fathering children while on dutasteride?

[powersam]

have looked around somewhat and havent been able to find any information about this. i see its safe to father children while on propecia but what about avodart? any information would be greatly appreciated

 

[Troymaclure]

There are many warnings about pregnant women handling or coming into contact with Avodart, such as:

Special warnings about this medication


If a pregnant or breastfeeding woman is exposed to Avodart, the drug may harm the developing baby (see "Special information if you are pregnant or breastfeeding").

You should not donate blood while taking Avodart or for 6 months after stopping treatment to avoid exposing pregnant or breastfeeding women to blood that contains the drug.

So there you think, well, okay already-pregnant women shouldn't come into contact with it, but what about actually getting her pregnant in the first place?? The next paragraph alludes more to this:

Avodart can be absorbed through the skin. Because the drug could affect a developing baby, pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, and breastfeeding women should strictly avoid skin contact with the drug.

.

I think it's fairly clear then that it's risky full stop.

Quote from Discover Channel:

Dutasteride is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that it is known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Women who are or who may become pregnant must not take dutasteride and must not handle dutasteride capsules. The medication can be absorbed through the skin and may cause birth defects in the unborn baby. If contact is made with leaking capsules, the contact area should be washed immediately with soap and water.

a woman who is pregnant with a male baby gets enough AVODART into her body after swallowing it or through her skin after handling it, the male baby may be born with abnormal sex organs.

From 'forhair.com'

(read very carefully!):

Teratogenecity in Females
Dutasteride is contraindicated for use in women of childbearing age since birth defects in males can occur if significant amounts of the drug are absorbed into the body during fetal development. It is advised that the soft Gelatin Capsules not be handled by pregnant women out of concern that they may cause harm to the male fetus. However, to our knowledge, there has not been a single reported case of birth defects caused by women handling broken or crushed finasteride tablets or dutasteride soft gelatin capsules. The concern of handling crushed tablets or gelatin capsules seems to revolve around the FDA policy of assuming maximal possible absorption of the full concentration of the medication during any contact.

There is no evidence that exposure of dutasteride to pregnant women through semen is a risk to the human fetus, but for those patients who wish to limit any potential contact of dutasteride to their partner during pregnancy, a condom can be worn once conception has occurred. Your safest solution is to delay conception until you have ceased taking dutasteride for 6 months or to use a condom for 6 months after cessation of dutasteride should your significant other become pregnant.

From the same site:

(yikes...)

There were dose and time dependent decreases in fertility, epididymal sperm conts, reduced weights of the epididymis, prostate, and seminal vesicles and microscopic changes in the male reproductive organs. The fertility effects were reversed by recovery week 6 at all doses and sperm counts were normal at the end of a 14-week recovery period.

...and that's to grown men with fully-formed reproductive organs.

 

[Troymaclure]

But, as usual, you get some contradictions...for instance, one quote above says;

There is no evidence that exposure of dutasteride to pregnant women through semen is a risk to the human fetus

But another one says;

Dutasteride is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that it is known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby.

(the bold type is my own, for emphasis value).

 

[Troymaclure]

Some more info...:

Steady-state serum and semen concentrations are achieved at about 6 months. On average, semen concentrations are 11.5% of serum dutasteride concentrations in healthy patients at 1 year. Because of the long half-life of dutasteride, serum concentrations remain detectable (> 0.1 ng/ml) for up to 4 to 6 months after stopping therapy. Dutaseride pharmacokinetics have not been evaluated in patients under 18 years of age. The effect of race on dutasteride pharmacokinetics has not been studied.

Furthermore...;

Dutasteride is metabolized in the liver via CYP3A4 enzyme. Two minor mono-hydroxylated metabolites and 3 major metabolites have been identified. Of these metabolites, the 6beta-hydroxydutasteride is the only one to have activity comparable to that of dutasteride. Dutasteride and its metabolites are primarily excreted in feces (5% unchanged drug and 40% as metabolites). Only trace amounts of unchanged drug were found in urine (<1%). The dose unaccounted for was approximately 55%.

All from http://www.jcl.healthinkonline.com/modules/goldstandard/monograph.asp?cpnum=2719&name=Dutasteride

I know for a fact there's an online study out there *somewhere* that details semen dutasteride concentrations, and their effects in vitro on reproduction in mice or rats or something, because i saw it about 6 months ago, and i'm bloody annoyed i've lost it now! Anyway, the conclusion it came back with was that you would need to take something like 1000 times the recommended dose we take for hairloss before the semen concentrations were high enough to cause actual birth defects, i.e. genital abnormailities.

Still, any risk is just too great IMO....personally i use contraception at the moment...i don't want to but i'd rather have a slightly less pleasurable leg-over than risk an accident while i'm taking dutasteride...i want kids in the next two years so i guess we'll have to plan it carefully 8)

 

[Deaner]

I don't see how those are contradictions? Yea, the drug is KNOWN to cause harm to the unborn baby, of course it is, DHT inhibitors do that to fetuses. BUT, it didn't say that the semen of a man on treatment is KNOWN to cause harm to the unborn baby. Big difference there.

 

[Bismarck]

I don't see how those are contradictions? Yea, the drug is KNOWN to cause harm to the unborn baby, of course it is, DHT inhibitors do that to fetuses. BUT, it didn't say that the semen of a man on treatment is KNOWN to cause harm to the unborn baby. Big difference there.

I completely agree !

 

[Troymaclure]

ok...fair enough...but, to what end are they warning that a woman who may get pregnant should 'avoid contact' with it...do you not figure that, between the lines, they mean from sperm from a man taking the drug? Sexual intercourse. Conception. Because otherwise it's pretty vague, don't you think (to simple folk like me, of which there are many )

The bottom line being that of course a DHT / 5ar inhibitor will cause abnormalities to a developing foetus, but i think they should publish a more definitive statement on the issue of 'contact' to a woman 'who may become pregant'...so that the more simple folk like me can get it straight in our heads

 

[Bismarck]

ok...fair enough...but, why do you figure they warn that a woman who may get pregnant should avoid 'contact' with it...do you not figure that, between the lines, they mean from sperm from a man taking the drug? Because otherwise it's pretty vague, don't you think.

The bottom line being that of course a DHT / 5ar inhibitor will cause abnormalities to a developing foetus, but i think they should publish a more definitive statement on the issue of 'contact' to a woman 'who may become pregant'...so that the more simple folk like me can get it straight in our heads

They'll have to say everything that could be possible. I would stop taking dutasteride a month before I make the wife pregnant (whats the english verb for that).
Some argued that topical finasteride has to be effective because Merck says woman shouldn't handle broken pills but thats like trying to commit suicide with Aspirin because sudden death is listed as a side effect...

 

[Bismarck]

and what do you think about this one ?


Topically applied minoxidil may cause fetal malformation: a case report.

Smorlesi C, Caldarella A, Caramelli L, Di Lollo S, Moroni F.

Dipartimento di Farmacologia Preclinica e Clinica, Universita di Firenze and Azienda Ospedaliera Careggi, Florence, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Minoxidil is a K(+) channel opener able to cause relaxation of vascular smooth muscles and modify cell growth and cell fate or migration. It is now widely used for its hair growth promoting effects. When locally applied, it is absorbed through the skin and may have systemic pharmacological effects. CASE: A 28-year-old white pregnant woman daily applied minoxidil 2% to her scalp because of hair loss. At the 22nd gestational week, after a routine ultrasound test showing significant brain, heart, and vascular malformations of the fetus, pregnancy was interrupted. The placenta had numerous ischemic areas and a discrepancy between gestational age and villi maturation. In the villi, capillaries were increased in number, significantly enlarged, and excessively marginalized. The fetus' heart was increased in volume and had a globose shape, the aorta had a distal stenosis. The sigmoid colon was significantly increased in length and a mesentery commune was present. The brain had enlarged ventricles and abundant hemorrhages. Histological examination showed areas of demyelinization with gliosis, signs of excessive and inappropriate angiogenesis, and capillary rearrangement. CONCLUSIONS: Further knowledge on minoxidil-induced fetal toxicity would be beneficial before allowing its use in pregnant women. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Publication Types:
Case Reports

PMID: 14745922 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

[Troymaclure]

They'll have to say everything to could be possible. I would stop taking a month before I make the wife pregnant (whats the english verb for that).
Some argued that topical finasteride has to be effective because Merck says woman shouldn't handle broken pills but thats like trying to commit suicide with Aspirin because sudden death is listed as a side effect...

yea...it did occur to me that, reading all the precautions the common thing you notice is they cannot seem to emphasise enough how rapidly and how well the dutasteride gel is absorbed by the skin, so, makes you think wouldn't it make a good topical? But, these things don't necessarily follow like you say.

before I make the wife pregnant (whats the english verb for that).

The correct English verb is 'before you get her up the duff'

 

[Bryan]

before I make the wife pregnant (whats the english verb for that).

The correct English verb is 'before you get her up the duff'

That must be ENGLISH English! :wink:

How about: 'before you get her knocked up'.

Bryan

 

[Troymaclure]

Yep, Bryan, that is also correct, i see i've taught you well grasshopper

Also consider 'getting her in the pudding club' or 'putting a bun in her oven'

 

[Deaner]

or perhaps impregnate

 

[Slartibartfast]

The bottom line being that of course a DHT / 5ar inhibitor will cause abnormalities to a developing foetus, but i think they should publish a more definitive statement on the issue of 'contact' to a woman 'who may become pregant'...so that the more simple folk like me can get it straight in our heads

Bearing in mind that I myself am one of those simple folk, would I be correct in saying that the sexual development of a foetus occurs approx. 3 months after conception, thus making this the most crucial period for a mother-to-be to avoid contact with 5ar inhibitors?

Slarti

 

[Buffboy]

The bottom line being that of course a DHT / 5ar inhibitor will cause abnormalities to a developing foetus, but i think they should publish a more definitive statement on the issue of 'contact' to a woman 'who may become pregant'...so that the more simple folk like me can get it straight in our heads

Bearing in mind that I myself am one of those simple folk, would I be correct in saying that the sexual development of a foetus occurs approx. 3 months after conception, thus making this the most crucial period for a mother-to-be to avoid contact with 5ar inhibitors?

Slarti

Could be. But if it's in your semen while making the girl pregnant, I think your kid is in trouble. Remember Dutasteride can stay as long as 4-6 months in the body.

 

[Troymaclure]

i'm not sure when the external genitalia would be considered full developed, but yea it's not worth the risk of having any in your semen in the first place at any point!

 

[Guest]

So bottom line for stupid people reading this thread:

If it safe to take Dutasteride while trying to conceive ?

If it safe to take Finasteride while trying to conceive ?

none of your science words here just some straight talking 'yes' or 'no's




yee haa!

Ty

 

[Bert]

So bottom line for stupid people reading this thread:

If it safe to take Finasteride while trying to conceive ?

none of your science words here just some straight talking 'yes' or 'no's

Ty

Well according to the safety video on, propeica.com its ok to take it whilst try to conceive. The only warning it says is women should not handle broken or crushed pills and obviously shouldn't take the drug. No idea for dust though.

http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/pro ... safety.jsp

 

[Guest]

cheers!

that's an OK for finasteride then!

 

[Slartibartfast]

...would I be correct in saying that the sexual development of a foetus occurs approx. 3 months after conception, thus making this the most crucial period for a mother-to-be to avoid contact with 5ar inhibitors?

Slarti

Could be. But if it's in your semen while making the girl pregnant, I think your kid is in trouble. Remember Dutasteride can stay as long as 4-6 months in the body.

For anyone who has been taking the standard dose that's certainly true. I was thinking more of how quickly a woman would metabolize the small volume of Dutasteride transmitted via the semen of a man on said drug.

Slarti