Background: Loniten
(pronounced Lon-ah-tin) is intended for patients with high blood pressure.
Incidentally, it was also discovered that a very commonly reported side
effects of Loniten is hair growth. Rogaine or topical minoxidil is a
spinoff from Loniten and turned out to be a multi-million dollar success
for Upjohn as a hair loss treatment. Recently, some have been
experimenting with Loniten (oral minoxidil) to treat androgenetic
alopecia.
Upjohn listed
"undesirable hair growth" as one of the side effects associated with
Loniten. Specifically, 8 out of every 10 patients reported that body hair
grew longer and darker while on Loniten. The hair growth usually starts
within 3 - 6 weeks after beginning treatment. It is commonly reported that
the hair growth tends to start on the forehead, temples, cheeks, and
between the eyebrows. Subsequently, hair growth may be noticed on arms,
legs and scalp. Some of HairSite readers also reported denser eyebrows and
hair on the back while on treatment. Upjohn further added that the hair
growth is not permanent. It will stop within 1 - 6 months after
discontinuing the treatment.
Publications from Upjohn
explicitly stated that a diuretic "must be" taken in conjunction with
Loniten in most cases. The rationale is that while Loniten lowers blood
pressure, your body's defense mechanism will automatically return your
blood pressure to the original elevated level. Your body accomplishes that
by retaining water and salt so that there will be more fluid to pump
throughout the body. So in order for Loniten to be safe to consume, it is
necessary to use a diuretic medication to remove excess water and salt
from your body. Spironolactone is a natural choice for most hair loss
sufferers since not only is Spironolactone a diuretic, it is also a potent
anti-androgen.
More info about
spironolatcone.
Side effects:
Loniten comes with many
undesirable side effects and it is important that you consult your doctor
before using this medication.
Among some of the side effects are:
1) Salt and water retention - It is important to monitor your body weight
closely while on Loniten. If Loniten is used without a diuretic, rapid
weight gain by means of water and salt retention can happen within a few
days, leading to increased plasma and interstitial fluid volume and local
or generalized edema. Diuretic treatment alone or in conjunction with
restricted salt intake will usually reduce the likelihood of water
retention. You should consult your doctor immediately if you quickly gain
weight of five or more pounds or if there is any swelling or puffiness in
teh face, hands, ankles or stomach area. These are signs that you are
retaining water.
2) Rapid heart rate - Loniten increases heart rate and it is not uncommon
that your doctor would suggest taking another medication to reduce heart
rate. To test if you have increased heart rate, you should count your
pulse rate while you are resting. If you notice an increase of 20 beats or
more over your normal pulse rate, contact your doctor immediately.
3) Interaction with Guanethidine - Administering Loniten to patients
already taking Guanethidine can result in serious orthostatic effects. If
possible, discontinue guanethidine well before using Loniten.
4) Other side effects include increased difficulty in breathing, new or
aggravating pain the the chest, shoulder or arm, severe indigestion,
dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, breast tenderness, nausea and
vomiting.
Oral dosage: Loniten
comes in 2.5mg, 5mg and 10 mg. Some of our forum members commented that
for Loniten to be effective, people have to ask their doctors to put them
on 10 mg daily dose.