Bald spots symptoms and conditions

I have been taking the generic version of Wellbutrin, Bupropion, for almost 6 months. It has been the only thing to lift a bit of my chronic depression and anxiety. It gives me enough energy to navigate my day- I am not as tired all the time, nor do I feel so heavy and generally lethargic.

About 2 months ago, my hair started falling out. I have always had extremely thick, shiny hair. I started taking more vitamins to no avail. I couldn't figure it out because I didn't see anything about hair loss on the literature from the pharmacy that comes with my pills. Huge gobs of hair would come out in the shower or anytime I combed it. It got on my clothes, on the floor, on my pillows... It was horrifying! I believe I have lost about half of my hair, no kidding. I don't have any bald spots thank goodness, but that is because I started with so much hair in the first place. But if it keeps going at this rate, I can't imagine not being bald in the near future! Recently my friends have even commented on my thin hair. I try to not comb it unless it is just as the bottom, and even then I am pulling the hair up through the comb, not pulling the comb down through my hair. I wash it as infrequently as possible and even though I desperately need a trim, I will not go to the salon.

Just tonight I found this information and this very informative site. I am so mad though, because I never saw this as a possible side effect in any of the main literature- maybe I just missed it?

What is scary to me is to think about going off this drug...I'm afraid I won't be able to function as well with day to day living. My fatigue, depression, and anxiety are so immobilizing. I am going to try to go to a low dose and see if that helps, as well as continue to take the extra vitamins with biotin.
I really hope that's enough.

I didn't get much help in the past from any other antidepressants (I have tried 4). Almost as bad as the hair loss (although not visible to the entire world) was the total lack of sexual desire and ability to have sexual pleasure with the other drugs. That is part of the reason I loved Wellbutrin: no sexual side effects, a slight decrease in appetite/weight, increased energy and alertness, and a decrease in depression and anxiety (not completely, but the best I have had so far).

The only other side effect I have experienced is irritability and that has recently become worse. I notice I am much terser with my daughter and have less patience in general. I am likely to have angry reactions and at times I find myself feeling confrontational, whereas in the past I have always shied away from confrontation.

It is definitely a mixed bag with any of these drugs and very disappointing. Good luck to you all and thanks for sharing. . .

I posted a couple of days ago about the hair loss I've experienced with Welbutrin and I have since went out and bought the GMC Ultra Nourish Hair since it's been recommended from those on this site. I also stopped the Wellbutrin last week (by slowly winging myself off) and I've actually lost MORE hair. It's all over the place when I shower and style and I have bald spots on my scalp (it's thinning evenly)...which is sad for a 29 year old woman (or for any of us experiencing this). I was hoping to hear back from anyone who has had this experience and stopped Wellbutrin. How long did it take for the hair loss to stop and for the hair to grow back? Will it grow back? It's so upsetting to shower and style my hair anymore because I lose so much.

Also, I wondered if anyone used any shampoo that helped? I did go to a Dermatologist and she said that I had Dermatitis and prescribed a shampoo which isn't working at all. I honestly think it's the Wellbutrin.

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated! Thanks so much.

I posted a couple of days ago about the hair loss I've experienced with Welbutrin and I have since went out and bought the GMC Ultra Nourish Hair since it's been recommended from those on this site. I also stopped the Wellbutrin last week (by slowly winging myself off) and I've actually lost MORE hair. It's all over the place when I shower and style and I have bald spots on my scalp (it's thinning evenly)...which is sad for a 29 year old woman (or for any of us experiencing this). I was hoping to hear back from anyone who has had this experience and stopped Wellbutrin. How long did it take for the hair loss to stop and for the hair to grow back? Will it grow back? It's so upsetting to shower and style my hair anymore because I lose so much.

Also, I wondered if anyone used any shampoo that helped? I did go to a Dermatologist and she said that I had Dermatitis and prescribed a shampoo which isn't working at all. I honestly think it's the Wellbutrin.

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated! Thanks so much.

Side Effects: hair loss, mood swings, decline in sex drive, headaches

Thank God for this site! I started taking Yaz around June 2008. I recently decided to stop taking the pill and had a tubal ligation. Around October 2008, I noticed that my hair in the mid-top was thinning. I've always had very thick hair. It could have actually started before then, but I didn't notice it until then. Now, I have a small bald spot in the front of my head which is very hard to cover up. I stopped the pill in April 2009. In addition to hair loss/thinning, my sex drive declined, I was moody, had headaches, extremely tired, and always had an "attitude". I hope the bald spots do not continue.

My 15-year-old daughter experienced alopecia (bald patches) after the first injection. We didn't initially connect it to the vaccine. Then, after the second shot, her thick long hair thinned significantly. She will NOT be getting the third injection Gardasil is poison. Anyone else who has experienced hair loss, please post a comment with information on how long it took to come back. She cries daily about this and it breaks my heart.

I just started my first pill of loestrin24fe and am very scared from some of the comments i read on this site like worse acne, no sex drive, hair loss, weight gain, etc. My gyno put me on this pill because of my endometriosis. But I have hormonal acne and I really don't want it to get worse.

My daughter is 14 and has received her first 2 shots of Gardasil in September 2008 and November 2008, and although she does not have any bald spots, her once thick hair is significantly thinner and breaks easily. I only hope it recovers...she will not be receiving her third shot.

I have been asked about my Wellbutrin experience by another member and want to post my answer to the group in case it is helpful to others. I originally posted some of this information earlier in the year. Here is my answer.......

It is the most difficult drug reaction I have ever faced but slowly the hair started growing back. It may not be quite as it was before (I have always had fine thin hair but I did have hair!!!) but it is so much better than when I finally realized what was happening to me while I was on the meds. The top of my head and temples had thinned alarmingly. I have been off of Wellbutrin since March 2008 and the regrowth started within a few months time. It is a slow process but at least you can feel hopeful when it begins.

Be sure to take the Biotin available from health food stores and shampoo and condition with Nioxin products and use the foam treatment every day no matter how tiresome it seems. I went with the starter kit. See description for products at http://www.folica.com/brands/nioxin_183.html

And to help you right now, I can offer this advice. While I was waiting for the regrowth, I used a hairpiece which helped to heal my spirit a little faster. There is also a scalp make-up product called ShaBo that helps to disguise bald spots amazingly well and Bonnie, the inventor, will personally work with you to get just the right color. Check the website for more information.
http://www.shabocosmetics.com/

Best of luck and yes it will get better!

I started taking Lamictal about a year ago. When I began treatment, I immediately experienced really bad, vivid dreams. They got progressively worse and continue to this day. About 3 months after I began treatment, I began to experience severe hair loss. Several tiny clumps of hair (a hand-full of individual strands) would come out of my hair during washing, and when I combed it after showering. This has occurred every day, and continues. I've lost about 2/3 of my hair and spend more than 5 minutes each day teasing my hair in the bald spots so people can't tell, but the parts in my hair get wider every day. I can't swim in public, go dancing, or go anywhere that might lead to my hair getting sweaty and falling out of shape.

In addition, at the end of every day, I feel like I'm catching the flu. I have a fever of 100, feel achy and have the sniffles. It got so bad that I actually went to the doctor and he prescribed antibiotics for what he said was sinusitis, which is a side affect of Lamictal. I felt better for a few days, then went right back to feeling ill.

I've also experienced periods of intense anxiety and anger. Out of the blue, for absolutely no reason. Constipation is also a problem.

This is not what I signed up for. I'm talking to my doctor next week to get off this crap. There is no good alternative in this category of medication, either. They're all poison with multiple severe and sometimes life-threatening side effects. Screw that. I'd rather be slightly depressed.

I have a question for all of you who have had your Mirena removed. I have posted before about my extreme hair loss. I had my Mirena removed in May. How long before you noticed new hair growth? My dermo still doesn't believe that Mirena could be the cause of my scalp/hair problems, but can't seem to find any other explanation. I am still losing hair and am really starting to wonder if it will ever come back. Thanks for listening.

My hair is falling out too!! Since January I have had 2 kenalog shots for allergies and 2 shots for poison ivy. My side effects are hair loss, depression, headaches, bruise easily, swollen joints, weight gain, and a dent on my rear. These effects did not start until I had 2 shots, now it is so severe. I was so scared when my hair started falling out but knew that I didn't have Lupus or Diabetes which could cause the same side effects...I have been tested for both and do not have either.

Please let us know if there are anymore out there who have hair loss because of the Kenalog Shot.

I was on Apri for exactly a week. The first few days, I notice my scalp was burning and itching badly, but didn't had a clue what was going on. Exactly on the 7th day of taking Apri, I went to the mirror to check my scalp, wondering why I feel like someone is torching my head and found a dime size bald spot. I completely stop taking the pills. It has been a month now that I haven't taken any bcp and my bald spot is the size of 2 quarters. And not to mention, I found 3 more dime/nickel size bald spots, hair thinning, and shedding tremendously. I wished that I could have researched a little more and thought twice before I took this bc pills. I had a wonderful one week period free and a month plus more of stress and hair loss.

If you know of anyone developing alopeica areata(hair loss which causes bald spots on the scalp) after receiving the Gardasil shot, please call and report to Merck at 1-800-444-2080. They must be made aware of all of the symptoms associated with this shot.

my 12 year old daughter received 2 shots and we noticed a bald spot on the back of her head. A couple weeks later, it is getting worse, she now has at least 3 bald spots. She has very fine hair and is trying really hard to hide the bald spots, 2 in the front of her scalp. I know this is a result of the Gardasil shot. She will not be getting the 3rd shot. All of the doctors recommend this shot. Its only been out on the market a few short years, and i believe more research is needed. My daughter is to the point of tears every morning trying to fix her hair to cover up the bald spots. A dermatologist has diagnosed her with alopecia areata. There are new spots appearing all the time and I am worried that she will lose all of her hair.

Thank god I found this site. I was prescribed Wellbutrin today for my depression. I was already on Lorazepam and that's all I had wanted again. But I guess since Lorazepam causes dependency, doctor's do not want to prescribe it much. My depression got deeper because I noticed hair loss in the first place and no one took me seriously. This doctor KNEW I had issues with hair loss already (i'm a woman) and I once had eating disorders and he went ahead anyway and prescribed this. If I had taken this I can honestly say I would have total bald spots on my head!
Thanks for this site!

My mother has been taking Effexor for about four months, now and is having a side-effect the doctor claims is not related to the drug. SHE IS LOSING HER HAIR IN HUGE CLUMPS. SHE HAS LARGE BALD SPOTS!!! The doctor ran some blood tests, reported to her the fact they were all okay and says that it is probably just stress. He also says he thinks it will grow back but if not she can always consider hair transplants....gee, thanks!!!! I mean, stress? Come on, the woman is 55 years old and has had plenty of stress before this.........I just want to help her so any info would be greatly appreciated!!!!!

I am going bald after taking Loestrin 24 Fe for only 3 weeks. My hair is coming out in clumps. I thought my hair dresser had done something wrong, I started eliminating possible causes and decided to read the information packet when I realized that loss of scalp hair is one of the side effects at the bottom of the list. I have large bald spots in my head of normal thick healthy hair and the hair on my head now look very unfamiliar. I know I will have to start wearing a wig within another week.
I am so disappointed because I was starting to feel happy that I haven't experience any of the usually side effects of birth control pills and was thinking that I would give it the 4 month trial that my doctor suggested. I am a 43 year old woman trying to take this pill for bleeding control after ruling out other causes for my bleeding, now I think I am over trying pills.

I AM HORRIFIED AFTER READING ALL OF THESE! JUST TODAY SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT MY EXCESSIVE HAIR LOSS IS PROBABLY DUE TO THE IUD. I CAME HOME AND GOOGLED IT AND LANDED ON THIS SITE. I SERIOUSLY HAIR NOTICEABLE BALD SPOTS NOW. MY HAIR COMES OUT IN HAND FULLS ALL THE TIME ALL DAY. SHOWERS ARE A NIGHTMARE. THE SITE IN THE DRAIN IS NAUSEATING. WHEN I PULL MY HAIR BACK IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE RECEDING HAIR LINE AND YOU CAN SEE MY SCALP THROUGH WHAT HAIR I HAVE LEFT. I HAD EXTREMELY THICK DULL HAIR BEFORE. I IGNORED THE OTHER SYMPTOMS AND FOCUSED ON THE HAIR LOSS THINKING IT WAS RELATED TO POST PARTUM AND STRESS.....LOOKS LIKE IT MAY BE THIS IUD THEY CALL MIRENA MAKING ME BALD. I AM CALLING MY OBGYN ON MONDAY.

I am 41 and like another poster, I use the ring to help regulate my period as I am in perimenopause. I have had no sex drive, fatigue, extreme change in discharge and a lot of vaginal pain. This is my 4th ring to use, and I am considering taking it out and talking to my doctor about something else. Maybe I just need to deal with the side effect of extremely long amounts of time between periods, but it sure doesn't make me feel secure since I can still get pregnant!

My mother and I have both been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and we both take levothyroxine. We both experience extreme pain and she has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I have not been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but I experience the pain body also. Another thing. I have been losing my hair. No reason, it's falling out from the root and I have some serious thinning. Memory...what memory. I can't remember anything. Has anyone received advise from a MD? Thanks

I got mirena inserted in august of '07. I have always been the most laid back and happy person. over the last 6 months I have turned into an anxious, depressed, and physically ill person I do not even recognize anymore. The right side of my face and head have gone partially numb. I got an MRI and various bloodwork done which all came back normal. My doctor says that i now may be suffering from an anxiety disorder which shocks anyone who knows me. I feel depressed most of the time and feel like a bad mother to my 3 kids. And my hair is falling out so bad that I have bald spots on the back of my head and my hairline is also receding on my neck. I used to have unusually thick hair. I have been trying to figure out what the heck is wrong with me and now seeing this website I will talk to my doctor about it at my appointment on Friday. Thanks for your posts. Will update after appt.

I have been on Wellbutrin for a couple of years & it has been a life saver. But it is very possible my hair loss is due to it. I have always had a full head of hair & no hair loss in my family at all. I'm also experiencing hearing loss but don't know if this is due to the Wellbutrin as my Father & sister have had hearing loss. My doctor intends to lower my dosage next month & I am going to ask him if air loss is a side effect.

I received my first shot of Gardasil in January 2007. It could have started sooner, but about a month later my hairdresser noticed a bald spot in the back of my head. I rushed back to my ObGyn and asked her if the Gardasil could be the cause as nothing else had recently changed. She said that she had not heard of this, but she referred me to a dermatologist. I asked him if my hair loss had anything to do with the Gardasil. He replied that I had Alopecia areata and one thing had nothing to do with the other. He advised that I continue with the Gardasil and that he would start treating me for the alopecia. I wish that I would not have listened. I don't know what would have happened if I had stopped then, but I didn't I proceeded with the treatment to the end now over half of my head is bald!!!
I don't know what to do. I keep going back to the dermatologist for treatments for the alopecia, but it just keeps getting worse.
If anyone has had a similar experience and would like to share or has found some other treatments that work, please post a reply.

Melissa

Mood swings week following injections, slight hair loss, memory loss, headaches day of injection and couple days after, lack of concentration. Just had last (6th) injection about 11 days ago and started spotting about 5 days ago and cramping? Oh, also other major PMS symptoms, craving chocolate, salty things, very very irritable, and acne on chin area, neck, and shoulders? It caught me off guard a little considering I haven't had a period in almost 5 months. I assumed the Lupron would still be in my system? Called dr. and of course all they could say is "sometimes this happens and to wait till I come in for my follow up appt."? No explanation as to why? I was under the assumption that I wouldn't start AF or have these symptoms for another month or two. However, even with all of these side effects I have no pain, YET. I'm hoping for the best, also hoping I don't get divorced soon from all the moodiness!

My beautiful 11 year old daughter was on Adderall XR 20 mg per day for 4 years. After about 2 years she started to develop some minor facial tics. After 3 years the facial tics were worse along with severe head shaking and she also started to develop trichotillomania (obsessive compulsive hair pulling). The hair pulling continued until she was almost bald. Her grades began to drop and she withdrew herself from her friends and family. Finally, we took her off the medication in October 2007 at age 12 and she immediately stopped the tics and hair pulling. We have found 3 other families whose daughters have developed these same symptoms after being on this medication for at least 2 years. We have filed a report with the FDA as our own doctor had no idea that this medication was causing the hair pulling. Now 5 months later her hair is growing and the tics are approximately 97% gone. We have taken her to a homeopathic doctor and she is doing absolutely great now. Marks have gone up and she is smiling and socializing. I am so happy we have our daughter back. The side effects of this drug was definitely not work it.