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Sam's story: not warned about finasteride

Sam started finasteride for hair loss. He says he was never warned about what could follow.

By Morten SkovPublished

Do not stop or change a medicine because of anything on this page.

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Told the risks were small

Sam was married, healthy and optimistic about the future when he started finasteride, a drug commonly prescribed for hair loss.

He describes genital shrinkage, numbness, severe sexual dysfunction, and the psychological toll that came with them.

What the doctors said

He says he was never warned, and that doctors played down the risks.

He says one doctor told him other patients had described similar problems, but had nothing to offer him.

Thank you to Sam for telling this story. This interview was recorded by Moral Medicine, who have filmed more than ninety of these conversations.

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