Hair loss drug finasteride ‘biggest mistake of my life’

Some online sites are prescribing a hair loss drug to men that has potentially risky side effects without consistent safety checks, the BBC has found.

Side effects of Finasteride can include suicidal thoughts and impotence, yet some big brand companies will send the pills in the post with or without chatting with the customer.

Kyle, who is 26 and from Wakefield, regrets buying pills online after filling in a ‘tick-box’ form.

He says his life has been turned upside down by the decision too quickly.

Kyle started taking finasteride last spring after it was recommended to him by a teammate who was on it.

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

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

“It’s everywhere. It’s so easily accessible.”

The prescription pills arrived at her doorstep within a week of ordering them.

“I didn’t have any consultations with a doctor. No Zoom meetings. I didn’t have to send any pictures or anything like that to really confirm that I had male pattern baldness.

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

Since taking the drug, Kyle says he has been having problems with his sexual, mental and physical health – problems he had never experienced before and which have persisted since he stopped the drug.

“Life just seems grey,” says Kyle.

“It just took everything away from me – all my personality and everything. I stopped going out with my mates, stopped playing football and started having all these issues.”

Finasteride is one of the most common pills for hair loss, taken by thousands of men in the UK. It is available only by private prescription.

It works by converting testosterone into another hormone, called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which can stop hair from growing.

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

In late April 2024 – just weeks after Kyle received his prescription – UK regulators took immediate action on finasteride, saying The pack must contain a special safety alert card Warning of small risk of serious side effects including suicidal thoughts and sexual dysfunction.

After being approached by other men like Kyle Your voice, your BBC newsWe asked a male colleague to purchase finasteride from the three major online providers to see what the checks now include.

Online prescriber ‘Him’ mentioned side effects.

Superdrug also offers the option to chat with a doctor – this costs extra.

Only Boots Pharmacy asked for a photo of the hair loss.

When some packs arrived, none included the new patient alert card that drug manufacturers were asked to add.

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

Boots, HIMS and Superdrug say that online Finasteride customers are asked to confirm that they have read and understand the potential risks.

They say that until alert cards are “rolled out” and put in packs, users may still read the lengthy patient information leaflet already included with the medicine to learn about side effects.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says online prescribing can be very useful for many patients, especially if they are too embarrassed to visit a doctor. But the check must be strong.

James Davies, RPS director for England, told BBC News: “It’s really important that whether it’s online or face-to-face, these thorough checks are in place.

“This means that a full medical history is taken, there is an opportunity to understand the medication that may be prescribed, the side effects, risks and benefits.”

She said it may be helpful to share photos of the hair loss with the prescriber and have a video call to discuss all issues.

The British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery (BAHRS) Believes that patients should not get medication simply by filling out an online form,

Greg Williams, hair transplant surgeon and vice president of Bahars, says that although finasteride is a good treatment for many people, the small possibility of serious side effects should be explained and monitored closely.

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

Europe’s drug regulator is conducting its own safety review of finasteride. may involve a restriction,

Nearly a year since first ordering the drug, Kyle says he deeply regrets taking finasteride.

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

“Every day I beat myself up saying ‘You had a perfect life, you didn’t have to take some risks on your hair’.

“It was pointless to me… but you do stupid things when you’re insecure.

“If I had been made aware of what it could do I would never have taken it.”