R E C O M M E N D E D  R E A D I N G

New Zurich Times Latest Paper to Tackle PFS

[EDITOR'S NOTE: As some of you noted, the link to the PDF containing the English translation of the New Zurich Times story did not work correctly when mailed out on April 10. So we have corrected it in this version.]


April 10, 2017

Dear Friends:   

Another week, another esteemed European media organization reporting on the potential dangers of finasteride. This one, the largest newspaper in Switzerland: Neue Zürcher Zeitung (English translation: New Zurich Times).

The awareness spree began March 19, when Germany’s Die Welt ran a story headlined Finasteride Is Considered a Miracle Cure for Hair Loss, but Patients Report Serious Side Effects, which noted that finasteride “causes permanent erectile dysfunction, and that is just the beginning of more serious health concerns” – before asking:  

“How did the authorities fail to protect the public from such a danger?” 

That was followed by an April 3 story in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany’s second-largest paper, titled Is Balding Your Destiny?  

“The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, which is responsible for licensing [finasteride], has confirmed dozens of suspected cases [of PFS], including 17 cases of depression, 28 cases of sexual disorders and 170 cases of other adverse reactions,” FAZ reported.    

Then, on April 9, Neue Zürcher Zeitung ran a story headlined Combating Baldness Isn’t Risk-Free: The most famous hair-growth agent is under attack. It's said to cause depression and potency problems  

Reported by Andreas Frey, the 800-word feature cites statistics from Switzerland’s equivalent of the US Food and Drug Administration.

“According to Swissmedic in Berne, there have been 124 cases of adverse reactions to finasteride in Switzerland,” writes Frey. “Among them are depression, sexual disorders and other undesirable events.”  

To help ease the many burdens of PFS, the foundation last year launched a Patient Support Program that connects patients with fellow patients and their family members worldwide. As part of that program, we are able to connect family members of PFS patients who have taken their own lives with other family members dealing with the same tragedy.
 
Anyone interested in participating in these efforts, should download our Patient Support PDF or Suicide Support PDF, and email it back to social@pfsfoundation.org.
 
We’ve also been steadily building our list of doctors who see PFS patients and have volunteered to help counsel them on remaining stable. At present, there are more than 40 such medical professionals on that list, which can be found in the Patient Support section of our Resources page.
 
Meanwhile, we’d like to remind all PFS patients and/or their loved ones who have not yet done so to report their symptoms to the FDA’s MedWatch program as directed here. Those living outside the United States should also access the WHO’s Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring list of pharmacovigilance agencies and report to their respective health agency.  

Please take a moment to read the Neue Zürcher Zeitung story soon. The original can be accessed by clicking here, and the English translation by clicking here.  

And once again, feel free to share these links with your health-care professionals, particularly those who may have doubted your persistent side effects in the past, as well as with friends and family.  

Thank you.

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