Propecia and pregnancy?

[Raphael84]

Hey guys,

 

Would love to hear everybodies experiences and understandings on the subject of conceiving whilst using Propecia and the continued use of Propecia throughout the pregnancy. Have heard a few different things regarding it! Would love clarification!

[Nick153452]

Throughout the pregnancy?? Women are not supposed to take Propecia.

[scar5]

Propecia allows men to conceive if taken correctly.

 

Seriously, many guys have succeeded whilst on Propecia according to my trolling over the years. Well, to be honest, it hasn't come up that often, but when it does, it's always seems to be my impression that, despite those saying they stopped fin to get their ladies pregnant (which of course proves nothing) a significant group of others chipped in to say they had no problem conceiving. Even my old mate Farrell, God bless, said that he did the job if I recall, ( but I could be wrong)

 

Anyway, I think there are tests to establish your sperm count etc., so why not give that a go?

Having a kid far out weighs the loss to the wallet for what ever the test costs...duh..lol

[Nick153452]

I would like to see some primary literature on this subject. If anyone has any research articles, send away. Thanks

[MAGNUMpi]

Isn't the more dangerous possibility, birth defects in the sexual development of the child?

I don't have much info on this but I'm interested in learning more about this.

[hairshopeing]

Yeah it's not about low sperm or conception, propecia can cause birth defects if a pregnant woman even touches the pill, don't know about if your taking it and get someone pregnant if that has potential defects for the baby, best speak directly to your go, bit the leaflet says pregnant women must avoid all contact with the pill itself!

[zenmunk]

Might be worth a look:

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/166975-finasteride-dosage-frequency-conception.html

[Blake Bloxham]

Isn't the more dangerous possibility, birth defects in the sexual development of the child?

I don't have much info on this but I'm interested in learning more about this.

 

Yes, this is the real concern.

 

DHT and 5-alpha-reductase function is imperative during the development of male fetuses. A deficiency of the hormone or the enzyme can result in a variety of birth defects, including a lack or deformation of secondary sexual characteristics (i.e. the male genitalia).

 

This is why physicians really recommend that the drug be avoided by any woman of child-bearing age. As far as conceiving on the drug or using the drug around a pregnant woman, I think it's really going to depend on the comfort level of the physician prescribing the medication. It would be interesting to see if anyone can find some peer-reviewed literature on the subject. I personally think it would probably be best to discuss the issue with the physician prescribing the medication and the pregnant woman's OB/GYN.

[MAGNUMpi]

DHT and 5-alpha-reductase function is imperative during the development of male fetuses. A deficiency of the hormone or the enzyme can result in a variety of birth defects, including a lack or deformation of secondary sexual characteristics (i.e. the male genitalia).

 

This is why physicians really recommend that the drug be avoided by any woman of child-bearing age. As far as conceiving on the drug or using the drug around a pregnant woman, I think it's really going to depend on the comfort level of the physician prescribing the medication. It would be interesting to see if anyone can find some peer-reviewed literature on the subject. I personally think it would probably be best to discuss the issue with the physician prescribing the medication and the pregnant woman's OB/GYN.

Thanks Blake.

But what doctor would risk that?

I don't think any doctor would say "yes give it a try and lets see what happens" when it could potentially hurt the child and is not a drug that is "needed" by the father.

Some peer-reviewed literature would indeed be great.

(Don't mean to sound harsh. It's an important thread though.)

[Arrie]

^ Agreed

My wife and I are trying to conceive a child and I have been off of it for 2 months. I pray to God for a healthy outcome...

[Raphael84]

I think there was some initial confusion regarding my question. Probably my fault, I apologise, but then it got on the right track. It was not regarding sperm count, it was regarding birth defects. I appreciate that no woman should ever be in contact wit Propecia, especially if using a generic which is then cut. And when I have read about any potential issues before, it is not only regarding the specific act which impregnates the female, but intercourse throughout the pregnancy when the guy (obviously) continues to take Propecia could be harmful. However, after research, I have found 0 cases of this, and several of the opposite where several guys speak of the continued use of Propecia with no issues whatsoever. I was interested in hearing peoples experiences.

Obviously a healthy child is by far the most important factor and outcome of this conversation, but for guys such as ourselves, it is also not ideal to discontinue the use of Propecia for 9/12/18+ months whilst trying and then throughout the pregnancy! I hope this clarifies my question, and hopefully the discussion continues!

[Blake Bloxham]

Hi Guys,

 

I did some more digging, and was actually pretty disappointed, because I did not find any peer-reviewed articles specifically discussing the risks of using finasteride while trying to conceive or the risks of continued finasteride use/potential exposure with a pregnant partner. There were quite a few articles discussing fertility and conceiving on finasteride in general, but that doesn't seem to be the topic of discussion.

 

Because of this, I searched a few peer-reviewed reference data bases I frequently use in the hospital (and while studying) and found the following:

 

First, finasteride is classified as a category X drug; this means that its use in pregnancy is completely contraindicated (i.e. you cannot use it at all while pregnant). Frankly, this is no surprise and really doesn't provide any additional information as to whether or not it can be used around a pregnant partner.

 

Second, another review of finasteride stated in pregnancy, the active ingredient of crushed or broken tablets can be absorbed through the skin. Unbroken tablets are coated which prevents contact with the active ingredient during normal handling. Women should avoid contact with crushed or broken tablets and the semen from a male partner exposed to finasteride.

 

Three important things to "take home" from this information: 1. Crushed tablets (which is important for members who buy 5mg Proscar tablets and "quarter" them) can be absorbed through the skin and may cause risk if used around a pregnant partner; 2. This article claims the semen of a finasteride user is potentially harmful to a female who is pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant; 3. Unbroken/non-crushed tablets are coated, and this allegedly prevents any sort of unwarranted contact with the finasteride.

 

In my mind, the second point is something that warrants further discussion/expert input. Frankly, I've heard differing opinions regarding the level of finasteride in semen and whether or not it can actually cause issues in pregnant females. This is why I think it's something that needs to be discussed thoroughly with the physician prescribing the medication/the pregnant partner's OB/GYN.

 

The last source simply stated that finasteride is teratogenic (a drug known to cause birth defects), and may induce "feminization" of a male fetus. Therefore, treatment with finasteride should be avoided in women who are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant.

 

Obviously, this isn't new information, but I wanted to include it.

 

Altogether, it seems like the evidence surrounding potential finasteride exposure in the pregnant female is pretty scarce. While I'm kind of surprised by this, I think there are a few important points to remember: 1. DHT and functional 5-alpha-reductase enzymes are crucial for development of the male fetus; inhibition or deficiency of either of these elements can have serious consequences. 2. Exposure to broken/crushed tablets is cited as a risk for pregnant females, as evidences shows the crushed powder can be absorbed through the skin; this is important for members who purchase 5mg Proscar and cut it into four 1.25 mg pieces. 3. The level of finasteride in semen and the effect this may have on the pregnant female is, from what I've seen, debatable and likely requires further research. Some say it's high enough to cause issue, others don't seem to think it's significant.

 

Knowing this, I think it's important to thoroughly discuss continued finasteride use and pregnancy with both the physician who prescribed the medication and the female partner's OB/GYN.

 

I truly hope this helps! I'll try to find some more information and update the thread as we go along.

[Raphael84]

Blake, thank you so much for the detailed response. I appreciate you taking the time out to conduct some research. Although I feel as though I am in the exact same position regarding what to do. I know of a few guys who have had healthy children without discontinuing treatment, but that sounds like it could be a pretty HUGE risk. But on the other hand, I am in the best place hair wise that I have been in 10+ years and 9/18+ months of non use could have huge effects on my hair and after a HT and some emotionally difficult years, to experience more and potentially rapid hairloss is a genuine fear and obviously far from ideal (a healthy baby is obviously the stand out priority). After taking Propecia for almost 10 years, how long would this take to completely leave my system?

Would you also come to the same assumption, a pretty lose one it may be, that as there does not appear to be many/any documented cases of birth defects due to propecia usage that perhaps there really are not many/any, but that it is a warning that is explained purely to cover the pharmaceutical companies in an era of "suing for fun".

What to do? A very real problem right now. Maybe I could "organise" my propecia usage around conceiving and attempt to be clever regarding usage throughout the pregnancy and intercourse. So that I never particularly discontinue propecia, but go random days/weeks that I do not use when having intercourse. Difficult I know, and certainly loses the "in the moment" moment. It all depends on how long it remains in the system after taking the last tablet???

The broken tablet element albeit being able to absorb through the skin is not really an issue as my girlfriend is never in or near contact to the tablets.

Any further information/opinion would be greatly received.

[alloreel]

wow so even the semen could be enough. Thats potent stuff.

[Masato]

Raphael, 8 years since this post and I am curious how you handled your situation and if anyone has updated information regarding Finasteride in semen and whether there’s a risk for women being exposed to it (that semen)? 
ps. My new dermatologist didn’t want to renew my Proscar prescription today for that reason since we’re currently trying to conceive another baby