Pattern hair loss symptoms and conditions

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!)

I sort of have a love/hate relationship w. this pill. I was on this pill after I had my 1st child. For those 18 mo. I felt great. I suffer from alopecia (female pattern hair loss) and this pill made my hair thicker and reduced the loss completely. I went off of it 3-4 mo. before easily conceiving my 2nd son. However, a month after I got off, I started to loose more hair than ever AND break out ridiculously for the first time ever in my life! The only reason I believe that everything turned around is because I got pg and we all know the good hair and skin that does for you. I am now done having kids and back on Yasmin because I was disparate to regrow my hair (which it helped again). It has been about 6 mo. and am starting to lose my hair again and have symptoms comparable to an ulcer. I'm just not sure anymore, but what i am sure of is doctors have no clue.

Hi Everyone,
My experience with Mirena is still causing me distress, and I had it taken out on 9/1/08. I've been Mirena free for 5 months now, and still waiting for my hair to grow back. I do see some small, short hairs around my hairline, and I'm hoping that it's growing back, but maybe it's breakage? Any thoughts?
Here's my story: I have always had very heavy periods, so after one botched ablation two years ago, my doctor suggested Mirena. I had it placed in June, 2008. Almost exactly 3 months later, I figured out why my hair was falling out. Every time I brushed my teeth, I noticed how thin my hair had suddenly become. You could see each individual hair from the front of my hairline backward about 2 inches - each individual hair surrounded by lots of space! There was hair loss at the temples as well. I had my thyroid checked first, because my mother has a thyroid problem. My bloodwork was fine. I thought maybe my last highlight/foil might have caused it...but it was not breakage, it was an all-over thinning out. I finally realized that the only thing different was the Mirena, so I insisted it come out immediately. My doctor told me that at 45, I should expect thinning hair, which was probably the cause, not the Mirena. I told him to JUST GET IT OUT!
I really wish I had researched the matter beforehand, but am thankful that I put two-and-two together in a matter of months.
If anyone else has experienced hair loss, please post. We have to get the word out!