There are a lot of men who like to act like the way they look doesn’t particularly matter to them, but that would be a lie. When a guy starts losing his hair it’s a real hit to his self esteem because it means that he’s getting older. It also has a tremendous effect on his prospects in getting a date. That’s why the hair growth, restoration, and loss prevention industry yields billions of dollars every year.
This has not been lost on Merck, easily one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. They’ve proven that making money is their number one priority. Number two on that list is avoiding lawsuits due to defective drugs. How do we know this? Because they are the company that brought you such hits as:
Fosamax – Osteoporosis drug that was supposed to help make bones strong, but instead caused major bones to become brittle and break.
Januvia – Diabetes drug that was supposed to help the pancreas, but instead potentially causes a deadly version of pancreatitis.
Vioxx – Historically, THE most expensive defective drug lawsuit in history after it was found to cause death.
Just like those drugs, Merck convinces patients that their product delivers more benefits than potential bad side effects. They just hope that the profit from those not severely or permanently affected by the side effects of their drug will outweigh the cost of lawsuits. This is the business plan behind Propecia as Merck preys on their hair loss just to have an erectile dysfunction side effect that could prove to permanently shatter their unsuspecting customer’s quality of life.
How does Propecia Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
Finasteride, the active ingredient in Propecia, was originally a drug that was given in large doses to prevent an enlarged prostate in men. Once in was found to prevent hair loss, Merck jumped on it. They put Finasteride in small doses in pill form, patented it, and brought it to market as quickly as possible.
However, Finasteride acts as a Androgen inhibitor. Androgen, such as testosterone, is a general term for male sex hormones that produce male sexual characteristics. These hormones are important to the healthy functioning of many parts of the male body. They are also incredibly important in forming an erection in men and without them, erectile dysfunction (ED) may occur. If taken long enough, that ED may potentially become permanent.
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
The stiffening of the penis can be effected by many factors. Diet, lack of exercise, excessive drinking, and loss of muscle control. Erectile dysfunction can be occasional and circumstantial, lasting a limited period of time or in some cases can be a permanent loss of erectile function. Erectile dysfunction is generally diagnosed by physicians when the person cannot achieve an erection about 70% of the time in a six month period.
Erectile dysfunction is associated with two concepts:
Impotence – This is a very badly defined concept, since the inability to stay production an erection or stay erect and the inability to reproduce are not mutually exclusive. However, it means a low or nonexistent sperm count.
Sterility – This is the inability of man to reproduce, also known as impotence, with the erectile function is not restricted in the rule.
Erectile Dysfunction – Erections, caused by the complex interaction of the blood vessels, nervous system, hormones and muscles. Certain drugs, alcohol and nicotine consumption can result in erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction increases with advancing age. According to American studies, occur in approximately half of the over 40-year-old men, at least temporarily erectile dysfunction.
Propecia Lawsuit
With so many factors stacking against men when trying to retain some semblance of their youth, hair loss, loss of muscle mass, loss of endurance, and erectile dysfunction, they don’t need any of these factors sped up or to become prematurely permanent.
The onset of erectile dysfunction can seriously effect a person’s quality of life, their relationships, and their job. Yes, if their private life is adversely affected to the point that they cannot function well in their job, this could have an effect on their overall livelihood and seriously degrade their quality of life.
National Propecia Lawyers
There are indications that Merck may not have given the proper indication of the severity of these side effects. With oversight from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is up to the company to provide information of any serious side effects. Merck may have known about the side effects, but neglected to properly inform customers or the FDA.
The serious consequences of Propecia are not worth stopping hair loss. Please consult your physician for further questions.
If you or a loved one are taking Propecia or any other derivative of Finasteride it is important that you contact legal council that has experience in protecting patients from giant pharmaceutical companies. Call Phillips Law Firm for a consultation on your legal options.