Hair loss and antidepressants

[Mely]

I've been taking a fairly high dose of the anti-depressant Effexor (venlafaxine) for several years. I just came across this info about hair loss and antidepressants:

http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/split/Hair-loss-with-medication.html

I googled "effexor, hair loss" and found lots of forums where people say effexor caused their hair to get thinner. My hair has been getting thinner in the last few years, but I thought it was because of my age. Now I'm feeling paranoid, and want to stop taking Effexor.

I also came across another article that says high doses of Effexor are associated with memory problems :disbelief. I've been having those, too.

[akurah]

If the effexor is sufficiently controlling your depression (or whatever condition it was prescribed for), and if there is no reason other than what you've listed to discontinue, you might want to leave it well enough alone.

Effexor has a NASTY withdrawal.

[Darkhorse1]

I would speak with your doctor about these concerns. You do NOT want to just stop taking Effexor. Any of the SSRI drugs build up in your system over time. Just stopping them can cause severe adverse side effects. Speaking to a medical health care professional is what you need to do.

A friend of mine was on Effexor and did not notice any hair loss.

[Alia]

If the effexor is sufficiently controlling your depression (or whatever condition it was prescribed for), and if there is no reason other than what you've listed to discontinue, you might want to leave it well enough alone.

Effexor has a NASTY withdrawal.
Do NOT even think about going off of this stuff without help from your doctor, who can give you something else to help taper slowly. Seriously. You will wish you were dead. :brains::brainbleach::rip::wail::puke: It's that bad.

I used to take Effexor, and I really didn't notice any thinning, but if you are convinced it isn't for you anymore, see your doctor. :flower:

[alkaliberry]

I agree with the other posts. Cold turkey from Effexor is not fun! I used to get side effects if I even missed one days dose. If you decide to stop it you need to do it under medical supervision and do it very slowly.

The time I was on Effexor I can't say I noticed that my hair thinned. And I had no memory problems. But if they concern you talk to your doc and do the withdrawal with their help.

[GlebeGirl]

I will also echo the Effexor withdrawl warning. It was the worst withdrawl experience I'd ever, ever had and I thought I was gonna die. I'd forgotten that my doctor was on vacation and had let my scrip run out, so I decided to tough it out. After just a few days I was going out of my mind from brain shocks and paranoia, so ended up seeing another doctor in his physician's group who was extremely kind to me and got me right back on my dose.

I'm on Prozac now which has a really long half-life. After that awful experience I switched meds with a quickness with the guidance of my doctor. Effexor worked, yes, but the withdrawl just wasn't worth it. I can't say that I noticed any real hair thinning, but I was only on it for about a year. Prozac is working really well for me, so I'm glad I switched!

[Moiraine]

This is something I can identify with Mely. I took Effexor for 10 years and when it quit working last summer I was weaned off it and onto Celexa. I also take Wellbutrin and Lamictal (bipolar disorder)

First of all I echo what everyone else says here, do not stop this drug cold-turkey. You have to be weaned off it slowly and there are awful side-effects one of them being "brain zaps" My brother had these and I've read about them on other forums but I was fortunate and didn't get these and they can continue long after you are weaned off the drug.

They had to step my medication down (I was taking 300mgs of this a day) slowly and when I got to 75mgs my med nurse started adding small amounts of Celexa until finally I was off Effexor and onto all Celexa. Id say it took me about 2 months and even tho I did better than most folks (prob. because I was replacing another anti-depressant) it was still a very miserable summer. Good thing I was on TDI and could stay at home)

OK now to answer your question: I believe these drugs act different ways on different people. Even tho I take 10 different medications/day, I haven't noticed any difference in my hair, growth or otherwise.

But I am very overweight, not far under 300lbs. Mind you I might do better if I would stick to a strict diet but I go thru periods of ambition and positive attitude and then periods where I just don't care so any weight I lost in my "good" phase just comes back and the cycle starts all over again. In fact, yesterday my med nurse put my Celexa up from 60-80 mgs because I could see myself going downhill again

I am sorry if this is OT and TMI but I am just trying to stress that I understand about side effects, they are different on different people, but as far as I know, my own hair hasn't changed and I am so sorry you are having this side effect.

All I can say is, tell your dr. about this and follow his advice, under no circumatances stop this drug without being under a doctor's care. God luck hon and if I can help in any way, or if you need a shoulder, drop me a line. I truly understand:grouphug:

[Moiraine]

http://www.depressionforums.org/forums/Effexor-Venlafaxine-f54.html
.............................

I belong to the Depression Forums and above is the link to their Effexor room....maybe you might find this helpful <3

[Curlsgirl]

The memory loss and the hair thinning also could be linked to menopause and not the medicine at all. Just a suggestion. Those are symptoms of menopause. Of course there is no way to be sure really.

[sibilum]

What caused me a MAJOR hair fall was Topamax (topiramate). I talked to my doctor and stopped it. But that wasn't just regular thinning, I lost almost 1/3 of my hair thickness in 6 months, I think if I didn't stop it I was going to get bald!

Now, in the last 10 years I tried a lot of different antidepressants. The worst was Effexor. Like some people already said, the withdrawal is NASTY. I weaned slowly from it, and even then I had one of the worst weeks of my life. I was bed sick. NEVER stop it without your doctor's assistance!!!

[suicides_eve]

i was on the newer formula of effxor called Prisqit. Supposedly it was just approved an is still up in the air on if it will stay on the market or not.

I had nasty effects using that including massive hair loss, dissorantion, loss of balance. they at first thought i had thyroid problems but later as fate would have it my insurances stop covering the prescription... i was only on it for 4 months but went through serious withdrawals and my hair shedding stop and my volume is returning and i returned to "normal"

no more chewbaccas in the shower with me!

I think i will go back to lexapro as i didn't have any hair side effects using that just some acne.

[Myrrh]

I used to be on anti-depressants, and when I was on them [for about six years] I had a LOT more shedding than I normally do. I shed a LOT normally [I have SUPER thick hair], but with the antidepressants I shed more.

I was on three or four different kinds, as well. To be truthful, I'd rather feel mentally healthy and stable than worry about my hair, though :( It's hard to lose thickness, however.

But I haven't heard very good things about Effxor. I had my best luck on Prozac, Welbutrin, and...dammit, I forgot the other two I had been on. Lexapro made me a maniac. I was even crazier on that. LOL

[leilamarie79]

I was on Effexor for about 6 months. It caused my hair to thin a bit, but not much. Unfortunately, it stopped working for me, and I had to get on something else. What caused my hair problems was the mood stabilizer Geodon. Made my hair fall out in clumps. My doctor recommended selenium and biotin supplements. I take Shen Min Hair, Skin, and Nails from the Vitamin Shoppe (vitaminshoppe.com). When I started taking it, after a month my hair stopped falling out, and my hair grew back after three months. You might want to give that a shot, since if the Effexor is effectively controlling your mood, it's not worth it to change now that you are on the medication.

[Mely]

Thank you everyone for your helpful suggestions and support.

I'll make a doctor's appointment next week. In the mean time, I am so paranoid about the hair and memory loss I have cut my Effexor from 150 mg twice daily to only once daily. (To taper any slower than that I'd have to break open the capsules.) I'm just going to play it buy ear until I see my doctor. If I start getting weird side effects I'll go back to the full dose.

I've also started taking Centrum multivitamins. I hope it is the Effexor and not menopause,. I can't quit menopause. My sister, who is 4 years older then me, has noticed that her hair has got noticably thinner in recent years. She is on anti-depressants too. When we were younger we both had extremely thick hair.

[DecafJane]

I think i will go back to lexapro as i didn't have any hair side effects using that just some acne.

Hooray, Lexapro club! :cheese:
I have been on Lexapro since May and haven't had any hair problems at all, and am tapering off it now because I don't need it any more.
I hope you find something that helps without the side effects that you don't want!

DON'T break open the capsules, as it needs to be administered in them to be absorbed properly. :)

[lynnala]

I second the menopause theory. I've been on Paxil since 2003, and never noticed any shedding or memory loss until recently. I think it's menopause related, for me at least.

[windswept]

I was on Effexor 300mg/day, and it didn't have any impact on shedding. I did have memory problems on it, but that was because while it treated my anxiety well, it didn't actually help my depression. Hence, my poor memory resulted from my uncontrolled depression rather than the Effexor.

I'm on 40mg Lexapro and have been for a year. No shedding, and the memory's great now. :cheese:

[Mely]

I had really bad dreams last night--maybe withdrawal symptoms are kicking in (third day since I cut my Effexor dose in half). I'll make a doctor appointment tomorrow. I'm starting to think the hair loss is most likely due to menopause, or just general aging. I'm still worried about the memory loss. Those new antidepressants haven't been around for that long. No one knows what might happen after taking them for 20 or 30 years.

I think I will ask my doctor about Rogaine for Women. I think you might need a prescription for it in Canada.

Here is a pic of the top of my head. I sure hate being obsessed with this hair loss thing. I was going through some pictures on my computer--enlarging them and carefully examining my head, when I should have been just enjoying looking at my sweet grandbaby who I was bending down to kiss (which is why the top of my head was in the pic). But I just took the following pic tonight:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j146/melykin/DSCF0099_0703.jpg

Here is a pic of me that was taken almost 40 years ago. My part seems quite prominent in this pic (which give me some comfort)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j146/melykin/ANNESWEDDING2.jpg

[akurah]

PLEASE go back to your normal dose ASAP. Effexor withdrawal is NASTY and you're lucky you're not incredibly sick right now. I hate to be so blunt, but going from 300 mg effexor to 150 mg even with doctor supervision is an incredibly... How to say it delicately? Its a very bad, bad idea. Effexor comes in multiple doses and from 300 you should be pulled back to 275 or so, 225 at the lowest. You can make yourself VERY sick playing with effexor, and withdrawal from effexor, even if you're still taking it, but at a significantly lower dose, has been compared to and often considered worse than heroin withdrawal by people who have actually experienced both.

[Delilah]

I personally experienced the evils of effexor for several years. Weaning off it were some of the worst days of my life.

I have not noticed an increase in thickness since I came off it or a decrease while I was on it, but I really never measure my length or circumference, I go by feel.

It's my opinion that ANY prescription medication can potentially throw off the body's balance enough to cause 'stress' reactions, things such as sleep irregularities, menstrual changes, bad skin, hair and nail weakness, digestive issues and weight change. Of course this reaction is on a case-by-case basis and often the medication and living through its side effects are necessary.

[Mely]

PLEASE go back to your normal dose ASAP. Effexor withdrawal is NASTY and you're lucky you're not incredibly sick right now. I hate to be so blunt, but going from 300 mg effexor to 150 mg even with doctor supervision is an incredibly... How to say it delicately? Its a very bad, bad idea. Effexor comes in multiple doses and from 300 you should be pulled back to 275 or so, 225 at the lowest. You can make yourself VERY sick playing with effexor, and withdrawal from effexor, even if you're still taking it, but at a significantly lower dose, has been compared to and often considered worse than heroin withdrawal by people who have actually experienced both.

I don't think the withdrawal is that bad, for me, at least. Once in the past my prescription ran out, and I stopped taking it for about a week. I certainly did get some symptoms, but not that bad. It seems strange that there are withdrawal symptoms, since Effexor is not the sort of drug that causes cravings, or that you get a buzz from. Even when I first started taking it, I felt no mood-altering effect immediatly after a dose (unlike, say alcohol). It almost seems as if it does nothing at all. It is only when you stop taking it that you realize it must be doing something, or there wouldn't be withdrawal.