Finasteride, a medicine that was first developed by Merck nearly three decades ago, has become the drug of choice for millions of men seeking to maintain their hair. In Canada, the annual number of new prescriptions for finasteride has risen by more than 50% in the past decade. Even as this drug’s popularity grows, there’s been a disquieting undercurrent. Finasteride can create serious side effects, but these are uncommon. In addition to the libido issues often cited in reports, users report having trouble with ejaculation, mood disorders, headache, and in some cases even erectile dysfunction.
The legality and safety of obtaining finasteride online has been recently challenged. Predatory online pharmacies are selling the drug without a prescription at all, which is illegal in Canada. These services prey on the fear of thousands of men who are embarrassed to discuss their special needs (physical appearance/hair loss) with a licensed, trained professional. Consequently, they frequently forgo preventative and even critical medical care.
The Surge in Finasteride Use
Finasteride’s proven effectiveness in hair loss treatment has made it the go to treatment for countless men affected by this condition. Pharmaceutical behemoth Merck first created finasteride to treat men’s baldness. By impacting the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, it effectively inhibits the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that causes hair loss. Despite its potential, as more and more people came to learn about its benefits, prescriptions of it have undergone an incredible boom.
In just the last decade, prescriptions for them in Canada alone have shot up by an astounding 50 per cent. Male hair loss has become a major source of concern and anxiety. Meanwhile, many of them are becoming more confident in finasteride as a proven effective long-term solution. Increased use increases the number of people who could be affected by serious side effects.
Navigating Side Effects and Health Risks
Although most users see all of the effects they want and have few complications, many others suffer extreme adverse reactions. These include sexual dysfunctions such as low libido and trouble with ejaculation, to changes in mood and chronic headaches. In some cases, the drug has caused permanent erectile dysfunction, leaving men with irreversible challenges that come with having lost their most intimate functionality.
These potential side-effects emphasize the need for consultation with a medical professional prior to initiating treatment with finasteride. A thorough health assessment can determine key risk factors that would put an individual at increased risk for these harmful impacts.
The Dark Side of Online Pharmacies
The emergence of online pharmacies has made getting medications such as finasteride easier than ever before. As nice and as precise as this new convenience of the new world is, there are some worries. Despite this, numerous online platforms provide finasteride without a prescription, in violation of Canadian regulations.
These virtual pharmacies take advantage of men who do not want to talk about sensitive health topics in person with their regular physician. They make dangerous and powerful drugs, such as finasteride, readily available without any medical supervision. This lets them bypass the usual safeguards that make sure these technologies are safe to use.
"S'il y a de quoi, revenez nous voir" – Jean-François Desgagné
This statement from the past highlights the importance of open dialogue with your healthcare providers while taking all medications, including finasteride. Frequent touchpoints allow side effect navigation and treatment plan modifications as needed before more serious issues arise.
The Role of International Pharmacies
International pharmacies have their part to play in this complicated, and sometimes dangerous landscape. Over half sell finasteride without even asking for a prescription, making it even harder to regulate its distribution in an effective manner. In these predatory sales practices young men are able to get the potent drug with relative ease. They ignore critical medical assessments that would identify risk factors.
For these companies’ business model depends on monetizing young men’s insecurities about hair loss. The allure is in being able to address these insecurities in secret by buying products online instead of asking questions to health professionals.
