Medications that Cause Hair Loss

There are many medications that cause hair loss.

Since everyone is different, one person may not notice any shedding, while others may notice a significant loss of hair.

Telegon Effluvium Causing Hair Loss

Normally hair is actively growing; however a small percentage is in the telogen aka resting phase.

If a medication causes more hair follicles to go in to the telogen phase than normal, more hair will be shed than grows.

This is also known as telegon effluvium.

Synthroid and Hair Loss

Synthroid, a medication prescribed to treat hypothyroidism, is particularly noted as an agent that causes hair loss. Although not everyone who takes Synthroid will experience balding, it may be a contributing factor.

This side effect generally occurs due to an excess of Synthroid in your system which results in a condition called hyperthyroidism. Excess thyroid hormones create a negative environment for hair follicles.

If you have symptoms of;

- Chest pain
- Muscle weakness
- Sweating
- Tremors
- Weight loss

This could be the problem, especially if you've had a recent increase in your thyroid dosage.

Chemotherapy and Hair Loss

Most people are aware chemotherapy; a class of drugs used to treat cancer, is associated with hair loss. They do this by stopping the cells in your hair follicles from dividing.

Chemotherapy targets all the cells in your body and can cause;

- Fast shedding
- Your hair to stop growing immediately
- Complete body and scalp hair loss

Generally, as soon as your chemotherapy treatment is finished, your hair follicles will return back to normal.

Lithium and Hair Loss

Lithium, the primary drug to treat bipolar disorder, frequently causes hair loss. This may occur due to Lithium's propensity to interrupt thyroid production.

Arthritis Medications and Hair Loss

Medications that treat arthritis are commonly associated with hair loss.

Some of these are;

- Methotrexate
- Arava
- Plaquenil
- NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen.

These medications that cause hair loss are a result of the aforementioned telegon effluvium, resulting in a greater amount of hair being shed than is actively growing.

If you believe your hair loss may be a result of the medications you are taking, speak with your doctor. They may be able to substitute your medication to something more hair friendly.

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