# Women's Hair Loss > Women's Hair Loss: Start Your Own Topic >  anti-depressants and hair loss

## linda

hi, i am curious if anyone has tried either anti-depressants and/or tricyclics that have not caused hair loss. i am currently taking small quantities of zoloft and amitriptyline for migraines/headaches and have had profound hair shedding all over.  this is was bad as i already have thinning hair.  can anyone suggest a medication that will not cause this problem? thanks for you help!

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## saniaa83

Medical reports show that the unfortunate side effect of severe hair loss with antidepressants is extremely rare, although it does happen. Even those medical professionals who handle hair loss issues as part of their practice will say the side effect from antidepressants is not even close to being in the top ten.

With that in mind, some people who take antidepressants do suffer from hair loss brought on by the medications. The medications that are known to have this side effect generally are SSRI antidepressants, which include Prozac. For those who are on this medication, the question becomes whether the medicines benefits outweigh the unfortunate side effects. This is a question, however, that must be addressed between the patient on the medication and the prescribing doctor. If self-image issues are a major concern, it is particularly important to make the doctor aware of the hair loss.

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## DepressedByHairLoss

This is something that I've been really wondering about for a while now.  I was taking Zoloft for almost 10 years.  2000-2010.  I never even fathomed that it could cause hair loss.  In 2009 is when I started to notice my hair loss, however I can see hair loss from earlier photos except I never noticed it at the time and no one pointed it out to me.  If I had known that there was even a very slight chance that Zoloft could cause hair loss, then I never would've taken it in the first chance.  I mean, my father and my brother don't have noticeable hair loss and my father is twice my age.  And neither of them was ever on any anti-depressant.  I will never pop another anti-depressant in my entire life now that I know that they could have caused my hair loss, which is more depressing to me than anything in the whole world.

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## arabianhorselover

I took Prozac for about 13 years, and did not notice any hair loss.  Now I have taken Effexor for about 1 1/2 years.  My hair is not a thick as it used to be, but I don't know if the Effexor has anything to do with it.  I also take a couple of other drugs, and have had low thyroid.

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## Tracy C

Have you talked to a doctor about it.  If not, seek out a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss.  He or she may be able to help you quite a bit.

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## ParraPhil

How do you find effexor? I have read mixed reports on this.

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## nikemata

> hi, i am curious if anyone has tried either anti-depressants and/or tricyclics that have not caused hair loss. i am currently taking small quantities of zoloft and amitriptyline for migraines/headaches and have had profound hair shedding all over.  this is was bad as i already have thinning hair.  can anyone suggest a medication that will not cause this problem? thanks for you help!


 Hello, How many months you are using with your medication? Have you ever consulted your doctor about this shedding of hair while using Zoloft and Amitryptiline? By d way antidepressants are not recommended for migraines/headaches. There are other drug of choice used for that health issue just like stugeron forte (cinnarizine) pain relievers just like ibuprofen, aspirin and triptans just like Zomig (zolmitriptan) and sumatriptan.  Amitryptiline is the only tricyclic to have received FDA approval for migraine treatment but only used as phrophylaxis.

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## RavenLenore

Linda, I was just  recently put on amitriptyline approximately two months ago and one month later I was put on Trileptal. I advised my doctor at the one month meeting point that I was losing a lot of hair like I had when I had taken Geodon when I was in my 20s.  His reply to me was that my hair loss was due to stress; granted I do lose hair on my temples when I am stressed but this was a lot more than that.  I was losing absolutely handfuls and clumps of hair. He put me on the Trileptal and two weeks later I decided to research why I was losing so much hair. I discovered that amitriptyline causes hair loss and or baldness. When I contacted my doctors office regarding this he told me (four days after my initial contact) to stop taking the Trileptal because it as well causes hair loss; however I am bipolar and cannot go without taking a mood stabilizer. I did however stop taking the amitriptyline the night that I found out that it caused alopecia ( I took the amitriptyline from April 10 to May 25 and the Trileptal starting May 9 stopping on June 6; this was all this year - 2017.  My doctor put me on a brand new medication called Rexulti that he said has been amazing for everyone with no side effects. (I did read about side effects of minimal weight gain and am thus concerned due to family genetics - though I am not overweight just average, my vanity and signature have always been my hair. I am still having massive, and I mean massive hair loss. I keep a baggy for every time I wash my hair and each one contains how much lost in shower and before next washing. I'm going to get it cut for the third time today in three weeks. Prior to the amitryptiline and subsequent haircuts my hair was  down to the middle of my back and very thick considering I have fine hair, however hairstylists have always loved my hair. I now have very, very thin bangs as they were cut prior to the medication and have had to do some interesting coloring with natural hair color from Professionals.  The key being to have darker roots then the rest of your hair. I am now upset that I have to go back and get it cut again to my chin and hope that it starts to grow back and thicker. I am using essential oil's internally, diffused, and on my hair/scalp. I have  had the same reaction to Geodon back when I was in my 20s and stopped it as soon as seeing what was happening. I am hoping and praying that my hair starts to grow back very soon.  I have read about numerous shampoos, conditioners, repair masks, oils, leave ins, etc. and I'm not 100% sure of anything at this point. What I do know is that a supplement internally taken is the best way to fix your hair since it is alive in the scalp and then dead on your head. Nothing grows dead hair. Linda, you mentioned migraines. I get them really bad too, but I was on Topomax (not generic as same side effect and FDA poster child for severe adverse reactions). Topomax stopped me from having 3-4 migraines a week to maybe 1 every other month if that. I had patient assistance as could not afford brand name and it helped with depression/mood stability. 

 Now if anybody out there knows of something I can take as a supplement that is not going to break my already empty bank account please post or message me and let me know what that is. I am still looking for things to help regrow my hair at this point even though I know, not hope, but know that this  current hair loss is temporary.  Thanks for reading my story and helping if you can.

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## dazzyk

unfortunately can't say for hair loss, though as for anti-depressants my friend used to treat her anxiety with travelling. her doctors suggested that she should just take a break, as simple as that and go somewhere nice and warm, leave all the troubles behind and enjoy her peace of mind for some time. She went travelling to Spain and soaking in the sun and sea breeze she eventually decided to buy apartment in Barcelona She's now having the time of her life there and her best advice for any troubles is to change the surroundings. It's mostly a psychological thing, but it often works for me too.

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