Displaying items by tag: hair loss medication

Hair Loss Side Effect

Did you know that many commonly prescribed prescription drugs can cause temporary hair loss or  trigger the onset of male and female pattern baldness, and even cause permanent hair loss. Be sure to investigate the side effects of all your medications for hair loss. The drugs below are listed by category, according to the conditions they treat, then by brand name first followed by the drug’s generic name in parentheses. In some categories, individual drugs are not listed. For these conditions, you will want to discuss the possibility of hair loss as a side effect of using any of the drugs that treat that particular condition, since many do contribute to hair loss. 

Note that the drugs listed here do not include those used in chemotherapy and radiation for cancer treatment:

Acne

All drugs derived from vitamin A as treatments for acne or other conditions, including:

• Accutane (isotretinoin)

Blood

Anticoagulants (blood thinners), including:

• Panwarfin (warfarin sodium)
• Sofarin (warfarin sodium)
• Coumadin (warfarin sodium)
• Heparin injections

Cholesterol

Cholesterol-lowering drugs, including:

• Atronid-S (clofibrate)
• Lopid (gemfibrozil)

Convulsions/ Epilepsy

• Anticonvulsants, including:
• Tridone (trimethadione)

Depression

• Antidepression drugs, including:
• Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride)
• Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride)
• Paxil (paroxetine)
• Anafranil (clomipramine)
• Janimine (imipramine)
• Tofranil (imipramine)
• Tofranil PM (imipramine)
• Adapin (doxepin)
• Sinequan (doxepin)
• Surmontil (trimipramine)
• Pamelor (nortriptyline)
• Ventyl (nortriptyline)
• Elavin (amitriptyline)
• Endep (amitriptyline)
• Norpramin (desipramine)
• Pertofrane (desipramine)
• Vivactil (protriptyline hydrochloride)
• Asendin (amoxapine)
• Haldol ( haloperidol)

Diet

• Amphetamines

Fungus

• Antifungals

Glaucoma

• The beta-blocker drugs, including:
• Timoptic Eye Drops (timolol)
• Timoptic Ocudose (timolol)
• Timoptic XC (timolol)

Gout

• Lopurin (allopurinol)
• Zyloprim (allopurinol)

Heart

Many drugs prescribed for the heart, including those known as the beta blockers, which are also used to treat high blood pressure, and include:

• Tenormin (atenolol)
• Lopressor (metoprolol)
• Corgard (nadolol)
• Inderal and Inderal LA (propanolol)
• Blocadren (timolol)
• High Blood Pressure
• See Above list of beta blockers under "Heart"

Hormonal Conditions

All hormone-containing drugs and drugs prescribed for hormone-related, reproductive, male-specific, and female-specific conditions and situations have the potential to cause hair loss, including:

• Birth Control Pills
• Hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) for women (estrogen or progesterone)
• Male androgenic hormones and all forms of testosterone
• Anabolic steriods
• Prednisone and other steroids

Inflammation

• Many anti-inflammatory drugs, including those prescribed for localized pain, swelling and injury.
• Arthritis drugs
• Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs including:
  - Naprosyn (naproxen)
  - Anaprox (naproxen)
  - Anaprox DS (naproxen)
  - Indocin (indomethacin)
  - Indocin SR (indomethacin)
  - Clinoril (sulindac)

An anti-inflammatory that is also used as a chemotherapy drug:

• Methotrexate (MTX)
• Rheumatex (methotrexate)
• Folex (methotrexate)

Parkinson's Disease

• Levadopa / L-dopa (dopar, larodopa)

Thyroid Disorders

• Many of the drugs used to treat the thyroid

Ulcer

• Many of the drugs used to treat indigestion, stomach difficulties, and ulcers, including over-the-counter dosages and prescription dosages.
• Tagamet (cimetidine)
• Zantac (ranitidine)
• Pepcid (famotidine)

SOURCE: AMERICAN HAIR LOSS ASSOCIATION