de ces effets a diminué à 0,6 % chez les hommes traités par le finastéride au cours des quatre années suivantes. Environ 1 % des hommes (dans chaque groupe) ont arrêté le traitement au cours des 12 premiers mois en raison d'effets indésirables sexuels liés au traitement. Cette incidence a diminué par la suite.Original text: French. Our translation:Sexual adverse effects were more frequent in men treated with finasteride than in men receiving placebo, with frequencies of 3.8% and 2.1% respectively during the first 12 months. The incidence of these effects fell to 0.6% in men treated with finasteride over the following four years. About 1% of men (in each group) stopped treatment during the first 12 months because of treatment-related sexual adverse effects. This incidence decreased thereafter. The text itself prints no date of revision. An official list of medicines we read shows the originator product as cancelled, revoked or archived. This is the text of another product, the one named in this row. This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.	Text for professionals Résumé des Caractéristiques du ProduitFINASTERIDE ARROW LAB 1 mg, comprimé pelliculé, ARROW GENERIQUES · Read in the government's medicines database: Base de données publique des médicamentsAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; patients' leaflet, with no such sentence; 9 related documents, with such a sentence; 3 related documents, with no such sentence	Updated by the regulator5 Jan 2026Checked14 Oct 2026
Italy	Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Effetti indesiderati · Disturbi psichiatrici: · Non comuneDiminuzione della libidoOriginal text: Italian. Our translation:Decreased libido Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Effetti indesiderati · Patologie dell’apparato riproduttivo e della mammella: · Non comuneDisfunzione erettile, disordini dell’eiaculazione (incluso diminuzione del volume dell’eiaculato)Original text: Italian. Our translation:Erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorders (including decreased volume of ejaculate) The same text also says4.8 Effetti indesideratiIncidenze presentate quali differenze dal placebo negli studi clinici al 12° mese.Original text: Italian. Our translation:Incidences given as differences from placebo in clinical studies at month 12. Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8 Effetti indesideratiInoltre, durante l’uso post-marketing sono stati riportati: disfunzione sessuale persistente (riduzione della libido, disfunzione erettile e disturbi dell’eiaculazione) dopo l’interruzione del trattamento con finasterideOriginal text: Italian. Our translation:In addition, during post-marketing use the following has been reported: persistent sexual dysfunction (reduced libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) after treatment with finasteride was stopped Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Effetti indesideratiEffetti indesiderati correlati al medicinale inerenti la sfera sessuale sono stati più comuni fra gli uomini trattati con finasteride che fra quelli trattati con placebo con frequenze durante i primi 12 mesi di 3,8 % vs 2,1 %, rispettivamente. L’incidenza di tali effetti è diminuita allo 0,6 % negli uomini trattati con finasteride nel corso dei successivi quattro anni. Circa l’1 % degli uomini in ciascun gruppo di trattamento ha interrotto la terapia a seguito di esperienze avverse della sfera sessuale correlate con il medicinale verificatesi nei primi 12 mesi e l’incidenza è in seguito diminuita.Original text: Italian. Our translation:Drug-related adverse effects affecting the sexual sphere were more common among men treated with finasteride than among those treated with placebo, with frequencies during the first 12 months of 3.8% vs 2.1% respectively. The incidence of these effects fell to 0.6% in men treated with finasteride over the following four years. About 1% of men in each treatment group stopped therapy because of drug-related sexual adverse experiences in the first 12 months, and the incidence decreased thereafter. The text itself prints no date of revision. This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.	Text for professionals Riassunto delle caratteristiche del prodottoPropecia 1 mg compresse rivestite con film, Organon Italia S.r.l. · Read in the regulator's own database: Banca Dati FarmaciAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with no such sentence	Made available by the regulator25 Feb 2026Checked14 Oct 2026
Spain	Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Reacciones adversas · Trastornos psiquiátricos: · Poco frecuentesDisminución de la libidoOriginal text: Spanish. Our translation:Decreased libido Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Reacciones adversas · Trastornos del aparato reproductor y de la mama: · Poco frecuentesDisfunción eréctil, trastorno de la eyaculación (incluida disminución del volumen de eyaculación)Original text: Spanish. Our translation:Erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder (including decreased volume of ejaculate) The same text also says4.8 Reacciones adversasLas incidencias se presentan en forma de diferencia respecto al placebo en estudios clínicos a los 12 meses.Original text: Spanish. Our translation:Incidences are given as the difference from placebo in clinical studies at 12 months. Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.8. Reacciones adversasAdemás, durante su uso después de la comercialización se ha notificado: persistencia de la disfunción sexual (disminución de la libido, disfunción eréctil y trastornos de la eyaculación) después de la interrupción del tratamiento con finasteridaOriginal text: Spanish. Our translation:In addition, during use after marketing the following has been reported: persistence of sexual dysfunction (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) after treatment with finasteride was stopped Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Reacciones adversasLas reacciones adversas sexuales relacionadas con el medicamento fueron más frecuentes en los varones tratados con finasterida que en los que recibían un placebo, con frecuencias durante los 12 primeros meses del 3,8 y el 2,1% respectivamente. La incidencia de estos efectos disminuyó al 0,6% en varones tratados con finasterida durante los cuatro años siguientes. Aproximadamente el 1% de los varones en cada grupo de tratamiento interrumpió el tratamiento debido a reacciones adversas sexuales relacionadas con el medicamento en los primeros 12 meses, y después la incidencia disminuyó.Original text: Spanish. Our translation:Drug-related sexual adverse reactions were more frequent in men treated with finasteride than in those receiving placebo, with frequencies during the first 12 months of 3.8% and 2.1% respectively. The incidence of these effects fell to 0.6% in men treated with finasteride over the following four years. About 1% of the men in each treatment group stopped treatment because of drug-related sexual adverse reactions in the first 12 months, and the incidence decreased afterwards. This text also has a warning about changes in mood that names sexual dysfunction as something that may contribute to them. That warning says nothing about sexual side effects continuing after stopping. It is not reproduced here, because this record shows the sexual side effects a text lists and whether it says they continue after stopping. The document link in this row opens the text. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.	Text for professionals Ficha técnicaPropecia 1 mg comprimidos recubiertos con película, Organon Salud, S.L. · Read in the regulator's own database: CIMAAlso on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence; 2 patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; patients' leaflet, with no such sentence; related document, with no such sentence	Text revisedNov 2025Checked14 Oct 2026
Brazil	Sexual side effects, as listed8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Reação comum (ocorre entre 1% e 10% dos pacientes que utilizam este medicamento):pode sentir menos desejo de manter relações sexuais e/ou dificuldade na obtenção de uma ereção.Original text: Portuguese. Our translation:you may feel less desire to have sexual relations and/or have difficulty getting an erection. Sexual side effects, as listed8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Reação incomum (ocorre entre 0,1% e 1% dos pacientes que utilizam este medicamento):pode ter uma redução na quantidade de sêmen liberada durante a relação sexual (isto não parece interferir na função sexual normal).Original text: Portuguese. Our translation:you may have a reduction in the amount of semen released during sexual intercourse (this does not appear to interfere with normal sexual function). The same text also says8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR?Nos estudos clínicos, estes efeitos adversos desapareceram em homens que pararam de tomar finasterida e em muitos homens que continuaram o tratamento.Original text: Portuguese. Our translation:In clinical studies, these adverse effects disappeared in men who stopped taking finasteride and in many men who continued treatment. Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Frequência desconhecida: durante a comercialização do medicamento, as seguintes reações foram relatadas voluntariamente, não sendo possível estimar o tamanho da população exposta:problemas de ejaculação que continuou após a descontinuação do tratamentoOriginal text: Portuguese. Our translation:problems with ejaculation that continued after treatment was discontinued Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Frequência desconhecida: durante a comercialização do medicamento, as seguintes reações foram relatadas voluntariamente, não sendo possível estimar o tamanho da população exposta:diminuição do desejo sexual que continuou após a descontinuação do tratamentoOriginal text: Portuguese. Our translation:decreased sexual desire that continued after treatment was discontinued Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8. QUAIS OS MALES QUE ESTE MEDICAMENTO PODE ME CAUSAR? · Frequência desconhecida: durante a comercialização do medicamento, as seguintes reações foram relatadas voluntariamente, não sendo possível estimar o tamanho da população exposta:dificuldade de ter ereção que continuou após a descontinuação do tratamentoOriginal text: Portuguese. Our translation:difficulty having an erection that continued after treatment was discontinued This is the holder's own copy. The regulator's database refused our requests (it blocks by country; we asked from Denmark). An official list of medicines we read shows the originator product as cancelled, revoked or archived. This is the text of another product, the one named in this row. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record.	Patient leaflet finasterida, EMS S/A, comprimido revestido 1 mg: bula para o pacienteFinasterida 1 mg comprimido revestido, EMS S/A · Read on the holder's own site: Sara – Plataforma Oficial de Bulas Digitais de Medicamentos do Grupo EMSAlso on record: 2 texts for professionals, could not be opened; 3 more patients' leaflets, with such a sentence; 2 more patients' leaflets, could not be opened	Text approved13 Feb 2025Checked14 Oct 2026
India	Sexual side effects that continue after stoppingUndesirable Effects · Postmarketing Experience · Reproductive System:Sexual dysfunction that continued after discontinuation of treatment, including erectile dysfunction, libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders; male infertility and/or poor seminal quality (normalization or improvement of seminal quality has been reported after discontinuation of finasteride); testicular pain. The same text also saysUndesirable Effects · Postmarketing ExperienceThe following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of finasteride. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure: This is the holder's own copy. This regulator publishes no database of such texts. This sentence stands in the list of adverse reactions. The warnings section of this text has no entry on sexual function. Texts for other products in this country do not all say the same. The ones we read are on the full record. This text names sexual side effects in several places that this row does not show. Together those passages are too long to reproduce here. The document link in this row opens the text. That they are not shown says nothing about how common these side effects are. A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.	Text for professionals FINPECIA TabletsFinpecia tablets (finasteride IP 1 mg, film-coated), Cipla Ltd. · Read on the holder's own site: Cipla (ciplamed.com)Also on record: 1 more text for professionals, with such a sentence	Text revisedOct 2018Checked14 Oct 2026

Brand names

These are the brand names of finasteride we saw in the official lists, compendia and regulators' pages we opened on or after 14 October 2026. A country may have more.

Propecia: United Kingdom, United States, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Spain
Proscar: United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain
Chibro-Proscar: France
Ricit: New Zealand
Prostide: Italy
Genaprost: Italy
Finastid: Italy
Asterid: Italy
Ridestin: Italy
Finestar: Italy
Fendazel: Italy
Stecur: Italy
Sitas: Italy
Finacapil: Italy
Ormicton: Italy
Carefinast: Italy
Finedor: Italy
Terip: Italy
Alocare: Spain
Litace: Spain
Maxpil: Spain
Excalv: Brazil
Finalop: Brazil
Finarid: Brazil
Finastil: Brazil
Prohair: Brazil

What is not known

How often PFS happens is unknown. The UK text for professionals says the frequency of the side effects reported after marketing, among them sexual dysfunction that persisted after treatment was stopped, “cannot be determined”, because they come from spontaneous reports. (source)

Code and reporting

In a report to a medicines regulator, the term is Post 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor syndrome (MedDRA code 10082430). Where to report, country by country

Every row in this table was checked on or after 14 October 2026. To quote this record, name SIDEfxHUB and give this page's address. All medicines and countries · The whole record as a file: JSON · CSV · How these texts are checked

You may reuse this record under CC BY 4.0 if you credit SIDEfxHUB and give this page's address. The licence covers our compilation, not the texts quoted in it, in the original or in our translation, and not the article above.

Finasteride and muscle loss: can it last?

Is muscle loss a side effect of finasteride?

Can muscle loss last after stopping finasteride?

Has anyone measured muscle loss after finasteride?

What can I do?

Report it: it helps everyone

What else do people ask?

Sources

Lasting side effects after finasteride?
Make them count.

Read next

Prescription history UK: NHS App, GP or clinic

FAERS finasteride reports: what they show

Yellow Card data: look up a medicine's reports

Finasteride: what the official texts say, country by country

Brand names

What is not known

Code and reporting