Study: Male Pattern Baldness Drug May Lower Alcohol Tolerance
June 16, 2013 10:30 PM
Source: washington.cbslocal.com
WASHINGTON (CBSDC) – A new study shows that a drug used to treat male pattern baldness could diminish one’s tolerance for alcohol in those who take it.Researchers at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. discovered during their study that those taking Propecia for their male pattern hair loss also experienced a lower tolerance for consuming alcoholic beverages.
One author of the study, Dr. Michael S. Irwig, said that two-thirds of the 63 men who participated in the study who were also taking the drug, known also as finasteride, acknowledged the symptom.
“Although not formally assessed, some of the men volunteered that they had more problems tolerating alcohol following finasteride treatment, including increased anxiety, tiredness, and dizziness,” he was quoted as saying in an e-mail obtained by Med Page Today. “They said they got intoxicated more quickly, with fewer drinks, and experienced less euphoria.”
Of those who experienced a decrease in the ability to handle alcohol, an average drop of three drinks per week was reportedly observed.
Researchers involved in the study acknowledged that their findings were not subject to a comparison group, and that their participants were “men with persistent sexual side effects associated with finasteride.”
According to LiveScience, the study was published earlier this month in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
