Explaining PFS to family and friends
What to say if they call it just stress, how family and friends can help, and where to turn if those closest to you cannot.
Start with one plain sentence: post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) is a set of symptoms that can last after stopping finasteride. Then show them the warning on the UK pack, and ask for one specific kind of help.
The UK warning card for every finasteride pack says lower sex drive and erection problems have been reported, “which in some cases continued after treatment was stopped”. That one line is often the thing that makes a sceptical relative stop and listen.
So what exactly can you say, and what if they don’t believe you?
What’s the simplest way to explain PFS?
Keep it short and concrete. Name the medicine, say when you stopped, and describe what changed in your own words.
You could say: “I took finasteride for hair loss. Since stopping, my body and mood haven’t gone back to normal. It has a name, PFS, and the warning is on the pack.”
Then pick the two or three changes that affect your days most. “I can’t concentrate at work.” “I feel flat, even with people I love.” “Things that used to feel good feel numb.” Real words land better than medical terms.
PFS is more than sexual problems, and that is often what loved ones miss. The 2022 diagnostic criteria say finasteride can also bring cognitive problems, depression and suicidal thoughts, which can occur without any sexual difficulties.
You don’t have to share everything. Sexual symptoms are private, and it’s fine to say “there are physical changes too” and leave it there.
What if they say it’s “just stress”?
Most people have never heard of PFS, so they reach for the explanation they know. Stress and depression are familiar; a medicine whose effects last after stopping isn’t.
Marko took finasteride for three days. In his film he says his symptoms were “written off as purely psychological”. Watch the extract to hear how that felt. You could show it to someone who doubts you.
If a relative says “you’re just stressed”, you could answer: “Stress might be part of it, but these changes started with the medicine and haven’t gone away. I need you to take that seriously.”
If they still doubt you, show them the source instead of arguing. A government document carries more weight than your word alone, and it takes the pressure off you.
A friend might say, “I’ve never heard of PFS. Are you sure it’s not in your head?” You could reply: “I know it’s not well known, which makes it hard to understand. The warning is on the pack. Can I show you?”
Then send them the warning card, or our PFS page. Let them read it in their own time.
Some people won’t change their minds quickly. That isn’t your failure. Nobody has measured how often PFS happens, and many doctors haven’t heard of it either, so doubt is common at first.
How can family and friends help?
Ask for one specific thing. “Support me” is hard to act on; “come with me to the GP on Thursday” isn’t.
Three things you could ask for
- Listen for ten minutes without trying to fix it.
- Come with me to a GP appointment and help me remember what was said.
- Take over one task on bad days, such as shopping or a lift.
You could start with: “You don't need to understand all of it. This one thing would really help.”
If someone gets frustrated and asks why you can’t just get over it, you could say: “I wish it were that easy. I want to feel better as much as you want me to. It’s going to take time.” Our article on whether full recovery is possible may help them understand why.
Emotional talks can get heated. If that happens, stop and come back to it another day.
What if the people closest to me can’t support me?
Lean on people who can. Not everyone will understand, and that can hurt, but you don’t have to carry it alone.
Our WhatsApp peer support groups connect you with people who have been through the same thing. Many have had these conversations with their own families and can share what worked.
If low mood or dark thoughts are part of what you’re living with, tell someone today. In the UK, the Samaritans are free on 116 123, day or night. The finasteride warning card itself says the medicine can cause depression and, in some cases, thoughts of suicide.
These medicines help many people. Decisions about finasteride are for you and your prescriber; the 1 mg warning card says to stop and see a doctor if your mood changes.
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?
Should I tell my partner about sexual symptoms? That’s your choice. Some people find that silence can feel like rejection to a partner. Our article on relationships after a PFS crash covers this in more detail.
What if my family pushed me to take finasteride? They likely meant well, and blame tends to end the conversation. Focus on what you need now. If they feel guilty, give them something useful to do.
Can family members report it for me? Yes. In the UK, anyone can send a Yellow Card report, including a relative or carer. It helps if they include the medicine, the dates and the symptoms.
Most people don’t have the words at first, and you don’t need them all. Start with one sentence, one source and one request. Our PFS page has more when you need it.
Sources
- MHRA. Finasteride public assessment report and patient alert cards, GOV.UK. Both cards: “Decreased sex drive and erectile dysfunction have also been reported” “(which in some cases continued after treatment was stopped)”; “This medication can cause side effects including depression. In some cases, it may lead to having thoughts of suicide.” The 1 mg card says to stop taking finasteride and contact a doctor; the 5 mg card omits the instruction to stop.
- 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, “Additional finasteride effects”: “cognitive impairment”, “depression”, “suicidality”, which “can occur independently of any sexual difficulties”.
- Moral Medicine, I Took Finasteride for 3 Days. It Changed My Life for 5 Years., Marko’s film, 9 March 2026. “My physical symptoms were written off as purely psychological” at 2:28. Extract played: 0:58 to 1:48.
- GOV.UK. Report a problem with a medicine or medical device.
- Samaritans, Contact a Samaritan: 116 123, free, day or night, UK and Ireland.
- MedDRA lowest level term Post 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor syndrome, code 10082430.
Sources checked on 22 October 2026. AI-assisted writing and review, not clinical review.
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