OpenClaim

Finasteride Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of finasteride include fatigue, erectile dysfunction, and depression, based on 58,435 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Finasteride side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for finasteride.

1
Fatigue6.4%3,719
2
Erectile Dysfunction6.1%3,572
3
Depression5.5%3,229
4
Anxiety4.6%2,695
5
Drug Ineffective3.9%2,305
6
Sexual Dysfunction3.7%2,163
7
Death3.6%2,119
8
Diarrhoea3.6%2,101
9
Adverse Drug Reaction3.6%2,091
10
Dizziness3.6%2,080
11
Insomnia3.3%1,918
12
Asthenia3.3%1,903
13
Off Label Use3.2%1,896
14
Dyspnoea3.2%1,884
15
Fall2.8%1,620

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that finasteride caused these reactions.

Report severity

65.8%Serious38,454 reports
27.8%Hospitalizations16,260 reports
8.7%Fatal5,074 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Finasteride drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside finasteride. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Lenalidomide5.6%3,251
2
Tamsulosin-hydrochloride2.2%1,311
3
Apixaban1.9%1,139
4
Pimavanserin1.8%1,058
5
Adalimumab1.5%870
6
Rivaroxaban1.4%837
7
Ibrutinib1.4%830
8
Levodopa1.4%789
9
Aspirin1.3%774
10
Pomalidomide1.3%737
11
Carbidopa1.2%717
12
Omeprazole1.2%707
13
Ruxolitinib1.2%687
14
Pantoprazole-sodium1.2%675
15
Minoxidil1.1%671

Taken alongside

1
Tamsulosin-hydrochloride25.9%15,136
2
Aspirin18.8%11,010
3
Atorvastatin-calcium15.1%8,842
4
Metoprolol11.2%6,519
5
Acetaminophen11.1%6,482
6
Omeprazole11.1%6,472
7
Ergocalciferol11.0%6,456
8
Furosemide10.9%6,341
9
Amlodipine10.2%5,980
10
Lisinopril8.6%5,019
11
Simvastatin8.5%4,952
12
Levothyroxine-sodium8.1%4,755
13
Metformin7.4%4,346
14
Gabapentin7.1%4,141
15
Albuterol6.7%3,922

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports finasteride side effects

2.6% of finasteride adverse event reports involve female patients and 88.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 70%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female2.6%
Male88.9%
Unknown8.5%

Age group

< 20.2%
2–11<0.1%
12–17<0.1%
18–6429.6%
65+70.1%

What is finasteride used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking finasteride when the adverse event was reported.

5-alpha-reductase DeficiencyAbdominal DistensionAccidental ExposureAcneAcne ConglobataAcne CysticAcute Coronary SyndromeAcute Myocardial InfarctionAdenoma BenignAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAged ParentAlopeciaAlopecia AreataAlopecia Scarring

Showing 15 of 451 indications

Finasteride brand names and reporting trend

Finasteride is sold under the brand name Finasteride And Tadalafil.

Brand names

Finasteride And Tadalafil47,840

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking finasteride with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.