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Tricyclic antidepressants and hormones (Anti-depressants & Hair Loss)

posted by to everyone, 25.09.2006, 16:35

One more thing, I am 26 and this started when I was 25. I do have a hx of AGA in my family: my mother. But hers did not start until 50/menopause not even when she had two kids. Also, a few years ago I used to take all sorts of BCP (not knowing they can cause HL) and they never affected my hair, so theoretically I pretty resilient to synthetic hormonal manipulation.

But again, this just doesn't make any ense to me why 4 mo. after stopping the drug I AM POSITIVE caused my TE it is still as bad as it was while taking it. The only thing I can think of is maybe it messed up my hormones permanently, but how and is that even possible? All I know is I cry everyday about it and when I see miniaturized hairs of all lengths under 4 inches I get so scared. (So far I have not seen a miniaturized hair that was growing before my anti-all thin hairs after my anti.) But no derm believes me that the anti caused this; they just look at my mom's head and say I have what she has (nevermind that hers started when she was twice my age!).

My prolactin was tested right after I stopped the anti and it was 9 I think, very normal for me (I've had it tested before) just under the mid-range of normal.

Is this completely irreversible? Should I just give up now.

» Are tricyclic antidepressants (specifically nortriptyline) known to have
» any effect on female hormones?
»
» I stopped nortriptyline 4 months ago after it started a massive TE shed.
» But 4 mo. later my hair loss is still the same as before, and I lose tons
» of miniaturized hairs that look like spiderwebs ranging from less than 1cm
» to over 3 inches, which means they all tried to grow sometime after the 7
» months I was taking the anti. I also still lose regular healthy hairs, and
» I never had any such miniaturized hairs prior to the antidepressant.
»
» My ferritin was very low (8) when it was tested 2 mo. ago and I have
» religiously been eating red meat, taking iron supps, etc. for 8 weeks. I
» just had it retested but I don't know the results yet.
»
» Any ideas why I am not seeing even slight reduction in shed? I have NO
» regrowth but I see a few miniaturized hairs sticking up here and there on
» my head. I am so desperate and fearful that this I will never recover my
» hair and keep losing it although everyone tells me to wait and see. And my
» biopsies say AGA but I don't know if I should rely on that since I know one
» other gal who had her biopsy read in the same place saying probably mild
» AGA but it wasn't at all-it was TE and it went away in 4mo.
»
» I know AGA usually crops up anytime there is a big hormonal change which I
» wonder if the antidepressant caused? I can't find any literature on it
» though, except that DHEA acts like an antidepressant. So do
» antidepressants raise DHEA levels in your body? I don't have a before and
» after number.
»
» It is so hard to keep up this fight and go on with school, work, etc. I
» thought this would be over months ago since I stopped on June 1. please
» someone have any advice? Thanks.


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Complete thread:

• Tricyclic antidepressants and hormones - To everyone, 25.09.2006, 16:31
  • Tricyclic antidepressants and hormones - to everyone, 25.09.2006, 16:35
    • Tricyclic antidepressants and hormones - HairSite Admin, 26.09.2006, 06:07
      • Tricyclic antidepressants and hormones - mickelvine, 26.03.2008, 00:50
    • Tricyclic antidepressants and hormones - allywied, 26.09.2006, 18:42
      • Tricyclic antidepressants are bad for hormones for some - to all, 28.09.2006, 12:01
        • Tricyclic antidepressants are bad for hormones for some - shortywcb, 17.12.2007, 04:31
        • Tricyclic antidepressants are bad for hormones for some - mickelvine, 10.04.2008, 02:16