A bestselling author has shared a heartbreaking story about how a popular hair loss drug led to the demise of her ex-husband\u2019s sexual function \u2014 and their marriage.
\nSpeaking recently on the podcast \u201cMoral Medicine,\u201d Thammika Songkaeo said she noticed they had no love life to speak of while they were still dating.
\nHer then-boyfriend told her that it was because he had taken Propecia \u2014 the brand name of finasteride, which is commonly used to treat hair loss in men. One of the potential side effects is sexual dysfunction.
\n<\/p>\n
At the time, she thought it was just a temporary issue \u2014 or that it would only be a problem intermittently.
\n\u201cI did not at all realize that it was permanent, serious [and] devastating,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
They got married and stayed together for seven years, with Songkaeo convincing her ex to take an erectile dysfunction drug to improve intimacy. Now, she\u2019s trying to spread the word not only about how post-finasteride syndrome\u00a0(PFS) \u2014 a condition in which someone experiences severe side effects after they stop using finasteride \u2014\u00a0affects its victims, but also the ones they love. Songkaeo was interviewed by podcast host\u00a0Mark Millich, who made headlines earlier this year by telling the\u00a0Wall Street Journal\u00a0that he experienced debilitating side effects after buying finasteride. In April, the\u00a0US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning\u00a0about topical finasteride products distributed by telehealth companies, citing several reports of adverse events such as erectile dysfunction, anxiety, suicidal ideation, brain fog, depression, fatigue, insomnia, decreased libido and testicular pain. The story of Thammika Songkaeo and her ex-husband serves as a cautionary tale about the potential risks of finasteride and the importance of thoroughly understanding the side effects of any medication before use. It also highlights the need for support and awareness about post-finasteride syndrome and its impact on individuals and their loved ones.<\/p>\n Popular Hair Loss Drug Destroys Man’s Sex Drive, Ending His Marriage Introduction to the Problem A bestselling author has shared a heartbreaking story about how a popular hair loss drug led to the demise of her ex-husband\u2019s sexual function \u2014 and their marriage. Speaking recently on the podcast \u201cMoral Medicine,\u201d Thammika Songkaeo said she noticed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18470","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2025%2F06%2Fyoung-couple-arguing-fighting-domestic-105768087.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall&w=1920&resize=1920,1279&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18470"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18470"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18472,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18470\/revisions\/18472"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe couple welcomed a daughter, but Songkaeo\u2019s loneliness worsened.
\nUltimately, she decided to walk away from the sex-starved marriage.
\nNoting that her ex was a wonderful partner outside of the bedroom, they remained great friends \u2014 and Songkaeo went on to write a novel about her experience, \u201cStamford Hospital,\u201d which became a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon Singapore.
\n\u201cThe depth of the loneliness I felt was to the point where I myself was becoming suicidal or having suicidal thoughts,\u201d Songkaeo said. Gorodenkoff \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/p>\nRaising Awareness About Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS)<\/h2>\n
\n\u201cThe depth of the loneliness I felt was to the point where I, myself, was becoming suicidal or having suicidal thoughts,\u201d Songkaeo said.
\n\u201cI had to call the suicide hotline because it became that bad for me \u2014 and, usually, I\u2019m a pretty happy person.\u201d
\nShe questions the ethics of distributing a drug that can have such potentially devastating consequences.
\n\u201cFinasteride has the capacity to dissolve one person so much that it becomes this domino effect\u2026there\u2019s just so much destruction around it \u2014 and it feels like unnecessary destruction,\u201d she said.<\/p>\nPersonal Accounts of PFS<\/h2>\n
\nMark Millich\u00a0\u2014 the host of the podcast \u2014 made headlines earlier this year by telling the\u00a0Wall Street Journal\u00a0that he experienced debilitating side effects after buying finasteride. X\/@Unstoppable218<\/span>
\nSome of his side effects included anxiety, dizziness and slurred speech. His sex drive also plummeted, and his genitals shrank and changed shape.
\nMillich previously interviewed a 28-year-old man who reported a roller coaster of side effects due to PFS, including sexual dysfunction, insomnia, severe weight and muscle loss, skin rashes and pelvic pain.
\n\u201cEvery month, I feel like there\u2019s a new side effect,\u201d the man said. \u201cIt\u2019s really changed my life completely.\u201d<\/p>\nFDA Warning and Support<\/h2>\n
\nIf you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24\/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to\u00a0SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\n
\nA: Finasteride, commonly known by the brand name Propecia, is a medication used to treat hair loss in men.<\/li>\n
\nA: PFS is a condition where individuals experience severe side effects after stopping the use of finasteride, which can include sexual dysfunction, among other symptoms.<\/li>\n
\nA: You can call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org for support. If you are in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"