Medications That Cause Hair Loss

There are a number of medications that cause hair loss. Everyone thinks of chemotherapy and cancer medicines that cause hair loss, but there are other drugs that cause hair loss as well. We’ll look at a number of those here.

Antidepressants

A number of these are drugs that cause hair loss. In fact, most medications for depression can cause hair loss as a side effect. Some of these medicines that cause hair loss include Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft.

Lithium

This is one of many medications that cause hair loss. Lithium is used to treat bipolar disorder, otherwise known as manic depression. Hair loss from lithium is usually due to hypothyroidism, or low levels of thyroid hormones, caused by the medication. People taking lithium are supposed to have regular blood tests to monitor their thyroid and the level of lithium in their blood. Lithium causes thinning hair, not total hair loss like some other medicines that cause hair loss.

Heparin

Heparin is another of the medicines that cause hair loss. It is an anti-coagulant and is used to prevent blood clots from forming in people who have certain medical conditions. It is also used to prevent blood clots from growing in cases where clots have already formed. Heparin causes thinning of the hair.

Beta-blockers

These are some other drugs that cause hair loss. They are used to treat a variety of conditions, including high blood pressure, glaucoma, and migraines. They work by slowing the heartbeat to reduce blood pressure. They also help the blood vessels to relax and open up to improve blood flow. Examples of beta-blockers include Inderal, Tenormin, Lopressor, and Toprol-XL. These medications that cause hair loss usually cause hair thinning, but do not cause total hair loss.

Methotrexate

Methotrexate is yet another of the many medications that cause hair loss. It is used to stop exceptionally rapid cell growth, which occurs in diseases such as cancer. It is used in high doses as part of the chemotherapy given to cancer patients. It is also used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It can cause total hair loss, not just on the head but sometimes on the entire body.

Birth Control Pills

Surprisingly, birth control pills are among the medicines that cause hair loss in women. They do not cause hair loss while women are taking them, but can cause hair loss in some women when women stop taking them. Hair shedding usually lasts for about six months. Then hair will usually regrow on its own, although sometimes a hair loss treatment will be needed.

If you are on drugs that cause hair loss, talk to your doctor. He or she may be able to prescribe a different medicine instead. Don’t stop taking your medication unless your doctor says it’s OK, though.

Your hair will usually start to regrow when you stop taking the medication that was causing your hair loss. If you need to take medications that cause hair loss, you may want to try a hair loss treatment. Even if you can stop taking the medication, you may want to use a hair loss treatment to speed the regrowth process.

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