Finasteride adverse effects and post-finasteride syndrome; implications for dentists

Abstract

Finasteride is a 5α-reductase inhibitor widely used in present in the therapeutic approach of androgenic alopecia. Adverse effects consist in variable sign and symptoms, the most common being represented by mental troubles (reduced feeling of life pleasure or emotions, depression), physical impairments (loss of muscle tone and/or mass) and sexual complains (loss of libido and sexual potency). An increasing number of studies identify and describe even a post-finasteride syndrome (persistent adverse affects three months or more after finasteride cessation) or new adverse effects including but not limited at the skin level or oral cavity (marginal periodontium). We intend to present in this study several oral adverse effects encountered during finasteride administration, represented by mild and moderate signs which generally responded to topical procedures without to require the stop of the drug administration. New studies on large samples will further document the existing relation between the described oral adverse effects and the implied pathophysiological mechanisms. For this moment, we are taking into account as possible mechanisms- a direct action of finasteride administration, possible indirect consequences due to hormonal interferences, or coexisting factors with finasteride administration that were not detected.

Keywords

• finasteride
• oral side effects
• post-finasteride syndrome