Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 19, 2012 The FDA announced on Monday night that Vivus Inc.s Qsymia, formerly known as Qnexa is now approved. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research states, obesity threatens the overall well being of patients and is a major public health concern. Qsymia, used responsibly in combination with a healthy lifestyle that includes a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, provides another treatment option for chronic weight management. The drug is only approved for people who are overweight or obese and have at least one weight-related health problem such as diabetes or high blood pressure and will also be prescribed a diet and exercise plan. According to a news release by the FDA, Qsymia is a combination of two FDA approved drugs, phentermine and topiramate. Phentermine is an amphetamine used for short-term weight loss and topiramate is indicated to treat certain types of seizures for those with epilepsy and is supposed to suppress the appetite. Phentermine is the phen half of the drug fen-Phen which was taken off the market in 1997 due to numerous lawsuits that claimed the drug caused heart valve damage and resulted in a $13 billion settlement. Results … Continue reading →

Meg Evans, in red, lost 48 pounds her first year on Qsymia and another two pounds the second year. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new prescription diet drug called Qsymia on Tuesday. The medication produced dramatic weight loss in clinical trials, but some are concerned over potential side effects, including increased heart rate, birth defects and other issues. Qsymia (pronounced kyoo-SIM-ee-uh) is the second diet drug approved this year. The FDA approved a weight-loss pill called Belviq on June 27. Qsymia had been known as Qnexa until its approval. The FDA asked the company to change the name to avoid confusion with another drug on the market, according to the company. Patients in clinical trials experienced more dramatic weight loss with Qsymia than with Belviq. On Qsymia, patients went from an average 227 pounds to 204 pounds; on Belviq, the average weight dropped from 220 to 207. Some consumer advocates worry that the weight loss comes with a price. Some patients in the clinical trial suffered an increased heart rate and a condition called metabolic acidosis, which can lead to hyperventilation, fatigue and anorexia. Concerns have also been raised about birth defects. One … Continue reading →

Meg Evans, in red, lost 48 pounds her first year on Qsymia and another two pounds the second year. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new prescription diet drug called Qsymia on Tuesday. The medication produced dramatic weight loss in clinical trials, but some are concerned over potential side effects, including increased heart rate, birth defects and other issues. Qsymia (pronounced kyoo-SIM-ee-uh) is the second diet drug approved this year. The FDA approved a weight-loss pill called Belviq on June 27. Qsymia had been known as Qnexa until its approval. The FDA asked the company to change the name to avoid confusion with another drug on the market, according to the company. Patients in clinical trials experienced more dramatic weight loss with Qsymia than with Belviq. On Qsymia, patients went from an average 227 pounds to 204 pounds; on Belviq, the average weight dropped from 220 to 207. Some consumer advocates worry that the weight loss comes with a price. Some patients in the clinical trial suffered an increased heart rate and a condition called metabolic acidosis, which can lead to hyperventilation, fatigue and anorexia. Concerns have also been raised about birth defects. One … Continue reading →

Attorney (866) 735-1102 Ext 430 About a month ago reports emerged that Propecia, the drug to treat male pattern baldness, was linked to sexual side effects in men including low libido, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders. Those findings led the FDA to demand that Merck, the maker of Propecia, change the drug's warning label to reflect these dangerous side effects. However, more recent reports suggest that the side effects may be even more drastic than originally thought. The sexual side effects may be longer lasting in some men who take Propecia, although it was originally believed that these side effects would disappear once a person stopped taking the drug. However, researchers at George Washington University found that the effects could last longer than a year after stopping the drug. In fact, after talking to 54 men under the age of 40 who had taken Propecia and stopped use, 96% reported sexual side effects a year after the fact. One man, Kevin Malley, started to take Propecia when he was under the age of 30 to stave off impending baldness. His doctor prescribed Propecia and Malley started taking it in May 2011. By October, Malley was completely impotent, had no sex … Continue reading →

Posted by Shezad Malik MD JDJuly 14, 2012 1:31 PM As a Dallas Texas Defective Drug attorney, I have written extensively about the side effects of many commonly used drugs, YAZ, Yasmin, Ocella, NuvaRing, Pradaxa and Actos. More recently attention as been directed at PROPECIA. What is Propecia? Propecia (finasteride) is a prescription medication that is marketed to help restore natural hair loss that occurs in some men. However, side effects of Propecia have been linked to sexual problems for some users, including reports of erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, genital shrinkage and problems with cognition. These issues have also been linked to severe depression and at least one man has reportedly committed suicide due to the Propecia problems. Here is a NBC News article that aired this week. %ta_ center; width: 420px% Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Propecia Background Marketed and manufactured by Merck, Propecia is male pattern baldness drug that works by significantly blocking the action and production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a key hormone that plays a role and is a cause of scalp hair loss. The so called "male pattern baldness." Reducing the action of DHT appears to prevent the shrinking … Continue reading →

The popular male pattern baldness drug finasteride, known commercially as Propecia, may have negative effects on sexual function months or years after a man has stopped taking it, according to a small new study. Propecia already comes with warnings of sex-related side effects, such as problems with ejaculation and orgasm, but the study shows that these effects might still be affecting men after they're off the drug. The research is published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. The study included 54 men who experienced sexual problems at least three months after stopping Propecia. The researchers found that 89 percent of them had sexual problems severe enough to be considered to have sexual dysfunction. TIME reported that for 96 percent of men who took Propecia and then stopped, sexual side effects continued on more than a year later. Therefore, "prescribers of finasteride and men contemplating its use should be made aware of the potential adverse medication effects," researchers wrote in the study. "Our findings make me suspicious that this drug may have done permanent damage to these men," study researcher Dr. Michael Irwig, of George Washington University, told ABC News. "The chances that they will improve? I think it's lower and … Continue reading →

By Alexandra Sifferlin, Time.com updated 5:05 PM EDT, Fri July 13, 2012 STORY HIGHLIGHTS (Time ) -- In April, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the warning to finasteride, Merck & Co.'s drug marketed to treat both male pattern baldness (Propecia) and enlarged prostate (Proscar). The new warnings noted that the sexual side effects associated with the medication, including problems with libido, ejaculations and orgasm, could last even after patients stop taking the drug. Now a new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine finds that side effects may not only continue after stopping finasteride, but they may last for months or even years. In the study, Dr. Michael Irwig of George Washington University and his colleagues surveyed 54 men under age 40 who reported experiencing side effects for three months or more after stopping the medication Propecia. The patients reported a variety of sexual problems including erectile dysfunction, low libido, trouble having an orgasm, and shrinking and painful genitals. Some men also reported neurological problems like depression, anxiety and cognitive haziness. Time.com: FDA warns statin users of memory loss and diabetes risks For 96% of the men, the sexual problems lasted more than a year after they … Continue reading →

Sexual impairment after taking hair loss drug lasts longer than expected, says a new study. Researchers at George Washington University found that taking the drug Propecia, also called finasteride, was linked to symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, decreased sex drive and trouble reaching orgasm. According to ABC News, the study included 54 men under 40 who reported side effects from the drug that lasted longer than three months. Although, the men took the drugs for varying lengths of time, they reported side effects such as sexual dysfunction, trouble with climaxing, decreased sexual drive and even depression. More from GlobalPost: Old problems plague New India The research team says that these side effects may be lasting longer than previously thought. "Our findings make me suspicious that this drug may have done permanent damage to these men," said George Washington University researcher, Michael Irwig, the author of the study, according to the Daily Mail. "The chances that they will improve? I think it's lower and lower the longer they have these side effects." The study, however, has several downsides, which researchers warn may reduce its accuracy. For instance, the volunteers were recruited on a website for helping those who are suffering from … Continue reading →

A new study is reporting that sexual side effects that sometimes accompany the use of Propecia could be long lasting. Propecia sexual side effects often include erectile dysfunction, low libido, trouble having an orgasm, and shrinking and painful genitals Propecia (finasteride 1 mg) and Proscar (finasteride 5 mg) belong to a class of drugs known as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, or 5-ARIs. Propecia is approved to treat male pattern baldness, while Proscar is used for enlarged prostate. Both drugs work by preventing the conversion of androgen testosterone to DHT, a hormone critical to male sexual performance. In April, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) ordered new warnings for the Propecia and Proscar labels detailing possible long-lasting male sexual side effects associated with the drug. As we reported previously, Merck changed the Propecia label in Europe several years ago to warn that the drug could lead to permanent erectile dysfunction. But until the FDA ordered the April label change, warnings provided to U.S. users of the drug suggested that these problems typically resolve. This study, which appears in Journal of Sexual Medicine, surveyed 54 men under age 40 who reported experiencing side effects for three months or more after taking Propecia … Continue reading →

The adverse side effects of the anti-baldness drug could last for months or even years for some men Steve Wisbauer / Getty Images In April, theFood and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the warning to finasteride, Merck & Co.s drug marketed to treat both male pattern baldness (Propecia) and enlarged prostate (Proscar). The new warnings noted that the sexual side effects associated with the medication, including problems with libido, ejaculations and orgasm, could last even after patients stop taking the drug. Now a new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine finds that side effects may not only continue after stopping finasteride, but they may last for months or even years. In the study, Dr. Michael Irwig of George Washington University and his colleagues surveyed 54 men under age 40 who reported experiencing side effects for three months or more after stopping the medication Propecia. The patients reported a variety of sexual problems including erectile dysfunction, low libido, trouble having an orgasm, and shrinking and painful genitals. Some men also reported neurological problems like depression, anxiety and cognitive haziness. For 96% of the men, the sexual problems lasted more than a year after they quit using the drug. None of … Continue reading →