When it comes to taking medication for treating any condition, the most important thing to question your doctor about are; the possible risks associated with using that particular drug to cure your ailment. Almost all medication come with its own set of risks or side effects which could be specific to you or can be random amongst a population of people taking the same medication.
Drugs that are prescribed for the treatment of Prostate Enlargement and Hair Loss has undergone certain studies which shows that they cause certain side effects like depression and the possibility of self-harm.
Recent studies have been carried out to test a certain class of medication – ‘5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs)’ which is a common medication being prescribed by several doctors. The study was carried out to ascertain whether there is a connection between medical health issues and 5ARIs.
Research carried out by Dr. Blayne Welk, of Western University and the Institute for Clinical Evaluation Sciences in Ontario between 2003 and 2013 showed that men on 5ARI medication have eighty-eight percent chance of committing self-harm within the first eighteen months of using the medication. However the risk of self-harm does not extend beyond the first eighteen months.
The research also concluded that there is ninety-four percent chance of depression in men using 5ARI within the first eighteen months which would then drop to twenty-two percent after this period.
The study covered ninety three thousand one hundred and ninety seven men each; those who have been on the medication and those who have never used it. The study shows that the risk of depression and self-harm is very low with the possibility of only one in four hundred and seventy men with a case of depression who must have been on the medication for at least twelve months.
Another research carried out by Dr. Tina Kigurdze, Dr. William Temps and other colleagues of Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago aimed to provide a connection between Erectile Dysfunction and 5ARI medication. The study concluded that men who had taken the 5ARI medication for one hundred and eighty days and experienced erectile Dysfunction continued to experience the same side effect for ninety days after stopping the medication.
The study also showed that men who used the medication for a period less than six months had lesser periods of erectile dysfunction. The risk of Erectile Dysfunction as a side effect is also very low.
Types of drugs which belong to the 5ARI class of medication do not have different side effects from one another and the use of this medication has not been linked with a risk of suicide.
Finally, before taking any prescribed medication, always have a full knowledge of possible side effects and risks associated with the drugs. Your medical history is also important and should be taken into consideration before using the drugs.
Additionally, immediately you commence the medication always take notes of changes in your body and mood and report such changes to your doctor promptly to avoid the possibility of further side effects associated with the medication.
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