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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Doug_Saving_The_team on October 23, 2005, at 10:07:50
hi everyone, sorry if this is repetitive, but I have noticed my hair thinning over the last 3 years while I've been on wellbutrin, trileptal and lexapro. I've read that I should ask for 50mg of zinc and 100mcg selenium -- that's fine, but I just realized I have been taking that dosage within my daily multivitamin since January. I am only 21 years old and this is pretty distressing. I have always noticed hairs coming out, but did not think it would cumulatively become a problem. It has become one.
Propecia? Other remedies? what works? thank you !:)
Doug
Posted by med_empowered on October 23, 2005, at 10:32:26
In reply to Only 21 yrs old Losing hair on wellbutrin lex, posted by Doug_Saving_The_team on October 23, 2005, at 10:07:50
Hey! OK..alot of psychiatric drugs can cause hair loss. Antidepresants--old and new--are among the offending agents. If your hair loss is drug-induced, you can try switching to other agents, discontinuing any and all meds known to cause hair loss, or try to medicate around it. Do you have a history of hair loss in your family (either side) ? The reason I ask is that although your hair loss may be exacerbated by medication, you are also male and at the age where male pattern baldness first becomes noticeable in some people (25% of all men begin the balding process in their 20s; some start the process in their teens). The best theory I've heard is that in some people meds can **cause** hair loss--once the meds are discontinued, the hair grows back, and everything is fine. But, in some people, particularly those with a predisposition to genetic hair loss, what meds seem to do is JUMPSTART the hair loss process. Soo..if person X is predisposed to hair loss, taking certain medications can cause the hair loss to become more pronounced at an earlier age...so instead of the hair thinning noticeably at 28 or 35, the hair loss begins sooner and becomes more pronounced sooner. What is the pattern of your hair loss? If its diffuse loss, concentrated in the hair line and/or the crown, then you have a male-pattern baldness problem, possibly made worse by medication. In that case...I'd recommend switching meds, and starting an anti-hair loss regimine like Propecia+minoxidil, or something similar. You could try discontinuing these medications, and trying something that doesn't cause hair loss, and then re-evaluating your status now and then to see how its going; if you continue to lose hair, or your hair doesn't grow back, you're likely dealing with a problem that is caused, in part, by genetics; if thats the case, and you want to treat it, Propecia and Minoxidil are the only FDA approved medications....Nizoral shampoo, Retin-A, Azelaic Acid, and (possibly) Avodart may help. Supplements that may help: rosemary oil (topical), B-vitamins, selenium/zinc, green tea extract, and saw palmetto (these aren't FDA approved, so the data's a little sketchy). Good luck!
Posted by Doug_Saving_The_team on October 23, 2005, at 10:42:36
In reply to Re: Only 21 yrs old Losing hair on wellbutrin le, posted by med_empowered on October 23, 2005, at 10:32:26
Hi,
anyone taking propecia with a SSRI or other med?
I have no family history of baldness: my Dad, Dad's Dad, Mom's Dad, and all my other relatives have full heads of hair. pretty amazing, I know.
as far as discontinuing the meds, that's not an option I'm considering right now because they have been the best combination for me (before I've been on prozac, paxil and various combinations of the 3 I am on now). so that eliminates genetics, and switching meds, leaving me with (1) live with it or (2) take propecia. is that a fair assessment?
thanks,
Doug
> Hey! OK..alot of psychiatric drugs can cause hair loss. Antidepresants--old and new--are among the offending agents. If your hair loss is drug-induced, you can try switching to other agents, discontinuing any and all meds known to cause hair loss, or try to medicate around it. Do you have a history of hair loss in your family (either side) ? The reason I ask is that although your hair loss may be exacerbated by medication, you are also male and at the age where male pattern baldness first becomes noticeable in some people (25% of all men begin the balding process in their 20s; some start the process in their teens). The best theory I've heard is that in some people meds can **cause** hair loss--once the meds are discontinued, the hair grows back, and everything is fine. But, in some people, particularly those with a predisposition to genetic hair loss, what meds seem to do is JUMPSTART the hair loss process. Soo..if person X is predisposed to hair loss, taking certain medications can cause the hair loss to become more pronounced at an earlier age...so instead of the hair thinning noticeably at 28 or 35, the hair loss begins sooner and becomes more pronounced sooner. What is the pattern of your hair loss? If its diffuse loss, concentrated in the hair line and/or the crown, then you have a male-pattern baldness problem, possibly made worse by medication. In that case...I'd recommend switching meds, and starting an anti-hair loss regimine like Propecia+minoxidil, or something similar. You could try discontinuing these medications, and trying something that doesn't cause hair loss, and then re-evaluating your status now and then to see how its going; if you continue to lose hair, or your hair doesn't grow back, you're likely dealing with a problem that is caused, in part, by genetics; if thats the case, and you want to treat it, Propecia and Minoxidil are the only FDA approved medications....Nizoral shampoo, Retin-A, Azelaic Acid, and (possibly) Avodart may help. Supplements that may help: rosemary oil (topical), B-vitamins, selenium/zinc, green tea extract, and saw palmetto (these aren't FDA approved, so the data's a little sketchy). Good luck!
Posted by Doug_Saving_The_team on October 23, 2005, at 10:51:58
In reply to Re: Only 21 yrs old Losing hair on wellbutrin le, posted by med_empowered on October 23, 2005, at 10:32:26
Hi everyone,
I'm reading about propecia, and it sounds like it it would be effective stopping hair loss from my meds. But my question is this: are there any 20-30 year olds on this board who take meds and propecia to stop the effects of hair loss? probably stupid of me, but there is a bit of a stigma to taking propecia as a 21 year old!
Doug
Posted by Sarah T. on October 23, 2005, at 13:09:35
In reply to Only 21 yrs old Losing hair on wellbutrin lex, posted by Doug_Saving_The_team on October 23, 2005, at 10:07:50
Hi Doug.
Many medicines, not just psychiatric meds, can cause hair loss. Even Aspirin and some blood pressure drugs are known to cause hair loss. There are many other causes of hair loss, and I think it would be worth ruling out those other causes before you try to stop your current medication regimen (i.e., if your current meds are helping you in other ways).
Heredity can also play a role in hair loss. Do you have a history of baldness in your family? Hormones also play a major role in hair growth and loss. You might want to see an endocrinologist and/or a dermatologist. Other causes of hair loss include, but are not limited to, fungal and bacterial infections of the scalp, nutritional deficiences, and stress.
My doctor told me that he doesn't know of any medicine that does NOT affect the hair growth cycle. Some medicines are more likely to cause hair loss than others, but as I said, if your current meds are helping you (and even if they aren't too helpful), before changing any variables in your medication regimen, you should have a full medical work-up to rule out other possible causes.
Sarah
Posted by sm2010 on October 23, 2005, at 13:11:37
In reply to 20-30 yr olds here taking propecia?? I'm 21, posted by Doug_Saving_The_team on October 23, 2005, at 10:51:58
I'm 27 and have been taking propecia for 3 years.I also thought at 21 I was too young for it and put it off a few years. I only wish I'd started earlier.
As far as stigma goes, noone knows what you don't tell them. Personally I don't care if people know I take it. I'd rather have hair.
Also, your lack of a family history does not rule out a genetic cause of hair loss. This is because male pattern hair loss is not a "single-gene disorder" (in scientific talk it follows "polygenic inheritence").
Then again, it could be the meds.
Posted by Phillipa on October 23, 2005, at 18:30:21
In reply to Re: 20-30 yr olds here taking propecia?? I'm 21, posted by sm2010 on October 23, 2005, at 13:11:37
I'm an older female and i've noticed since menopause that my hair is breaking and falling out much quicker than before. I think it has a lot to do with hormones too. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on October 26, 2005, at 2:11:14
In reply to Only 21 yrs old Losing hair on wellbutrin lex, posted by Doug_Saving_The_team on October 23, 2005, at 10:07:50
> hi everyone, sorry if this is repetitive, but I have noticed my hair thinning over the last 3 years while I've been on wellbutrin, trileptal and lexapro. I've read that I should ask for 50mg of zinc and 100mcg selenium -- that's fine, but I just realized I have been taking that dosage within my daily multivitamin since January. I am only 21 years old and this is pretty distressing.
Some hair loss in men starts earlier than others and as been said there can be hidden recessive genes. Wellbutrin has been associated with hair loss -- I dont know if this is temporary or a permanent loss of follicles, I would probably say for the most part the prior.
Along with the myriad of problems I started losing hair around 26, some thinning, mostly restricted to a patch on one side. There is no family heredity I know, but there could be generations ago. It frustrated me for a while and gave me a loss of pride (as a gay male I think among some there is a double loss of attraction to some men who prefer other men with a full head of hair -- but that's life) but ultimately I had to focus on what is my main disorder.I tried Minoxidil but that got tiring and any growth was unclear. A warning that it can lower blood pressure especially if used too much. It may help if the thinning has been within 5 years or so which it sounds like.
My haircutter, who has trimmed the patch nicely over the years to hide it, swears by Nioxin Shampoo. I also can't really say it does much, but its a nice expensive and invigorating set of shampoo and conditioner that can last many months if you have a short haircut and use sensible quantities.
I do take Trader Joe's Zinc 30mg and Selenium 200mcg -- I can't say it has improved things much also but its cheap. But the zinc might ward off some colds, so its harmless.
I guess I would say, try all the remedies you want but don't get caught up in it. Maybe its snide to say, but a nice baseball cap (or any choice of headwear) also does the job. I guess it takes adjusting to aging ultimately. Some people grey by your age too. There's always ultimately some cosmetic way of covering it up if its worth the expense to you and your self-image.
Its a tradeoff between medication and the benefits they bring and your pride as a man. Personally if your medication is doing its best I would stick with it and try other remedies along with it. Depression untreated is far worse a situation than hairloss if one steps back and looks at it. I know thats not much help, but its kinda true.
Hope that helps
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