Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban, Voxra) and shedding?

[HotRag]

I have a question for everybody that has eaten this medicine: Bupropion: (zyban, wellbutrin, voxra).

Did you experience increased shedding?

I have a bit of increased shedding for now, about 40 % more than usual.
It started at the same time I switched scalp oil from Hesh bhringraj to Punes mahabhringaraj, BUT - it started 4-5 weeks after beginning with bupropion, and increased a bit more 4-5 weeks after doubleing the dose.
So bupropion is now one of the suspected causes for my increased shedding.

I am very curious if any of you here has similar experience.

[HotRag]

Maybe this thread should be in the mane forum? Hmm... I think it should. Please move it if that's ok.

[Tabitha]

Never used Wellbutrin but Zoloft made me lose about 30% of my circumference a few years ago.

[Ash]

I was on it for 2 years or so and didn't have any extra shedding. In fact, I think I skipped my big summer sheds during that time as well.
It is different for everyone though and based on your descripton, it might be something to keep an eye on just in case. Perhaps you could go back to the other scalp oil for a while and see if it helps?

[HotRag]

Never used Wellbutrin but Zoloft made me lose about 30% of my circumference a few years ago.
Oh, that's :(
I have not noticed/measured any increasing in circumference yet.

I also use a SSRI, Fontex (fluoxetin), but I have not lost any hair from that. I have eaten Fontex for 8 years now. I read about hair loss, and Fontex (fluoxetin) was one of those with the least risk for hair loss.
But that was in Swedish, found via google, could be different when I google in English...
I also found there that bupropion had no risk for hair loss even though they found that googling gave another result than reported Swedish cases.


I was on it for 2 years or so and didn't have any extra shedding. In fact, I think I skipped my big summer sheds during that time as well.
It is different for everyone though and based on your descripton, it might be something to keep an eye on just in case. Perhaps you could go back to the other scalp oil for a while and see if it helps?
For now I don't dare use any hair oil. I will go back further in time, to stuff that I for sure not can connect with this.

And for the bupropion, I will stop taking it because this shedding make me for sure feel really bad, especially since I found about shedding and bupropion via Google. I was more tired before I started with bupropion, but not a huge difference in depression symptoms. I have Fontex as a "base".
(Both medicines prescribed and kept track on from just one psychiatric doctor. So it's controlled, not random.)

I googled last night, and just found more and more info about bupropion and huge hair losses :( I have no huge shedding yet, but I will not wait and see if it increases more.

But I am still interested in experiences from people on the board.
Could give a small hint about how common this is.

[julya]

Yes, I have lost about an inch of circumference from taking bupropion. I think my shedding rate is back to normal for me, but no sign of my lost thickness coming back.

[Finoriel]

Oh, I´m sorry to hear that. I can not help with the medication question, no idea about that. Just wanted to mention that it´s the time of the year for the dreaded annual fall fall :boxer: grrr. So it may be just that and not the medication.
My shedding rate also starts to increase again, which sadly is just usual for me in autumn, no way around that.
Virtual hugs :grouphug: , hope you feel better soon.

[HotRag]

Yes, I have lost about an inch of circumference from taking bupropion. I think my shedding rate is back to normal for me, but no sign of my lost thickness coming back.
That's really sucks.
May I ask:
1) How long did it take for the shedding to stop?
2) How long has it gone since shedding stopped until now?

During googling I found that some medications that causes hair loss can bring hairs into resting stage to early :mad:
Don't remember if it was Lamictal or Bupropion.

I read that intake of zink and selen was recommended for this hair loss. Even biotin.
Maybe Monistat or Rogaine can be a good thing? I am a little afraid to test something like that though. Especially since they can cause hair fall in some rare cases. Maybe easier to people that can get hair fall from other medications? :confused: :mad:

I will buy selen and zink in those moderate doses that can't hurt anyway.
Biotin I already eat in my vitamin B complex.


Oh, I´m sorry to hear that. I can not help with the medication question, no idea about that. Just wanted to mention that it´s the time of the year for the dreaded annual fall fall :boxer: grrr. So it may be just that and not the medication.
My shedding rate also starts to increase again, which sadly is just usual for me in autumn, no way around that.
Virtual hugs :grouphug: , hope you feel better soon.
This is sadly no natural shed. It started in beginning of June (30 % increase), was the same until 4 weeks after increasing bupropion dose. Then it got from 30 % increase to 40 % increase of normal shedding.
Only good thing is that it is no incredible big shed. I am under 40 hairs per day, but my statistics (Excel table and diagram) shows the increase very clear.

During search I also found some other stuff that told doctors to NOT give this medicine to people that has had eating disorders (I have had for 20 years... not underweight since many years now, but it is much about thoughts and feeling the crave for food [even though not starving or over eating]).

And you know about FASS (beeing Swedish I mean) and FASS seams to tell nothing compared to US FASS-similars.
Really bad. It sucks.

*****

During this AM, I have googled really a lot, collecting info and links, putting into word document.
I will send this to my doctor, also telling him that I am off this medication.

This (increased shedding) was NOT a good thing for my mentally(/psychic?) health, that's for sure :mad: I feel sad, worried and depressed.

[metalgypsy85]

When I was on Wellbutrin, I shed a lot, but I was also stressed a lot(It exacerbates anxiety, which I already suffer from, stupid doctors). I'm on Prozac now and wondering the same thing, but I think my hair falling out in the past year in a half is mostly from stress and depression, so if anything, it should help.

A lot of SSRI's have hair loss side effect, but it's one of those that aren't likely to happen, so I wouldn't be too worried. I have a tendency to be paranoid about that when I start a new med, so that might be it too?

[HotRag]

When I was on Wellbutrin, I shed a lot, but I was also stressed a lot(It exacerbates anxiety, which I already suffer from, stupid doctors). I'm on Prozac now and wondering the same thing, but I think my hair falling out in the past year in a half is mostly from stress and depression, so if anything, it should help.

A lot of SSRI's have hair loss side effect, but it's one of those that aren't likely to happen, so I wouldn't be too worried. I have a tendency to be paranoid about that when I start a new med, so that might be it too?
I have actually not been very stressed at all. Not until now that is. :mad:

Do you shed now too?

I found info about different SSRI, and Fontex/Prozac (fluoxetin) was said to have the least shedding risk of SSRIs.

[MAO]

Well I have taken both Wellbutrin and Zoloft and maybe I wasn't paying attention, but I don't think I noticed any increased shedding. And I took it for months and months.....

[julya]

That's really sucks.
May I ask:
1) How long did it take for the shedding to stop?
2) How long has it gone since shedding stopped until now?

During googling I found that some medications that causes hair loss can bring hairs into resting stage to early :mad:
Don't remember if it was Lamictal or Bupropion.

I read that intake of zink and selen was recommended for this hair loss. Even biotin.
Maybe Monistat or Rogaine can be a good thing? I am a little afraid to test something like that though. Especially since they can cause hair fall in some rare cases. Maybe easier to people that can get hair fall from other medications? :confused: :mad:

I will buy selen and zink in those moderate doses that can't hurt anyway.
Biotin I already eat in my vitamin B complex.


I started taking the medication in February or March of 2008, and had gone down by a bit more than half an inch by July. My ponytail started out at 4.25", and is now at just over 3". It has made a big difference in how it feels to make braids and buns. I am used to it now. The circumference might still be going down, but I don't notice a big difference when putting my hair up. If you look in some of my photo albums here, you can see how my braids used to look, vs now. The volume difference is not very noticeable when my hair is down.
Old braid:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1310&pictureid=15576

New braid:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1372&pictureid=33202

I try not to complain about it too much, because my braids still look ok. My doctor looked at me like I had two heads when I brought up my hair loss issue. I am still on the medication though, so maybe not the best advice for how long it took the shed to stop. I would imagine that if you stop taking it, that it will take a month or two for it to work out of your system. I did take biotin and a good multivitamin and do now as well. Good luck finding a medication that works for you. Wellbutrin is the only one that has helped me, so I just put up with the hair loss.

[HotRag]

I started taking the medication in February or March of 2008, and had gone down by a bit more than half an inch by July. My ponytail started out at 4.25", and is now at just over 3". It has made a big difference in how it feels to make braids and buns. I am used to it now. The circumference might still be going down, but I don't notice a big difference when putting my hair up. If you look in some of my photo albums here, you can see how my braids used to look, vs now. The volume difference is not very noticeable when my hair is down.
Old braid:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1310&pictureid=15576

New braid:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1372&pictureid=33202

I try not to complain about it too much, because my braids still look ok. My doctor looked at me like I had two heads when I brought up my hair loss issue. I am still on the medication though, so maybe not the best advice for how long it took the shed to stop. I would imagine that if you stop taking it, that it will take a month or two for it to work out of your system. I did take biotin and a good multivitamin and do now as well. Good luck finding a medication that works for you. Wellbutrin is the only one that has helped me, so I just put up with the hair loss.
Thank you for your answer.
Sadly I can't see the pic of the "old braid". Couldn't find any in your albums either :/

I have Prozac that I have been eaten for years without any problems. I will not stop that and think that that will be a good "base" at least so I won't fall into that dark depression hole.

I hope my shed will stop soon. I bought some extra supplements just for now, selen/zinc/biotin and som other for hair. To add to my mixed vitamin supplement for a while.
I found via google that some doctors had recommended extra doses of those when shedding due to bupropion.

[julya]

Sorry about the missing pic, I've added you to my contact list so I think that you should be able to see it now. I think that one is in a private album.

I'm glad that you do have a medication that works without too any side effects.

[Canarygirl]

Yes, I posted on the other thread yesterday that I had significantly increased shedding while taking buproprion (Wellbutrin), as well as a nagging tingling feeling at the crown of my head. Fluoxetine also gave me the tingling feeling but the shedding was not as bad.

[HotRag]

Julya: The braid doesn't look much smaller. I think I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't told me that they differ.

Canarygirl: I read about that tingling feeling on side effect sites. I don't exactly know what it means, but I have a itch and have gotten more sebum production. Feel like hair hasn't been washed in 2-3 weeks in one week (I use to wash once a week).

Is tingling some kind of itching?
The itching feels kind of irritating on the crown, but that irritating feeling started after my dose was increased.

I can see that a lot of the hairs I shed is short fine whispies. The amount of those hairs compared to the amount of full length hairs, has increased along with the shed increase.

[HotRag]

Lot of messages that should be here, is in this thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=32621
I started that first, before I knew I could and should suspect the bupropion.

[Canarygirl]

Canarygirl: I read about that tingling feeling on side effect sites. I don't exactly know what it means, but I have a itch and have gotten more sebum production. Feel like hair hasn't been washed in 2-3 weeks in one week (I use to wash once a week).

Is tingling some kind of itching?
The itching feels kind of irritating on the crown, but that irritating feeling started after my dose was increased.

The tingling feeling felt like this...it reminded me of a time that I went hot air ballooning and got my scalp singed by standing underneath the air burner. Only it felt that way all the time, every day. I had this feeling with Prozac as well (although not nearly as much shedding as Wellbutrin). Now that it's been a couple of months since I stopped Prozac, the tingling scalp feeling is completely gone. :cheese: And now that I think about it, my sebum production does seem to have increased a bit as well.

[HotRag]

The tingling feeling felt like this...it reminded me of a time that I went hot air ballooning and got my scalp singed by standing underneath the air burner. Only it felt that way all the time, every day. I had this feeling with Prozac as well (although not nearly as much shedding as Wellbutrin). Now that it's been a couple of months since I stopped Prozac, the tingling scalp feeling is completely gone. :cheese: And now that I think about it, my sebum production does seem to have increased a bit as well.
I don't know what is does mean to get scalp singed by anything. I don't know the word "singed" :/ Is it "burnt" in some way?

I don't think I can feel any tingling, just itching.

I haven't noticed any real decrease in shedding. Maybe a little bit the very few last days, but I don't know until it keeps like that for some weeks.

[HotRag]

Hi again. A little up dating here.
I have not taken my bupropion for two weeks now.
This week shedding has decreased a bit, to were it was before I got the higher dose.

I hope the med was the cause.

But I also feel light headed and have more fatigue again. Bupropion really gave me some enrgy. Maybe energy that I did not have, like forcing the body to go? That could be one reason to cause hair loss.

("Of course" I got a cold or a flu, so I am not totally sure about the stop symptoms beeing stop symptoms or regular cold/flu.)

But I have to watch hair loss for a long time to be sure it really is bupropion causing it.

[Canarygirl]

I don't know what is does mean to get scalp singed by anything. I don't know the word "singed" :/ Is it "burnt" in some way?



Yes, burned a little bit. Like if you hold a piece of paper near a flame, it won't burst into flames but the edge of the paper will turn black and curl up...that is what I meant by "singed." And I may even be spelling it wrong :p :D

[Silver]

@HotRag: Hair loss could also be caused by iron deficiency (makes you tired too) or by thyroid disfunction - did you rule that out?

I'm on Bupropion for one year now, 300mg, it works very good for me, no shedding. I took several antidepressants during the last few years, never had problem with shedding, luckily...

[greygoth]

I've used Prozac and Wellbutrin for many, many years. I did at one point have some shedding, but it turned out to be caused by low thyroid.

[Merewen]

Hmmm, I've been taking this along with fluoxetine and haven't really noticed too much shedding. I'll keep an eye on it, if I can stay awake long enough to do it (they do make me want to SLEEP!)

[Merewen]

Whoopsie. Double post.