Man says hair growth drug turned him into a woman

For nine months, William McKee took the generic version of Propecia, the pills that promise to halt hair loss. But the drug had radical side effects: Instead of becoming a better-looking man, he started becoming a woman, he claims. “My rock-hard chest from the gym began to soften . . . reaching the point where I had noticeable ‘breasts’ even under my clothing,” he says. Among other changes, the 38-year-old software engineer claims, “my shoulders were literally falling into a more feminine position, and my hips were loosening and becoming wider, as on a woman’s body.”’



McKee, who says he wasn’t inclined to cross-dress before, began feeling like a woman. He is now only attracted to men. After overcoming depression and separating from his wife of 10 years, McKee goes by “Mandi.” He wears a blond wig, makeup and tight dresses. He plans to get a breast-enhancement job this year, and may undergo sex-change surgery. It felt like the ‘me’ that I’ve always known was not there any more,” he said.

Propecia inhibits the conversion of testosterone, resulting in increased estrogen. Millions have used it since the 1990s, but it has been linked to sexual problems such as impotence, loss of libido and “genital shrinkage” as well as cognitive impairment, or “brain fog,” which McKee believes he also suffered. McKee, a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur and the father of a 5-year-old son, said he used to be “driven and athletic.” Baldness runs in his family; his hairline began to recede in his 20s.



After seeing Propecia ads for years, he ordered a supply in 2008 from an online pharmacy based in India. He paid $99.50, including shipping, for pills of the generic finasteride. He popped one pill a day for nine months. His hair growth was “minimal, if any,” he said, but the feminizing effects were “pronounced.” “People were kidding me about my breasts,” he said. His work suffered, too, he said. His last business, Tampa Bay Interactive, went bust in late 2010. In frustration, “Mandi McKee” has launched a blog to vent about her life.