Proscar is a pharmaceutical drug initially developed for the prevention of enlarged prostate. The active ingredient, finasteride, works by preventing the conversion of androgen testosterone to DHT, a hormone critical to male sexual performance.

During the testing phase, Merck, the manufacturer of Proscar, discovered that finasteride actually promoted hair growth in men and reversed bald pattern hair loss. Merck relabeled Proscar as Propecia and marketed the drug for hair growth.

Major Side Effects of Propecia and Proscar

After Propecia had been on the market for a while, some medical studies came out which showed that Propecia and Proscar caused permanent erectile dysfunction. Additionally, further studies show they also caused high grade prostate cancer, and in some rare cases, breast cancer in men.

Merck states in their drug information that Propecia and Proscar side effects will go away upon discontinuing the use of the drug. However, more and more men are reporting that their symptoms do not abate.

Below is a list of severe Propecia/Proscar side effects:

• Erectile dysfunction or impotence
• Gynecomastia (male breast growth)
• Male breast cancer
• Loss of libido
• Elevated risk of high-grade prostate cancer
• Body disfigurement (genital shrinkage, muscle atrophy, female-pattern weight gain, breast tissue growth)
• Endocrine system crash (dramatic drop in hormone levels)
• Emotional trauma or psychological damage