Mississauga Man Reports Severe Side Effects After Finasteride Use
A 34-year-old Mississauga, Ontario resident experienced debilitating and persistent side effects after taking finasteride, a medication prescribed for hair loss, raising further questions about the drug’s long-term impacts.
Marc Turner, a former banking employee who had recently begun working in Mississauga’s parks department in 2019, began using minoxidil for hair loss. When that proved insufficient, he was prescribed finasteride in the summer of 2020, despite being informed of potential side effects. According to a blog post he authored, his doctor assured him those side effects should resolve upon stopping the medication. He initially felt relief, but soon experienced brain fog, followed by panic attacks, genital shrinkage, joint pain, and persistent tinnitus after several weeks.
Turner discontinued finasteride but the symptoms persisted. His mother, Denise, reported that he described feeling as though he was “in a torture chamber.” Canada began requiring finasteride manufacturers to include warnings about suicidal ideation on packaging in 2019, and depression was also listed as a potential side effect; however, brain fog was not. The case highlights the growing concern surrounding potential adverse effects not fully captured by current drug labeling. This is particularly relevant as more men seek treatments for male pattern baldness.
Denise Turner stated her son was otherwise healthy, taking no other medications. The long-term effects of finasteride, and the condition known as Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS), are still being studied by researchers like those at The PFS Foundation. Health officials are continuing to monitor reports of adverse reactions to the drug.
