I was asked if I could provide a list of a drugs that can possibly trigger hair loss. I would like to start the list off with my current nemesis, Synthroid. Synthroid is a common medication that is prescribed to treat hypothroidism. Apparently it is a pretty common side effect to experience hair loss from it for those individuals who are sensitive to the medication. I’m sure there are plenty of women taking the drug with no adverse effects to their hair, but it should not be overlooked as a possible contributing factor to your hair loss. The listed “side effects” section on drugs.com it indicates that the hair loss is “usually temporary,” and the “special warnings” section indicates that “it is temporary,” well is it or isn’t it? Of the several doctors I’ve spoken with they have confirmed that it does cause hair loss in some individuals, and not the temporary kind, at least not until the problem with the medication is resolved. Just as a low thyroid (hyopthyroidism) can cause hair loss so can an overdose of the medication Synthroid. The following are signs of over stimulation:
Abdominal cramps, anxiety, changes in appetite, change in menstrual periods, chest pain, diarrhea, emotional instability, fatigue, fever, flushing, hair loss, headache, heart attack or failure, heat intolerance, hyperactivity, increased heart rate, irregular heartbeat, irritability, muscle weakness, nausea, nervousness, palpitations, shortness of breath, sleeplessness, sweating, tremors, vomiting, weight loss.
You do not necessarily need to be experiencing all of these symptoms to have an overstimulated thyroid caused by your thyroid medication. I put it out there so that you can have this knowledge in case you begin to notice hair loss after starting the medication or having your dosage raised. That is another factor to keep in mind, if you have recently had your dose raised after years of being at a certain dosage level, it is possible that the increase in dosage was too much for you body. You should talk to your doctor or seek another opinion from an experienced and knowledgeable physician, an endocrinologist may be a good choice.
So without further ado here is the list of drugs that can possibly cause hair loss, also note this is not the complete comprehensive list, just the more common ones known.
From The American Hair Loss Association:
The drugs are listed by category, according to the conditions they treat, then by brand name first followed by the drug’s generic name in parentheses. In some categories, individual drugs are not listed. For these conditions, you will want to discuss the possibility of hair loss as a side effect of using any of the drugs that treat that particular condition, since many do contribute to hair loss.
Acne
All drugs derived from vitamin A as treatments for acne or other conditions, including:
- Accutane (isotretinoin)
Blood
Anticoagulants (blood thinners), including:
- Panwarfin (warfarin sodium)
- Sofarin (warfarin sodium)
- Coumadin (warfarin sodium)
- Heparin injections
Cholesterol
Cholesterol-lowering drugs, including:
- Atronid-S (clofibrate)
- Lopid (gemfibrozil)
Convulsions/ Epilepsy
- Anticonvulsants, including:
- Tridone (trimethadione)
Depression
- Antidepression drugs, including:
- Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride)
- Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride)
- Paxil (paroxetine)
- Anafranil (clomipramine)
- Janimine (imipramine)
- Tofranil (imipramine)
- Tofranil PM (imipramine)
- Adapin (doxepin)
- Sinequan (doxepin)
- Surmontil (trimipramine)
- Pamelor (nortriptyline)
- Ventyl (nortriptyline)
- Elavin (amitriptyline)
- Endep (amitriptyline)
- Norpramin (desipramine)
- Pertofrane (desipramine)
- Vivactil (protriptyline hydrochloride)
- Asendin (amoxapine)
- Haldol ( haloperidol)
Diet
- Amphetamines
Fungus
- Antifungals
Glaucoma
The beta-blocker drugs, including:
- Timoptic Eye Drops (timolol)
- Timoptic Ocudose (timolol)
- Timoptic XC (timolol)
Gout
- Lopurin (allopurinol)
- Zyloprim (allopurinol)
Heart
Many drugs prescribed for the heart, including those known as the beta blockers, which are also used to treat high blood pressure, and include:
- Tenormin (atenolol)
- Lopressor (metoprolol)
- Corgard (nadolol)
- Inderal and Inderal LA (propanolol)
- Blocadren (timolol)
High Blood Pressure
See Above list of beta blockers under “Heart”
Hormonal Conditions
All hormone-containing drugs and drugs prescribed for hormone-related, reproductive, male-specific, and female-specific conditions and situations have the potential to cause hair loss, including:
- Birth Control Pills
- Hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) for women (estrogen or progesterone)
- Male androgenic hormones and all forms of testosterone
- Anabolic steriods
- Prednisone and other steroids
Inflammation
Many anti-inflammatory drugs, including those prescribed for localized pain, swelling and injury.
- Arthritis drugs
- Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs including:
- Naprosyn (naproxen)
- Anaprox (naproxen)
- Anaprox DS (naproxen)
- Indocin (indomethacin)
- Indocin SR (indomethacin)
- Clinoril (sulindac)
An anti-inflammatory that is also used as a chemotherapy drug:
- Methotrexate (MTX)
- Rheumatex (methotrexate)
- Folex (methotrexate)
Parkinson’s Disease
- Levadopa / L-dopa (dopar, larodopa)
Thyroid Disorders
- Many of the drugs used to treat the thyroid
Ulcer
Many of the drugs used to treat indigestion, stomach difficulties, and ulcers, including over-the-counter dosages and prescription dosages.
- Tagamet (cimetidine)
- Zantac (ranitidine)
- Pepcid (famotidine)
***Every time I answer a question I like to let everyone know that I am not a doctor and cannot give medical advice, what I write is only my opinion based on my own experience and research on the subject.
Technorati Tags: drugs, endocrinologist, hair loss, hair shedding, hair thinning, synthroid
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I didn’t realize Synthroid could cause hair loss. That’s crazy because if you have hypothyroidism you will probably be experiencing hair loss, which is why you would want to get your thyroid in check. I don’t see Armour on your list, so hopefully that one is safe for hair loss. I have borderline-hypothyroid, but I would be afraid to take medication for it at this point. I’m also on one of the meds on your list for TMJ. I was extremely afraid to take it, but my TMJ is excrutiating. I haven’t noticed a difference in my hair loss, other than it shedding a lot (like always).
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:29 pm
The frustrating thing about medication is that if you search long enough on the internet you will find someone who had some adverse effect from it. Armour is no different, while I am entertaining the possibility of switching to that medication, I am well aware that I have also found posts online from people who experienced hair loss from it as well. What works for one person well can bring havoc on another. I see this all the time with discussions of birth control pills and hair loss and women trying to find out which they should take. Some women praise one pill and another says it ruined their life, we just have to figure out what our bodies can tolerate. We should come with some type of print out at birth that lists everything we should never take and the things that are okay, if that printout could also project our future height that would have saved me a whole lot of wishing and hoping through my teenage years, thinking I’d wake up 5′9 one day… I regret to inform you I’m only 5′3
October 4th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Not listed in your “Drugs That Can Cause Hair Loss” are medications that treat Bipolar Disorder. Lithium is the predominately used drug for this disorder. I lost so much hair during the five months that I took it that my doctor had to take me off of it. I hope the hair will grow back - I am very concerned about it. My hair has also lost it’s luster and is dry and brittle.
October 4th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Hi Tina,
How soon after you started taking Lithium did you notice the hair loss, was it immediate? Thanks for adding Lithium to the list of drugs that cause hair loss, its important to have that be known so that other women may realize that too can be what is causing their hair loss as well.
October 10th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Is there anything that can be done about the hair loss caused by Vivactil? I take a low dosage to prevent migraines, and it helps immensely, but since I started taking it, I’ve lost a lot of hair. If my hair wasn’t so thick to begin with, I would probably be bald by now, but it is coming dangerously close to that. Is the hair loss temporary? Are there things I can do to prevent losing more hair or reverse the hair loss?
October 12th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Hi Robin - Welcome to the site! I don’t have any personal experience with Vivactil, but if you feel that your hair loss has been caused by the usage of it, perhaps talk to your doctor about the possibility of using another drug to prevent your migraines.
I wish I had more intimate knowledge of the drug, unfortunately I don’t. In my opinion if the use of the drug is causing the hair loss then logically the cessation of it would possibly stop the shedding and your hair would restore. But anyone with hair loss knows there is no sure answer and logic has little to do with it. It is important you consult a knowledgeable doctor about you concerns.
I attempted to do a cursory search online about Vivactil and Hair Loss but didn’t have any luck finding anything that would be useful, all the more reason to talk to your doctor.
~Y
October 12th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
So far, I’ve mentioned it to three doctors, and they’ve all blown it off. All they say is “that can happen,” or “you have to stay on the medication.”
Unfortunately, I’ve been through a battery of preventive medications for the past 4 years that don’t work. Furthermore, they made me gain weight (most of which I’ve gotten off now that I’m off of them), made me fatigued, or made me feel like I was 90-years old. Vivactil, while it does cause dizziness and dry mouth, has been the only medication to reduce the number and severity of the migraines (I would get 11 a month, and now I get 4 or 5 a month- and they are easier to abort or manage).
The hair loss started with the start of Vivactil. I don’t know if there is any information available about whether the hair loss is temporary or not. Maybe the doctors themselves don’t know.
In terms of hair loss, my mother had very thick hair (as mine had always been), and it only fell out when she was on chemotherapy. After she completed chemo, her hair would grow back as thick as before - and she had been through it several times. Her brother (age 85) has a full head of hair, and her sister had a full head of hair till the end (in her 80’s).
My father is balding, but that didn’t start happening to him till he was 67. Some of it is natural, but some of it is also due to medications to treat cancer. His father had a full head of hair all his life. I’m not sure about his mother.
It could be genetic, but I’m 49 and all of the hair loss has only happened this year. While I am at the age where hair loss can be common, none of my relatives lost hair this young or this quickly.
I guess time will tell. I’m sort of half-tempted to shave it all off and start again from scratch.
Thanks for your input!
October 17th, 2007 at 8:58 am
hi girls…..
ive been on yazmine for about 6 months , do you think i should get off… ive notice my hair is shedding agian, sodo you think is becasue of the yazmine… im also on spirodactone, and multi vaitamines, and biotin, and saw palmetto,also on rogain 5%.
gypsy
October 19th, 2007 at 2:34 am
Citalopram caused my AT. My hair has started to grow back since coming off it, but unfortunately now, even though I am not on that medication I could relapse into my alopecia at any time.
October 20th, 2007 at 10:14 am
gypsy - It’s hard for anyone to say whether or not you should get off of Yasmin. Choosing whether to go on or off medication is a very personal decision, and one you have to life with, which is why no one can really tell you want to do. I know that isn’t very helpful, but the best thing to do is to educate yourself as much as possible and then do what you “feel” is right.
Elle - I am happy to hear that your hair is growing back. I was unaware of the connection between medications and alopecia totalis, so I googled it to learn more about it, and as you said Citalopram has been linked to alopecia along with other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. I really wish that physicians were more educated on the possibility of hair loss as a side effect to the drugs they are prescribing. At least allowing the patient to make a fully aware, and informed decision about whether or not they want to take it. But it is good news about your regrowth!
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:10 pm
i was put on yasmin because of my hair loss.
November 27th, 2007 at 6:38 am
I did not see Lexapro on the list - does anyone know if it also can cause hairloss? My hairloss did seem to get worse when I was put on it a year ago - however, I also went off birth control 5 months prior to starting lexapro….
November 27th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Did you find out if Lexapro was what caused your hair loss? I took Lexapro for a few years, and I too have noticed significant har loss. Please let me if you found out anything
November 27th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Hi Alicia and Toni - I was searching online for information on Lexapro and hair loss and there is definitely very little information it, but I did find this forum where several people believe it was the cause of their hair loss:
http://www.steadyhealth.com/hair_loss_with_lexapro_t61357.html
This was what they wrote:
maring: I am writing in order to check if other people had such unpleasant experience with lexapro like I did. As if depression is not severe enough. I have been on lexapro for a couple of months and have experienced excess hair loss. You can not imagine how frustrating this is. I mean, lexapro is the only one to blame as I haven’t used any other drugs and I have no genetic predisposition for baldness.
Vivie: Besides hair loss but my periods very severely influenced by this drug. I had my period for 2 weeks once. The moment I went back to Wellbutrin the side effects were gone, so I suggest you switch.
Guest: ACCORDING TO MY DERM, DR., GYNO, AND PHARMACIST, LEXAPRO CAUSED MY HAIR LOSS. I’VE BEEN OFF OF LEXAPRO FOR 4 MONTHS AND IT HAS STOPPED COMING OUT IN CLUMPS–THANK GOD!
DEBBIE (34 YRS. OLD)
P.S. LEXAPRO WAS THE ONLY MED I HAD BEEN ON.
Guest: Definitely Hairloss! I have been on it for 5 months and have noticed a significant amount of hairloss. At 55 years old I don’t have much to spare! Guess I’ll switch to another SSI!
November 28th, 2007 at 6:24 am
Thank you so much for that info! You know it is really frustrating to learn this after the fact! I am really saddened by the fact that I may have caused more damage than good by taking certain medications. I am finally going to an endocrinologist next week to check my “hormonal imbalances” to see if there is anything I can do to reverse the damage. Now, I know I am genetically predispostioned to hairloss, but not at the rate I have recently experienced. I hope I can get some answers.
December 7th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I keep reading blog after blog on people experiencing hair loss from thyroid and other drugs, but in the past 5 years I have yet to read about anyone posting about products that may offer solutions or a means to reverse thyroid hair loss from these drugs.
It doesn’t help much to read the same complaints over and over, yet no one has researched enough to hopefully find something that might help. Since this is such a widespread problem, why aren’t people coming together to form class action lawsuit groups against some of these drug manufacturers. Talking about hair loss experienced from these damaging drugs doesn’t stop the hair loss. Why aren’t people petitioning respective authorities who might be in a position to actually be of some help to thousands of hair loss patients.
Why aren’t more people writing to “Oprah Winfrey” who certainly has the financial means and widespread influence to be of some help since recently being diagnosed with a Thyroid condition herself.
What I can tell you personally is that I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Disease 7 years ago. My hair was not falling out until I started taking Synthroid. Let me tell you this, the drug manufacturing label is a lie. The Hair loss stated on thyroid drug labels is not Temporary. I switched from Synthroid to Levothroid to the Unithroid which is supposedly FDA approved. Its been well over 7 years of a regulated thyroid and my hair has never grown back. It has only gotton worse as each year goes by. For a woman, this is one of the worse things to have to live with as a woman’s hair is supposed to be her crown and glory. If your hair is falling out from Thyroid Drugs, It will Not, Repeat not grow back and other than periods of small regrowth, the problem will only get worse!!!!!!
Complaints blogs are of little help. Its time to take Action!! Whats needed is a Class Action Lawsuit!
December 10th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Kai,
Here’s something about a class action lawsuit. I found it on the web and I really don’t know if it is legitimate or not. It looks like it occurred in the 1990s.
http://www.synthroidclaims.com/notice.html#VII
I, too, have hair loss that I think is caused by my thyroid or my thyroid med. My doctor disagrees with me but he has only checked my TSH. I am planning on seeing another doctor soon. (I live in a small town and their is only 1 endroconologist here.)
Kathy
My email - Daffy11149@aol.com
December 29th, 2007 at 9:59 am
I am so happy to have found this site! I would like to add that I was on cymbalta and experienced moderate hair loss. I attributed it to stress, but then realized that the hair loss started a few weeks after taking the cymbalta and I was not in a phase of acute stress as I had been 6 months previously when it would have made sense that the stress was the source of the hair loss. I stopped the cymbalta and after 3 months my hair loss has subsided. After doing some online research, I found a few other women had similar complaints. I discussed this with my doctor and he implied that hair loss was not listed under side effects in the PDA so it probably was not the cymbalta. I disagree! It may be a rarer side effect, but I am not the only woman who has experienced it…
January 21st, 2008 at 9:39 am
I started Lipitor 10 mgs and Lotensin 10 mgs about 6 years ago. I was also taking HRT, a plant-based RX the name of which escapes me right now. I noticed the top of my hair thinning out so researched the HRT on Internet. Found it was a soy-based med and could cause hair loss. Long story short, discontinued HRT and had panel of thyroid tests done. Small nodule found but nothing overly bad. Was discharged from thyroid doc’s care after monitoring for 1 year, all TSH levels, etc normal range. Hair seemed to be fuller for a bit. That was not to last. In the past year, hair thinning all over and I have patches of no regrowth at all. Still on Lotensin and Lipitor which was increased to 20 mgs 2006. Ummm. Both, according to Internet research, can cause hair loss, thinning. I also color my hair with L’Oreal and have for 20 years.
Has anyone had hair loss with Lipitor and/or Lotensin? I am back to Square One and going to find a derm- anyone know a good one in Chicago? I am 61 and a gran but trust me, I do not wish to be bald anymore than you younger gals- this is a horrible experience!
Also, male baldness runs in my family but all the females hung onto their locks well into old age. My Mom had thick hair as do sibs………advice? Names of good docs? Help!!!!!
January 28th, 2008 at 8:37 am
I take Metoprolol Succ ER (Toporol XL) my hair is thinning by the week. Of course the Dr’s don’t care and act like I’m a bother to them if I bring it up. I was switched from 1 beta-blocker to anoter 2 years ago but it has the exact same side affects. My Dr. must have thought I just wanted to switch beta-blockers but I’d really like to keep my hair. Does any one have any ideas for me?
Thank you,
Rome, GA.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Does anyone know if Wellbutrin can cause hair loss?
April 9th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Hi Barbara,
I looked up wellbutrin and hair loss and noticed a number of sites online where individuals talk about the connection. I think when several people suspect it, there probably is something there. I am not sure if you have seen this link, but here is a site that talks about it: http://www.medications.com/se/wellbutrin/hair-loss
~Y