What may be good for your head above may be disastrous for your head down there.
Propecia (Finasteride) is a drug that has been heavily promoted in the U.S. as a modality for a receding hairline. Merck, Propecia’s manufacturer, claims that nine of 10 men with mild to moderate male pattern hair loss on the top or middle front of their head will experience visible results.
But is your crowning glory worth the price of losing your sexual function?
Experts warn that Propecia, which isn’t adequately labeled, can cause serious side effects. Merck indicates possible side effects on the drug’s website, such as difficulty achieving an erection, but it maintains that the problems will go away as soon as men stop taking the drug.
The Propecia website states:
“A small number of men had sexual side effects, with each occurring in less than 2% of men. These include less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, and a decrease in the amount of semen. These side effects went away in men who stopped taking Propecia because of them.”
However, many doctors say that complete impotence is not unusual even among men who have stopped taking Propecia.
BBC News reported the case of a 26-year-old man who took Propecia for male pattern baldness. He stopped taking Propecia after he noticed a decreased interest in sex but he still became impotent a few weeks after he stopped taking the drug. He was unable to regain his sexual health even after six months of testosterone therapy.
Many other Propecia users have found that the sexual side effects do NOT go away even after they stop using the drug. Because of the increasing number of complaints, PropceiaHelp.com was formed for men with persistent mental, physical, and sexual side effects that have not stopped despite discontinuing Propecia.
To date, there has been no clinical or medical research into this serious adverse post-drug reaction.
Natural Ideas for Impotence
If you’re suffering from sexual side effects due to Propecia use or any other cause, there are some natural ideas that you can try.
Herbs like Ginseng, Maca, and Yohimbe, which are used as ingredients in male enhancement supplements, have been used for centuries as libido-boosting tonics. The semi-essential amino acid L-arginine has been shown to have beneficial effects on blood vessel health and improve cardiovascular function.
L-arginine appears to help deal with erectile dysfunction (ED) by enhancing the action of nitric oxide, a compound which helps relax your blood vessels, including those that supply blood to your penis. As blood vessels in your penis dilate, blood circulation increases, which helps maintain an erection.
Prescription ED drugs like Viagra work enhancing nitric oxide function. But Viagra won’t work in the absence of desire.
Taking a quality male enhancement supplement is better than being on the blue pill because the former does more than help you achieve an erection. Male enhancement supplements boost your libido, increase your stamina, improve sperm motility and quality, and support overall sexual health.
Look for a male enhancement supplement that contains both L-arginine and Yohimbe. A pilot study published in the journal European Urology showed that a combination of 6 grams of L-arginine with 6 mg Yohimbine was found to be “a promising addition to first-line therapy for ED.”
