Treatment options for the health concerns men deal with most.

Stomach side effects. Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation are the most common, mostly during dose increases, and often ease with time.

Protecting muscle. Most weight lost in the trials was fat, but lean mass also fell by about 10%. Strength training and enough protein may help preserve muscle.

If you stop. One year after stopping semaglutide in the STEP 1 extension, participants had regained about two-thirds of the weight they lost. Talk with your clinician early about a plan for stopping.

Finasteride or dutasteride? Both block the enzyme that makes DHT. Finasteride 1 mg is FDA-approved for male pattern hair loss and is the most studied. Dutasteride lowers DHT more and increased hair count more in a 24-week trial, but its hair-loss use is off-label and it stays in the body for weeks.

Minoxidil or a DHT blocker? They work differently: minoxidil supports the growth phase, while DHT blockers slow the hormone-driven shrinking of follicles. Many men use both, which is why combination formulas exist.

Topical or oral? Topicals keep most of the medicine on the scalp but need daily application, and some finasteride is still absorbed. Pills are simpler but act on the whole body. In a 2024 trial in men, 5 mg oral minoxidil was not superior to 5% topical minoxidil at 24 weeks.

One ingredient or a combination? Single ingredients make it easier to see what is working and what causes a side effect. Combinations cover more than one pathway in one product, with more ingredients that can irritate.

Sexual side effects. In the finasteride 1 mg trials, 3.8% of men reported a sexual side effect compared with 2.1% on placebo. The label also describes reports of effects continuing after stopping. Tell your clinician about any change.

What tretinoin does. Tretinoin, a retinoid, is included in some minoxidil formulas because it may help minoxidil absorb and work in the scalp. It can add irritation.

Which ingredient is a hormone? Finasteride, dutasteride and minoxidil are not hormones, although finasteride and dutasteride lower the hormone DHT. Power Hair Solution and Power Hair Solution Plus also contain progesterone, a steroid hormone. Every treatment page lists each ingredient and whether it is a hormone.

Sildenafil or tadalafil? Sildenafil and vardenafil are usually taken about an hour before sex and work for several hours. Tadalafil was still effective 36 hours after a dose in a clinical study, so timing matters less.

Tablet, ODT or troche? Standard tablets are swallowed and are the format used in the main trials. Dissolving tablets and troches dissolve in the mouth, which some men prefer; compounded formats were not themselves studied in those trials.

One medicine or a combination? Most men start with a single medicine. The standard labels do not recommend combining two PDE5 inhibitors, so the tadalafil and sildenafil combination is only used when a clinician decides it is appropriate.

What is Pycnogenol? An extract of French maritime pine bark, a supplement ingredient studied for blood-vessel function. Small ED studies mostly combined it with L-arginine; its added benefit in these formulas has not been established.

Important safety. Never use any of these with nitrate medicines such as nitroglycerin. Seek emergency care for an erection lasting more than 4 hours, or sudden loss of vision or hearing.