A young man who claimed to be depressed after taking a hair loss tablet for five years killed himself by jumping off a bridge, an inquest heard.
Jack Hogg, 24, from Exeter, Devon, was not losing his hair but had been self medicating with finasteride.
In the months before his death he became concerned about its side effects including depression.
Sports-loving Jack thought he had ruined his mind, body and life by taking the tablets.
Jack Hogg, 24, from Exeter, Devon, was not losing his hair but had been self medicating with finasteride. A search was carried out for Jack but his body was later discovered by a family friend at the bottom of Torridge Bridge (pictured) near Bideford, North Devon
An Exeter inquest heard he started buying the medication online when he was 19 years old to prevent any possible hair loss in the future because some members of his family had started to lose their hair from a young age.
Jack tried to come off the finasteride but in January 2020 he sought help for the first time after feeling suicidal.
But days later in February he texted his girlfriend to say he was planning to end his life.
A search was carried out for Jack but his body was later discovered by a family friend at the bottom of Torridge Bridge near Bideford, North Devon.
A note to his girlfriend said he was ‘giving up’. The inquest heard there was no medical link between finasteride and his symptoms.
An Exeter inquest heard he started buying the medication (stock picture of finasteride) online when he was 19 years old to prevent any possible hair loss in the future because some members of his family had started to lose their hair from a young age
His father Brian said Jack was an exceptional sportsman but he had become ‘very sensitive’ about hair loss since the age of 18 which is why he began self medicating in a bid to prevent it.
Brian said: ‘Although he was not losing his hair, he looked at older family members and was concerned he would be similar.’
The inquest heard Jack had researched post-finasteride syndrome online which gave a very bleak outlook and led him to believe he had ruined his life.
He died from multiple injuries in the fall from 24 metres from the road bridge.
Assistant coroner Alison Longhorn recorded a suicide conclusion that Jack had jumped off the bridge and intended to take his own life.
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Source: Daily Mail
