>> >>KENNY: SURGEONS SUGGESTED HE TAKE PROPECIA TO FILL IN HIS BALD SPOTS.
TWO MONTHS AFTER HE BEGAN TAKING THE DRUG, DAVIS BECAME EXTREMELY DEPRESSED.
HE COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT.
>> >>: THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS LACKING IN MY LIFE, AT ALL.
I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BE DEPRESSED.
BUT YET, I WAS SLIDING DOWN INTO PROBABLY THE WORST DEPRESSION IMAGINABLE.
IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.
>> >>KENNY: DAVIS STARTED SUFFERING FROM SEXUAL PROBLEMS.
HIS WIFE ASKED HIM WHAT WAS WRONG.
DAVIS DIDN'T KNOW.
HE VISITED A NUMBER OF THERAPISTS AND MEDICAL SPECIALISTS.
OVER THE YEARS, THE NORTH COUNTY RESIDENT TOOK SIX DIFFERENT ANTIDEPRESSANTS.
NOTHING HELPED.
THEN DAVIS DISCOVER AD WEBSITE CALLED PROPECIA HELP.COM.
IT'S A FORUM FOR MEN WHO SUFFERED SIDE EFFECTS.
THAT WAS A WAKE UP CALL FOR DAVIS.
AFTER FOUR YEARS OF TAKING IT, HE QUIT.
THAT'S WHEN THINGS REALLY WENT DOWN HILL.
>> >>: MY ENDOCRINE SYSTEM CRASHED.
MY HORMONES WERE SO FAR OUT OF WACK, IT WAS CAUSING ERRATIC BEHAVIORS AND ERRATIC THOUGHTS
AND UNCONTROLLABLE EMOTIONS AND CRYING AND CURLED UP ON THE COUCH FOR WEEKS, MONTHS.
>> >>KENNY: DAVIS WENT INTO FITS OF RAGE.
HE TOOK HIS ANGER OUT ON HIS FRIENDS, HIS WIFE, AND HIS KIDS.
>> >>KENNY: IT WAS MY GOAL IN LIFE TO BE THE BEST DAD I COULD EVER BE AND TO SEE THAT DREAM
SLIP AWAY� I CAN'T REPAIR IT.
>> >>KENNY: THE FDA HAS BEEN LOGGING COMPLAINTS FROM MEN WHO TAKE PROPECIA.
ADVERSE REACTIONS ARE DEPRESSION, AND SEXUAL PROBLEMS.
THE FDA SAYS IT'S REVIEWED 421 CASES OF PROPECIA RELATED PROBLEMS.
FOURTEEN% LASTED MER THAN THREE MONTHS AR R AFTER MEN STOPPED TAKING THE DRUG.
AS RESULT LAST YEAR, THE FDA REQUIRED PROPECIA TO HAVE MORE EXPLICIT WARNING LABELS.
THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE CALLED POST FINISTERIDE SYNDROME.
THE SYNDROME'S BEEN THE SUBJECT OF MANY MEDICAL MEETINGS AND OF LAWSUITS.
DOUGLAS HARVEY SAYS SOME OF HIS PATIENTS HAVE SUFFERED HORRIBLY FROM PROPECIA.
>> >>: THIS IS TERRIBLE, PEOPLE ARE THINKING THEY'RE MAKING A FAIRLY BENIGN DECISION.
I DON'T LIKE MY HAIR KNOWING AWAY, SO I'LL TAKE THIS.
IT SEEMS LIKE KIND OF A NOBRAINER OF A DECISION, AND THEY'RE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE DEVASTATION.
>> >>KENNY: HARVEY SAYS ONE OF THE WORST THINGS IS THE UNCERTAINTY.
>> >>: MEN DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO RECOVER THEIR SEXUAL FUNCTIONING OR NOT.
THEY HAVE TO STOP TAKING THE MEDICATION, AND THEN KIND OF SEE OVER TIME HOW THEIR BODY'S
GOING TO REPAIR.
THAT'S� CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW TERRIFYING THAT WOULD BE?
>> >>KENNY: ONE THE FOREMOST AUTHORITIES FOR SEXUAL PROBLEMS IN SAN DIEGO IS DR.�IRWIN
GOLD STEAL STEEN.
HE'S PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE OF SEXUAL MEDICINE.
HE SUSPECTS THERE ARE MANY MEN WHO HAVE TAKEN PROPECIA WHO ARE TOO EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT
THEY HAVE HAD A PROBLEM.
GOLD STEEN SAYS LEBIDO LOSS IS THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT.
>> >>: THEY'LL SEE A GENDER PERSON OF THE GENDER THAT EXCITES THEM.
THEY KNOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE EXCITED BY THAT PERSON, BUT THEY'RE NOT.
THAT PERSON COULD BE LIKE A CAR OR A TREE OR A BRIDGE OR A MOUNTAIN.
IT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR THEM, THEY WANT IT TO, BUT IT ISN'T DOING IT.
IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING FORM OF LOSS.
IT'S PROBABLY COGNITIVE CHANGE AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS MEDICINE HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE
THE CHEMICALS IN THE BRAIN.
>> >>KENNY: DR.�GOLDSTEIN SAYS MOST HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AREN'T AWARE THE DANGERS OF
PROPECIA, SO THEY DON'T TELL PATIENTS THEY COULD LOSE THEIR DESIRE TO SEX.
>> >>: THEY'RE NOT WARNED AT ALL ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECT.
THEY MAY BE TOLD THERE ARE TEMPORARY SEXUAL PROBLEMS THAT ARE RARE, BUT THAT'S THE EXTENT
OF THE WARNING.
>> >>KENNY: THE MAKER OF PROPECIA REFUSED TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS STORY PT.
IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE COMPANY SAYS IT STANDS BEHIND THE PRODUCT AND THAT MEN MILLION
OF MEN HAVE TAKEN IT SINCE IT FIRST CAME ON THE MARKET IN 1997.
>> >>: ONE DAY SCIENCE WILL CREATE A PILL FOR MEN'S HAIR LOSS.
THAT DAY IS TODAY.
>> >>KENNY: THAT'S NO CONSOLATION TO 46 YEAR OLD BOB WEB, ALSO NOT HIS REAL NAME.
HE TOOK PROPECIA FOUR YEARS TO COMBAT HAIR LOSS.
WEB SAYS IT CAUSED TERRIBLE SEXUAL PROBLEMS.
WEB SAYS HE AGREED TO BE INTERVIEWED SO HE COULD ISSUE A WARNING.
>> >>: WHEREAS I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT MY SITUATION THERE ARE LIKELY A LOT
OF MEN OUT THERE WHO ARE THINKING OF TAKING THIS MEDICATION AND MY MESSAGE TO THEM TODAY
WOULD BE TO NOT DO THAT.
>> >>KENNY: KENNY GOLDBERG, KPBS NEWS.