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Tricyclic antidepressants are bad for hormones for some (Anti-depressants & Hair Loss)

posted by to all, 28.09.2006, 12:01

Hairsite and Ally thanks for the response.

OK, I got the results of my hormone panel back (the one I had to fight 3 months and 3 different doctors to get) and they are worse than I thought. Shockingly bad in fact. I thought they would be fine because my hormones have always been fine before. I have a reference point from last July 2005 when I had to get a very thorough checkup so I know I have not always been like this/this is not a result of a preexisting condition. The numbers are now completely inverted. Last summer, I had high estradiol and a 1:1 LH:FSH and now I have androgen excess and a 3:1 LH:FSH (although, I am sort of doubting PCOS but it is entirely possible I am "headed there".

Basically I have post menopausal estrogen levels while my androgens are thru the ROOF. I mean sky-high, some on the high end of normal and some about 30% higher than the upper range. Oddly enough, aside from the balding, I am not showing any signs of virilization. I think it's due to my race (I am east Asian) - we don't have body hair and tend to be pretty thin.

I have no idea how I am still ovulating and menstruating exactly on time but I am. The same hormone panel also confirmed that I am very fertile and have excellent ovarian reserve, which I could tell by my cycles etc. But week by week my symptoms get worse (my scalp burns and itches, I have to wash it twice a day instead of twice a week, I have out of control dandruff that Nizoral can't touch, night sweats, heat/cold intolerance, the beginnings of body odor which I NEVER had before even after working out (I used to swim, skate, play tennis).

I will always be convinced that it was the Pamelor antidepressant that caused this. I can never prove it but it is no coincidence that I was the picture of hormonal health before I started taking it and within 3-4 months after starting it my hair began to fall out and my hormones got more and more out of control. I have no idea how to even begin to reverse it and my gyn is going to refer me to an endo for help. I can't take any hormone therapy because of a migraine condition (for which I was taking the Pamelor to control, there's the irony for you). I'll be incapacitated if I do, I've tried BCP in the past and they just made me so dizzy I couldn't stand, I dropped 5 pounds in days, couldn't keep any food down. Basically, felt like a sick pregnant woman.

Anyway, at least now I know what is causing my HL...I think tomorrow I will finally take the plunge and get measured for a wig or something. I was hoping this would reverse if I raised my ferritin but now I know it won't. What luck.


» Hi,
» I know how you feel.
» When I went to tricho (and stop Nizoral pill-I always think it's the cause
» of my alopecia-Doctor's miss diagnose for a skin allergy), she said that it
» would take 6 months about to regrow hair -with application of saw palmetto
» and eugenol sollution she sold me-. May be you should apply something to
» help your hair regrowth besides eating rich iron foods.
» I did growth something after 6 months and now some hair covers my bald.
»
»
» » 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.


to all is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: YES

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