Medication that influence your hair: a list.

[Nymph]

I thought this might be interesting, I'm studying a course on dermatology and here are a list of medication that can have an effect on hair. The names are of the chemical substance, the brand name might differ based on your location so I didn't add it.

HAIR LOSS:

Almost all cytostatics (cancer medication)

Anti-coagulation medication:
- coumarines: fenprocoumon, warfarin
- heparines

Anti-cholesterol medication:
- clofibrate
- benzafibrate
- fenofibrate
- nicotinic acid

Medication against hyperthyroïdism
- carbimazol
- thiamazol
- sodium perchlorate
- iodide

Antihypertensive meds
- Beta blockers: propanol, nadolol, metoprolol
- ACE inhibitors: captopril, enalapril

Progestagenes (present in most oral contraceptives)
- Nerethisteron
- Levonorgestril
- Norgestrel
- Desogestrel
- Lynestrenol

Retonoïds
- Vitamine A
- Etretinate
- Acitretine
- Isotretinoïne

Heavy metals :rockerdud
- Thallium
- Arsene
- Lead

Anti-epileptics / mood stabilisators
- Carbamazepine
- Valproinic acid
- Lithium

Antidepressants
- Lormetazepam
- Imipramine

Other
- Levodopa
- Bromocriptine
- Amfetamines
- Allopurinol
- Paracetamol
- Piroxicam
- Salicylates (aspirine)
- Ibuprofen
- Gentamycine
- Thiamfenicol
- Nitrofurantoine
- Gold
- Bismuth
- Pyrimethamine
- Methysergide
- Halothane
- Boric acid
- Pyridostigmine bromide
- Cimetidine
- Ranitidine

Chemicals
- tetrathyl-lead
- Mercury
- Chloroprene
- Ethyl urethane
- Insecticides (DDT)
- desinfectants (sodium hypochloride)

Plants
- Gloriosa superba (colchicine)
- arbus precatorius

STRUCTURE AND COLOR CHANGES

Structural changes
- valproinic acid
- Etretinate
- Acitretine

Striped depigmentation
- chloroquine

Spotted depigmentation
- Mephenesin
- Haloperidol

Horizontal depigmentation
- methotrexaat

Greying
- bleomycine

[IanB]

Crickey! Clear out the medicine chest then! :)

[MsDarling]

Topical retin A or an ingested form?

[QueenJoey]

Do you know in what ways they can affect the hair?

[FluffSpider]

I think with Thallium, the least of your worries would be with hair loss :lol:
Also, vitamin A? As in overdose of vit. A? A and E are supposed to help maintain the health of the skin and hair and nails.
I didn't know about paracetamol and Ibuprofen, I think I'll avoid them now a bit.
Would Nimesulide be OK?

[BeatlesFanGirl]

Wow, that's a significant research! :) I have to add my example here, I've been taking Metothyrin against hyperthyroid (which contains thiamazol) for more than 3 years, without any hairloss or other side effects. But of course it may be different for others.

[Dr. Girlfriend]

Lexapro can cause some heavy shed, but from what I've seen it tapers off.

[Lianna]

Topical retin A or an ingested form?

I'm interested in this too, since there's a forum in my country about using topical vitamin A to increase hair growth (and it works for me). I think there's an amount where it starts being hair loss, before that it's faster growth.

[Mairéad]

Yeah, what about topical retinal? I started putting a little bit of it in my moisturizer because my boyfriend's mom does and her skin looks awesome. She told me it was because of the retinal she uses and I got suckered in. And my skin looks awesome, lol.

But, I've noticed nothing from my oral contraceptive or my occasional ibuprofen...so...*whew*

[spidermom]

Whoa! It might have been quicker to list the medications that have NO effect on hair.

[terpentyna]

Are we talking positive or negative effects?

I take two of the ones up there, one of them did wonders (I'm talking about the retinoids, I had oilinesss...)

[salls]

Fluoxetine (prozac) can cause extra shedding or hair loss. Although this goes back to normal when you aren't on meds.

[Pirate Cat]

What does Ibuprofen do exactly? I take it fairly regularly.

[battles]

Topiramate (Topamax) has also been reported to cause hair loss. It's an epilepsy medication also used for migraines.

[Monkie]

Subbing. I feel like this is going to be an interesting thread to watch. :)

[prettykitty]

I think the pill (I take Levlen ED) makes me shed. But I can only imagine what a minefield it would be changing to one that doesn't make me shed or give me spots or something :(

[JadeTigress]

Topiramate (Topamax) has also been reported to cause hair loss. It's an epilepsy medication also used for migraines.

You beat me to it. :p

I took Topamax for a little bit. Then I stopped taking it, because my doctor and I are pretty certain that my hair loss is because of it. I stopped taking it in January, and my hair is still falling out. It's gotten a little bit better since then, but I'm still losing a horrid amount of hair.

[CariadA]

Wow. I'm on several of these medications.

I did notice a major increase in shedding with coumadin/warafin. I have been on it for a year and a half now. I think that may be one of the reasons why my hair has lost circumference.

I have been on other anti-coagulants in conjunction with coumadin. I have been on heparin, which is mentioned on the list but then switched over to lovenox shots. The list mentions anti-coagulants as a whole; I wonder if lovenox makes it worse.

I don't know whether or not topamax has affected my hair. Since I started taking it after I started coumadin, it's hard for me to know. It just makes me dopey.

I wonder if beta blockers or calcium channel blockers affect hair. I need to do some research!

[OneCurlyMan]

Levothyroxine.

Vitamin A only leads to hair loss in massive quantities (read, chronic megadosing). Tretinoin, the acid form of vitamin A, is used topically with minoxidil to enhance absorption of the latter so I doubt it leads to hair loss (for those wondering about topical vit. A). I have read anecdotal reports of it actually inducing hair growth in the scalp.

[Nymph]

Vitamin A only leads to hair loss in massive quantities (read, chronic megadosing). Tretinoin, the acid form of vitamin A, is used topically with minoxidil to enhance absorption of the latter so I doubt it leads to hair loss (for those wondering about topical vit. A). I have read anecdotal reports of it actually inducing hair growth in the scalp.

You beat me to it, it's vitamine A intoxication that will cause hair loss.

I think that occasional use of ibuprofen or other painkillers is fine. I wouldn't cut down just because you fear hair loss, if however you have to take them regularly that's something else and you might want to adress it with a doctor or the pharmacist.

[battles]

You beat me to it. :p

I took Topamax for a little bit. Then I stopped taking it, because my doctor and I are pretty certain that my hair loss is because of it. I stopped taking it in January, and my hair is still falling out. It's gotten a little bit better since then, but I'm still losing a horrid amount of hair.

I'm on it and tapering off now, not because of hair loss though. Breathing issues instead. :( Switching to Zonegran. Oh, I should see if that has hair issues..

[Jezerellica]

I'm not sure I saw Tizanidine, a muscle relaxer. Beware ladies and gents. Thank you so much for that very informative post! I'd like to stop every RX drug I take. I hate drugs.

[battles]

I don't know whether or not topamax has affected my hair. Since I started taking it after I started coumadin, it's hard for me to know. It just makes me dopey.

A friend called it Dopamax when I mentioned I was going on it. :eyebrows:

[Sagi1982]

I noticed enormous hair growth while a cure with cortisone against spondyl athrosis (that means, huge dose every two days, subcutane) - 2" in one month. I asked my doctor; its a relatively common side effect.

[archel]

Well crap, if ibuprofen is a problem I'm in big trouble. I have arthritis, fibromyalgia, and cysts on my ovaries. I practically have ibuprofen for blood, hahaha!!

[archel]

Oh, yes, I took "dopamax." Nasty stuff. I also took Neurontin, which I called "morontin." Fneh. Glad I don't take that stuff anymore.

[Darkhorse1]

Please remember that while some medications can cause hairloss (cancer fighting medications obviously will), there are others that, during medication trials, if 1 person lost their hair, they must report it as a side effect. So, it may be lower in the side effects than others.

I hope I explained that right.

[Nymph]

Please remember that while some medications can cause hairloss (cancer fighting medications obviously will), there are others that, during medication trials, if 1 person lost their hair, they must report it as a side effect. So, it may be lower in the side effects than others.

I hope I explained that right.

No, that's true. If you're worried and you still have the medication leaflet, you can look at how common the hair loss side effect is. Even things marked like "common side effects" will only affect one in five to one in ten people, so it's not said that you will deffinitely have hair loss.

[Monkie]

Oh, yes, I took "dopamax." Nasty stuff. I also took Neurontin, which I called "morontin." Fneh. Glad I don't take that stuff anymore.

I've taken both. Oh boy. Neurontin = one word sentences, and contant fidgeting. Topamax = forgetting to eat. Kind of awesome, also kind of not awesome.

[GlassWidow]

Interesting list, Nymph! It's amazing how many things can have an effect on skin and hair, isn't it?


HAIR LOSS:
Almost all cytostatics (cancer medication)

It's not necesarily common knowledge that some medications used for cancer are also used for other autoimmune diseases. The most common one that I know of are Methotrexate (amethopterin). At the highest doses, it is effective against cancer, at short term mid-level doses Methotrexate is used for ectopic pregnancies and other medically induced abortions, many people with autoimmune inflammatory diseases (think rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Chron's, ulcerative colitis, etc.) use lower doses of Methotrexate on a weekly basis for extended periods of time.

The good news is that there are often things you can take in addition to many of these medications to mitigate side effects (folic acid, for example, in the case of Methotrexate). If you are taking one of these medications and experience side effects, mention it to your doctor because there might be something they can do for you.

[Revontuletar]

I've taken carbamazepine for a few years now and will have to take it indefinitely. I don't think it has had any effect on my hair, thank god. I recently started taking isotrerinoin as well, and I was super worried about it killing my hair but so far so good :)

[JadeTigress]

I've taken both. Oh boy. Neurontin = one word sentences, and contant fidgeting. Topamax = forgetting to eat. Kind of awesome, also kind of not awesome.

Yup, agreed on the Topamax. I was trying to lose weight anyway when I started taking it, so losing 10 lbs. the first week was ok with me. However, my extremely low potassium after a long enough period of completely screwed up eating wasn't quite as ok with me.

[JadeTigress]

I've taken carbamazepine for a few years now and will have to take it indefinitely. I don't think it has had any effect on my hair, thank god. I recently started taking isotrerinoin as well, and I was super worried about it killing my hair but so far so good :)

A word of caution with the Isotretinoin: that stuff's crazy strong. :p There are so many crazy side effects you can get from it. When I took it, I had to stop after two months because I was losing vision. In that two months, my eyesight had worsened by 4 times as much as it does in a year. I stopped losing vision when I stopped the medicine, but I didn't get back anything that I'd lost. Which sucked, because it's literally the only thing I've ever used that's helped clear up my face.

So please be careful with that stuff. Pay close attention to your body if something seems off, instead of taking two months to realize it like I did.

[battles]

Yup, agreed on the Topamax. I was trying to lose weight anyway when I started taking it, so losing 10 lbs. the first week was ok with me. However, my extremely low potassium after a long enough period of completely screwed up eating wasn't quite as ok with me.

I've lost 15 pounds from anti-epileptic meds so far.. The low appetite is freaking me out a little. :eek:

[PianoPlaye]

Interesting. Lad's on Epilim Chrono - appetite enhancer (how would we know - he's a growing lad with little brothers & they all race to eat!) & I'm on clonazepam (apparently has a "minor interaction unspecificed" with biotin) which does nothing to stop me wanting the next meal.
That said, I need my driving licence more than I need to be size zero (or even a couple of sizes smaller than I am currently), so as long as the medics don't insist, the topamax can stay with the pharmacist. A question for my next review, however.
Thankyou for your research!

[Monkie]

I take clonazepam, it's not an anti-epileptic, and i take it electively, so there are really no side effects that I've experienced from it at all, besides not being able to drink while I'm taking it, which is fine by me.

[Liss]

Bringing an old thread back from the dead...

I'm feeling so down about the amount of hair loss I'm experiencing as a side effect of warfarin. Over the past 6 months I've lost almost a third of the thickness, which wasn't even thick to begin. Thankfully the hair loss is all over and not in patches, but it sure is true that warfarin causes hair loss.

[CurlyCurves]

Thanks for this!

[KittyBird]

I took isotretinoin for 6 months and didn't have any problems with hair loss. I got a ton of other side effects though, so maybe I did shed more and just didn't notice.

[sakuraemily]

I thought this might be interesting, I'm studying a course on dermatology and here are a list of medication that can have an effect on hair. The names are of the chemical substance, the brand name might differ based on your location so I didn't add it.

HAIR LOSS:

Almost all cytostatics (cancer medication)

Anti-coagulation medication:
- coumarines: fenprocoumon, warfarin
- heparines

Anti-cholesterol medication:
- clofibrate
- benzafibrate
- fenofibrate
- nicotinic acid

Medication against hyperthyroïdism
- carbimazol
- thiamazol
- sodium perchlorate
- iodide

Antihypertensive meds
- Beta blockers: propanol, nadolol, metoprolol
- ACE inhibitors: captopril, enalapril

Progestagenes (present in most oral contraceptives)
- Nerethisteron
- Levonorgestril
- Norgestrel
- Desogestrel
- Lynestrenol

Retonoïds
- Vitamine A
- Etretinate
- Acitretine
- Isotretinoïne

Heavy metals :rockerdud
- Thallium
- Arsene
- Lead

Anti-epileptics / mood stabilisators
- Carbamazepine
- Valproinic acid
- Lithium

Antidepressants
- Lormetazepam
- Imipramine

Other
- Levodopa
- Bromocriptine
- Amfetamines
- Allopurinol
- Paracetamol
- Piroxicam
- Salicylates (aspirine)
- Ibuprofen
- Gentamycine
- Thiamfenicol
- Nitrofurantoine
- Gold
- Bismuth
- Pyrimethamine
- Methysergide
- Halothane
- Boric acid
- Pyridostigmine bromide
- Cimetidine
- Ranitidine

Chemicals
- tetrathyl-lead
- Mercury
- Chloroprene
- Ethyl urethane
- Insecticides (DDT)
- desinfectants (sodium hypochloride)

Plants
- Gloriosa superba (colchicine)
- arbus precatorius

STRUCTURE AND COLOR CHANGES

Structural changes
- valproinic acid
- Etretinate
- Acitretine

Striped depigmentation
- chloroquine

Spotted depigmentation
- Mephenesin
- Haloperidol

Horizontal depigmentation
- methotrexaat

Greying
- bleomycine
wow! That is creepy!
I had terrible shedding when I had chicken pox. Its feels like my hair has never been the same since.

[hairstuck]

Topical retin A or an ingested form?

Any answers to this?

[hairstuck]

Regarding Advil (ibuprofen),

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2000/04/01/ibuprofen/



Less common adverse reactions include insomnia, heart palpitations, hair loss, depression, tiredness, anemia or other blood changes, fever, visual disturbances, meningitis and sores in the mouth.

[hairstuck]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17202653

Regarding Retinol,


Minoxidil enhances hair growth by prolonging the anagen phase and induces new hair growth in androgenetic alopecia (AGA), whereas retinol significantly improves scalp skin condition and promotes hair growth. We investigated the combined effects of minoxidil and retinol on human hair growth in vitro and on cultured human dermal papilla cells (DPCs) and epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT). The combination of minoxidil and retinol additively promoted hair growth in hair follicle organ cultures. In addition, minoxidil plus retinol more effectively elevated phosphorylated Erk, phosphorylated Akt levels, and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio than minoxidil alone in DPCs and HaCaT. We found that the significant hair shaft elongation demonstrated after minoxidil plus retinol treatment would depend on the dual kinetics associated with the activations of Erk- and Akt-dependent pathways and the prevention of apoptosis by increasing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio.

Retinol = OTC. Retin A = prescription only.

[KwaveT]

I've taken carbamazepine for a few years now and will have to take it indefinitely. I don't think it has had any effect on my hair, thank god. I recently started taking isotrerinoin as well, and I was super worried about it killing my hair but so far so good :)

I have been on carbamazepine too for about 30 years. I have a thick head of hair so it doesn't affect me for hair loss. I do wonder if my hair shedding rate may be affected by it. I do have an elevated shedding rate. I am going to keep believing for manifestation of my healing so I can come off this medicine permanently. God wants us healed, delivered and set free. It is only medication I take now. Rest of my stuff is supplements.

[CariadA]

Bringing an old thread back from the dead...

I'm feeling so down about the amount of hair loss I'm experiencing as a side effect of warfarin. Over the past 6 months I've lost almost a third of the thickness, which wasn't even thick to begin. Thankfully the hair loss is all over and not in patches, but it sure is true that warfarin causes hair loss.

I had the same problem with warfarin. Its a sucky drug to be on at all.