It's even written in the package insert that hair loss is a COMMON side effect.

I have this problem and no solution since I don't know what exactly causes the hair loss :confused:

Is it the chemicals of the drug itself or does the medication drug cause a vitamin/mineral deficit???

If it would be last one, you could probably help it by taking the vitamin/minerals you lack but I'm pretty sure it's the first thing (the chemicals causing hairloss, no matter how much supplements) you take! ?

I'm also thankful for any info or advice in this area!!

Because I can't live with losing more and more hair, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't just stop by itself!?

Katy

I would suspect the indirectly released epinephrine interacts with the hair follicles in a negative fashion but unfortunately I can't access any of the subscription-only studies on PubMed that would say definitively... perhaps someone with full access could tell us for sure.

Ok, first off, to which medication are you referring? Adderall? Ritalin? Strattera?

Viagra?

Your post doesn't state what medications you are taking, or which medication's PI sheet mentioned hair loss. A search of Adderall's full Prescribing Information (PI) data sheet fails to find any instances of the word "hair," or the word "bald."

http://www.adderallxr.com/assets/pdf/prescribing_information.pdf


The PI sheet for Ritalin LA mentions it as a rare adverse effect that may occur with methylphenidate.

http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/product/pi/pdf/ritalin_la.pdf

Without knowing which medication you are discussing, not to mention whether you are taking any other medications, and whether or not you have a family history of hair loss, there's really nothing anyone can do to offer you any assistance.

@Hyperion:

Sorry, my fault, I thought I mentioned that I was taking methylphenidate (long acting).

My PI sheet says that hair loss is a COMMON (not a rare) side effect.
Concerning "my family history of hair loss": My dad is bald but I'm female and had pretty full hair before starting to take this medication.
And no, I'm not taking any other medication.

And I read quite a few times that other people also experienced hair loss when taking AD(H)D medications/methylphenidate.

Therefore I was curious why methylphenidate leads (can lead) to hair loss at all (because of the chemicals of the drug itself or a vitamin defiency that the drug might lead to??)

That's why I asked if someone knows anything about the causal connection between methylp. and hair falling out.


@Frangible:

Thanks for your idea.


I would suspect the indirectly released epinephrine interacts with the hair follicles in a negative fashion Why or in what way does/could epinephrine lead to hair loss?
Have you found abstracts of studies that stated some interrelation?

If so, could you mention the link? That would be a great help.

Thank you,
Katy

Here are two examples of what other forum members wrote about hair loss after taking methylphenidate:

What I found helpful was this statement:
There is some theory about vasoconstriction and the scalp
Has anyone read studies that refer to methylphenidate, vasoconstriction of the scalp and/or hair loss?

hypatia (http://www.addforums.com/forums/member.php?u=10188) http://www.addforums.com/forums/images/statusicon/user_offline.gif

My hair started falling out in clumps. I stopped taking the concerta (18 mg), along with the lithium I was taking. The hair loss stopped (after a couple weeks), and my Dr. and I decided the lithium probably caused it. I started the concerta again and after 2 days my hair started falling out again. Of course I stopped immediately and it is falling out less now. I'm pretty fair (blonde) and have very thin hair.. Has anyone else had this problem?


http://www.addforums.com/forums/images/statusicon/post_old.gif 03-05-06, 07:11 AM
bluepeng (http://www.addforums.com/forums/member.php?u=9651) http://www.addforums.com/forums/images/statusicon/user_offline.gif

I've had the same hair expertience with Adderall
I've combed (no pun intended) the internet for an explantion of hair loss and stimulants and it happens. At least with Concerta (Ritalin) the PDR acknowledges it. With Adderall, I don't see that warning. My scalp hair has thinned considerably after 3 months on Adderall. Taken vitamins, etc. Doesn't stop the thinning. I may quit the medication completely because of it. I've heard that lithium definitely causes hair loss too although I've only read this on the web. There is some theory about vasoconstriction and the scalp, blah, blah. I just want it to stop falling out. If you find any more info on hair loss, please share, I'm 90% confident that the same mechanism that causes hair loss with ritalin causes it for adderall too. I've even looked at Wellbutrin threads (I don't take this) but I want to find a link because Wellbutrin is known to cause shedding of hair too.

Why or in what way does/could epinephrine lead to hair loss?
Have you found abstracts of studies that stated some interrelation?Like I said, just a wild assed guess on my part, I have no data to back it up other than the article titles on PubMed seemed to indicate it happened with a variety of stimulants. Perhaps it's because epinephrine constricts blood vessels... or something else. I just don't know.

Hi, I was taking adderall xr for a yr and then regular adderall and I found that my long thick hair was significantly thinner and more brittle and i had lost quite a bit of weight from the decreased appetite. I talked to a few of my professors in the nsg program about it and every one of them said it was from the decreased appetite, i was eating maybe 1-2 meals a day compared to my usual constant pig out fest. so basically my body was reacting to what it thought was malnourishment and losing the not so vital resources so that it could supplement the vital organs. also, the stimulant effect that the drug causes, tends to put a stress on the body which also causes hair loss.
for some others this may not be the case but for me it was and i validated it when i took care of a end stage cancer patient who never took chemo/radiation yet was losing her hair in clumps, however she was so sick from pain meds that she rarely ate, and her body had a huge stress on it. Hair loss is a major side effect of malnutrition, straight out of my nsg books.
hope i could offer SOME insight.. sorry for the long post :p

That makes sense but I don't eat or weigh less than before..
Maybe you just need more minerals than before since you lose a lot by sweating ?

I don't give my inventions to just anyone, but in this case. If you will get a steptic pencil in the shaving section at the drug store and roll it in your hands with warm water, you can rub the mixture on your head, face and neck and leave it for twenty minutes. Don't get it in your eyes. It will burn for two days. Wash it off after twenty minutes. This will cause the individual cells to return to their plump heathy shape. It will also give you a chemical instant face lift. The next thing is to use an over the counter hair growth product. Put it on your scalp and leave it for the recommended time. I did this and had hair growing back in no time. This is my secret. No non ADHD people allowed.

X-Man

Wow X-MAN...

Your secret is safe with me!
However I do have a few Questions;

1-Will hair grow on my face too???
2-How long does the 'face lift' effect last???
3-Do you do this every night, and if so, for how many days, weeks???
4-Do you completely dilute the septic pencil until it's a blob of cream and rub that on? 5-Or Do you just soften the pencil and apply it as if you are writing on your scalp etc?
6-Did it make your face break-out w/acne or clog your pores? (Hey...just ask'n)

Thank You for your generous Beauty tip! YOU Are The MAN...X-MAN !!!

Sincerely; Addeline

PS...My hair is shedding more since I started taking meds (Adderall) approximently
3+ months ago.

1 The steptic pencil will make a flat out-of-shape skin cell plump and round again. This makes it look young and healthy. It also pulls the skin back together. You know how skin looks as people age, flat and shiney. It makes the skin go back to the younger condition.
You should only put the Rogain hair growth on the places you want hair to grow.
2 The reshaping of the skin cells on the scalp, head and neck pull the skin back to the correct place. This pulls the wrinkles out of the face. It should only be done every other day for the first two weeks. If you notice drying in your skin do it every third day. After that twice a week or when you have somewhere you are going and want to look young.
You can put healing lotions on a couple of hours after you use the steptic pencil. This revitalizes the skin condition.
At first it will show less progress possibly. After doing it for a while you will get more instant response.
I would always recommend finding a place where you can sit in the same place each time and take a picture. This should be done before you use it the first time and after you use it. This will show you what the effect has been. It is easier to see the true progress that way.
I had skin damage from the sun light. It looked like wierd wrinkles and thick skin spots. It made that go away too.
4The best way is probably to get a wash rag and wet it with the warm water and then rub the side of the steptic pencil on it quite a bit. You then rub it into your scalp, face and neck. Remember, Don't get it in your eyes. It will burn like ****. If you get it in your eye, get into the shower right away and rinse off the material and then let the water wash out your eye for about five minutes. A good eye drop could help afterwards.
6The only effect I noticed was when I had suntanned and it made my skin have more tendency to peel sooner. I guess the reshaping of the skin causes that.
Anyway, you can try it and if it works as well for you as it does for me, you will be amazed.

X-Man


Wow X-MAN...

Your secret is safe with me!
However I do have a few Questions;

1-Will hair grow on my face too???
2-How long does the 'face lift' effect last???
3-Do you do this every night, and if so, for how many days, weeks???
4-Do you completely dilute the septic pencil until it's a blob of cream and rub that on? 5-Or Do you just soften the pencil and apply it as if you are writing on your scalp etc?
6-Did it make your face break-out w/acne or clog your pores? (Hey...just ask'n)

Thank You for your generous Beauty tip! YOU Are The MAN...X-MAN !!!

Sincerely; Addeline

PS...My hair is shedding more since I started taking meds (Adderall) approximently
3+ months ago.

The active ingredient in those is an alum used as an astrigent.

Externally applied astringents, which cause mild coagulation of skin proteins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein), dry, harden, and protect the skin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin). Acne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acne) sufferers are often advised to avoid astringents, which are believed to worsen the clogging of pores. Astringent also helps heal stretch marks and other scars. Mildly astringent solutions are used in the relief of such minor skin irritations as those resulting from superficial cuts, allergies, insect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect) bites, or fungal infections such as athlete's foot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlete%27s_foot).

Thanks for your advice ;)

use an over the counter hair growth productCan you recommend any brand or specific hair growth product?

Do they really work?

I just got the generic Rogain or how ever they spell it. You need to read the literature that comes with it. Interactions and all that stuff can be important.

X-Man

Thanks X-Man!

You mean the package information? Do you remember what it said about interactions or side effects?
Can you get it in any drug store?
Oh, and is it for men and women? Since I'm female I don't want hair to grow on any other body parts.. ;)

Katy, since it hasn't been mentioned before that I noticed, and perhaps you did do this, but certainly a call to your prescribing physician would be a good idea. Being in the dermatolgoy business at one time, hair loss, for whatever reason, can be caused by a number of other medical conditions also, in turn, maybe also as a result of the medication. I don't know for sure about that, but you should definately run it by your doctor, just to make sure all of your other systems are still in check if the hair loss does not subside. Best of luck!

@1kid1dog:
Thanks for your advice.
I went to my physician yesterday and he's trying really hard to stop me from taking the stimulants. He tells me to free myself from the idea that I need to take stimulants. To him stimulants are not the right solution.
So basically when I was telling him about my hair loss,etc., all he said was I should stop taking methylphenidate at all.
He's a good physician though and has helped me quite a lot in the past (with other things). Besides two other physicians gave me the same advice.
After he told me to stop, I demanded him to take blood test. I get the results Monday. But I'm not sure if he has tested what's really important in order to see what's wrong/what the cause of hair loss could be. :confused:

What's in your opinion most important to get tested when taking stimulants?

Thanks again for your help,
Katy

Wow Katy, I'm sorry you are having such a time of it! Does your physician thing you should be on another TYPE of medication other than stimulants? My inkling would be, with the hair loss, is what changes in your body are being caused by the meds, which in turn are causing your hair loss. That might be a good internet search to do. I do know a good lab panel should be done, and it does seem odd that you had to demand that too. There are endocrine issues, thyroid issues, deficiency issues, among others, i'm sure, that can cause the hair loss. We don't take meds, we are going the holistic route, so I can't advise you on that part.

I think you've done all you can do for now, including a second and third opinion. Sit it out till Monday, and see what the labwork shows. Keep us posted, Katy.
Hugs!

My dad is bald but I'm femaleLook for research about genetic hair loss. Being female does not rule it out. My female hairdresser is dealing with it right now.

Katy,

This is the place where I let my anger get away with me sometimes. Doctors are like lolipops. They come in all flavors and shapes. They are alot like mechanics. There are ones that know how to tell what the patient needs and there are ones that keep replacing parts until the car is fixed or quits running at all.
What is going on inside you. Your life is being effected by what they decide. Write down your feelings about the way your life was effedted by the different meds you took. Which ones helped and which ones didn't. Look up the meds you were taking on the website of the manufacturer to see what hair loss effect there are. It might be a combination of two meds that caused it. Find the customer service phone numbers on the websites and call them and ask every question you can to fine out what you need to know. Your doctor has a slot of time he is willing to spend to get a certain amount of money. You have to do the footwork to get real results. I will help you if you want me to. There are older doctors that think the old fashion ways and still give out old timey meds. There are the middle age group doctors that think like their group does and give meds from their time. There are the newer, younger, doctors that think all of the new ideas and ways and only give out the new meds they get a kickback from giving a certain number of prescription for. The high dollar meds. Example: Anitbiotics-Old doctor sulpha med, middle age doctor Amoxicillin, new doctor Zithromax. I have stories where doctors wanted to painful procedures to my kids when they were young and I said no. They argued with me for hours until what I said would happen did and my daughter became OK. They apologised and Prescribed the meds for me that I said I had given her and shouldn't have without it being exactly for her. Your the boss. They work for you. If they get rowdy just take the information about how the meds effected you in the past and the information about the meds you get from the drug companies and tell them you want the results you have been successful with or something equal. You will do it later if you are unhappy with your life if you don't know.
Private message me if you have something you want me to help you research. My brother in law is a pharmacist.

X-Man

Thank you all so much for your help!!

@1kid2dogs:
No, my physician doesn't want me to take any meds. He thinks it's a vicious circle since the meds cause other problems you then have to deal with and so on..
We don't take meds, we are going the holistic route Do have ADD or ADHD? Do you know any advice how to deal with it naturally?

I always tell myself that eventually I want to stop the meds since I can't imagine taking them my entire life, my body wouldn't probably stand that either..

Since I'm in a "difficult" life situation right now where I really need to function I can't afford skipping the meds now.

I made some research on the internet about any possible cause for hair loss and found out (big suprise ;) ) that a lot of deficiencies cause it. Besides that there's of course genetic hair loss, hair loss after pregnancy and a couple other reason that don't apply on me.
But since it started right when I began taking methylphenidate and it's even written down in the package info of the drug that it often causes hairloss, I'm very sure that it's the reason.
I was just curious why such a drug can cause hair loss at all.
But unfortunately I haven't found any studies that relate to that subject :(

I still haven't gotten the results yet (they will send it to me), but I will keep you posted.

Thanks a lot for your support!

@Imnapl:
That's true. But since my hair loss started when I started taking methylphenidate (which is not that long ago=May), I'm positive the drug is the reason.
But that's a good info anyways. Thank you!

@X-Man:
Wow, that's interesting and very true. The more doctors I see, the more confused I get. Some are totally against me taking any ADHD/ADD medication because to them I'm not ADHD at all. They say not every lack of motivation, etc., should be explained with ADD and treated with drugs.
Well, all Add/ADHD criteria suits me 100%, the only thing that makes me doubt is the fact that I don't think I was so different as I child. However as a girl with ADD- instead of ADHD- you often don't get recognized as such.

Thank you so much for offering to help me with my research. I'd love to come back on that one, right now I'm so busy I don't even know how to manage all the "important" stuff in my life. But I'll send you a pm as soon as I find some time- if your offer doesn't expire till then.. ;) ?
Thanks a lot again!

Katy