Impact Of Adhd Medication On Hair Loss / Thinning?

[spooon]

Hi All,

I am just starting on ADHD medication i.e. pharmaceutical stimulants similar to street speed or amphetamines.

Hair loss is a recognised side-effect in 1 out of 10 (i.e. common) users. I already have male pattern baldness and do not want to to accelerate this. Does anyone know the actual mechanism by which amphetamines induce hair loss and how this might be countered?

I have just come off a 8 week trial on Wellbutrin medication and am convinced it's adversely impacted my hair so I am clearly susceptible.

Thanks

spoon

 

[otis]

I don't no the reason you are taken those drugs but I can say Lexapro is a clean drug and I don't think you will see hair loss from it.

 

[shookwun]

no impact what so ever.

 

[Sun]

I just want to let you know that indeed stimulant medication can cause hair loss. As do many psyche drugs.

I had ZERO visible hair loss until, I tried Adderall XR at 26.5 years old. Within days, I lost 100's of hairs on my desk, computer, bed, clothes, sink, etc. It was horrible.

I freaked out. Quit, realized - unfortunately I NEEDED some med, because my ADHD was out of control.

So I went on spironolactone cream and reluctantly started taking Dexedrine (less peripheral nervous side effects than Adderall). It's just D-amphetamine vs L-amphetamine and D-amphetamine in Adderall (crap). My hair loss was frozen 3 years or so. Then I was diagnosed Bipolar II and started taking Lamictal and crazy loss started again (I'm good looking but "mentally interesting"). Meds CAN for sure cause hair loss.

As per the 18 pages of complaints on Askapatient.com and hundreds of complaints on drugs.com, and research studies you can find on both anticonvulsants and amphetamines, like vyvanse on Google scholar causing drug-induced telogen effluvium. Sure, they don't study it much, as they are low-grade side effects compared to Heart attacks and Stevens Johnson Syndrome. But they are stressful nonetheless.

Also, unlike male relatives with severe hair loss, I literally had zero pre drugs or near zero (I never noticed, and no one else did... No one else did even after losing a ton on amps - I certainly do though). Also, no recession - and totally diffuse loss on scalp, as well as sides, and some eyebrow thinning. I lose hair while on Adderall and less so on dexedrine. People have quit these and it has come back (unless they also have genetic tendency perhaps)... but if someone NEEDS it, that's hard to do. I considered quitting dexedrine and lamictal for a year at a time... but it won't help work, life, professional school for me personally.

I hate meds, but I hate disorganization, memory problems, and treatment resistant depression / negative aspects of ADHD/Bipolar II quite a lot also... And arguably those are more critical than perfect hair... But I only continued lamotrigine with Finasteride. Any time I raise the dose, I lose hundreds of long hair. If I quit shedding goes down from 100-200 a day down to 10-15. If I quit dexedrine for months, and use only S5 cream, it goes closer to zero. I may have to "ride it out" and hope it stops as my system adjusts to the Lamotrigine (which is hard for many other side effects).

Maybe it's that age, but I didn't have hair loss on Effexor, Seroquel, etc... but I was 20-21 and discontinued those (misdiagnosis back then - could have killed me).

Lots of people lose hair on Wellbutrin, Topamax, Depakote (killer hair loss and weight gain), etc, etc.
It's in the PI information sheets, despite doctors and pharmacists saying "I've never heard of that."

Even women, children lose hair on such drugs (in certain cases, not every single patient obviously).

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrati...2017&PerPage=10&drug=21515&name=WELLBUTRIN+XL

 

[g.i joey]

what do you guys classify as ADD out of control? I refuse to take ADD meds but other than getting lost in my thoughts and getting really hyper randomly throughout the day i cant say i really notice any symptoms of ADD. Also, maybe if i dont care about what someones talking about, ill unintentionally zone out. What do you guys consider SERIOUS add effects to warrant taking meds. I had to take them in hischool and 14 and hated them with a passion, never plan to again tbh,

 

[Sun]

I don't think mine is the usual case, but difficulty driving, not being able to keep an agenda or planner till I was like 24 or so.
Terrible handwriting. Capable of getting 100's, but getting 60's, 70's at times.

87 average grade 9, 60-65% average full I.B. in Grade 10, Normal school: 88% average Grade 12 (having to skip class to catch up, learn entire courses, apologize for being late). Not doing well in Science degree - late to labs, not being able to follow or "get" instructions, forgetting what I'm saying in presentations.... And other things. Mine is severe - and sometimes I think it's caused by something more severe (God willing it isn't).
Though if my other diagnosis and this are both said to be impulse control disorders, so ADHD affects 4 parts of the brain, and BP affects those 4 and 2 more, supposedly.

If I just make a new friend, and then I don't see them for a week or so, I have difficulty picking them out of a crowd. It makes for some good personality traits, humor, a lot of talking with my hands, but I also look insincere, like I'm not listening, and stuff also. For me, it was present since childhood - and now affects all major domains of life: Education, Work, Relationships. It became a big deal as an adult, I never took meds nor got diagnosed till I was 26 or so. I wish I did earlier, but I probably would not take meds until I was done growing (so not as a child - but that's just me).

 

[smyth01]

what do you guys classify as ADD out of control? I refuse to take ADD meds but other than getting lost in my thoughts and getting really hyper randomly throughout the day i cant say i really notice any symptoms of ADD. Also, maybe if i dont care about what someones talking about, ill unintentionally zone out. What do you guys consider SERIOUS add effects to warrant taking meds. I had to take them in hischool and 14 and hated them with a passion, never plan to again tbh,

That sounds more like a normal working brain. ADD/ADHD has to be the most over diagnosed condition in human history. If you find you can't hold a conversation about something you actually enjoy, then that is genuine ADD. If you can't watch read a book, watch a movie, listen to music for more than 2 mins, that is ADD.

 

[tjnpdx]

This is anecdotal, and it could be a coincidence, but my hair loss kicked off while taking adderall. And if this is coincidence then, according to what's available on Google, it's a coincidence that quite a few people have experienced. ADD medications--like all medications--change your hormones, so no one should say that there's "no impact whatsoever." It doesn't seem incredible to me that if you're prone to male pattern baldness and you have the gene that taking some drug could, essentially, 'flip' this gene on and alter its expression, even if it's just earlier than would have otherwise occurred.

 

[g.i joey]

That sounds more like a normal working brain. ADD/ADHD has to be the most over diagnosed condition in human history. If you find you can't hold a conversation about something you actually enjoy, then that is genuine ADD. If you can't watch read a book, watch a movie, listen to music for more than 2 mins, that is ADD.

I was actually diagnosed with it though, I honestly think it's the biggest bullshit disorder I've ever heard of. "Oh a kid is hyper in school? He nust have ADD let's shove amphetamines down his throat" that is literally the approach they took with me. Now the new disorder they're diagnosing kids with is "bipolar disorder" just f*****g lol.

To anyone here who is concerned, my brother takes finasteride and adderall and seems to be doing fine hair wise.

 

[Sun]

I agree they're both overdiagnosed in some segments, but also underdiagnosed in other segments.
In a school with 70 kids per class room, it's unlikely that 10 of them have ADHD. And as far as more severe disorders like Bipolar and Schizophrenia, I doubt a 6 or 10 year old actually has them. None of this is to say, they actually don't in some way exist. I'm against A LOT of psychiatry, but ADHD meds did help me, and they help many others with or without the condition. Still, I've seen a lot of people that are diagnosed with it, and if they don't "need" meds at all and didn't suffer all that much, then it's probably not a big deal. It's a spectrum.

And keep in mind the DSM is filled with all kinds of bullshit, and the drug companies of course want to maximize profit. That doesn't mean it's bs in every case. If you don't need the meds or they provide little benefit, or you just want to get ahead... then probably you shouldn't take them.

 

[spooon]

Thanks everyone for replying. However, nobody has so far commented on why ADHD medications (basically 'speed') cause the hair loss and more importantly what if anything can be done to counter this side-effect. e.g. is it the medication itself or something else in the tablet?

I certainly benefit from concerta and adderall but would much rather have hair.

 

[spooon]

sorry but bumping this before it gets lost forever

 

[Sun]

Vasoconstriction?
Cortisol levels - stress increases. Something like that, causes telogen effluvium maybe.
It happens to many... I'm sure far more than 1/100 or 1/1000 like manufacturers claim.

Dexedrine XR and Dexedrine IR caused far less shedding for me than Adderall and vyvanse. I never tried Concerta but it is long lasting methylphenidate, maybe IR meds only as needed are better. Lots of people on bluelight, ADDforums, etc mention this side effect. I maintained nearly the same hair on spironolactone cream while using dex for days at a time, on S5 cream spironolactone cream. Unfortunately losing again on an anticonvulsant Lamictal. (I don't think available in the States anymore, but zenzedi -a generic of D-amp is).

 

[spooon]

Thanks Sun. If it was simple vasoconstriction i would have thought minoxidil would counter it and i already take that.

I haven't actually been on any ADHD med long enough to know the effect but since 8 weeks of Wellbutrin thinned my hair i want to wait till i reach baseline again before starting concerta etc. otherwise i just want know what's causing what.

Have you grown hair back after losing it due to these meds? How long did it take?

Useful to know Dexedrine was better for you than the others. By the way how does Dexedrine compare to Adderall and Vyvanse as an ADHD med?

 

[Sun]

Adderall is more forceful as in "whatever I'm working on, I'm going to finish it in the next 2 hours!" Whereas Dexedrine, due to it's more dopaminergic affects (and lacking norepinephrine effects in comparison to mixed amphetamine (racemic L and D- amphetamine salts - Adderall), is more I have to direct what I'm going to do with this - prioritize. I prefer Dexedrine... But, I am somewhat of a writer. In high school and university, while I would do well without any meds in English, I'd be horribly late and long winded. On dexedrine, I can still take forever to finish an assignment, but it would get done in a day or week (rather than sometimes too little too late). Whereas my first days on Adderall, I'd finish assignments the same day I started them (which usually was last minute any other time in the last 15 years). A lot of seasoned drug users prefer dexedrine, it's more chill. I don't condone drug use, but railing Adderall is more similar to cocaine. Although people do get high off railing dexedrine as well. I prefer dexedrine (taking it as directed, not abusing it), but I need to be motivated and prioritize my efforts - especially when I first started using it.

Adderall, I only used sparringly. I literally threw my supply away after seeing crazy hair loss. Vyvanse made me feel very strange and not well at all, and continued hair loss. Dexedrine at least "feels cleaner". I think the average ADHDer doesn't need to be so precise, although it is often a case of "trial and error". It must be better for me, because it was the first med I reluctantly agreed to commit to in like 6 years. From 21 to 27 ish, I swore off meds after horrendous experiences (near death, severe mania, financial ruin etc -- probably bipolar episodes were caused --- not from ADHD meds though).

If hair loss isn't a concern, and you're literally 100-200 hours behind on courses or work... Adderall may be more beneficial. As a long-term med, dexedrine seems safer (less harsh on your nervous system and heart). Both can be abused. Dexedrine has a major stigma in the States, and in Canada and the States I think, there are really "no refills". You have to see the Doctor again and again, or they fax it to the pharmacy. Really outside of recreational drug use (Not good if you NEED it for ADHD), ADHD, and narcolepsy, they have no use. Keep in mind pure methamphetamine was an ADHD med back in the day, before my time - Desoxyn.

Really it is YMMV. I'm sensitive to meds, yet I have high tolerances for say alcohol and stimulants. Not so much for say marijuana. I know this older guy, around 70 years old. He's a former music executive and owns dry cleaner businesses now, he takes vyvanse everyday. So I look at him and my doctor (psychiatrist) who takes ritalin I think, and I figure there way older than me... and they tolerate it, so I should be fine. Then again, I see people on 10 different meds, like Lamictal and they claim "no side effects" and are older than me, with more ailments... I try anything - I get crazy side effects, so again it's really YMMV. In general, Dexedrine and Ritalin are the clean stimulant choices. Much better than caffeine, ephedrine, Adderall, etc. Vyvanse is a prodrug, and is broken down to create dexedrine by cleaving lysine or something. I forget my science right now...

TL;DR:
-Adderall = more side effects. BUT your most hated and useless class - you can write that paper tonight.
-Dexedrine = you will still need to work harder than a lot of people do, but you can be motivated (although less intensely, or less "forcefully" than Adderall, but you can use this extra focus and motivation to implement the structure and practice you need to stay on top of work).
-If I had no side effects and didn't worry about stress and damage of drugs, I'd take both. It doesn't work that way though.
-Always try getting BRAND NAME meds for neurology/ psychiatric conditions (like ADHD).

 

[spooon]

Thanks Sun for recounting your experiences. I tried my 3rd dose (18 mg) of concerta today which is extended release ritalin. It gave me an urge to get things done though at times this urge was so great it tended to spill over into an unproductive excitement. While interacting with people I had a calm confidence, words flowed easier but at times spilled over into an aggression that wasn't 'me'. On the whole it helped A LOT.

After struggling with ADHD undiagnosed for decades (i am 38) i know this is just what i needed but am gutted about the potential for hairloss which will bother me more than the ADHD as silly as that sounds. Has any of your hair loss due to meds actually reversed or is it just a question of slowing down the inevitable as you switched from one med to the other? Am so gutted about this side effect.

I might ask my doctor to try me on dexedrine and then weigh everything up. The social anxiety benefit that many encounter on ADHD meds is an important factor for me. Already on concerta i find that it zaps my tendency to filter everything i say/do. Have you found one med to be better than the others for this?

Feel free to pm if you prefer.

 

[Sun]

I responded to you in private, Spooon. But I got off on tangent (sorry about that) and am verbose. Off my meds... lol.

Anyways: I didn't really "reverse" the hair loss, as I don't think I had hair loss until I went on ADHD meds. So I used spironolactone cream and it didn't worsen. I wanted to not use anything after Adderall - but I switched to Dexedrine. It was not worsening for nearly 3 years. And now it is again, on Lamictal. I kept quitting lamictal for this and other reasons - AND then started another version of it (alongside intermittent ADHD medication), at the same time beginning finasteride. That was January 16 and Jan 17 I started finasteride. So it's too early to tell. My hair looked only bad when wet, and was probably telogen effluvium with the Adderall. Most would say "no hair loss." But, if wet, and also: showing how parts expanded... its clear to me, and others that know my otherwise thick hair - that there was loss. And now, thanks to Lamictal, there's no denying it.
I believe it will get better... I'm off the Lamictal now. And I probably will cont to use Dexedrine. I shed hundreds of hair on my laptop, in the washroom, on my desk, on my work when I was on Adderall every day. I gave it some time and started dexedrine while applying the S5 cream. I stepped that up to Finasteride and Minoxidil. Maybe I should have began Finasteride back then. I'm going to try and get a scalp biopsy.

I'm not trying to scare you off meds, if you really need them... as I do for ADHD and probably for Bipolar II... but I also need my hair. So instead, I may use Medical Cannabis Oil (legally) in lieu of a mood stabilizer (an experiment). And I'm hoping finasteride and minoxidil bring regrowth, that should happen anyways when Lamictal is gone for 6 -12 months. On the other hand I didn't regrow everything post Adderall. And my hair after my first T.E. incident or A.A. inciting incident (Adderall), did not grow back and did become straighter and choppier in some way. It was wavy... now it's more straight and finer. I had lines in my sides recently on Lamictal. Honestly my hair was 90% pre Adderall, 70 or 60 after... staying 50-60 for 2.5-3 years, and now 40% or worse, after a brief stint (less than 3 consecutive months) on Lamictal. I can drop one med. But dropping both, I don't know. I'm hoping regardless of the type of hair loss, Finasteride and minoxidil help regrow it. Drugs impact hair for sure it seems. Not everyone notices, some were losing hair anyways. But my hair distinctly seemed like it would never fall out... And only did on drugs (prescription nonetheless). Also the texture and type of hair actually changed.

 

[furrydome]

Sorry for late response, but was searching "adderall" and wanted to chime in.

I've been taking low doses of Adderall daily for several years with no obvious effect on hair. In that time, I've had 2 sheds clearly caused by antidepressants, and then a very slow regrowth after starting microneedling.

Hope this info is useful to someone

 

[Hairmess]

Hi All,

I am just starting on ADHD medication i.e. pharmaceutical stimulants similar to street speed or amphetamines.

Hair loss is a recognised side-effect in 1 out of 10 (i.e. common) users. I already have male pattern baldness and do not want to to accelerate this. Does anyone know the actual mechanism by which amphetamines induce hair loss and how this might be countered?

I have just come off a 8 week trial on Wellbutrin medication and am convinced it's adversely impacted my hair so I am clearly susceptible.

Thanks

spoon

I took adderall for almost 8 years. Hair has drastically thinned through those years. Just started doing research and realized that adderall can cause hair loss (webMD, American hair loss association,etc) my derm even said that it "may" cause hair loss. I mean it's amphetamine and Can we really trust big Pharma. I have since quit for my health and hopefully hair! Other then early onset of female pattern I have no clue what else it could be. According to my doctor I'm healthy. I'd rather have to struggle with my ADHD. I'm over taking prescription medication.