On a daily basis, millions of people around the world depend on
medications that may have adverse effects on the body, including
their hair. While women and men
with pattern baldness may not be able to reverse the effects
of their hair loss, others may be dealing with a temporary
situation.
Temporary hair loss can occur in: women who suddenly stop taking
birth control pills; pregnant women at the end of their
pregnancies; chemotherapy patients; and patients on certain
medications.
Pregnancy and the Cause of Temporary Hair Loss:
At the end of a woman's pregnancy estrogen levels can drop
drastically. As a result, the body may shed an excessive amount
of hair. Fortunately, this hair loss is almost always temporary.
Your hair should start re-growing within a matter of a few
weeks.
Chemotherapy
It's very well known that chemotherapy can cause hair loss in
patients. Most people are willing to tolerate baldness in the
case of life-threatening disease, such as cancer.
Patients taking medications should consult their doctors on
possible side effects that the drug may cause. If you're
currently taking a medication and experiencing hair loss, you
should consult with your physician immediately. Your hair loss
can very likely be related to your medication if you are taking
one of the following drugs:
Cholesterol-lowering Medication: clofibrate (Atromis-S) and
gemfibrozil (Lopid)
Parkinson Medications: levodopa (Dopar, Larodopa)
Ulcer Medications: cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac) and
famotidine (Pepcid)
Anticoagulents: Coumarin and Heparin
Treatment for Gout: Allopurinol (Loporin, Zyloprim)
Antiarthritics: penicillamine, auranofin (Ridaura), indomethacin
(i\Indocin), naproxen (Naprosyn), sulindac (ClinorilÒ), and
methotrexate (FolexÒ)
Medications derived from vitamin-A: isotretinoin (Accutane) and
etretinate (Tegison)
Anticonvulsants for Epilepsy: trimethadione (Tridione)
Antidepressants: tricyclics, amphetamines
Beta blocker drugs for high blood pressure: atenolol (Tenormin),
metoprolol (Lopressor), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal)
and timolol (Blocadren)
Antithyroid agents: carbimazole, Iodine, thiocyanate, thiouracil
In addition to this list of drugs, many blood thinners and male
hormones can cause hair loss as well. If the medication you are
taking is linked to temporary hair loss, a different medication
may be prescribed. Remember, temporary hair loss means
reversible. Your hair will almost always grow back.
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