Nizoral/Ketoconazole interesting side effects

[BrockR]

Hi Guys, something recently knocked my T levels way down (never cycled), so I was deep researching all the products I've been using lately to look for any relation.

I use DS labs anti thinning shampoo with ketoconazole and came across this interesting tidbit of info. I know many others on here use various shampoos with this ingredient. Keep in mind, the article below is for oral use (on pets), but maybe daily topical use of such a product could cause systemic effects?
Just thought I would post this to bring it to the attention of others. Maybe it's nothing.


KETOCONAZOLE SIDE EFFECTS

* At higher doses or in certain individuals, liver disease can result from administration but this should resolve with discontinuation of the medication. This is usually a problem for cats rather than dogs and can be dose-dependent or independent and consists of cholangiohepatitis-type inflammation.

* The liver enzymes routinely measured on a blood panel commonly increase with ketoconazole use and does not necessarily indicate the development of the liver reaction mentioned above. When ketoconazole use is long term, liver enzymes should be monitored.

* Some individuals will show a lightening of the hair coat while taking ketoconazole. This effect reverses with discontinuation of the medication.

* Ketoconazole interferes with testicular secretion of testosterone and may produce a feminizing effect in males.

* Ketoconazole also interferes with the adrenal gland’s production of cortisone and can thus be used in the treatment of Cushing’s Disease. For more information on this subject, click here.

 

[BrockR]

Another interesting article, this time relating to HUMAN use. Sorry I can't post links because I don't have high enough post count yet.

Site of Action of Low Dose Ketoconazole on Androgen Biosynthesis in Men*
R. J. SANTEN, H. VAN DEN BOSSCHE, J. SYMOENS, J. BRUGMANS and R. DECOSTER

Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, The Pennsylvania State University (R.J.S.) Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
Janssen Pharmaceutica Beerse, Belgium

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. Richard J. Santen, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033.

Ketoconazole inhibits testosterone biosynthesis in men, but the exact site of its action on the androgen pathway remains to be established. To examine this question, we measured several steroids in the androgen and glucocorticoid pathways in normal men before and after receiving either a single dose of 200 mg ketoconazole or placebo in a cross-over randomized trial. Total and free plasma testosterone fell to levels 60% below basal within 4–8 h (P < 0.02 in all) and then returned to control concentrations by 24 h after drug administration. The transient alterations of plasma testosterone correlated well with ketoconazole blood levels, which peaked at 2 h and fell exponentially thereafter. A compensatory increase in plasma LH at 24 h in the drug but not placebo group was consistent with the decrease in plasma testosterone. The levels of plasma androstenedione paralleled those of testosterone in the ketoconazoletreated subjects. In marked contrast, plasma 17{alpha}-hydroxyprogesterone increased at 4–8 h (all P < 0.02) before returning to basal values at 24 h. This rise in precursor with fall in product steroid implicated an effect of ketoconazole on the C17–20 lyase enzyme. This conclusion was supported by the highly significant increase in the ratio of plasma 17{alpha}-hydroxyprogesterone to androstenedione observed between 2 and 24 h after drug administration. The effect of ketoconazole at this dose level appeared relatively specific, since no decrements in plasma cortisol or 11-desoxycortisol were found.

During chronic administration of 200 mg ketoconazole daily, decrements of plasma testosterone 2–4 h after drug administration were minimal and documented only by paired comparisons within subjects but not by unpaired tests between normal men and men receiving drug. The lack of major effects on testosterone levels long term at this dosage probably explain why few androgen-related side effects with this drug were previously reported. Ketoconazole, therefore, represents another compound with relatively selective effects on a cytochrome P-450-mediated steroid hydroxylation step, namely that involved with C17–20 lyase.

* Presented in part at the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Washington, D.C., May 8–10, 1982.

Received March 21, 1983.

 

[MidwestBeast]

This is interesting to read, but I definitely think that they need some studies looking at its topical use over time. From what I'd read in the past, Nizoral shouldn't hinder any results due to its topical application (whereas Propecia and other products could react differently, or adversely, with androgens).