Drugs (Cause Hair Loss) – Page 35

January 15, 2007

Hair Loss from Common Medications – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Many of the questions I get each day are specifically asking about whether this drug or that drug could be the cause of hair loss. While there are many drugs that have hair loss listed as a potential side effect, it should be noted that looking at the drug as the cause of your thinning hair may not be the actual reason for the balding you’ve experienced. As genetic hair loss can skip generations, you need to take a good look at your family history (on either side of the family) to give a possible indication of where your hair loss originates. That being said, some of the common drug families may cause hair thinning. Below you can find an incomplete list of medications that may cause hair thinning and hair loss:

Anti-thyroid medications (carbimazole, propylthiouracil)
Most of anticancer medications
Blood-thinner (warfarin)
Some lipid lowering medicaitons (clofibrate, bezafibrate)
Anti-acne drugs (isotertinoin)
Some blood pressure medications, such as ACE inhibitors (captopril, enalapril, lisinopril)
Gout medication (allopurinol)
Antimalarial medication (chloroquine)
Drugs for epilepsy (valproate sodium, vigabatrin)
Parkinson’s disease medications (pramipexole, bromocriptine)

As I said, this is by no means a complete listing. In the literature of many drugs, hair loss is included as a side effect. It is so common, I wonder if it isn’t put in by their lawyers rather than their scientists.

January 12, 2007

Muscle Relaxers and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. I have a pulled hamstring and was prescribed muscle relaxers, can muscle relaxers cause hair loss?

the drugs are called:
cyclobenzaprine 10mg
naproxen 500mg

Although not a common finding, hair loss is a possible side effect with these medications.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

January 11, 2007

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

Hi,

I am talking Benicar 20mg daily for about 3 years. Recently I lost a lot of hair (Type VI) without any specific reason. I wonder if Benicar is causing this?

Thanks

A rare side effect of Benicar is hair loss (source: WebMD / AOL Health). Get your health checked and your hair mapped out for miniaturization and cover all bases. Maybe, just maybe, your hair loss is from other causes.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

January 11, 2007

Topical Estrogen and Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

You recently wrote “Yes, any hormonal manipulation can cause hair loss”. can topical estrogen or estradiol cause hair loss in other parts of the body such as eyebrows & if so what are the chances that it would grow back.

Using estrogens, as in topical anti aging creams, has minimal systemic absorption and should not affect hair growth. Having said that, using topical estrogens for a long time or on a large area of the body may produce enough serum concentration and act like systemic drug. Estrogen is generally considered a protective hormone and hair loss is seen with its withdrawal, but playing with one hormone impacts other hormones and they might contribute to hair loss in special circumstances with some particular genetics influences (eyebrows or lashes). We know, for example, that female genetic hair loss is often not protected by estrogens.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

January 10, 2007

Prednisone and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I have been taking prednisone for almost a year and do not know when I will be able to discontinue it. I am 44 years old (female) and my normal thick red hair is thinning dramatically. Are there any supplements that will slow the thinning process down?

Steroids have the effect of thinning out the hair. I do not know of anything that you can take to minimize the impact of the prednisone, but you should still get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and get a diagnosis. Although the prednisone may be the cause of the hair thinning, you still may have other problems and a good medical evaluation would be indicated.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

January 5, 2007

Hair Loss After GNC Mega Men Vitamin – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I was taking GNC’s megamans vitamn for about 3 months and many of my friends noticed an increased in my hair loss. I have stopped taking it since. My question is will my hair grow back after i stopped taking the vitamins?

We have written on this before.

If you are concerned about hair loss, you should have your scalp hair mapped for miniaturization to see if there is a pattern to the hair loss. If this has accelerated your genetic hair loss, chances are it could be permanent.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

January 3, 2007

Effexor XR and Hair Loss – Balding Blog

Hello to All!

I will begin with ……I am petrified of going bald. I recently began taking an antidepressant called Effexor Xr. Now, I began taking this med in late August of 2006 and have noticed increased hair loss as time has passed by. Especially, the months of Oct., Nov., and Dec. When I part my hair I can really see my scalp and it really began receding at the temples ….
although since this has occured I have been really stressed and began having bad anxiety as it does not subside. I have always had fantastic hair, blonde and below my shoulders. I am a female that really does take care of herself and this continuous hair loss is really effecting me seriously.

So, if there is anyone out there that could give me some advice as to what to do I would be most thankful.

Warm Regards to All.

From the tone of your email, I can tell you are “petrified” (as you say) of going bald. However, I can also sense that you have a component of anxiety issues and the antidepressant medications may be beneficial. But, antidepressant medications are known to cause hair loss. You should start out by having a complete physical exam and/or even seeing a good doctor with knowledge and interest in hair loss. Dermatologists are often the best place to look. You should have your scalp hair examined for miniaturization for specific pattens of hair loss, but you need a diagnosis and the internet is not the place to get it.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):

December 19, 2006

Hair Loss InformationCortical Steroids and Effects on Hair Loss Medication – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I have been reading that many skin problems, such as seborrhoeic dermatitis, may be associated with hair loss in balding males. For instance, the scalp can become itchy/flaky in regions of the hair thinning/loss. The application of cortical steroids (Luxiq, etc.) are often given to ameliorate the symptoms of the dermatitis, however can they have a deleterious effect in furthering your hair loss?? Do you know if these cortical steroids act to aid or hinder the effect of typical hairloss medications, such as Propecia?

Block Quote

Snake Yes, steroids can be a cause of hair loss in some people. Hair is a skin organ, but hair is only part of the skin elements. When the surface of the skin turns over faster than normal (we shed skin slowly and uniformly on a daily basis and replace from below, what is lost on the surface). Compare this to a snake, which sheds its skin all at once and replaces it before the shedding occurs. When skin is shed more rapidly, it builds up flakes of skin and some people call this dandruff. When it gets bad, it is called seborrhoeic dermatitis. It can be caused by external factors such as infections and fungal diseases as well. Steroids work well to control the autoimmune elements of the seborrhea, when it occurs, and antifungal agents or other treatments are needed (for example) when infections are present.

Many people think that seborrhea or dandruff is associated with hair loss, but this is not true unless the person picks on the skin and produces traction alopecia. When a scalp becomes balder, it becomes dry more easily. When there is hair present, flaking builds up in the forest of hair, so that when the skin turnover occurs more rapidly, the dandruff becomes a real social problem. For those interested in the chemistry of the relationship between cortical steroids and hair loss, please see:

December 18, 2006

Clobetasol Propionate, Cortisone Creams, and Female Hair Loss – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I am a 33 year old woman suffering from hair loss. Could clobetasol Propionate and long term use of cortisone creams (30 years) be the cause of my hair loss? Or, could my scalp dermatitis be the cause of my hair loss? My doctor says its most likely hereditary but she barely even examined me and rushed me out the door. No women in my family have ever lost hair and it seems odd that I would be the only one. Any information would be appreciated.

Block Quote

Hair loss is not a common side effect of topical steroids. Dermatitis has several types and could be seen as part of some other skin disorders. You need to see a hair specialist and get your hair mapped for miniaturization to determine the genetic components of the hair loss and see if your have that distribution of hair loss. Your hair loss type and whether it is a female pattern or associated to other medical problems could be determined after direct examination of your hair and evaluation of its miniaturization status.

December 14, 2006

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

Dr. Rassman,
Which types or brands of antidepressants are reported to be more notorious in causing hair loss.

I do not know of any study which compares the hair loss impact of one antidepressant vs another. Each and every person is different and many people do not lose hair with these medications. There is no certainty one way or the other.

Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):