September 23th
2009
6:34 AM
hi, i've read through this several times, and it is now 3am and i find myself reading them again.
i was on both effexor and wellbutrin (generic versions of both) for quite some time, but didn't have full-on hair loss like I have now 'til about earlier this year when I was on wellbutrin only and was taking 150 mg twice a day. I got off of it because I have always had thin hair so I started to freak out when I noticed hair loss.
Unfortunately I became so depressed that I simply HAD to get back on it; and made the biggest mistake of my life by going up to the full 400mg dosage of the generic wellbutrin.
It killed me. I have very very very little hair especially on ONE side of my head, the left, and can no longer wear my bangs forward like I used to.
I went to the dermatologist (who I think was pretty bad, actually, because I went in for my HAIR and he didn't even do a strength test by pulling on it or anything!) and he said I had male pattern-ish baldness which is even more disconcerting because I can't hide the hair loss, I have a huge bald spot near the front of my head -- and I'm only a 21-year old female, people! This is beyond depressing, really. I'm beyond angry at my psychiatrist for always always downplaying the hair loss risk. I loathe him for it, in fact. But anyway.
I am going to start on biotin, and probably some prenatal vitamins, and maybe even tail Rx (******).
Thank you for posting your experiences, it has been a huge comfort to me (I wasn't lying when I said I read this thread many many times before and am reading it again now, at 3am!)
-- By secretbeaches | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
March 19th
2009
11:07 AM
How long does it take to go back to working out?I had a DVT in my right calf a month ago.I am a 33yr old male.I am on 17 1/2 grams of warfarin they say my liver is good processing it.I now walk a mile and have shortness of breath and have to elevate my leg because the blood pools to my foot even when I just got the support stockings.I've used to run five mile a week and work out with free weights.I was advised to swim but I was wondering when I could got back to the gym or run outside?Does this last a while......? or for life? I usually bounce back from things I had cancer 5 yrs ago.I have the pressure stockings 30-40 pressure and they help a lot.The symptoms of baldness remind me of the chemotherapy.I am naturally bald any ways.So to all the DVT suffers keep your heads up there are always worse medical conditions that I see a lot....because I work in a medical feild.
-- By pashea | Reply | Private Message me
March 5th
2009
8:10 PM
I am 32 years old. For years I have suffered with insomnia. I finally decided to do something about it and get a prescription because I was tired of always being tired in the daytime and not sleeping well at night. Well almost 3 weeks ago I was prescribed with Ambien CR. That 3rd week of taking Ambien I noticed significant hair loss behind my right ear. I now have a bald spot the size of 2 quarters. My hair is continuing to fall out still today and that spot is now enlarging. I made an appointment to my physician and she claimed Ambien has no side effect of hair loss. Strange thing is, I have never experienced any side effect that Ambien reads on the prescription paper from the pharmacist and the pharmacist claims hair loss isn’t a side effect found in research. My memory is well collected and usually when I would take the Ambien CR I would wake up feeling great. Now taking the Ambien allowed me to sleep well relaxed but with 4 hours max and I would wake well alert to start the day. Those 4 hours of rest did feel like an 8-hour rest. So that was the only downfall with sleep using Ambien CR is that I was sleeping enough hours like I should have been. My physician now claims I have Alopecia Aerate because significant hair loss has caused baldness on my head. Blood work was tested for various diagnoses of illnesses and my results came back clear. She referred me to a dermatologist next week to seek help if it's possible for hair growth while I still take Rogain. I find it quit amazing that with in a few weeks of taking Ambien CR that I have experienced patches of baldness. I did stop taking Ambien CR because I strongly believe this Ambien CR is the cause of my hair loses. Me losing my hair have caused me to become depressed. I am very worried and scared that I may loss more hair and that the bald spot will continue to grow larger with extensive hair loss because I took Ambien CR before. I just know that this drug is the cause of my hair loss. I pray that with dermatology help that my hair will stop falling out and grow back. I DO believe hair loss is my side effect of Ambien CR since I experienced no other side effect of this drug.
-- By drc | Reply | Private Message me
January 31th
2009
10:01 AM
I set out this morning to do some internet research on women's hair loss and I am SO glad that I ended up here. My hair has been thinning slowly but surely - most noticeably right at my hairline and I'm pretty distraught. I have no history of baldness on either side of my family and I know this isn't a genetic issue. Anyway, I ended up on the American Hair Loss Association website which lists birth control as a culprit (never considered this - I'm 28 and I've been on the pill for 12 years). This made me decide to look into the side effects of my birth control which just happens to be...AVIANE (I didn't even know the name - that's how aware I was.) This is starting to sound like beating a dead horse, but I was on Alesse for 10 years with NO problems whatsoever. From 2006-2008 I was put on a generic form because I was under military healthcare. They basically gave me whatever generic they had "in stock" that day so I didn't even stay on a consistent generic birth control, which is bad news. I just thought I was turning into a crazy, emotional bitch who hated life because I moved away from my home and family for my husband's military career. I actually learned to make peace and manage it...until the hair loss. Call it vanity but that's where I draw the line. This part is key: I didn't see the consistent hair loss until I got on a steady stream of AVIANE. Once my husband got out of the military, I went to a regular obgyn but opted for the generic form of Alesse (so the say) just to save money (at the time I still haven't put it together that it's the bc that's been making me unhappy.) I've been on just AVIANE since July 2008 and started noticing hair loss around September 2008, have seen no regrowth and I think it's getting worse. That search led me here and I am so glad it did - on top of the balding, the last few months I have been moodier than normal, have small fits of rage (that fade quickly, thank god), have been mildly depressed and unable to really enjoy life, I've gained about 5 pounds without a lifestyle/diet/exercise change, I've had more cystic acne (although daily exfoliation has helped this immensely) and lo and behold, 2 days into the placebo week and I feel GREAT. I have one more week on this month's pack - I'm making a doctor's appointment on Monday and I am DONE with AVIANE.
-- By asgtiger | Reply | Private Message me
January 30th
2009
5:39 PM
I was on Diovan HCTZ for a number of years for my high blood pressure. It worked pretty well, keeping my b/p to around 130/80, it had been 158/90. The Diovan, since no generic is available, is expensive but I did have a prescription plan at the time. I recently retired and asked my doctor to switch me over to a generic medication to cut my cost. He put me on lisinopril hctz 20/12.5mg. I took it once a day and had great results with lowering my blood pressure. No side effects until the third month, I then began to notice a great deal of hair loss. Since I am 58, 15 years post menopausal, dye my hair, I thought maybe it was the dye (unusual since I have been using the same product for years). I started washing my hair every other day instead of daily. This did not help, I still had to vacumm my bathroom floor daily. At this point I looked up on the internet and found this site about the connection of lisinopril and hair loss. Being an RN I decided to cut the pills in half for a week and see what happened. Sure enough, my hair loss stopped. I then went to my doctor equipt with this information. I am now on HCTZ 25mg daily and taking my blood pressure 2x/day. My b/p stays around 140/80. I know I have to go back to the doctor next week to discuss what to do next because this is not working. Luckily I HAD very thick hair otherwise I would be bald. Does the hair grow back? Does anyone have any other medication they can suggest that does not have this side effect? Too bad, I was doing so good on the lisinopril with my b/p and it did not make me tired like the diovan did.
-- By cgalio01 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
October 9th
2008
6:09 PM
Hello. I am am going through some major hair loss. I started the pills three weeks ago and i can honestly say that I have lost more hair in the past couple of weeks than i have ever lost in my entire life. I am 22 and I have no family line of baldness. I was on YAZ and this never happened. I switched to FEMCON Fe because I had breakthrough bleeding. Now not only am I having an almost nervous break but my face is breaking out. Something that I never really experienced with YAZ. Can anyone tell me if the hair will grow back?
Thanks
-- By jabre14 | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
October 6th
2008
11:14 PM
24 yr female diagnosed with PE and DVT. I have been on Warfarin since may of 08 and it has turned my world upside down. Weight gain (20lbs in 3 months), major hair loss, very bad acne, and memory loss. Not to mention i can't shave my legs or anything else for that matter with out getting major in grown hairs. I NEVER had any of these problems before. I am loosing muscle mass and feel as if I am a 70 year old woman. I don't know what to do but cry. The doctors keep telling me its not the medicine but I feel it is, my body is telling me it is. things are not easy, and it is affecting me I feel for the rest of my life.
-- By maggie14 | Reply | (6) replies | Private Message me
September 15th
2008
12:13 PM
My daughter has been losing her hair (see previous post) and had a full blood workup done, testing for thyroid problems..etc. EVERYTHING came back normal, and her hair is still falling out. She has had 2 of the 3 shots and will NOT have the 3rd. Although I do see re-growth, I do not and will not allow the 3rd shot. I have sent my report to the FDA and will be calling Merck next. This is ridiculous and my heart breaks every time I look at my beautiful little girl. She started high school this year and had to get her hair cut differently just to cover her baldness. Self esteem is shot... and there's nothing that can be done here???? Everyone (including lawyers) seem to turn the other cheek... how sad.
-- By kathleenf711 | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
September 11th
2008
7:46 AM
I took Lisinopril for five months. The dose was increased from 10mg to 40 mg per day. At my request my doctor switched me to Amlodipine Besylate. With Lisinopril I was tired all the time and had Abnormal hair loss. Within a week, after the switch, I was back to normal.
My daughter experienced the same thing. She was switched to Amlodipine
and is back to normal. It may take a while for the hair that was lost to come back in.
August 11th
2008
5:05 PM
After having the third shot I noticed my hair began falling out (July 2007). It is now over a year later and after having numerous blood tests, visiting a dermatologist and doing tons of research, I have concluded that gardasil must be causing this. My hair continues to fall out, I have bald areas around the crown of my head and my mood is very depressed by this. I also experienced soreness in my legs and joints but these are not constant. My periods also are out of whack. They can be between 28-50 days apart. I would not recommend anyone getting this vaccine. I wish my OBGYN had not sold me on it. I was 31 when I got it but she said age didn't matter, she said one day insurance companies would cover this vaccine for all women no matter what age they are. I paid $190.00 a shot and now I have a thin head of hair that may one day soon be bald if it doesn’t stop falling out. I think they should take this vaccine off the market. If anyone else has had severe hair loss, has it stopped falling out after a certain point?
-- By holly1976 | Reply | (7) replies | Private Message me
December 27th
2007
11:14 PM
I've been on Lisinopril/HCTZ about 2 months, and am losing lots of long hairs. Will my body adjust to the medication and grow new hair? Does anyone know if total baldness will result? (82 year old female) My blood pressure is now excellent!
-- By ben9mck | Reply | (4) replies | Private Message me
March 14th
2007
9:05 AM
I have been taking Lisinopril for about the last maybe 8 to 10 years. It started with 20 miligrams and has now gone to 40 miligrams. Recently my pharmacy change the manufacturer of their Linsinopril. My face is extremely dry, as well as my hair has dried out so bad, that I am beginning to loose my hair. I honestly just received revelation of this on last night, as I could not figure out why I would stay so dry. I try to drink lots of water, but it seems that I am literally drying out. And to be honest my hair has had so many issues since being on this high dose of Lisinopril. Has anyone experienced dry skin or hair, resuluting in hair loss or extremely dry skin?
-- By cmshields | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
March 30th
2004
9:15 PM
I have had severe pain in my right hip-joint area and difficulty sleeping on that side for several weeks now, and it is increasing in intensity. I have experienced the "fog" that many have discussed as well, leg and foot cramps are all too familiar as well as the dizziness periodically! I had noticed increased stiffness upon arising in the morning but attributed that to possible arthritus, hmmm, now makes me wonder. I also thought the increased hair loss (nothing creating baldness) that I found inconvenient, I feel like a shedding dog, was from aging! After reading so many comments about Lipitor, I am wondering if there is a link with this medication.
I do have one symptom I would like to inquire with others about...I had a bout with Hemoptysis (bleeding lungs) and recently nose bleeds, for no apparent reason other than minor activity. Also I have a feeling of being "Anxious" for no reason and it is not a normal feeling for me to experience even during duress circumstances. Are others experiencing similar reactions that may be related to taking Lipitor? Thanks. Tomball, Texas
-- By tlcstein | Reply | Private Message me
Lisinopril (5) Gardasil (2) Warfarin Sodium (2) NuvaRing (1) Hydrochlorothiazide-Lisinopril (1) Mirena (1) Wellbutrin (1) Femcon FE (1) Ambien CR (1) Aviane (1) Lipitor (1) Yutopar (1)
October 17th
2009
2:26 PM
In 1988 I had some complications with my pregnancy. I went into premature labor on June 5th. My due date was August 17th. My son was born premature on July 19th, with a good birth weight of 7.11 pounds. I received Yutopar drip while I was in the hospital for 5 days beginning on June 5th. When I returned home I continued Yutopar medication in a pill form up to July 19th when my son was born. Other than jaundice, he had no other apparent problems. While in pre-school at the age of 4 years, his teacher noticed he was having several problems. One of which was staring spells. We took him to a pediatric neurology clinic. His eeg was normal, but the doctor did notice he had problems with cognitive delays. Our next step was to take him for a neuropsychological evaluation. He was diagnosed with sensory motor integration deficits. From there we did everything that was offered to help him, including occupational therapy. Also, we thought he was born with lazy eye. It turned out to be exotropia. We took him to eye therapy to avoid surgery, but it did not help. At the age of 6 he had eye surgery to tighten his eye muscles. From the age of 4 to 6 years old, our son went through a lot with all the testings, therapies and surgery. He continued to struggle with some learning problems and low self-esteem throughout his school years. Currently, at the age of 21 he still has some small cognitive problems. In April, at the age of 17, his hair stated falling out in hugh clumps. He hid this from us by wearing a hat all the time. In June, he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called alopecia areata. By the time his senior year of high school started, he had lost 45% of his hair in patchy baldness. With the help of steroid injections into his scalp his hair came back into growth. He came out of remission at the age of 18 and 19 and is currently in remission. To make things even worse, he started feeling like something was wrong with his heart. This was during the time his hair was falling out when he was 17 and 18, and he was receiving treatment for his hair loss. He also hid this from us. It was October by the time he told me and I brushed it off as stress. He finally told me again in December. He said he felt like he was going to die and his heart didn't beat all the time. I took him to the doctor. He was tested and 2 days after Christmas the doctor called and told us to take him to the hospital asap! His heart was pausing anywhere from 2 to 7 seconds. He was transferred out of the area to a pediatric icu. He was diagnosed with Ventricular Fibrillation and received a pace maker at the age of 18 years old. His pace maker currently does 40% of the work to help his heart beat. There was a team of doctors trying to figure out why this has happened to his heart, but couldn't come up with specific answers. They did every test they could think of. I asked them about Yutopar and they say no. I asked them about the short term amount of steriod injections he had to make his hair grow back and they say no. They say his heart may have had a virus or he may have been born with the defect. He had already started having behavioral problems when he was 15 right after his Dad and I split up. His problems became much worse after his heart and hair problems. We have done and still do try everything possible to try to help him, but our hands are tied because he is 21 years old. His self help is marajuana and doctor prescribed street drugs. He has what I would call severe anger problems, very low self-esteem and a very bad temper. His behavioral problems and mental status can't get any worse than it is right now. As far as a mental illness diagnosis, we don't have one. I know he has one though. I'm always left to wonder if the drug Yutopar I took while I was pregnant had anything to do with all of his many problems throughout the years; especially with his sensory motor integration disorder, ventricular fibrillation heart defect and autoimmune disease.
-- By kiaya | Reply | Private Message me