Effexor and hair loss

[cntrymom08466]

I don't know what's going on. My hair is falling out by the handfuls. My T and P tell me that it may be stress, but for some reason, I decided to google effexor and research if anyone else had hair loss due to effexor. And I did find several that did and some ended up with bald spots and then another posted that she had a thyroid issue and they just worked more aggressively with that and it helped. I don't know that my regular dr. will do any more about my thyroid as I am already on medication for it. I am wondering about changing meds.

On another note, I found out my T and P are out of network for insurance, so need to change by first of year. As T will be going on maternity leave anyway. I'm nervous all of these changes and coming into the holidays.

 

[Snowflakes]

Just sharing my sufferers experience. She has been on 375mg of Effexor for 2 years and she is not losing her hair. As you know, side effects affect different people differently.

I’m really not being funny for my next statement, again just sharing. I am losing hair and am having heart arrhythmia that my Doctor says (after a cardiac test) is most likely due to stress.

Take care.

 

[Justmehere]

Stress can cause hair loss. It's a pretty common cause actually.

I went through a rough season, and was on Effexor. For me, it turned out to be the med. I stopped the med, stress levels increased, but my hair came back in. (Took awhile...)

I'd suggest working with a good endocrinologist and dermatologist in addition to the new psychiatrist before switching off the Effexor though, and really being sure it's not something else other than the Effexor.

 

[cntrymom08466]

another question I had..the T has been wanting me to take up exercise or meditation or something to improve my oh..shoot I can't remember the word. Reduce my stress so to speak, which would lower cortisol and increase..(whatever the word is..lol) oh such fun.lol. How long does or how much does it take to get that hormone.?

 

[anonymous]

Effexor can interfere with your absorption of vitamin b12, I ended up with pernicious anemia after taking it and I think there's a link, my hair started turning grey prematurely and my arm hairs became shorter and frazzled - looking. You'd be better looking into nutrition to see if you're deficient in vitamins and minerals in my opinion. I have not taken meds for nearly two years and upped my magnesium etc and starting to feel better most of the time. I wish i'd listened sooner to people telling me meds are bad and I needed to see if I was deficient in essential nutrients, I wish you good health.

 

[Justmehere]

Reduce my stress so to speak, which would lower cortisol and increase..(whatever the word is..lol) oh such fun.lol. How long does or how much does it take to get that hormone.?

Stress reduction is an essential part of recovery from PTSD.

Taking in deep breaths such as with 4 square breathing (How to Do Four-Square Breathing) or other stress reduction efforts can almost instantly begin to kick in the parasympathtic system to increase, which will and almost instantly begin to increase other hormones and neurotransmitters that will almost instantly counter-act stress hormones like cortisol.

If you are asking how long you would need to engage stress reduction efforts to see stress related hair loss to stop... my doc told me it could several weeks to a year. Because there could be a variety of factors playing a role, I'd consult with a doc on that one.

 

[whiteraven]

I am experiencing hair loss and thinning which started with the Effexor. I'm also on Lamictal and Gabapentin - literature on all 3 describe hair loss as possible but uncommon. I had hair loss with Abilify, too. My psychiatrist at the time said it was impossible, that there was no research that supported that (this was soon after it came out). Now, it's fairly common to see anecdotal evidence to support it. When I stopped it, my hair stopped falling out. I'm not positive about the Effexor, but the hair loss started a couple weeks after I started it and I had been on the Gabapentin for some time and hadn't started the Lamictal yet.