Category: Drugs (Cause Hair Loss)

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Hair Loss is Causing My Depression – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I had beautiful hair my entire life. I received compliments weekly on it; it was that nice. I took SYNTHROID for 6 months when my thyroid problem was only borderline and I should NOT have taken it. 99.9% of the subsequent doctors said I should not have taken it. My hair changed completely. I took the drug MAY 05 through NOV 05. It changed the texture, the thickness, I now have a see-through head of hair (especilally on top) and I am depressed. I saw 35 doctors, 2 trichologists and 1 supposed “expert” who said I was in the shedding phase and it would stop. After 16 months, he said it was “long” but would go back to normal. Not true. Has not happened. My life is not the same and I quit my job over this. I haven’t worked since. I have been taking sulfur and fish oil gels every day – the hair was holding steady but still bad until OCT 2006 when things hit the fan and the top got super thin and fallout was twice as bad. I am scared I will be bald and never have a life again. I feel like a monster. My marriage isn’t too great either due to my unceasing depression. I need to be in a study group or with a group of scientists who study hair. I cannot go on. Please…help. Thank you.

Synthroid could be a cause of hair loss. If it was the only cause of hair loss in your case, it should have been reversed with stopping the medication by now. Since you stopped taking it more than a year ago and did not grow your hair back, you must have some other factors involved and thus need a thorough evaluation.

It is proven that hair loss can increase the level of anxiety and cause depression in several studies that have performed in Europe (see PubMed – Psychological aspects of hair disease). The only thing I can recommend is a medical evaluation to have a proper diagnosis. You need to get started on appropriate treatment with a hair specialist. Diagnosis of hair loss is not always simple and it takes a great deal of patience on your part to work through diagnosis and the slowness of treating the problem. You must have a good doctor to do this with. Good luck.

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I Thought HGH Thickened the Hair? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,
I was just reading the recent questions pertaining to hGH therapy and hairloss. Could you explain the actual reason for the hair loss that occurs while a patient is on hGH therapy. I’m just curious because many physicians who promote hGH for anti-aging say it should thicken the hair in most cases. Perhaps the hairloss is mainly due to the Testosterone therapy that many use in addition to hGH?

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It causes hair loss. Also look at the other things that it will do that are not good for you, which is defined well in MedLine Plus’s website: Growth Hormone

I do not want to write a book on pharmacology here. This is one of the master hormones of the body and its influence is massive everywhere.

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Hair Loss InformationCreatine and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was wondering if there was any correlation between hair loss and creatine usage. I’ve been working out 6 – 7 days a week for the six weeks while taking creatine every daily, and have noticed increased hair loss.

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Although as far as I know, creatine does not cause hair loss, I found a couple of sites that tell stories that would dispute that. Remember, just because you read about it on the internet, it does not necessarily make it true. Take these with a grain of salt:

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Hair Loss InformationWhy Might Xanax Cause Hair Loss, Rather than Anxiety? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi,
First of all I’m a 29 yr old male with extreme anxiety. I’ve read a couple of posts on this site about Xanax & hair loss. In every question asking about whether Xanax can cause hair loss, you mention that it definitely can.

As I stated earlier, I have an anxiety disorder & have just recently started taking the generic version(1mg 3 times a day) of Xanax again. Can you explain to me how & why the Xanax would cause hair loss? I’m just REALLY concerned now after reading about that. I was thinking that extreme anxiety would be more likely to cause hair loss than Xanax?

If you could just give me any kind of explanation, I’d be extremely grateful.

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Occurrence of hair loss can be due to several factors. Although most the common cause of hair loss at your age is male pattern baldness, anxiety could be considered an aggravating factor for your hair loss. Hair loss is not one of the commonly known side effects of Xanax. We hear from our patients who just got started on Xanax that they lose hair, but it is hard to prove that their hair loss is really associated with Xanax or if it has to do with anxiety itself.

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Hair Loss InformationBeta Blockers, Shampoo and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

(female) Hi my question relates to the previous question you received regarding hair loss and the use of head and shoulders shampoo. I have used this product for about 10 years now and have over the last month or so noticed my hair thinning. I have switched to the Loreal Elvive Anti Dandruff shampoo now but the volume i once had to my hair does not seem to be returning. My hair used to be very thick and wavy now it is limp and lacks volume. I also am currently taking the medication beta blockers, would these be contributing to what is happening, rather than the shampoo?

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I clearly can not tell you what, if anything, will help you. Too many changes at the same time confuses the issues. Go back to do what you were originally doing and then after some months, make one change at a time to see if there is an effect and note what that effect is.

Be sure that you have a medical work-up for the diseases that impact women (first choice) before jumping to conclusions that this is a simple matter just involving shampoos. Hair loss in women can sometimes be caused by underlying medical conditions, so it is important for you to be evaluated by your own physician. If clinically appropriate, the following disease processes should be considered: anemia, thyroid disease, connective tissue disease, gynecological conditions and emotional stress. It is also important to review the use of medications that can cause hair loss, such as oral contraceptives, beta-blockers, Vitamin A, thyroid drugs, coumadin and prednisone. The following laboratory tests are often useful if underlying problems are suspected: Estradiol, FSH, LH, SHBG, Prolactin, T4, TSH, ANA, Iron, TIBC, Ferritin, Free and Total Testosterone. It might help to print this page out and show this to your family physician.

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Experimental, Specialized, Personalized Hair Growth Routine – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dear Doctor;

My hair regrowth regimen consists of the following…1 .5mg Avodart soft gel every morning, then at night, 2% Ketoconazole Shampoo, under occlusion, for up to 1 hour. I do not use Rogaine Foam, or any other Minoxidil product. I have been doing this now for 5 weeks and see no real change in my crown/vertex thinning. Does this sound like a good regimen? Should I take the Avodart at night instead of the morning? How long would you suggest I give the regimen before I should at least start to see some regrowth? Thanks!

Hair regrowth from known medications can not be seen clearly for 8-12 months. That is because the hair cycle is about 4-6 months and then there is a period where the hair must grow out at 1/2 inch per month. I do not endorse the use of Avodart at this time for treating hair loss and have spoken many times about my preference with Propecia. As you may already know, Propecia (finasteride) is FDA approved for treating hair loss — Avodart (dutasteride) is not.

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Woman Taking BCP Yasmin Just Diagnosed with Diffuse Alopecia – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was just diagnosed with Diffuse Alopecia. I’m devastated, you can see my scalp already on the top, the sides, and the back. What ever hair falls out there is nothing there to replace it, just smooth skin, no hair is growing back. I’m almost sure the BCP yasmin is the culprit here. My hair loss accelerated 4 months into the pill, i have been on it since april of 2006, and since this past summer the bulk of my hair has fallen. I’m so depressed, I’m a woman, and wearing wigs for the summer is making me ill already. What can i do besides stopping the pill? any vitamins i should take? any other suggestions? thank you.

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The medication Yasmin is a combination of drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Loss of scalp hair is a reported side effect of this medication. The hair loss from most birth control pills is usually benign and self limited. Losing hair in this situation is thought to be caused by inducing hair follicles to go into their telogen phase. You must stop the medication and use other methods of birth control in the hope that the hair will go back into a normal growth phase. You may see hair re-growth within 2-6 months upon stopping Yasmin.

Women with sudden diffuse hair loss should also be evaluated for some other common causes of hair loss including thyroid disease and Iron deficiency. Most these problems could be ruled out with a simple blood test. A thorough physical examination is also important before establishing the diagnosis.

I am assuming you have done a complete work up for your current condition. If everything has been checked and there is no other reason for the hair loss, you only have to wait a few months to see your hair regrowing.

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How Might One Reverse Hair Loss from Toprol? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

My wife, 69, takes toprol. She has had hair loss and fears it tied to the toprol. The statement, “reversible” has been associated with this loss.What/how may one do to promote the “reversible” assect? Answer,please. She is stressing terribly over the loss. Thanks.

First, one needs to make sure that the medication is the cause of the hair loss, and not due to other medical or dietary problems. Then, if you are sure that the Toprol is the cause, speak with the doctor who prescribed it and ask for alternative suggestions. Sometimes, taking away the offending drug may solve the hair loss problem (or it may not).

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More Olux Foam and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

In response to your Jan. 15th post on Olux Foam, my dermatologist has also prescribed me the medication to treat seborrheic dermatitis. She has told me that I need to apply the foam once a day, at night, for an indefinite period of time to prevent the inflammation of my scalp. Do you think this will affect my hair loss in the long term? I have also been taking Propecia for the past 6 months to help treat hair loss in the same region on my scalp. Thank you for you advice and help.

In theory, topical steroids (the ones that are used for skin inflammation) do not cause hair loss. I don’t think topical steroids can contribute to a deterioration of your hair loss unless you absorb clinical amounts of steroids through the skin.

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Took Accutane at 16, Propecia Not Working at 21 – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman

Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. I am a 21 year old male. I noticed my hair loss at 19 which included a receding small hair line and complete thinning of the hair on the top of my head and upper sides. In less than a year of first noticing hair loss, it became extremely thin and I started to take Propecia. 14 months after Propecia, never missing a dosage, I have seen no results and have very noticably thin hair. Its so thin Im close to the point of shaving my entire head with a razor. Every time I try Rogaine my head is so irritated I can not continue for more than 2 to 3 days. My concern is I took a 6 month dosage of Accutane at 16 and I have absolutley no family history of hailr loss besides a small receding hairlines. I have not noticed any side effects of propecia to the smallest extent. If I pull on my hair, I cannot pull it out except with more than nessecary force. I had extremely thick hair,like everyone in my family, and in less than year my hair thinned in considerable amounts. My doctor hasn’t been to helpfull, more less doesn’t seem too knowledgable. How common is it that 21 year old males have completely bald heads with no history of family hairloss except for receding hairlines? Are the illness I should be worried about? I am not really worried about regrowing my hair, I would more less like to know that im okay. At this point I would be completely satisfied knowing that Accutane caused this and its just bad luck. Is there any way to find out if Accutane cause this? I don’t really know who to talk to, my dermatolgist told me that I have Male Patter Baldness and if I go off propecia i’ll loose all my hair(I am pretty close). In a couple of months it will be 2 years that I first even would have thought I was loosing my hair. If someone had not seen me in this period of time and I were to do my hair the same way, Strong hair products to spike up my hair, they wouldn’t beleive their eyes.

Sorry for the length, any adivce or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

A thorough examination of your hair can easily determine whether you have male pattern baldness or not, so get your hair mapped out for miniaturization to know if this is your case. Although it is typical to see a family history of baldness in balding patients, androgenetic alopecia can affect only one member of a family with no obvious baldness in other family members as it can skip generations.

Accutane (isotretinoin) is an anti acne medication and hair thinning is one of its known side effect independent of genetic balding. It may also accelerate the male pattern hair loss if taken in the active balding phase. Many people do report thinner hair shafts after using Accutane. I don’t believe Accutane has a delayed effect on hair growth spanning years, therefore I would guess that the hair loss that you have now should not be the result of using Accutane a few years ago.