Propecia

Can't hold your liquor? Maybe it's the Propecia

Going bald isn't officially considered a form of mental illness, but it may as well be.

Ever see how crazy men act when they see that first glint of skin up top?

They lose all common sense, and many will do almost anything to get it back -- leading to one of the biggest mistakes they'll ever make: Propecia.

That's a hair loss drug that does double-duty as a prostate treatment. It can pack some horrific sexual side effects -- potential side effects that could hang around even after you stop taking the drug -- but I'm not going to focus on that today. (Read all about it right here if you want to know more.)

No, today I want to focus on a newly uncovered side effect that might be downright mild by comparison, but could also change your life and limit how you enjoy yourself: Propecia may make it so you can't hold your liquor anymore.

In one new study, two-thirds of drinkers on Propecia either cut back on their booze intake or even quit completely -- and in many cases, this lasted even after they stopped taking the drug.

Many said that when they did drink, they had a harder time recovering. And many became depressed when they had to cut back or give up.

Wouldn't you? Booze isn't just a great way to enjoy yourself, it's also one of the best ways to boost your health. Moderate drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease, dementia, and more -- and moderate drinkers LIVE LONGER, too.

But if you start knocking back drugs to get a little hair back, you might be forced to stop knocking back liquor too -- and miss out on all those great benefits.

If you're losing your own hair, you don't need to risk your sex life or your social life to get it back. There are natural ways to slow and even reverse hair loss. Search my online archives for the answers.

FDA warns Propecia can cause sexual dysfunction

You don't have to suffer a prostate problem to be given a dangerous and emasculating prostate drug -- just tell your doc you want more hair.

The "magic hair-come-back pill" he'll almost certainly offer you is Propecia, which is really just a smaller dose of finasteride -- aka the prostate drug Proscar. And like most prostate treatments, it "works" by cutting off your flow of manly hormones.

Naturally, you'll be less of a man as a result. More specifically, you may have to kiss your sex life goodbye...

But hey, at least you'll have a great head of hair.

If all this sounds familiar, it's because I've warned you about this bad med before. I mention it again not only because some men clearly haven't gotten the message -- but because now, even the FDA has woken up just long enough to issue its own warning.

The feds say finasteride has been reported to kill your erections -- and if you do manage to get it up, it can prevent you from having an orgasm.

Frankly, I don't know which is worse: Being unable to start, or unable to finish.

In addition to taking away the ability, it can rob you of the desire by sapping your libido. And if all that's not enough, it has also been linked to other ejaculatory problems including poor sperm quality and even infertility.

And for the icing on the cake, decreased libido can last even after you stop taking the drug. Since many men start losing their hair again when they stop the drug, you won't even have that luxurious mane to console you.

If you're not ready to slap a "BALD IS BEAUTIFUL" bumper sticker on your car, I've got some good news: You CAN get your hair back without risking your sex life in the process.

The key is to inhibit the production of DHT. Much like you body's autoimmune response, DHT attacks your hair follicles as if they're foreign objects.

And the best way to take control of DHT production is by inhibiting the enzyme that's responsible for converting testosterone into DHT, 5a-reductase. That's where saw palmetto comes in. This nutrient is most famous for its prostate-supporting action. But it could also have a powerful effect on male-pattern baldness.

I recommend 400mg of saw palmetto along with 100mg of beta-sitosterol.

Research has also shown that an unsaturated fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid (GLA) may help inhibit 5a-reductase, putting the brakes on the conversion of testosterone to DHT.

No drugs... no expensive and smelly shampoos... no hair weaves... just the one thing your body needs to stop the shedding and regrow your hair.