Jennifer
04.07.2006, 09:55 |
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss (Anti-depressants & Hair Loss) |
I want to cry since reading all of the entries on this site. I started taking 150mg of Wellbutrin XL seven weeks ago for PMS. I stopped yesterday because my hair is falling out at an unbelievable rate. Worse than after I had my children. My hair is extremely thin around the sides of my face and at the crown of my head. My hair has never been thick, but not so thin that others could see my scalp as it is now. I counted how many hairs I have lost so far today since I have gotten out of bed 3 hours ago and that number is 67. Before Wellbutrin I lost probably 10-15 hairs a day. Since I have stopped taking Wellbutrin will my hair loss stop? I really need someone to tell me some good news.
Jennifer is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to jen
04.07.2006, 10:31
@ Jennifer
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
» I want to cry since reading all of the entries on this site. I started
» taking 150mg of Wellbutrin XL seven weeks ago for PMS. I stopped yesterday
» because my hair is falling out at an unbelievable rate. Worse than after I
» had my children. My hair is extremely thin around the sides of my face and
» at the crown of my head. My hair has never been thick, but not so thin
» that others could see my scalp as it is now. I counted how many hairs I
» have lost so far today since I have gotten out of bed 3 hours ago and that
» number is 67. Before Wellbutrin I lost probably 10-15 hairs a day. Since
» I have stopped taking Wellbutrin will my hair loss stop? I really need
» someone to tell me some good news.
Is that 67 withou washing your hair? Is your hair long or short anf what length hairs are you losing?
to jen is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
Ellen
05.07.2006, 10:05
@ Jennifer
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
» I want to cry since reading all of the entries on this site. I started
» taking 150mg of Wellbutrin XL seven weeks ago for PMS. I stopped yesterday
» because my hair is falling out at an unbelievable rate. Worse than after I
» had my children. My hair is extremely thin around the sides of my face and
» at the crown of my head. My hair has never been thick, but not so thin
» that others could see my scalp as it is now. I counted how many hairs I
» have lost so far today since I have gotten out of bed 3 hours ago and that
» number is 67. Before Wellbutrin I lost probably 10-15 hairs a day. Since
» I have stopped taking Wellbutrin will my hair loss stop? I really need
» someone to tell me some good news.
Jennifer,
I lost 70% of my hair to Wellbutrin last summer. It takes about 3 months for the shed to stop after discontinuing the Wellbutrin. I don't rememember when I saw regrowth, but I have these short ends all over my head which are definitely regrowth. Right now, it looks pretty terrible as the short ends just look like frizz. But I have to say that I have not regained as much hair as I lost and will probably never be able to wear my hair the same way. In addition to the TE caused by the Wellbutrin, I also have AGA which might be why my hair didn't grow back in full. IF you don't have that, you should be in much better shape than I am. Good luck to you; I know how devastating this is. Ellen
Ellen is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to ellen
05.07.2006, 10:16
@ Ellen
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
Thanks for you reply. How do you deal with the emotional issues associated with hair loss? I cry, and feel like everyone is staring at my head. I have aga and lose tons of hair each day. How much do you lose? When doew it become noticeable and what can I do to hide it?
to ellen is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
To Jennifer
05.07.2006, 13:10
@ to ellen
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
» Thanks for you reply. How do you deal with the emotional issues associated
» with hair loss? I cry, and feel like everyone is staring at my head. I
» have aga and lose tons of hair each day. How much do you lose? When doew
» it become noticeable and what can I do to hide it?
It's really difficult dealing with the emotional issues. One year later, I am still waiting for the growing in hair to get long enough to make a difference. One thing I did that I couldn't live without is get a full head of extensions. There is no way I could go out with just my own hair right now. My hair was thin before Wellbutrin but as I said, I lost 70% of my hair afterwards. I have all sorts of wigs and toppers. I have this hair piece that is bangs with some hair in the back that I put in a ponytail. The extensions are very helpful, if extremely expensive (3k) and extremely laborious to take in and out, about 4 hours every 3 months. But it looks really natural and allows me to style my hair up or down. I never actually counted the hairs I lost, but it would be everywhere. I lost most of my hair in just a two month span. But the shedding did stop in 3 months time for me. You might want to look into "hair fusion" which is what I get. They sandwich your own hair between each extension and there is an opaque top which is glued to the hair. I couldn't live without them unless I wanted to wear my wig full time. This is more comfortable. My hair loss became noticeable at the end of the first month of acute shedding. At the beginning of that month I could wear my hair down and by the end of the month I could only wear it in a ponytail. I hope this helps. Ellen
To Jennifer is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to jennifer
05.07.2006, 13:18
@ To Jennifer
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
I would love extensions but I was told it could make hair loss worse and with all the hAIR you lose don't the extensions fall out? Can they be put up front? Where do you go for them? How much does the 4 month maintenence cost? Are they noticeable when your hair is wet? thanks
to jennifer is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
Ellen
05.07.2006, 13:24
@ to jennifer
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
» I would love extensions but I was told it could make hair loss worse and
» with all the hAIR you lose don't the extensions fall out? Can they be put
» up front? Where do you go for them? How much does the 4 month maintenence
» cost? Are they noticeable when your hair is wet? thanks
The extensions don't fall out. They can't be placed right up front (i.e. the bang area) but they can be placed in front on the side. I go to a salon in Manhattan called Rudolpho Valentin, who is probably the most expensive place around but they do a credible job. He charges $500 to take them in and out and I go every 3 months. They are not noticeable when your hair is wet. I think your hair would probably be better off without them, as it would with most tampering including coloring, but I feel I have no choice. I have heard that the kind of extensions with a small ball that sew in are very bad for your hair. These really are not.
Ellen is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
andrew
07.07.2006, 19:50
@ Ellen
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
hair loss will stop. However it takes time.6 months or more after stopping pills.
andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
eb
24.07.2006, 14:38
@ andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
» hair loss will stop. However it takes time.6 months or more after stopping
» pills.
Do you know why it takes so long for the shed to stop in the case of antidepressants? My doctor said 6 weeks and...but it's been 2 months since I stopped the anti, and the shed is actually worse than before (it started out lighter, then got really bad the second month and I am going into month 5).
Thanks.
eb is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
andrew
25.07.2006, 07:53
@ eb
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
Antidepressants cause telogen effluvium (an abnormally large percentage of hairs move from the anagen into the catagen and telogen phases).For examples if I decide to stop today the antidepressant drug my hairs continue to fall because the process of shifting from anagen to telogen caused by the drug has begun and has to complete.Once that some hairs follicle have been moved from anagen to catagen they have to complete their cicle, so they will enter the telogen phase and then fall (hairs remain in the telogen phase 3 months before falling).
Antidepressants cause an increase of telogen hair follicle.Normally the 80-85% of hairs are in the anagen phase and the remaining 15-20% are in the catagen and telogen phases.While taking antidepressants and other drugs that affect hairs you can have more than 30% in the telogen phase.
However the drop caused by antidepressants is also an anagen effluvium (hairs fall during the growing phase), but generally this kind of fall ends after stopping drugs.
Also it is said that antidepressants (and other drugs that affect hairs) cause a synchronization of hairs in the telogen phase. You know that the hair cycle is not synchronous (some hairs are in the anagen phase while others are in the telogen or catagen),this means that too many hair follicle remain in the telogen phase at the same time and this can continue also after stopping drugs;
However I think there is also something more complex that at the moment remain unclear also to doctors an researchers
which
the cycle of hair (anagen,catagen and telogen) is not synchronous, some hair are in anagen phase, where other are in telogen phase.The 80-85% of hair are in anagen phase which lasts 3 years, the othe 15-20% are in catagen and telogen phases
» » hair loss will stop. However it takes time.6 months or more after
» stopping
» » pills.
»
» Do you know why it takes so long for the shed to stop in the case of
» antidepressants? My doctor said 6 weeks and...but it's been 2 months since
» I stopped the anti, and the shed is actually worse than before (it started
» out lighter, then got really bad the second month and I am going into
» month 5).
» Thanks.
andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to andrew-thank you
25.07.2006, 16:39
@ andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
» Antidepressants cause telogen effluvium (an abnormally large percentage of
» hairs move from the anagen into the catagen and telogen phases).For
» examples if I decide to stop today the antidepressant drug my hairs
» continue to fall because the process of shifting from anagen to telogen
» caused by the drug has begun and has to complete.Once that some hairs
» follicle have been moved from anagen to catagen they have to complete
» their cicle, so they will enter the telogen phase and then fall (hairs
» remain in the telogen phase 3 months before falling).
» Antidepressants cause an increase of telogen hair follicle.Normally the
» 80-85% of hairs are in the anagen phase and the remaining 15-20% are in
» the catagen and telogen phases.While taking antidepressants and other
» drugs that affect hairs you can have more than 30% in the telogen phase.
» However the drop caused by antidepressants is also an anagen effluvium
» (hairs fall during the growing phase), but generally this kind of fall
» ends after stopping drugs.
» Also it is said that antidepressants (and other drugs that affect hairs)
» cause a synchronization of hairs in the telogen phase. You know that the
» hair cycle is not synchronous (some hairs are in the anagen phase while
» others are in the telogen or catagen),this means that too many hair
» follicle remain in the telogen phase at the same time and this can
» continue also after stopping drugs;
» However I think there is also something more complex that at the moment
» remain unclear also to doctors an researchers
»
»
»
»
»
» which
» the cycle of hair (anagen,catagen and telogen) is not synchronous, some
» hair are in anagen phase, where other are in telogen phase.The 80-85% of
» hair are in anagen phase which lasts 3 years, the othe 15-20% are in
» catagen and telogen phases
»
»
»
»
» » » hair loss will stop. However it takes time.6 months or more after
» » stopping
» » » pills.
» »
» » Do you know why it takes so long for the shed to stop in the case of
» » antidepressants? My doctor said 6 weeks and...but it's been 2 months
» since
» » I stopped the anti, and the shed is actually worse than before (it
» started
» » out lighter, then got really bad the second month and I am going into
» » month 5).
» » Thanks.
Hi, thanks very much for your reply. Can I ask where you got this info? I went to a new derm in a huge city today, he's the best in the south they say, and he said my TE is complete (via hair pull test) and I have AGA possibly triggered by the TE. Oddly, I am only 26. and I lost no hair before the antidepressant. I lost about half my hair and still shedding. Before the anti, no shedding at all, I only lost 5-10 hairs a day (and didn't even treat my hair that well...although I eat well and exercise).
Again, I took an anti for 7 months, I have had TE for 4-5 months, and it has been 2 months since stopping the anti. Still lots of fallout of various hairs in all stages of growth. TONS of spiked ends (tapered). Is there hope that this shedding will stop and it is not AGA after all? (I have a feeling the derm didn't know exactly what he was talking about, since he was unaware that antis can cause hair loss--he said they could not/did not???!) Who is right???
to andrew-thank you is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
andrew
27.07.2006, 06:18
@ to andrew-thank you
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
» Hi, thanks very much for your reply. Can I ask where you got this info? I
» went to a new derm in a huge city today, he's the best in the south they
» say, and he said my TE is complete (via hair pull test) and I have AGA
» possibly triggered by the TE. Oddly, I am only 26. and I lost no hair
» before the antidepressant. I lost about half my hair and still shedding.
» Before the anti, no shedding at all, I only lost 5-10 hairs a day (and
» didn't even treat my hair that well...although I eat well and exercise).
»
» Again, I took an anti for 7 months, I have had TE for 4-5 months, and it
» has been 2 months since stopping the anti. Still lots of fallout of
» various hairs in all stages of growth. TONS of spiked ends (tapered). Is
» there hope that this shedding will stop and it is not AGA after all? (I
» have a feeling the derm didn't know exactly what he was talking about,
» since he was unaware that antis can cause hair loss--he said they could
» not/did not???!) Who is right???
This is what my derm told to me.However i don't think your is aga. The small hairs you loose are anagen in my opinion and the cause is the antidepressant.
It happened the same thing to me, while taking antidepressants I lost hairs in all stage of growth.And before antidepressants i had perfect hairs.
However after stopping the drug you will see a decrease in anagen shedding but the telogen will continue for some months. 6 months after stopping drug I begin to see a quite good recover. Now I loose only telogen hairs however too many than before. I hope the teloegn shedding will stop too.
andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to andrew
27.07.2006, 11:11
@ andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
Hi Andrew, thanks so much again.
Actually I shed no anagen hairs in the first month of shedding (only telogen).
I started to shed anagen hairs in the second month and am still shedding them. I have stopped the drug over 2 months ago now and I would say 80% of the hairs I shed are now anagen. In fact, after I stopped the drug, there was a sharp INCREASE in anagen shedding. I can tell because the hairs are shorter with tapered roots. Some are a healthy diameter some are not. And a lot are only 1-2cm long and wispy. (These are anagen hairs, right? stunted growth?)
Obviously I'm a gal so maybe our situations differ a bit, but like you, my hair was perfect before the anti as well. It was also pretty hardy: I have had 2 neurosurgeries (lost no hair) and took various anticonvulsants and beta-blockers known to cause hair loss and if I had any hair loss it would stop immediately after stopping the drug, and grow back 100% each time.
But this time it is different. I think it is significant that my mom has AGA but hers did not kick in until menopause (age 50). Dad and his entire family have full heads of hair. I am only 26 so it seems extreme for AGA to suddenly crop up so fiercely.
Can I ask who your derm is? Do you live in the SE USA?
How long did you take the anti for and when did you notice shedding?
I took a tricyclic for 6-7 months and noticed it about month 4-5...so that's right on time, I believe. I am also anemic, but only slightly.
Thanks again.
» This is what my derm told to me.However i don't think your is aga. The
» small hairs you loose are anagen in my opinion and the cause is the
» antidepressant.
» It happened the same thing to me, while taking antidepressants I lost
» hairs in all stage of growth.And before antidepressants i had perfect
» hairs.
» However after stopping the drug you will see a decrease in anagen shedding
» but the telogen will continue for some months. 6 months after stopping drug
» I begin to see a quite good recover. Now I loose only telogen hairs however
» too many than before. I hope the teloegn shedding will stop too.
to andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
,
27.07.2006, 11:20
@ to andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
How do you know if they are anagen hairs and what does that mean?
, is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
andrew
28.07.2006, 18:56
@ to andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
» Hi Andrew, thanks so much again.
»
» Actually I shed no anagen hairs in the first month of shedding (only
» telogen).
»
» I started to shed anagen hairs in the second month and am still shedding
» them. I have stopped the drug over 2 months ago now and I would say 80% of
» the hairs I shed are now anagen. In fact, after I stopped the drug, there
» was a sharp INCREASE in anagen shedding. I can tell because the hairs are
» shorter with tapered roots. Some are a healthy diameter some are not. And
» a lot are only 1-2cm long and wispy. (These are anagen hairs, right?
» stunted growth?)
»
» Obviously I'm a gal so maybe our situations differ a bit, but like you, my
» hair was perfect before the anti as well. It was also pretty hardy: I have
» had 2 neurosurgeries (lost no hair) and took various anticonvulsants and
» beta-blockers known to cause hair loss and if I had any hair loss it would
» stop immediately after stopping the drug, and grow back 100% each time.
»
» But this time it is different. I think it is significant that my mom has
» AGA but hers did not kick in until menopause (age 50). Dad and his entire
» family have full heads of hair. I am only 26 so it seems extreme for AGA
» to suddenly crop up so fiercely.
»
» Can I ask who your derm is? Do you live in the SE USA?
»
» How long did you take the anti for and when did you notice shedding?
» I took a tricyclic for 6-7 months and noticed it about month 4-5...so
» that's right on time, I believe. I am also anemic, but only slightly.
»
» Thanks again.
»
» » This is what my derm told to me.However i don't think your is aga. The
» » small hairs you loose are anagen in my opinion and the cause is the
» » antidepressant.
» » It happened the same thing to me, while taking antidepressants I lost
» » hairs in all stage of growth.And before antidepressants i had perfect
» » hairs.
» » However after stopping the drug you will see a decrease in anagen
» shedding
» » but the telogen will continue for some months. 6 months after stopping
» drug
» » I begin to see a quite good recover. Now I loose only telogen hairs
» however
» » too many than before. I hope the teloegn shedding will stop too.
thanks to you.Not an easy situation.
I have a question to you :which antidepressant was?
Some considerations:
the anagen shedding is compatible with your recent stop (you say that you are now only 2 moths after stopping the drug). I think that you have to wait 2 other months and see how it goes
-there are a lot of persons having stopped the drug from a long period that continue to loose hairs. I've read in one case of a girl that was on antidep and her shedding stopped only 6 months later the interruption of the drug.
This seems a common situation that i found reading the experiences of a lot of persons.Also in my case recovering is very faar.I've recovered the diameter of the hairs but i still continue to loose too many telogen and mature long hairs and of my previuos perfect hair now I've recoverd 70/100
My experience with antidep is the following: I've used trycliclics for 4 months and I experienced hair loss after 3 months.Fortunally I immediately found the cause and stopped it at the fourth month. Then I Tried Remeron (mirtazapine) and also had hair loss. I tried to do some experiments discontinuing and then taking again the antidep but the result was the same:thinning and shedding of hairs in all stage of growth few days after taking the med. I tried also Trazodone and Mianserine and had hair loss also with them and also at small doses.Then I read that also St. John's worth cause hair loss in 1 reported case.So i decided to try this erb and also had hair loss with it!
There is something unknown that associate all these drugs, all antidepressants. Could be that all antidepressants cause an increase of Prolactin (that you know is not good for hair)but this is only a personal assumption and however this level of prolactin should come back to normality after the interruption of drug.
I was also thinking to the fact that most of antidepressants cause a downregulation of some brain receptors that remain forever downregulated also after the drug is discontinued.But I don't know if there is some link with hair loss.
I'm now trying MOCLOBEMIDE which is a RIMA (i don't know if sold in your country,probably in canada with the name of Manerix/aurorix) but in the literature I've already found 1 case of hair loss and i think that because of my sensitive to this side effect I'm going to experience hair loss once again in the next days...
I'm not in US (unfortunally because i like Usa) but i'm in Italy and my doctor is an italian derm, here in Rome
thanks for your experience and keep me informed.I hope in your complete recover
andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
andrew
28.07.2006, 19:02
@ ,
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
» How do you know if they are anagen hairs and what does that mean?
read here, you will found an exaustive decription
andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
andrew
28.07.2006, 19:03
@ andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
ops i forgot the link:
http://www.americanhairloss.org/types_of_hair_loss/effluviums.asp
andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to andrew
29.07.2006, 12:23
@ andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
Hi Andrew, thanks again for your reply! I am learning something new...
I took Pamelor (tricyclic anti) for about 7 months total. Roughly 4-5 months into treatment I started noticing hair loss. It wasn't so bad the first month and a half but got worse and worse. Right now it is the worst it's ever been and I shed a lot of anagen hairs. I discontinued the drug 2 months ago but loss still continuing.
I am starting to wonder if it was even the anti that caused this because 4-5 months seems a little delayed and plus, I have stopped the drug for so long and I shed more anagen hairs than before. I am getting scared this really is AGA (a derm I saw said it is my TE is definitely over because the hair pull test is negative, and it uncovered or triggered beginning stage AGA).
One thing that is weird is that I have been losing eyelash and pubic hair (sorry for so much info). I do not think AGA will make you lose other hairs right? And also, the texture of my hair TOTALLY changed, from silky and soft and smooth (VERY manageable) to brittle, dry, and flyaway. It is basically like straw. It almost "crackles" when I touch it and I have to leave it unwashed, dirty, and oily for 2 days before it starts to feel a little bit like HAIR again. I also have seborrhea but it seems like whatever caused my hair to fall out, also caused the seborrhea to slow down.
My mom has AGA but hers did not surface until age 50 or so. And it was accelerated by a chemical burn to her scalp.
My dad has no AGA. He is 51 with the same hair he had 20 years ago, perhaps a little greyer but not much.
My brother is 23 and has normal, full, healthy hair.
Of course, there may be other precipitating factors. I was under extreme stress for 3-4 days exactly 3 months ago, so maybe it triggered another TE. I am not sure.
Thanks again for educating me.
» thanks to you.Not an easy situation.
» I have a question to you :which antidepressant was?
» Some considerations:
» the anagen shedding is compatible with your recent stop (you say that you
» are now only 2 moths after stopping the drug). I think that you have to
» wait 2 other months and see how it goes
» -there are a lot of persons having stopped the drug from a long period
» that continue to loose hairs. I've read in one case of a girl that was on
» antidep and her shedding stopped only 6 months later the interruption of
» the drug.
» This seems a common situation that i found reading the experiences of a
» lot of persons.Also in my case recovering is very faar.I've recovered the
» diameter of the hairs but i still continue to loose too many telogen and
» mature long hairs and of my previuos perfect hair now I've recoverd 70/100
»
» My experience with antidep is the following: I've used trycliclics for 4
» months and I experienced hair loss after 3 months.Fortunally I immediately
» found the cause and stopped it at the fourth month. Then I Tried Remeron
» (mirtazapine) and also had hair loss. I tried to do some experiments
» discontinuing and then taking again the antidep but the result was the
» same:thinning and shedding of hairs in all stage of growth few days after
» taking the med. I tried also Trazodone and Mianserine and had hair loss
» also with them and also at small doses.Then I read that also St. John's
» worth cause hair loss in 1 reported case.So i decided to try this erb and
» also had hair loss with it!
»
» There is something unknown that associate all these drugs, all
» antidepressants. Could be that all antidepressants cause an increase of
» Prolactin (that you know is not good for hair)but this is only a personal
» assumption and however this level of prolactin should come back to
» normality after the interruption of drug.
» I was also thinking to the fact that most of antidepressants cause a
» downregulation of some brain receptors that remain forever downregulated
» also after the drug is discontinued.But I don't know if there is some link
» with hair loss.
» I'm now trying MOCLOBEMIDE which is a RIMA (i don't know if sold in your
» country,probably in canada with the name of Manerix/aurorix) but in the
» literature I've already found 1 case of hair loss and i think that because
» of my sensitive to this side effect I'm going to experience hair loss once
» again in the next days...
»
» I'm not in US (unfortunally because i like Usa) but i'm in Italy and my
» doctor is an italian derm, here in Rome
»
» thanks for your experience and keep me informed.I hope in your complete
» recover
to andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to andrew
29.07.2006, 12:29
@ to andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
Oops, one more thing-I just looked up clinical seborrhea and I don't think I had that before my anti (and I definitely don't have that now). I had hair that would need to be washed almost every day (sometimes I could get by with every other day), but it was not as bad as true seborrhea. I did not have to use medicated shampoos or anything, not even close. I just had an oilier scalp. I don't know if this info is helpful. Later I might buy a densitometer; have you tried this at home?
» Hi Andrew, thanks again for your reply! I am learning something new...
»
» I took Pamelor (tricyclic anti) for about 7 months total. Roughly 4-5
» months into treatment I started noticing hair loss. It wasn't so bad the
» first month and a half but got worse and worse. Right now it is the worst
» it's ever been and I shed a lot of anagen hairs. I discontinued the drug 2
» months ago but loss still continuing.
»
» I am starting to wonder if it was even the anti that caused this because
» 4-5 months seems a little delayed and plus, I have stopped the drug for so
» long and I shed more anagen hairs than before. I am getting scared this
» really is AGA (a derm I saw said it is my TE is definitely over because
» the hair pull test is negative, and it uncovered or triggered beginning
» stage AGA).
»
» One thing that is weird is that I have been losing eyelash and pubic hair
» (sorry for so much info). I do not think AGA will make you lose other
» hairs right? And also, the texture of my hair TOTALLY changed, from silky
» and soft and smooth (VERY manageable) to brittle, dry, and flyaway. It is
» basically like straw. It almost "crackles" when I touch it and I have to
» leave it unwashed, dirty, and oily for 2 days before it starts to feel a
» little bit like HAIR again. I also have seborrhea but it seems like
» whatever caused my hair to fall out, also caused the seborrhea to slow
» down.
»
» My mom has AGA but hers did not surface until age 50 or so. And it was
» accelerated by a chemical burn to her scalp.
»
» My dad has no AGA. He is 51 with the same hair he had 20 years ago,
» perhaps a little greyer but not much.
»
» My brother is 23 and has normal, full, healthy hair.
»
» Of course, there may be other precipitating factors. I was under extreme
» stress for 3-4 days exactly 3 months ago, so maybe it triggered another
» TE. I am not sure.
»
» Thanks again for educating me.
»
» » thanks to you.Not an easy situation.
» » I have a question to you :which antidepressant was?
» » Some considerations:
» » the anagen shedding is compatible with your recent stop (you say that
» you
» » are now only 2 moths after stopping the drug). I think that you have to
» » wait 2 other months and see how it goes
» » -there are a lot of persons having stopped the drug from a long period
» » that continue to loose hairs. I've read in one case of a girl that was
» on
» » antidep and her shedding stopped only 6 months later the interruption
» of
» » the drug.
» » This seems a common situation that i found reading the experiences of a
» » lot of persons.Also in my case recovering is very faar.I've recovered
» the
» » diameter of the hairs but i still continue to loose too many telogen
» and
» » mature long hairs and of my previuos perfect hair now I've recoverd
» 70/100
» »
» » My experience with antidep is the following: I've used trycliclics for
» 4
» » months and I experienced hair loss after 3 months.Fortunally I
» immediately
» » found the cause and stopped it at the fourth month. Then I Tried
» Remeron
» » (mirtazapine) and also had hair loss. I tried to do some experiments
» » discontinuing and then taking again the antidep but the result was the
» » same:thinning and shedding of hairs in all stage of growth few days
» after
» » taking the med. I tried also Trazodone and Mianserine and had hair loss
» » also with them and also at small doses.Then I read that also St. John's
» » worth cause hair loss in 1 reported case.So i decided to try this erb
» and
» » also had hair loss with it!
» »
» » There is something unknown that associate all these drugs, all
» » antidepressants. Could be that all antidepressants cause an increase of
» » Prolactin (that you know is not good for hair)but this is only a
» personal
» » assumption and however this level of prolactin should come back to
» » normality after the interruption of drug.
» » I was also thinking to the fact that most of antidepressants cause a
» » downregulation of some brain receptors that remain forever
» downregulated
» » also after the drug is discontinued.But I don't know if there is some
» link
» » with hair loss.
» » I'm now trying MOCLOBEMIDE which is a RIMA (i don't know if sold in
» your
» » country,probably in canada with the name of Manerix/aurorix) but in the
» » literature I've already found 1 case of hair loss and i think that
» because
» » of my sensitive to this side effect I'm going to experience hair loss
» once
» » again in the next days...
» »
» » I'm not in US (unfortunally because i like Usa) but i'm in Italy and my
» » doctor is an italian derm, here in Rome
» »
» » thanks for your experience and keep me informed.I hope in your complete
» » recover
to andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
andrew
29.07.2006, 17:29
@ to andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
Thanks to you.
The 4-5 months delay of hair loss after the beginning of tryciclic is the common period.My first hair loss was with a tryciclics , the trimipramine and took 3 months before I began to see some shedding.Before the shedding my hair became thinner but at the moment i didn't noticed it. But now when i think at that period i can reconstruct the series of events. That was my first antidepressant and before it my hairs were perfect.
However this delay is because the action of the drug is strong but not so strong to cause an immediate anagen shedding.Some other drugs can cause a quicker loss but in this case the loss is quite esclusive of anagen hairs.The shedding with antidepressants is anagen and telogen and also and i say fortunately is not so quick.
Anyway If you do a quich search on the web about telogen effluvium or drug induced alopecia you can see that the estimated period between taking drug and beginning of shedding is usually 3/4 months.In this period the poor hairs fight against the drug then they loose and become to shed!
However don't worry 2 months is a too little period.The drug is still in your body, don't worry give you another 2 months and don't think too much to your hairs.The most important thing (the discontinuation of drug) is done, now your hair will very slowly begin to recover. But i think it can takes also more than 1 year.I am now 6 months after discontinuing and have recovered a 20% (on a total of 50% lost).
Regarding other hairs Yes i also lost more pubic and chest hairs and this can only be due to antidepressant don't worry.I never lost this kind of hairs before the antidepressant and blood tests are ok
Have you done blood test?You should check your tyroid and also very important the iron in your blood.Also a small lack of iron or a little anemia can cause hair shedding.
You should also investigate some other data through the blood test that i write below
-sideremy
-ferritin
-transferrin
-zinc
-b12 vitamin
-folic acid
-copper
-calcium
-albumin
Then you should also do another test on your hair, the hair pull is not very reliable, but i don't know the exact name in english, however the derm take some of your hairs in different parts of your head and examine it at the microscope to estabilish the ratio anagen/telogen and also too confirm a possible aga.I'm sorry i don't remember if you have already done this test or only the pull test.
Don't be worried too much...remember that you are the first med of you and remember you have taken tryciclics antidepressants and that before you had no loss.And that tryciclics are the worst for your hairs.Find a list of drugs that induce hair loss and you will see TRYICLICS.
And remember that in this moment is not easy for a derm to do a reliable diagnosis.You should also consider to see another derm but after you have done blood test to exlude other lacks.
I'm not surprised that you continue to loose anagen hairs, but I'm sure you loose also telogen.Next time when you do a bath check your hairs lost and then let me know, I think that in this moment the check you can do is better than the check one derm can do. Only few derms are familiar with this kind of shedding.And the different kind of shedding can be confused.
If you think that we are going to Mars but we still don't know the mechanism of antidepressant induced hair loss...
» Hi Andrew, thanks again for your reply! I am learning something new...
»
» I took Pamelor (tricyclic anti) for about 7 months total. Roughly 4-5
» months into treatment I started noticing hair loss. It wasn't so bad the
» first month and a half but got worse and worse. Right now it is the worst
» it's ever been and I shed a lot of anagen hairs. I discontinued the drug 2
» months ago but loss still continuing.
»
» I am starting to wonder if it was even the anti that caused this because
» 4-5 months seems a little delayed and plus, I have stopped the drug for so
» long and I shed more anagen hairs than before. I am getting scared this
» really is AGA (a derm I saw said it is my TE is definitely over because
» the hair pull test is negative, and it uncovered or triggered beginning
» stage AGA).
»
» One thing that is weird is that I have been losing eyelash and pubic hair
» (sorry for so much info). I do not think AGA will make you lose other
» hairs right? And also, the texture of my hair TOTALLY changed, from silky
» and soft and smooth (VERY manageable) to brittle, dry, and flyaway. It is
» basically like straw. It almost "crackles" when I touch it and I have to
» leave it unwashed, dirty, and oily for 2 days before it starts to feel a
» little bit like HAIR again. I also have seborrhea but it seems like
» whatever caused my hair to fall out, also caused the seborrhea to slow
» down.
»
» My mom has AGA but hers did not surface until age 50 or so. And it was
» accelerated by a chemical burn to her scalp.
»
» My dad has no AGA. He is 51 with the same hair he had 20 years ago,
» perhaps a little greyer but not much.
»
» My brother is 23 and has normal, full, healthy hair.
»
» Of course, there may be other precipitating factors. I was under extreme
» stress for 3-4 days exactly 3 months ago, so maybe it triggered another
» TE. I am not sure.
»
» Thanks again for educating me.
»
» » thanks to you.Not an easy situation.
» » I have a question to you :which antidepressant was?
» » Some considerations:
» » the anagen shedding is compatible with your recent stop (you say that
» you
» » are now only 2 moths after stopping the drug). I think that you have to
» » wait 2 other months and see how it goes
» » -there are a lot of persons having stopped the drug from a long period
» » that continue to loose hairs. I've read in one case of a girl that was
» on
» » antidep and her shedding stopped only 6 months later the interruption
» of
» » the drug.
» » This seems a common situation that i found reading the experiences of a
» » lot of persons.Also in my case recovering is very faar.I've recovered
» the
» » diameter of the hairs but i still continue to loose too many telogen
» and
» » mature long hairs and of my previuos perfect hair now I've recoverd
» 70/100
» »
» » My experience with antidep is the following: I've used trycliclics for
» 4
» » months and I experienced hair loss after 3 months.Fortunally I
» immediately
» » found the cause and stopped it at the fourth month. Then I Tried
» Remeron
» » (mirtazapine) and also had hair loss. I tried to do some experiments
» » discontinuing and then taking again the antidep but the result was the
» » same:thinning and shedding of hairs in all stage of growth few days
» after
» » taking the med. I tried also Trazodone and Mianserine and had hair loss
» » also with them and also at small doses.Then I read that also St. John's
» » worth cause hair loss in 1 reported case.So i decided to try this erb
» and
» » also had hair loss with it!
» »
» » There is something unknown that associate all these drugs, all
» » antidepressants. Could be that all antidepressants cause an increase of
» » Prolactin (that you know is not good for hair)but this is only a
» personal
» » assumption and however this level of prolactin should come back to
» » normality after the interruption of drug.
» » I was also thinking to the fact that most of antidepressants cause a
» » downregulation of some brain receptors that remain forever
» downregulated
» » also after the drug is discontinued.But I don't know if there is some
» link
» » with hair loss.
» » I'm now trying MOCLOBEMIDE which is a RIMA (i don't know if sold in
» your
» » country,probably in canada with the name of Manerix/aurorix) but in the
» » literature I've already found 1 case of hair loss and i think that
» because
» » of my sensitive to this side effect I'm going to experience hair loss
» once
» » again in the next days...
» »
» » I'm not in US (unfortunally because i like Usa) but i'm in Italy and my
» » doctor is an italian derm, here in Rome
» »
» » thanks for your experience and keep me informed.I hope in your complete
» » recover
andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
andrew
29.07.2006, 17:40
@ to andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
You could try a densitometer but at this moment is not relevant because the miniaturized or anagen hairs that you see you cannot know if they are due to aga or antidepressant.
Also note that aga is a very slow process and this cannot happen in only 4-5 months.
» Oops, one more thing-I just looked up clinical seborrhea and I don't think
» I had that before my anti (and I definitely don't have that now). I had
» hair that would need to be washed almost every day (sometimes I could get
» by with every other day), but it was not as bad as true seborrhea. I did
» not have to use medicated shampoos or anything, not even close. I just had
» an oilier scalp. I don't know if this info is helpful. Later I might buy a
» densitometer; have you tried this at home?
»
» » Hi Andrew, thanks again for your reply! I am learning something new...
» »
» » I took Pamelor (tricyclic anti) for about 7 months total. Roughly 4-5
» » months into treatment I started noticing hair loss. It wasn't so bad
» the
» » first month and a half but got worse and worse. Right now it is the
» worst
» » it's ever been and I shed a lot of anagen hairs. I discontinued the drug
» 2
» » months ago but loss still continuing.
» »
» » I am starting to wonder if it was even the anti that caused this
» because
» » 4-5 months seems a little delayed and plus, I have stopped the drug for
» so
» » long and I shed more anagen hairs than before. I am getting scared this
» » really is AGA (a derm I saw said it is my TE is definitely over because
» » the hair pull test is negative, and it uncovered or triggered beginning
» » stage AGA).
» »
» » One thing that is weird is that I have been losing eyelash and pubic
» hair
» » (sorry for so much info). I do not think AGA will make you lose other
» » hairs right? And also, the texture of my hair TOTALLY changed, from
» silky
» » and soft and smooth (VERY manageable) to brittle, dry, and flyaway. It
» is
» » basically like straw. It almost "crackles" when I touch it and I have
» to
» » leave it unwashed, dirty, and oily for 2 days before it starts to feel
» a
» » little bit like HAIR again. I also have seborrhea but it seems like
» » whatever caused my hair to fall out, also caused the seborrhea to slow
» » down.
» »
» » My mom has AGA but hers did not surface until age 50 or so. And it was
» » accelerated by a chemical burn to her scalp.
» »
» » My dad has no AGA. He is 51 with the same hair he had 20 years ago,
» » perhaps a little greyer but not much.
» »
» » My brother is 23 and has normal, full, healthy hair.
» »
» » Of course, there may be other precipitating factors. I was under
» extreme
» » stress for 3-4 days exactly 3 months ago, so maybe it triggered another
» » TE. I am not sure.
» »
» » Thanks again for educating me.
» »
» » » thanks to you.Not an easy situation.
» » » I have a question to you :which antidepressant was?
» » » Some considerations:
» » » the anagen shedding is compatible with your recent stop (you say that
» » you
» » » are now only 2 moths after stopping the drug). I think that you have
» to
» » » wait 2 other months and see how it goes
» » » -there are a lot of persons having stopped the drug from a long
» period
» » » that continue to loose hairs. I've read in one case of a girl that
» was
» » on
» » » antidep and her shedding stopped only 6 months later the interruption
» » of
» » » the drug.
» » » This seems a common situation that i found reading the experiences of
» a
» » » lot of persons.Also in my case recovering is very faar.I've recovered
» » the
» » » diameter of the hairs but i still continue to loose too many telogen
» » and
» » » mature long hairs and of my previuos perfect hair now I've recoverd
» » 70/100
» » »
» » » My experience with antidep is the following: I've used trycliclics
» for
» » 4
» » » months and I experienced hair loss after 3 months.Fortunally I
» » immediately
» » » found the cause and stopped it at the fourth month. Then I Tried
» » Remeron
» » » (mirtazapine) and also had hair loss. I tried to do some experiments
» » » discontinuing and then taking again the antidep but the result was
» the
» » » same:thinning and shedding of hairs in all stage of growth few days
» » after
» » » taking the med. I tried also Trazodone and Mianserine and had hair
» loss
» » » also with them and also at small doses.Then I read that also St.
» John's
» » » worth cause hair loss in 1 reported case.So i decided to try this erb
» » and
» » » also had hair loss with it!
» » »
» » » There is something unknown that associate all these drugs, all
» » » antidepressants. Could be that all antidepressants cause an increase
» of
» » » Prolactin (that you know is not good for hair)but this is only a
» » personal
» » » assumption and however this level of prolactin should come back to
» » » normality after the interruption of drug.
» » » I was also thinking to the fact that most of antidepressants cause a
» » » downregulation of some brain receptors that remain forever
» » downregulated
» » » also after the drug is discontinued.But I don't know if there is some
» » link
» » » with hair loss.
» » » I'm now trying MOCLOBEMIDE which is a RIMA (i don't know if sold in
» » your
» » » country,probably in canada with the name of Manerix/aurorix) but in
» the
» » » literature I've already found 1 case of hair loss and i think that
» » because
» » » of my sensitive to this side effect I'm going to experience hair loss
» » once
» » » again in the next days...
» » »
» » » I'm not in US (unfortunally because i like Usa) but i'm in Italy and
» my
» » » doctor is an italian derm, here in Rome
» » »
» » » thanks for your experience and keep me informed.I hope in your
» complete
» » » recover
andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to andrew
29.07.2006, 17:59
@ andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
You say aga is a slow process. Can you elaborate-how long does it take for it to be noticeable to the person, dr, and others?
to andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to andrew
30.07.2006, 12:22
@ andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
Hey Andrew, thanks again for your reply.
I was in denial about my hair loss for 2 months and let my hair keep shedding on the Pamelor for that time before coming off of it. It is a very rare side effects of antis so I did not want to believe it was happening to me. I did not get off it right away. But my shed has increased since going off Pamelor, and my hair has been reduced by about 1/3-40%. It shows no signs of letting up.
I did not count the ratio of anagen hairs to telogen hairs from my shower last night, too depressing, but I estimate about 50/50. I still lose a lot amount of telogen hairs for sure, but the # of anagen hairs that I lose has gone way up since my TE first began in April.
I want to make sure the anagen hairs I think I am seeing really are anagen. Is it when the ends are tapered (like a point) and not blunt? I lose hairs with roots of varying thickness. I think this indicates AGA, right? Which is what the second derm told me I had. And the first derm I saw back in May said that if it did not end by July (this month) that was a problem and to come back and see him, which I will do on Wednesday.
My first pull test in May (done by the first derm) was definitely positive for TE. There is no doubt I had TE back then; the question is do I still have it or do I have AGA or now both? The second derm did another pull test and it was negative. He said my TE uncovered beginning stage AGA. I have not had any other tests besides pull test and some blood work.
The first derm said that shedding should stop in 4-6 weeks because that is how long the drug takes to exit your system, but for me it has been at least 9 weeks and I am getting really scared. The second derm who dx AGA did not really have a clue that antis could cause hair loss...??? It is on the list of potential hair loss drugs but it is VERY rare. I am beginning to think it was not the Pamelor but I cannot think of any other cause!
I have had some blood work done and everything was normal, except for iron and RBC both a little low (but not much...just barely low). I did not have a ferritin count. Thyroid, hormones, etc. all ok. But I have not been tested for the male hormones yet. I will ask for all of the tests I have not had done on Wednesday. What else should I ask to have done right now? You said a densitometer reading would not be accurate?
About 1 month ago, I noticed some baby fine hairs (vellus) at my temples. That was new regrowth but very fine, only 15-20 hairs on each side. They are definitely vellus not intermediate or terminal hairs. So I discounted that.
Then last night after shower I noticed some spiked hairs sticking up from the top of my scalp where my TE or AGA or whatever I have, has hit the hardest. I see about 15-20 hairs, but my dad says there are at least 30 (not that we stood and counted). The problem is they also look like vellus hairs. They are the smallest diameter at the roots and ALL have tapered/spiked ends. They range from 1cm long to 1-1.5 inches long. This indicates poor regrowth, right? Even though they are obviously newly-grown anagen hairs. I do not know what to make of these signs. I lose anagen hairs even when I am growing some new ones?
Is it possible to lose 40% of your hair density in just 4 months if it is AGA? I know TE can cause this, but I am not sure if AGA can? My mother's AGA did not surface until menopause and she says hers was a gradual process over several years probably accelerated by a chemical burn to her scalp (she said her scalp bled a little; would that be permanent damage)? She has a 50%-60% reduction in hair density as a result and the top of her scalp is very visible even from a distance. Father with normal full head of hair, not much grey. Brother with normal hair but he is still young. I just want to know what to expect so I can decide to get a wig or not.
Thanks again for any help and thanks also for listening.
» Thanks to you.
» The 4-5 months delay of hair loss after the beginning of tryciclic is the
» common period.My first hair loss was with a tryciclics , the trimipramine
» and took 3 months before I began to see some shedding.Before the shedding
» my hair became thinner but at the moment i didn't noticed it. But now when
» i think at that period i can reconstruct the series of events. That was my
» first antidepressant and before it my hairs were perfect.
» However this delay is because the action of the drug is strong but not so
» strong to cause an immediate anagen shedding.Some other drugs can cause a
» quicker loss but in this case the loss is quite esclusive of anagen
» hairs.The shedding with antidepressants is anagen and telogen and also
» and i say fortunately is not so quick.
» Anyway If you do a quich search on the web about telogen effluvium or
» drug induced alopecia you can see that the estimated period between taking
» drug and beginning of shedding is usually 3/4 months.In this period the
» poor hairs fight against the drug then they loose and become to shed!
» However don't worry 2 months is a too little period.The drug is still in
» your body, don't worry give you another 2 months and don't think too much
» to your hairs.The most important thing (the discontinuation of drug) is
» done, now your hair will very slowly begin to recover. But i think it can
» takes also more than 1 year.I am now 6 months after discontinuing and have
» recovered a 20% (on a total of 50% lost).
» Regarding other hairs Yes i also lost more pubic and chest hairs and this
» can only be due to antidepressant don't worry.I never lost this kind of
» hairs before the antidepressant and blood tests are ok
» Have you done blood test?You should check your tyroid and also very
» important the iron in your blood.Also a small lack of iron or a little
» anemia can cause hair shedding.
» You should also investigate some other data through the blood test that i
» write below
» -sideremy
» -ferritin
» -transferrin
» -zinc
» -b12 vitamin
» -folic acid
» -copper
» -calcium
» -albumin
»
» Then you should also do another test on your hair, the hair pull is not
» very reliable, but i don't know the exact name in english, however the
» derm take some of your hairs in different parts of your head and examine
» it at the microscope to estabilish the ratio anagen/telogen and also too
» confirm a possible aga.I'm sorry i don't remember if you have already done
» this test or only the pull test.
»
» Don't be worried too much...remember that you are the first med of you and
» remember you have taken tryciclics antidepressants and that before you had
» no loss.And that tryciclics are the worst for your hairs.Find a list of
» drugs that induce hair loss and you will see TRYICLICS.
» And remember that in this moment is not easy for a derm to do a reliable
» diagnosis.You should also consider to see another derm but after you have
» done blood test to exlude other lacks.
» I'm not surprised that you continue to loose anagen hairs, but I'm sure
» you loose also telogen.Next time when you do a bath check your hairs lost
» and then let me know, I think that in this moment the check you can do is
» better than the check one derm can do. Only few derms are familiar with
» this kind of shedding.And the different kind of shedding can be confused.
» If you think that we are going to Mars but we still don't know the
» mechanism of antidepressant induced hair loss...
to andrew is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES |
to andrew
30.07.2006, 17:02
@ to andrew
|
wellbutrin xl and sudden hair loss |
I forgot to add before that my head itches a lot on top which is probably where I've thinned the most (there and hairline). My hairline is not receding just yet, but I notice that my hair is much thinner there because before when I clipped it back (the bang area), it was completely black and full, and now I can see some white (scalp). I know this is not typical of TE, it is typical of AGA, but what about the itching scalp? I itch randomly even when my hair is perfectly clean...this is so horrifying. Thanks again.
» Hey Andrew, thanks again for your reply.
»
» I was in denial about my hair loss for 2 months and let my hair keep
» shedding on the Pamelor for that time before coming off of it. It is a
» very rare side effects of antis so I did not want to believe it was
» happening to me. I did not get off it right away. But my shed has
» increased since going off Pamelor, and my hair has been reduced by about
» 1/3-40%. It shows no signs of letting up.
»
» I did not count the ratio of anagen hairs to telogen hairs from my shower
» last night, too depressing, but I estimate about 50/50. I still lose a lot
» amount of telogen hairs for sure, but the # of anagen hairs that I lose has
» gone way up since my TE first began in April.
»
» I want to make sure the anagen hairs I think I am seeing really are
» anagen. Is it when the ends are tapered (like a point) and not blunt? I
» lose hairs with roots of varying thickness. I think this indicates AGA,
» right? Which is what the second derm told me I had. And the first derm I
» saw back in May said that if it did not end by July (this month) that was
» a problem and to come back and see him, which I will do on Wednesday.
»
» My first pull test in May (done by the first derm) was definitely positive
» for TE. There is no doubt I had TE back then; the question is do I still
» have it or do I have AGA or now both? The second derm did another pull
» test and it was negative. He said my TE uncovered beginning stage |
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