In May of this year, the MHRA reviewed the evidence for finasteride and dutasteride and the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours and has recommended further measures to minimise this risk. They have recommended and provided advice for Healthcare Professionals to Provide to Patients and we are sharing that advice and information with you in line with their recommendations. |
Recommendations The MHRA has now recommended that your Dermatologist advise you that: 1) Finasteride is associated with low mood, depression, suicidal thoughts and sexual dysfunction (decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction and ejaculation disorders) 2) That before taking finasteride, you should read and keep the Finasteride patient cards and patient information leaflet within your pack and inform your doctor if you have any personal history of depression or suicidal thoughts. 3) if you have seriously harmed yourself or feel you are at risk of serious harm, contact emergency services on 999 immediately 4) stop finasteride 1mg immediately if you develop depression or suicidal thoughts and contact your doctor as soon as possible 5) if you are prescribed finasteride 5mg or dutasteride and you develop depression or suicidal thoughts, contact your doctor as soon as possible 6) if prescribed finasteride or dutasteride and you experience decreased sex drive, difficulty having an erection or ejaculation problems you should contact your doctor for medical advice Usage Prescribing data suggests more than 400,000 prescriptions per month are issued for finasteride 5mg and dutasteride containing medicines. As finasteride 1mg is not prescribed on the NHS and is only available by private prescription, accurate prescription numbers are not available. Yellow Card data Yellow Card data since 1994 to 31 May 2025 includes 170 reports of suicidal ideation and related terms for finasteride (1mg and 5mg) and 5 reports for dutasteride 0.5mg. There were 19 fatal reports of suicide for finasteride and no fatal reports of suicide for dutasteride. Yellow card reports have been reported to the MHRA by healthcare professionals, members of the public and pharmaceutical companies. The suspected adverse reactions that have been reported do not necessarily mean that the medicine has caused the reaction. Many factors should be considered with careful analysis to assess these data. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), for males, the suicide rate in England and Wales in 2024 was 17.6 suicide deaths registered per 100,000 people (0.0176%). The London Skin and Hair Clinic At The London Skin and Hair Clinic, our Dermatologists have been treating patients with Finasteride since 2009 and with Dutasteride since 2018. Our Consultants issue over 12,000 prescriptions for Finasteride or Dutasteride every year. We have had no yellow card reports of patients of the clinic with suicidal ideation or fatal reports of suicide. Please do contact us if you have any concerns regarding your treatment with Finasteride or Dutasteride. You can find more information about the recommendations and warnings here |