Posted by feisty_chic on May 15, 2004, at 0:07:15
In reply to Re: Effexor and Hair Loss, posted by marcel on November 12, 2003, at 12:17:52
> > I am an otherwise healthy 28 yr old female who has been on Buspar and then Effexor over the past 2 1/2 mos for anxiety. In that time I noticed significant hair loss, especially when I combed or washed my hair. After having seen my doctor and a dermatologist, they both chalked it up to stress (even though I didn't feel any) because all of my blood work came back normal - they also confirmed, as did the pharmacist, that neither drug could be responsible for the hair loss. Then I decided to check on-line for any related research and came across this site 3 wks ago - after reading this and consulting with my doctor, I stopped taking the Effexor. However, my hair continues to fall out (more than the ave. 100 hairs/day)when I comb or wash - for those of you that stopped taking an anti-depressant, how long did it take for your hair to go back to a normal state? Any insight would be much appreciated! Thanks!
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> > I too have been taking Effexor 300mg to 450 mg daily for 5 months. My hair is getting so thin, I'm worried. I asked the doc and pharmacists about the hair loss. The doctor says it isn't the drug. The pharmacist says it very well could be the drug. Does anyone know if your hair grows
> back if you discontinue the drug? thanks jbHi, I took Effexor last year for six months. I went to my doctor after I had broken up with someone and was left severely depressed and I said, "Do you know of a miracle drug that can take away sadness and pain, make me stop hating people, do something about OCD and possibly give me a boost with weight loss?" He said he had just the thing: EFFEXOR XR! At first, I liked it. I was feeling better, not washing my hands as much and I lost 20 lbs. I thought it was fabulous. Then, as time went on, I could see a dramatic change in my skin and I noticed that I was losing my hair. I have always lost tons of strands of hair on a normal day, but this was ridiculous. I also noticed that my once very shiny and healthy hair, not to mention super thick hair, was breaking and splitting and looked very lackluster. It became very thinned out and awful looking. Also, I was always fortunate enough to have great skin. Yeah, I did get pimples as a teen, but I was fortunate to grow out of it by the time I went to college. Anyway, I never noticed how bad my skin looked until my niece's birthday party last October. My best friend snapped my picture and I looked at it two weeks after the party. I remember leaving for the party thinking I looked pretty good, but all I saw in this picture was someone with thin, unhealthy hair and red, raw skin that looked like it was overscrubbed. You could also see these bumps that looked like acne that was under the skin. When I could really understand what was happening and that it truly was the drug, I stopped it cold turkey. Let me tell you, the withdrawal symptoms were the worst. I had sweats, chills, insomnia, swore people were out to get me, had rapid heartbeat issues, and panic attacks. My mother supported me so much during that time. She kept telling me that if I could get through the first week that I would make it. It was probably the wrong way for me to go off the drug, but my hair was falling out so bad that I had to stop cold turkey so that I wouldn't keep feeding the hair loss while I weaned myself off the drug. That first week was a killer, but I made it. I did consult my physician who told me that it was a bad idea for me to do what I was doing, and gave me a bottle of Wellbutrin. I threw that in the trash. I wanted to provide some backstory just because I felt it relevant to share because I kept these issues to myself and never even shared them with my friends. Anyway, in answer to your questions, the hair comes back. My hair is thick and full and shinier than ever. My skin is also clear and the tone is even. There are no blemishes. Also, I experienced high blood pressure and loss of sex drive on Effexor, and when I stopped it my blood pressure returned to normal and so did my desire to want to have sex. I have nothing against anyone who wants to take meds to feel better or help depression, but I have noticed after being on two different ones (first I took Prozac) that I like being in control of my emotions and knowing when I am truly happy or sad. There will always be sad times and tough times, but you can get through them and without drugs. I am living proof of that. I took Prozac the year before I took Effexor because I had fibroid tumors in my uterus and was taking heavy doses of hormones and other drugs to control the bleeding of the tumors. Needless to say, those heavy duty meds were making me sick and depressed so my gyn. gave me Prozac. I don't think that's a wonder drug either, by any means, but the only side effect I had there was weight gain. Effexor is one of the worst meds I have ever taken, but be patient and know that your hair does come back!! If you can make a change to another med or get off it completely, you will see a dramatic change in a month or two. I stopped the med cold turkey at the end of October and by Christmas my hair was looking fabulous. You will get your hair back, I promise!! Good luck! Also, I'm so glad I found this site. I found this back in October, and it was from knowing that other people lost their hair on this drug that made me stop it. Also, the doctors will tell you that it's not the drug, but it is. My doctor and nurse both said it wasn't the drug and that it was probably stress. Believe me, I know my own body like you know yours. It was the drug.
poster:feisty_chic
thread:44645
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040510/msgs/347012.html