Elevated liver enzymes from finasteride?

[BaldingtimetoLdar]

Has anyone had this problem? Basically I'm taking injections for another issue I have and I have to take blood tests now and then. The recent tests show that my liver enzymes have shot up so I was wondering if it's because of finasteride.

[smurf]

what is the exact enzyme? 

 

Was it bilirubin? Mine is elevated as well, I take 1/2 tablet finasteride daily

[BaldingtimetoLdar]

13 minutes ago, smurf said:

what is the exact enzyme? 

 

Was it bilirubin? Mine is elevated as well, I take 1/2 tablet finasteride daily

It was ALT.

[smurf]

12 minutes ago, BaldingtimetoLdar said:

It was ALT.

Alanine aminotransferase, is an enzyme found inside liver cells. Liver enzymes, including ALT, help your liver break down proteins to make them easier for your body to absorb. When your liver is damaged or inflamed, it can release ALT into your bloodstream. This causes your ALT levels to rise.

[Richie888]

One of the many processes of the body affected by DHT. This is why when people with no medical background answer every hairloss question with 'just start Finasteride' you should factor in any other underlying issues. I wonder how many people with 'no sides' are affected in other ways they wouldn't even know. 

[Westview]

Google "Post Finasteride Syndrome".

This stuff scares the hell out of me, thats why I stopped taking FIN.

I had a very mild case of PFS that resolved itself, but not everyone is so lucky

[Future Hair Doc]

Here's a great review article on what you're talking about. There have been RARE instances of finasteride associated NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) with a transient increase in liver functions tests such as AST and ALT. Again, finasteride associated NALD is VERY rare and I haven't come across a patient with this issue on finasteride. About 5% of my patients develop side effects (usually issues with "foggy mind", libido, and watery semen) from finasteride, which is right around the national average. I hope this helps and please feel free to ask me any questions. I highly recommend patients use a topical solution of finasteride/minoxidil if they're having side effects from the finasteride because you'll still get the benefits of the finasteride locally without the systemic side effects. I can personally vouch for the topical solution and have recommended it to patients, friends, and family. 

https://wjmh.org/Synapse/Data/PDFData/2074WJMH/wjmh-38-e17.pdf

Edited December 7, 2020 by Dr. Suhail Khokhar

[Maricaorg]

I had the same problem from Elmiron intoxication thanks to the big corporations that don't care about our lives at all other than money.

Edited May 26, 2021 by Maricaorg

[gillenator]

I have complete blood work done every 3 months and includes testing of my liver, kidneys, etc.

I have been taking low dose finasteride since 1995 and to date my liver and kidneys are fine.

[Gwyndolin]

On 5/21/2021 at 2:21 PM, Maricaorg said:

I had the same problem from Elmiron intoxication thanks to the big corporations that don't care about our lives at all other than money. I think the next step would be to chase this in court, and if some other people here need to follow my path, then Drugwatcher can help you get some justice and dignity back. Maybe one day, we will have pharmaceutical corporations to ensure that their negligence creates absolutely no side effects and life-affecting conditions. I hope that them losing money will make them more ethical.

I hate to admit it but there are so many drugs we don't know about and can create severe damage to our liver. I think your post is quite accurate.

[gillenator]

Every time I see an advertisement for a drug, there are dozens of warnings regarding side-effects and risks, including death!

[Badresults]

On 12/7/2020 at 5:24 AM, BaldingtimetoLdar said:

It was ALT.

I recently started Finasteride and when I did my blood test, my liver enzymes increases as well. It was the ALT.  Before Finasteride, everything was normal.

I'm not sure here if anyone have done their blood test and check the before and after results. 

[gillenator]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:31 AM, Badresults said:

I recently started Finasteride and when I did my blood test, my liver enzymes increases as well. It was the ALT.  Before Finasteride, everything was normal.

I'm not sure here if anyone have done their blood test and check the before and after results. 

Were there any other changes in your bloodwork?

[Badresults]

On 7/2/2022 at 12:02 AM, gillenator said:

Were there any other changes in your bloodwork?

My ALT and GGT shows high count. Others were normal.

[mr_peanutbutter]

the easiest way to know would be to stop the drug for a few weeks and do a bloodtest again, no?

[Bucky O Hair]

On 7/14/2022 at 5:10 PM, mr_peanutbutter said:

the easiest way to know would be to stop the drug for a few weeks and do a bloodtest again, no?

The best thing to do before committing to any long term drug like Finasteride is to do bloodwork (to get your baseline results) and then get bloodwork done again 18 months later (to see how it has affected you).

Standard bloodwork (including ALT/AST liver testing) should be done, plus some detailed bloodwork on your Endocrine system (Free Test, DHT, TSH, Estrogen, etc.).  For example, a lot of people end up having their estrogen levels skyrocket after using Finasteride, yet they use 'side effects' as the measure to determine if they are okay. 

Just because you do not have visible side effects, doesn't mean that you don't have a issue that you need to address.  It's always good to get bloodwork done to check all this.

[Bucky O Hair]

On 12/6/2020 at 12:13 PM, BaldingtimetoLdar said:

Has anyone had this problem? Basically I'm taking injections for another issue I have and I have to take blood tests now and then. The recent tests show that my liver enzymes have shot up so I was wondering if it's because of finasteride.

I've had similar issues with ALT/AST being elevated, and I reversed the issue with liver supplements (mainly Silymarin aka Milk Thistle).

Also, you should try to reduce saturated fats and simple carbs (white flour and added sugars) from your diet, as it can exacerbate fatty liver disease.

However, if the underlying issue is Finasteride then you should stop taking it (or at least reduce your intake to micro dose levels and not take a full 1mg pill) then take another blood test in the future to see if it has improved.

 

Examples of some of the liver supplements that have helped me reduce my elevated liver enzymes:

 

 

Edited May 8, 2023 by Melvin- Moderator
Removed links

[Bucky O Hair]

On 12/6/2020 at 6:48 PM, Westview said:

Google "Post Finasteride Syndrome".

This stuff scares the hell out of me, thats why I stopped taking FIN.

I had a very mild case of PFS that resolved itself, but not everyone is so lucky

A good friend of mine took Fin back in 2009 and suffered from PFS and depression as a result.  He never fully recovered.

It's the reason I will never take it.

[MisterBreakfast]

Been on Dutasteride for about a year now, and I had my bloodwork done as part of a physical.  Liver looked perfect in my case.

[gillenator]

8 hours ago, Bucky O Hair said:

The best thing to do before committing to any long term drug like Finasteride is to do bloodwork (to get your baseline results) and then get bloodwork done again 18 months later (to see how it has affected you).

Standard bloodwork (including ALT/AST liver testing) should be done, plus some detailed bloodwork on your Endocrine system (Free Test, DHT, TSH, Estrogen, etc.).  For example, a lot of people end up having their estrogen levels skyrocket after using Finasteride, yet they use 'side effects' as the measure to determine if they are okay. 

Just because you do not have visible side effects, doesn't mean that you don't have an issue that you need to address.  It's always good to get bloodwork done to check all this.

IMHO this is good advice, and the systemic effects of any drug go far beyond the potential sexual side effects everyone focuses on…I have complete blood work done every 3 months without fail and so far so good…been taking low dose finasteride since 1998.

[Renegade]

Related to this, I feel like since starting finasteride my tolerance for alcohol is way lower.

Is this just my imagination or does someone here share the same experience? 

[Westview]

On 5/2/2023 at 9:47 AM, Bucky O Hair said:

A good friend of mine took Fin back in 2009 and suffered from PFS and depression as a result.  He never fully recovered.

It's the reason I will never take it

Your friend is not the only one. 

There's a  whole forum dedicated to guys suffering from PFS: https://forum.propeciahelp.com/

If you read some of their stories its quite depressing because many of them never snap out of it.

I was lucky that my PFS went away, but not everyone is so lucky

Edited May 3, 2023 by Westview

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

@BaldingtimetoLdar,

I am not a doctor so I can’t give you a lot of information here. That said, I know that the liver metabolizes everything you consume. But I haven’t heard anything about an increase in any particular type of enzyme by taking finasteride. If anything, finasteride blocks an enzyme referred to as 5-alpha reductase which then prevents the conversion of this enzyme combined with testosterone to create the hormone known as DHT or dihydrotestosterone.

My best guess would be that whatever is increasing the enzymes you’re experiencing in the liver is completely unrelated to finasteride. But again, I’m not a doctor but I’ve never heard this before. I do suggest speaking to a doctor and undergoing test to find out exactly what is going on.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Rahal Hair Transplant