I realize it looks a bit silly to start a thread on hair loss when there's already one a couple posts below, but I do have a more specific question in mind.

I was diagnosed with ADD waaay back in grade school, and tried Ritalin for a few years. It put me off trying drugs in general since it absolutely killed my appetite (among other things). In high school, I was eventually diagnosed with Asperger's. The doctor I've been seeing since then (really good guy) did some testing last year after discussing problems I'd been having, and decided there were attention deficit issues that might be helped by drugs. After a frustrating university term, I came around to the idea of trying Concerta.

I started the Concerta about a month ago, ramping up to 54mg over a couple of weeks. I've noticed a couple of minor side effects, like difficulty sleeping, but for the most part it seems to be doing some good with focusing and getting work done. However, I've also noticed myself focusing on small health issues and feeling a lot of anxiety. The major side effect of appetite loss I had on Ritalin has also returned.

It seems like my hair has taken a nosedive since I started the Concerta. I don't know if it got worse all of a sudden or whether I'm focusing on it a lot more, which makes it more of a worry. I have male pattern baldness that's diffuse (not a typical pattern), and I've been taking finasteride (Propecia) with what I thought was some success for a couple of years now. I caught it reasonably early, and have very long hair, and it was not obvious at all.

I've been reading lots of stories about hair loss on Ritalin/Concerta/Adderall/etc. and it has me very worried. Hair loss from sources like drugs is a lot worse when you have MPB, since there isn't much chance it will grow back.

I'm wondering if there are any other guys here with MPB who noticed a huge increase in hair loss after taking this drug. How common a side effect is hair loss in general? What did you decide to do?

Apologies for the wall of text, I just find this stuff really frustrating.

Reading around, reports on hair loss from methylphenidate seem to range from "common" (1 in 10-100) to "around 250 reported cases, mostly in children". Not really very much to go on, especially if you add the MPB to the mix, since my hair was thinning to begin with. I can't say I want to stop the Concerta for six months and see if it gets any better.

Also, it certainly doesn't help that many of the Google results related to this subject are loonie Ritalin/ADHD conspiracy sites that latch on to the alopecia side effect because it sounds bad. Your children will all be baaaald!

Reading around, reports on hair loss from methylphenidate seem to range from "common" (1 in 10-100) to "around 250 reported cases, mostly in children". Not really very much to go on, especially if you add the MPB to the mix, since my hair was thinning to begin with. I can't say I want to stop the Concerta for six months and see if it gets any better.

Also, it certainly doesn't help that many of the Google results related to this subject are loonie Ritalin/ADHD conspiracy sites that latch on to the alopecia side effect because it sounds bad. Your children will all be baaaald!It sounds like you've done your research. MrAnon, does baldness run in your family?

I know people with Asperger Syndrome who benefit from taking Concerta.

It sounds like you've done your research. MrAnon, does baldness run in your family?

I know people with Asperger Syndrome who benefit from taking Concerta.


I know I had MPB long before I started taking Concerta. The issue is just whether the drug has made me shed or lose hair faster. When your hair is already thin, it's hard to say how it's doing over shorter periods of time. Shedding is also less obvious, since you have a lot less hair to shed.

There are posts on here by people who say Ritalin/Concerta/etc. had a sudden and immediate dramatic effect on their hair, within days or weeks of taking it. It usually takes several months to see shedding and hair loss from typical stressors and such, since you don't see the effect of hair cycle interruptions for quite a while. I'm not sure how Concerta could make you lose hair within weeks.

It does seem to be having a positive effect on my ability to concentrate and get things done, which is why I want to stick with it. I will find out how well this translates to academic stuff soon enough. I still need to work on sleeping and remembering to take it on a proper schedule. Taking it at different times completely messes up my eating and sleeping. Being a zombie for a few days is no fun!

Sigh, the stress from this crap is worse than the benefits I'm getting from the drug. I think I'll have to stop it and wait for a few months before considering my options. Looking at photos from right around when I started, it's obvious my hair has thinned out considerably from where it was before. Considering how slowly it was progressing over the past two years, it's hard to not draw a link to the Concerta.

This is a pretty major setback to me, especially since there isn't really any other drug I can try and not have to worry about the same issues.

When was the last time you had a complete physical?