Category: Drugs (Cause Hair Loss)

Posted on

Wellbutrin and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

(female) Does wellbutrin cause excessive hair loss? I’ve been on it for almost a year and a half and started noticing hair loss 7 months after I started the medication. Now I’m loosing 115 or more hairs (I’ve counted – those are just the ones that didn’t go down the drain) just by washing it and styling it in the morning. More falls through the course of the day. My family doctor doesn’t think it’s the medication but internet research seems to indicate something different.

Wellbutrin (bupropion) is amongst a group of similar drugs known to cause hair loss as a side effect. As far as I am aware, any antidepressant medication can cause hair loss in some people. I have had patients report this Wellbutrin side effect to me directly and certainly the internet is replete with comments to that observation.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Worried About Propecia Shedding – Should I Wait to Start Until After a Public Appearance? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr., I have two questions about proscar. First, I,i have a wedding in early June and am concerned about starting proscar right now and the effects shedding will have on my appearance at the wedding. Should I wait until after the wedding to start to avoid this problem. Also, I wanted to know if fitness supplements such as effedrine and nitric oxide boosters are known to aggravate or speed up MPB. Thanks for your help.

Block Quote

Shedding from Propecia (finasteride 1mg), in my practice, is very rare. I would not wait to start it just for fear of something so rare. Some of these boosters (like the ephedrine) may speed up MPB.

Posted on

Clobex and Seborrheic Dermatitis – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been using Clobex shampoo and I was wondering if this medicine can permanently heal my Seborrheic Dermatitis. Also, I was wondering if my hair will grow back once it is healed.

Clobex is a powerful steroid and should not be taken for prolonged periods of time. This can cause hair loss as well and it will not be a permanent solution to seborrheic dermatitis unless you keep taking it. It is a double edged sword, so use it cautiously and temporarily.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Biotinidase Deficiency from Accutane Causing Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi Dr Rassman,

firstly I would like to thank you for your website, I’ve been a keen reader for many months. Well about me, i’m 23 years old and ever since I stopped a nine month course of Accutane at the age of 19 I suddenly began to lose my hair rapidly in a diffuse pattern on the whole scalp area. This is very depressing as I used to have long thick hair. My hairline is relatively intact but I would say i’ve lost 60% volume at least, so you can see my scalp through it. There is some balding on my mothers side but they didn’t start balding till age 40+ and not in a agressive diffuse pattern like me. I strongly believe this is from the Accutane, maybe it has accelerated my mapped out MPB that I would get later in life. But also I’ve heard of people suffering Biotinidase Deficiency after a strong course of Accutane that can last for years and cause severe hair loss. Do you think biotin or any other vitamins could benefit post accutane treatment? I’ve been on 1mg propecia for 1 year with no regrowth or noticable benefits and Rogaine also with very slight regrowth, so these seem to not be helping my hair loss at my tender”ish” age.

Also i’ve was diagnosed with arthritis a few months ago and i’m on 4x 500mg paracetamol/30mg codeine tablets a day to help with the pain, but i’ve read that paracetamol reduces the effectiveness of rogaine do you know anything about this?

thanks for your time.

Marc P DiFazio, MD authored a good source for botinidase deficiency information, available at eMedicine.

I don’t know enough about the connections other than what I have learned via the web (researched briefly after your question was received). I am sure that you know the information on Accutane (isotretinoin) and hair loss seems to be a real problem for many people, but the solution to this problem is not evident. I did write to an email group of experts on the subject and there was no real insight into the connections you are looking at. I do not know if there is reaction between minoxidil and paracetamol, so I’d discuss this further with your prescribing physician.

Posted on

Accutane Now Lists Hair Loss As a Side Effect? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My 17 year old brother has had rapid hair loss for over a year now. Mainly on the top of his head & now the hairline is receding as well. There is no male pattern baldness on either sides of the family. We have taken him to several specialist & have had all possible bloodwork & even a scalp biopsy done. He has finally been diagnosed w/ Chronic Telogen Effluvium. He has C3 & Igg deposits in his follicular bulbs. There are an increased number of catagen & telogen follicles accompanied by shriveled, wrinkled, glassy membranes & fibrous tracts. The lower follicular epithelium is visibly in necrosis in some slide levels. There are few inflammatory cells. It is believed that the cause of the TE is medicine induced from Accutane. He has been off the medicine for one year & has continued to have hair loss & no re-growth. Accutane is now listing hair loss that may be permanent as one of it’s side effects due to the overwhelming amount of cases of this. Some people have had regrowth well others have not. Since it has been over a year & based on the diagnosis, is regrowth still possible? Will he go completely bald? Would he still be a candidate for a hair transplant down the road? What are the possible treatments for him? He has already tried Rogaine, Tagament, & the laser comb. He is devastated & is becoming more & more depressed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I can not fully answer this question, but I’ll do my best. For people with chronic telogen effluvium (TE), long term use of minoxidil may help. The good news is the chronic TE implies that the hair is still there, unlike in the case of genetic hair loss. As I am not a dermatologist and have limited understanding of chronic TE, your brother will be best served by someone with expertise in this field and a track record for it. Good luck to your brother and thanks for sharing this with us.

Posted on

Acid Reflux Medication and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I’m a 23 year old male with something like a Norwood II or III hairline. My family history is likely to blame, but I’ve also been on various medications for acid reflux, including omeperazole, protonix, nexium and prevacid for some time. My family Dr. noted that some of these drugs could cause hair loss before prescribing propecia. Do you think this is true, and is any one best?

Practically every day over the years, I’ve received questions asking whether a specific drug or drugs cause hair loss. Again and again, I must remind everyone that there are many drugs that MAY cause hair loss as one of MANY potential side effects. Protonix (pantoprazole), Prilosec (omeprazole) and Nexium (esomeprazole) have very rare instances of hair loss reported, but the most important thing to remember is that male pattern baldness (MPB) is the number one cause of hair loss in men. Drugs are the very very last on the list of cause for hair loss in men.

If you believe you are balding or losing hair you should have your doctor evaluate your hair (with a miniaturization study if possible) to see if you indeed have genetic male pattern baldness. Starting on Propecia (finasteride 1mg) just because you believe you are losing hair without a clear diagnosis is not a smart thing to do either — this is why Propecia is a prescription medication. If I may bastardize an old metaphor — when you are being charged by a herd of dancing elephants, don’t look at the ants that may get trampled.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Female Hair Loss from Lexapro or Anesthesia? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Hi,

I had two surgeries, one in October 2007 and the other 4 weeks later in November 2007, to remove ovaries and surgical adhesions from a hysterectomy performed in September 2007. I started experiencing numbness and tingling on my upper/lower extremities in February 2008. My physician ordered Lexapro to reduce associated diabetic neurological symptoms. I’ve been on this medication now for 6 weeks and have started losing my hair and now have bald spots. Coincidently, I had hair loss after having undergone anesthesia 2 years ago as well. Is this hair loss due to the anesthesia or Lexapro? I am taking 10mg Lexapro. If this is causing the problem, can you recommend any natural supplements that can help with this issue?

Anesthesia and/or Lexapro (Escitalopram Oxalate) can cause hair loss. If you are having bald spots, sometime surgery and stress can even induce alopecia areata. You need to see a good dermatologist to look at this and determine the cause of your problem. This is not something I can determine via the Internet.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

In the News – Significant Hair Loss Linked to Dietary Supplement – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

From the article –

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers in 15 states about the link between a dietary supplement and adverse side effects including “significant hair loss.”

The distributor of “Total Body Formula” and “Total Body Mega Formula” has voluntarily recalled the dietary supplement products after 23 individuals suffered “serious reactions” within seven to 10 days of ingesting the liquid supplements, the FDA said in a news release.

Full text — FDA Warns ‘Significant Hair Loss’ Linked to Dietary Supplement

This is a significant news story on the potential dangers of dietary supplements, which I hope many of our readers take to heart. There are no free rides in this world.

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):


Posted on

Hair Loss InformationForskolin and Testosterone Levels – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dear Dr. Rassman,

Thank you in advance for reading this question. I am a 19-year old male with MPB, NW II. I am currently on propecia to combat this.

I have recently started taking a nutritional supplement called forskolin, at half the daily recommended dose, as I am worried about the possible effects on testosterone levels. A study was done and can be found here: Body Composition and Hormonal Adaptations Associated with Forskolin Consumption in Overweight and Obese Men.

My question is, if this product does legitimately increase serum free testosterone levels significantly, is this a cause for concern?

Thank you in advance

Block Quote

I looked at the abstract of the study that you referenced. It seems that it does increase your serum testesterone levels, although not significantly. Time frame wise, the study only looked at the effects of this supplement at 3 months. It is possible that at 6 months or a year both the placebo and the Forskolin group may have no difference in serum testosterone levels. Who knows? With an increase in testosterone levels in the blood stream you always run the risk of having more testosterone converted to DHT, and thereby having increased hair loss.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationLaserComb Stops DHT? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

i have a few questions. i have been taking propecia for about a year now and it has halted my hairloss. however i have also been taken adderall and have noticed my hair is getting really thin on top and in the front. If i stop taking adderal, will my hair get thicker and start to regrow or have i just screwed myself. also i just bought a hairmax laser comb that is suppost to stop DHT…. Should i still take propecia?

for my last question. i have an appointment with a dermatologist to have my scalp looked at. what should i ask them in regards to my current hair loss

thank you for your time.

Block Quote

Adderall is known to cause hair loss or thinning in some people. I can not even guess what will happen to you over time. Do not stop taking prescribed medication without discussing it with your prescribing physician. Taking Propecia is good and one way to halt your hair loss. The LaserComb, to my knowledge, does not impact DHT production nor is it claimed to do so.

Get your dermatologist to map out your hair for miniaturization and measure with an appropriate caliber, the thickness of your hair shafts in different parts of your scalp.