The post-finasteride syndrome: possible etiological mechanisms and symptoms
Herman H. J. Leliefeld, Frans M.J. Debruyne, Yacov Reisman
International Journal of Impotence Research2023
Summary (paraphrased)
The authors review how 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, though targeted at prostate and scalp, act on three reductase isoenzymes distributed across many organs including the brain. They argue the lipophilic drugs cross the blood-brain barrier and can suppress a wide range of neurosteroids beyond dihydrotestosterone, altering neurochemistry and impairing neurogenesis. The paper catalogs persistent sexual, neurological, psychiatric, endocrine, metabolic, and ophthalmological complaints and urges greater physician awareness and therapeutic research.
Why it’s in the corpus
Mechanism-focused review tying PFS symptoms to central 5-AR inhibition, neurosteroid depletion, and impaired neurogenesis — a concise statement of the neurosteroid hypothesis the corpus is built around.
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