Over the counter drugs that can cause hair loss

[Yayasmurf]

I broke both my legs in March 2009 and was taking a lot of Ibuprofen for inflamation. I realized I was having more hair loss than normal. I went online hoping to find an answer and this is what I found. Some of you may already know this... but it may be helpful to a few :)



Common over the counter drugs that can cause hair loss in some cases are Ibuprofen and naproxen. You might get rid of your fever with ibuprofen, but you'll get a big headache if you see your hair falling out. Risk of hair loss with these over the counter medications is very low, but it does happen. Also, taking to much vitamin A over a period of time is known to cause hair loss or thinning.


Certain prescription drugs for arthritis, gout, blood thinners, high blood pressure, ulcers, Parkinson disease, cholesterol lowering and chemotherapy are associated with hair loss issues. Again, ask your doctor if there is another medication that you can take if you are experiencing hair loss.

[redwoman]

I am throwing out my ibuprofen and buying aspirin. Thanks for the tip. Who'd have guessed?:)

[aada]

I am throwing out my ibuprofen and buying aspirin. Thanks for the tip. Who'd have guessed?:)

aspirin has its own risks! all medications have risks of some sort. depending on how often you take it, aspirin might actually be WORSE for you! easiest way to figure out what to take: ask your doctor. ;)

[Toadstool]

I am sadly taking 17-24 tablets a day while waiting for spine surgery for a slipped disc. No hair loss yet but I will certainly keep an eye out.

[Esperanza]

You mentioned prescription drugs for arthritis: I had tailbone length when I had to start methotrexate and I lost all my hair. Before taking any meds, one should carefully evaluate benefits versus potential problems. Sometimes we really need the med, and there is no alternative, but sometimes we can avoid the side effects by finding another drug.

[feralnature]

I take many meds and I have very, very little shed. It amazes me somethings when I look at my comb or shower drain. I just barely shed. Less than 100 hairs a day that I am aware of.

I take:

Seroquel
Topamax
Lamictal
Trileptal
Listoril


Also:

Biotin for my hair
Glucosamine MSM for my joints
Multivitamin for those folks over 50 years of age
Baby Aspirin for a blood thinner per my cardiac docs instruction

I rarely rarely take ibuprophen and NEVER take tylenol. I take no cough medicine or anything for cold/cough symptoms or anything like that. I have enough junk in my system without adding more than what the docs have prescribed. So I just work on my immune system and wash my hands alot (I'm a retired nurses so it's habit anyway).

We eat lots of meat, raw goat milk and eggs all of these raised on our farm. So lots of protein/nutrients for hair growth.(sorry, off topic a bit).

[Fencai]

good to know! thanks for the info

[feralnature]

I broke both my legs in March 2009


I just wanted to ask are you doing okay? It must be awful with both legs trying to heal up.

[Curlsgirl]

You mentioned prescription drugs for arthritis: I had tailbone length when I had to start methotrexate and I lost all my hair. Before taking any meds, one should carefully evaluate benefits versus potential problems. Sometimes we really need the med, and there is no alternative, but sometimes we can avoid the side effects by finding another drug.

Yes or finding a natural way of treating it. Also sometimes we must do research ourselves because doctors sometimes minimize the risks that are associated with medicines. They are inclined also to give you a pill before anything else and then when that causes problems to give you another pill for that and on and on and on. I have had and heard of many experiences like this and not just with one particular doctor but with MANY different medical doctors.

[Zombiekins]

Yes or finding a natural way of treating it. Also sometimes we must do research ourselves because doctors sometimes minimize the risks that are associated with medicines. They are inclined also to give you a pill before anything else and then when that causes problems to give you another pill for that and on and on and on. I have had and heard of many experiences like this and not just with one particular doctor but with MANY different medical doctors.

Woah, Nelly, back up for a minute. For minor little things like the common cold and whatnots, sure, natural it up. But don't start spreading the news that "Drinking goat's milk and a supplement of cranberry seeds every day cures cancer." Real diseases and illnesses need real medicine. I can't stand snake oil salesmen shistering people out of their lives by claiming there are "natural" or "herbal" cures to cancer or HIV - there aren't.

Thank you, mini rant over. I'm all for chucking out the harmful chemicals and eating food free of fillers and unecessary additives, but please use common sense and do plenty of research. :)

[feralnature]

For the record, I said my raw goat milk was helpful in nourishing my hair, not curing anything...just in case there was any question.

[Arkady]

Not an OTC medicine, but a common one prescribed for epilepsy and bipolar disorder: sodium valproate (brand names Epilim or Depakote). Hair loss is listed as one of the potential side effects; curiously, I experienced this on the tablets (Epilim Chrono) but it stopped when I switched to taking it in syrup form (Epilim syrup). If your medication causes hair loss, ask about switching to a different form or brand.

As for ibuprofen and naproxen, the reason they cause hair loss is because they act upon inflammation by reducing bloodflow to the area; this starves the hair follicles of oxygen and nutrients, causing the hair to die and fall out. Aspirin works in the same way. Acetaminophen (Tylenol/Paracetamol) works directly on the brain's pain receptors instead.

[Toadstool]

does diclofenac work in the same way?

[feralnature]

.

As for ibuprofen and naproxen, the reason they cause hair loss is because they act upon inflammation by reducing bloodflow to the area; this starves the hair follicles of oxygen and nutrients, causing the hair to die and fall out. Aspirin works in the same way. Acetaminophen (Tylenol/Paracetamol) works directly on the brain's pain receptors instead.

Thanks for clearing that up :)

[Arkady]

No, diclofenac works by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis and blocking pain signals from being transmitted along nerves by affecting acid-cell transmission. It shouldn't affect hair growth or cause loss.

[Fractalsofhair]

Ibuprofen and aleve are wonderful drugs if you're in pain. Now, if you're on these for a chronic condition(which you shouldn't be anyways as they can decrease in effectiveness and there are better ones for chronic conditions), then I can see the worry about hair loss. However, for the week or so each month I take 6 Ibuprofen a day(split up obvi), I honestly would rather deal with some hairloss than cramps. But to each their own. If one isn't in serious pain, it's silly to take a painkiller!

[loyaboya]

Yes or finding a natural way of treating it. Also sometimes we must do research ourselves because doctors sometimes minimize the risks that are associated with medicines. They are inclined also to give you a pill before anything else and then when that causes problems to give you another pill for that and on and on and on. I have had and heard of many experiences like this and not just with one particular doctor but with MANY different medical doctors.
Woah, Nelly, back up for a minute. For minor little things like the common cold and whatnots, sure, natural it up. But don't start spreading the news that "Drinking goat's milk and a supplement of cranberry seeds every day cures cancer." Real diseases and illnesses need real medicine. I can't stand snake oil salesmen shistering people out of their lives by claiming there are "natural" or "herbal" cures to cancer or HIV - there aren't.

Thank you, mini rant over. I'm all for chucking out the harmful chemicals and eating food free of fillers and necessary additives, but please use common sense and do plenty of research. :)

I understand your point but I don't think that anyone was recommending anything that extreme (i.e. that an herb can cure HIV). If anything I think Curlsgirl was just recommending that you do your own research and not take a doctor's word for the gospel. BTW- there are plenty of 'real illnesses' that can be better fixed through an improvement in lifestyle (diet, exercise) than a pill. I'm not saying you can cure cancer that way (or that you shouldn't consult with your doctor), but there are plently of valid reasons to believe that pharmaceuticals aren't the end-all-and-be-all of health care. :shrug:

[feralnature]

I try to keep my diet simple and healthful, raise our own pork, goat meat, raw goat milk, eggs, veggies, honey and so forth right here on our farm....BUT I am also a registered nurse and know not to go willy-nilly buying snake oil right and left if it promises miracles.

[Fractalsofhair]

Woah, Nelly, back up for a minute. For minor little things like the common cold and whatnots, sure, natural it up. But don't start spreading the news that "Drinking goat's milk and a supplement of cranberry seeds every day cures cancer." Real diseases and illnesses need real medicine. I can't stand snake oil salesmen shistering people out of their lives by claiming there are "natural" or "herbal" cures to cancer or HIV - there aren't.

Thank you, mini rant over. I'm all for chucking out the harmful chemicals and eating food free of fillers and unecessary additives, but please use common sense and do plenty of research. :)
There are risks to drinking goats milks and such! Raw milk can have dangerous bacteria in it. The risks of "natural" cures may be over exaggerated, and the risks of medicines ignored partially, but both have their risks and benefits. HIV is one thing that can't be cured by even our best modern medicine.

Our antibiotics(the best part of modern medicine I'd have to say) are from molds. They aren't needed for EVERYTHING, but they are very useful for the many things we do use them for. Our best painkillers are from willowbark and from opium seeds, just stronger(Asprin and all the morphine type things.) and cleaner. Eating a healthy diet does reduce a risk of cancer, but it can't cure it. There are many "serious" illness that can be cured herbally(for those people that think a cold is "serious", among many other things.) or even with a placebo(Pain treatment is one of these). Vaccines are something that is also hugely important to people.

Even seizures in some people can be treated by an extremely high fat diet(Not recommending this as it must be fed thru a tube as it's high in fat soluble vitamins and has horrid side effects.). There's a huge difference between homopathy(a placebo) and herbal medicine. Herbs are crude substances that do often have "drugs" in them that affect you. The mixture of substances can be good, the purified form may be more dangerous, or the mix may be bad and the purified form may be the best. In general, vitamins are pretty good for you, eating healthy food is good for you,exercise is good for you, stress relief is good for you, and trying homopathy first is a good idea(because placebos DO work for a lot of people), then herbal ones(if proven safe, it does depend on the herb. Black Cohosh is VERY dangerous.

Mint tea with honey is pretty much harmless and safer than cough drops...)/trying "real" medicines. I am grateful for my seizure medicine, but also, I am grateful that honey and petroleum jelly and a good amount of soap prevent septis in moderate injuries and that if it progresses to a more severe state, antibiotics are useful. I'm pretty grateful for the natural cure called herbal salves for bug bites. For any serious condition, seeing a doctor is the ideal, and if they do not see an issue that can ONLY be cured by modern medicine(Or cured most effectively. Acupuncture works just as well as painkillers for chronic pain!), the natural cures are just as good, and if well studied, often less harmful(though not always). It does depend on the condition, but soap and water and petroleum jelly and a bandaid are pretty "natural" and do not require the risk of anti biotic resistance for the various minor scrapes I get.

[Yayasmurf]

I just wanted to ask are you doing okay? It must be awful with both legs trying to heal up.

I am walking again... a little like Frankenstein but at least I am walking. I was down for 3 1/2 months. But I'm on the mend now and doing soooooo much better. I'm just thankful it wasn't my arms :p

[feralnature]

Fractalsofhair yes, their are risks to drinking RAW goats milk or any RAW milk, even RAW cows milk. But my herd is tested and I am very aware of microbes. I was a surgical nurse and understand the whole concept of sterile fields, sanitation and rapid cool down with refridgeration etc. Bleach is my friend. I have a micro-dairy and am on several forums with professional goat dairy folks. Our milk is good and I will drink it right out there in the barn. Sorry for thread drift, but I get this alot from folks who don't know our farm or our habits. We do not EVER buy the **** that is passed off as milk in supermarkets YUCK! (sorry for the rant)