A risk-benefit assessment of pharmacological therapies for hirsutism

Drug Safety : an International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Drug Experience
E Carmina

Abstract

In recent years, many new therapeutic regimens for hirsutism have been introduced. This has considerably enlarged the different choices of the physician but at the same time has produced considerable confusion and uncertainty as to what is the best possible therapy for the single patient or for the different pathologies of this condition. This review presents data on the characteristics, adverse effects and effective dosage for the more commonly used drugs for hirsutism. In most patients, low doses of antiandrogens (cyproterone acetate, flutamide or spironolactone) are used with few adverse effects and good results in terms of improvement of the hirsutism. Patients with severe hyperandrogenic hirsutism may require larger doses of antiandrogens. In only a few patients, therapy with agents that primarily reduce androgen secretion (mostly a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist) is needed. In responsive patients, dexamethasone may be used at low doses (associated with an antiandrogen) to prolong the length of the remission. Finally, agents that inhibit 5alpha-reductase activity (finasteride) may be used as alternative to low dose antiandrogen therapy but the results are often less satisfactory.

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Citations

Feb 7, 2002·Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
Mar 22, 2005·Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery·Maha Haroun
Jan 14, 2003·Fertility and Sterility·Enrico Carmina, Rogerio A Lobo
Oct 26, 2002·Journal of Endocrinological Investigation·E CarminaR A Lobo
Jun 25, 2015·Liver International : Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver·Fernando BessoneRaúl J Andrade
Nov 22, 2005·Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG·Christos C Zouboulis
Jun 15, 2006·Best Practice & Research. Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism·Enrico Carmina
Jun 27, 2002·Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy·James C Shaw
Nov 19, 2005·Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety·Gloria MansoAgustín Hidalgo
Dec 4, 2003·Risk Analysis : an Official Publication of the Society for Risk Analysis·Igor Linkov, Dmitriy Burmistrov
Mar 1, 2010·Expert Review of Endocrinology & Metabolism·Enrico Carmina

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