ruby Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) ________________________________________________________________________ A success story from a member who suffered from hair loss: cocopuffz ________________________________________________________________________ Does anyone have dry, brittle hair from med withdrawal? My hair has been so brittle since I quit antidepressants. I think it's connected to my limited diet and compromised gut. I've been able to take vitamin C supplements the past few weeks. Hopefully this will help. I always wear my hair up because it looks dreadful and I don't have the energy to style it. Maybe I should cut it all off. I'm curious if anyone else has the same problem. And what to do about this? Edited July 22, 2020 by ChessieCat added link to success story 1993-2003 Prozac 20mg2003-2010 Zoloft 10mg2010-2012 Zoloft 10mg to 1mg (taper)July 2012 - Drug free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 12, 2014 Administrator Share Posted January 12, 2014 I found whey protein isolate made my hair and nails very strong. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnfoldingSky Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Yes. I had this. It turned out I had a slight iron deficiency (I was in the normal range though near the bottom end) that was causing it.Vitamin C I have read is needed to take up iron so if you were not getting enough that might explain it. If it doesn't improve with vit. C or via some other means you might get your iron level checked--and ask where you are in the range and if it's a good idea to supplement (supplementing with iron on your own is not advisable.) If you also happen to be really tired then there could be a chance there's an iron issue. Also if you are vegetarian. I am not a medical professional and nothing I say is a medical opinion or meant to be medical advice, please seek a competent and trusted medical professional to consult for all medical decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnfoldingSky Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I found whey protein isolate made my hair and nails very strong. How does whey affect hair? I'd like to try it if it helps, I could still use a bit more strengthening. I am not a medical professional and nothing I say is a medical opinion or meant to be medical advice, please seek a competent and trusted medical professional to consult for all medical decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 12, 2014 Administrator Share Posted January 12, 2014 It's full of protein and amino acids. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruby Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 I tried whey protein years ago and it gave me ibs symptoms so I stopped. I'll look into the iron deficiency. I'm probably deficient in many vitamins and minerals because it's difficult to eat normally and take supplements during hell withdrawal. I've been eating oranges, nectarines and pears over the past few days. They taste delicious, but my gut has a hard time digesting them (gas, growling noises, discomfort). A lot of my hair also fell out, but it's growing back. Atleast I have hair! I have a lot more gray hair now then before I stopped the meds. The unbelievable stress probably caused this. Thanks for the advice. 1993-2003 Prozac 20mg2003-2010 Zoloft 10mg2010-2012 Zoloft 10mg to 1mg (taper)July 2012 - Drug free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 13, 2014 Administrator Share Posted January 13, 2014 Sounds like your gut needs some tender loving care. How about taking probiotics? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruby Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 I make my own SCD yogurt, very rich in probiotics. I can digest it well, but it doesn't seem to improve the digestion of other foods. The SCD diet has helped me the most. Sticking to it is really difficult, though. 1993-2003 Prozac 20mg2003-2010 Zoloft 10mg2010-2012 Zoloft 10mg to 1mg (taper)July 2012 - Drug free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cberg Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Hello everyone, Hope you are all having a good as can be expected holiday weekend. Have any of you had hair loss as you were tapering? I'm a woman, and my hair shedding has been horrible since I have been tapering. Also, for any of you who may have succeeded in your tapering, do you know if it gets better once a person is off completely? Does it all come back? This is so distressing, I just can't begin to tell you how upsetting it is. Thank you for your help. Cberg Cberg 15 years of panic disorder back in the 1970's. Under pretty good control now. Started Paxil two years ago for nightmares and depression after many eye and back surgeries Started slow taper two years ago Started at 15 mg. now down to 2.35 mg. Symptoms during w/d included severe nausea in the morning, headaches, pulsating/throbbing in back of head lightheadedness, depersonalization, lack of ambition or motivation to do anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Addax Posted September 3, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 3, 2014 Hi Cberg. I don't know if tapering directly causes hair loss, but I'm guessing that the physical and emotional stress of withdrawal could be causing your hair loss if it's more than you typically experience. Stressful events and hormonal changes cause hair loss, even weeks later. It is also listed as a side effect of many antidepressants. Look up Telogen Effluvium, see if it sounds familiar. Currently I'm experiencing some more than normal hair shedding, but I recently experienced some new stressors, including tapering. This has happened to me before, so I'm not nearly as distraught as the first time it happened. Believe me, the first time I noticed it I was freaking out. It stopped, and my hair went back to normal when it happened. But there are of course many other causes of hair loss, including but not limited to iron deficiency, hypothyroidism, vitamin D deficiency... Of course, see your doctor if it's really worrying you. I really do know how distressing it can be. I went to my doctor the first time I noticed it happening because I was so panicked. After tests showed no deficiencies or abnormal results we determined it was stress related... Of course if that's the case, the stressing over it probably made it worse. 1988-2012: Prozac @ 60mg (with a few stops and starts) Fall 2012: Returned to 40mg after discontinuing and horrid withdrawal Fall 2013: 40mg Fluoxetine, added 150mg Wellbutrin to treat fatigue Winter 2014: Attempting to taper both (too fast) April 2014: 9mg Fluoxetine + 37.5 Wellbutrin Summer 2014: 8 mg Fluoxetine + 0 Wellbutrin (way too fast a drop) Late summer/Early Fall 2014: Debilitating Withdrawal symptoms Fall 2014 - Wellbutrin successfully kicked to the curb but… Oct- Dec 2014: Panicked reinstatement of Fluoxetine ->30mg - held for 5yrs Jan 2021: taper to 20mg Fluoxetine then tapering by 1mg every 2-3 months Fall 2022 - held at 10mg->December 2022: 9mg->Feb 2023: 8mg ->March 2023: brassmonkey slide begins: 7.8mg -> 7.6 -> 7.4->2 week hold (April)->7.2->7mg->6.8->2 week hold->6.6-> 1-month hold ->(June)-6.5->4-week hold-> (July)-6.4 (discontinued brassmonkey slide and slowed taper)-> (Aug)-6.2->(Sept)-6.0->(Oct)-5.9->(Nov)-5.8->(Dec)-5.7->wave!->(Jan)-5.8->(Feb)-6mg and holding. My 2014 withdrawal experience: https://rxisk.org/antidepressant-withdrawal-a-prozac-story/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenrir Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Lost permanently some of my hair when I CTed paroxetine in 2011 end of 2010, prescribed paxil 20mg 1 year off cold turkey september 2011- september 2012 (nightmare) escitalopram for 4 months (didn't help). RI september 2012 20mg october 2013 crash reaching 10mg 10/31/2013 updose to 14mg 1/3/2014-13mg 2/23/2014-12mg 4/6/2014-11mg august 2014-10mg November-December 2014 Big mistake, skipping doses BIG Crash January 2015- 12 mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapunzel2 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 after ending zoloft too fast in 2012, and ending up in worst protracted withdrawal possible 4-5 months later, I had massive shedding of hair. it continued for at least a year. it started to lessen when I started my vitamin-mineral program and gluten-free-casein-free diet. in 2002- 0,5 tablet cipramil for half a year, ended it uneventfully. in 2006 - citalopram for half a year, ended in horrific state, ditched the drugs CT. 2007-2008 not feeling well but drug free. in 2008 prozac 20mg + quetiapine 25mg. 2009 tried to stop, ended up in hole after couple of months, started zoloft. 2009-2011 zoloft 50mg. went to 25mg in 2011 summer, it resulted in half a year horrible suffering. reinstated, changed drugs, nothing happened. by 2012 beginning suddenly felt great and CT meds. after 4 months came suddenly most horrible human suffering that's possible. was started on prozac and questiapine. started tapering slowly, GFCF diet and Hardy Nutritionals vitamins in 2013 summer. current medications: 1) fluoxetine and quetiapine since Aug 2012; 2) Daily Essential Nutrients by Hardy Nutritionals 7 capsules / since May 2013 + omega3; 3) Gluten-free-casein-free diet since june 2013 Started withdrawing slowly since april 2013. Mostly around 10% cuts. April'13 - March'14: fluoxetine 40mg -> 19,5mg; quetiapine 50mg -> 40mg April'14-March'15: fluoxetine 19,5mg -> 14,4mg; quetiapine 40mg -> 22mg April'15-March'16: fluoxetine 14,4mg -> 7,4mg; quetiapine 22mg -> 15mg April'16-March'17: fluoxetine 7,4mg -> 5,0mg; quetiapine 15mg -> 7,25mg April'17-March'18: fluoxetine 5,0mg -> 4,0mg; quetiapine 7,25mg -> 0 (as of 1st Feb 2018)!!!! April´18-March´19: fluoxetine 4,0mg - > 2,3mg. Jumped off fluoxetine 1,4mg due to pregnancy in July 2019. Oct 2019 severe withdrawal syndrome started. Took mistakenly a complex for hormonal support that included pregnenolone dec2019-april2020. Stopped it april 2020 and immediately severe akathisia started. Have had life threatening akathisia since, 100% disabled, suicidal, very hard to hold on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted September 4, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 4, 2014 Hair loss was part of early withdrawal for me too. Its stopped now and my hair is starting to get slightly thicker again. Withdrawal has effected my hair in another strange way, it used to be straight/wavy, now its curly. When I was born, I had curly hair, but as I grew it became straighter, withdrawal seems to have sent it back to its original state. 1 I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cberg Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Thank you all. Can someone please tell me CT'd means? I see it over and over and don't know what it means. Cberg Cberg 15 years of panic disorder back in the 1970's. Under pretty good control now. Started Paxil two years ago for nightmares and depression after many eye and back surgeries Started slow taper two years ago Started at 15 mg. now down to 2.35 mg. Symptoms during w/d included severe nausea in the morning, headaches, pulsating/throbbing in back of head lightheadedness, depersonalization, lack of ambition or motivation to do anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Thank you all. Can someone please tell me CT'd means? I see it over and over and don't know what it means. Cberg cold turkey = abruptly stopping a drug 2012 put on Citalopram and diazepam for 3 months for "depression" after filling in a 3 minute form at the doctors, had a massive reaction with panic attacks and extreme anxiety,never suffered panic attacks or anxiety before citalopram.Told to quit cold turkey which led to two hospital admissions during 2012/2013 December for 6 months Seroquel dosage adjusted up and down 50mg ,150mg ,100mg, caused severe tinnitus ,told to quit cold turkey 2013 January for 12 months Lorazapam given to me like sweets,told to quit cold turkey 2013 May Zoloft for 6 months ,told to quit cold turkey, reinstated 50mg tapered 2nd time over a month (to fast but I survived)messed up my sleep Zyprexa April 2103 5mg until august 2014 ,dropped by doctor down to 2.5mg for one month went well but sleep was very poor for 3 weeks End of 2015 I had to reinstate back up to 5mg due to constant insomnia that wouldnt go away Started a slow taper and found an understanding doctor who listened to me while I reducedMay 2016 drug free, sleeping and doing well in life again, it can be done http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/12078-finally-off-zyprexa/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnfoldingSky Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 I have always been prone to hair loss, but in withdrawal it got way worse. And my hair texture changed. Over time through diet and some herbs I've been able to partly restore the look of my hair, and the hair loss slowed down a bit. Part of the issue as it turned out also was due to low iron, so if you haven't checked this out and it's a possibility for you do look into it. If you also happen to have fatigue and shortness of breath it would definitely be something to look into, as those are also symptoms of low iron. I am not a medical professional and nothing I say is a medical opinion or meant to be medical advice, please seek a competent and trusted medical professional to consult for all medical decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnfoldingSky Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Oops, didn't catch that Addax had already said low iron was a cause. I am not a medical professional and nothing I say is a medical opinion or meant to be medical advice, please seek a competent and trusted medical professional to consult for all medical decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus WiggleIt Posted May 22, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 22, 2015 Has anybody recovered from this and had their hair grow back as thick as it was before meds? *I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience **Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014 -All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness. It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage. All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors -Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine -Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey) -Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011 -Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less) -Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week -Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs -First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened -Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD. Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed. NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it. -Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned -Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia -Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat -Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged -7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted May 22, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 22, 2015 I have Wigglelt. I took Epilim for 18 months (around 2008/09) - I got fat and my hair fell out , but it did nothing for the symptoms of neuro-toxicity I had from Lexapro (lol). My hair grew back after I stopped it , and I haven't had that problem again since. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sky68 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 hi Wigglelt, When did you first notice this, on which meds were you at the time? Typically, I noticed the same side effect when I was on nortriptylene. Not before when I was on the other meds. My hairline was receding, but overall not getting thinner. Loss of hair is not recorded as a possible side effect in the leaflet coming with nortrilen. But I am now for sure it is a side effect! Just goes to show that the pharmaceutical industry is fooling us (my opinion). I've only recently stopped nortrilen so I cannot tell you if the hair growth will come back. x Diagnosis: GAD (2008), clinical depression (2012), again clinical depression (2016) and ptsd (2016) History of: paroxetine, lexapro, sertraline, bupropion, zyprexa, seroquel, nortrilen, oxazepam, lorazepam, diazepam, nortriptyline. Successfully came off nortriptyline after a full year of tapering from 100 mg. Quit in May 2015. February 2016 started mirtazapine, followed by levothyroxine in April 2016 (diagnosis hypothyroidism) Current meds/supplements: mirtazapine 15 mg, levothyroxine 50 µg, diazepam 1mg (tapering off) and melatonin 5 mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 When I was on Mirtazipine I had a lot of hair loss. The drain would get full when I washed my hair. All this stopped when I got off that particular AD. Prozac 1999-2009 quit semi cold turkey. 2012 Placed on Seroquel 25 mg, Tranxene (Clorezepate) 3.75 mg 3x a day, Remeron 30 mg for anxiety/akathesia. Weaned off Seroquel and Tranxene .to Remeron 15 Mg. In May 2014 tried quitting Remeron at its lowest dose. Had severe withdrawals.Reinstated Remeron at 30 mg by doctor. August 5 2014 entered hospital. Doctor pulled the Remeron and bridged it to Pamelor (Nortriptyline) 40mg and Zyprexa 2.5mg.After removing the Remeron all my bad symptoms went away and I am stable. 9/11/14 - 7.5 mg tranxene, 40mg Pamelor, Zyprexa 2.5mg 12/29/14 - 20mg Pamelor, 1/6/15, 7/31/15 3.5mg, 8/10/15 3.2 mg, 9/15/15 2.2mg, 10/15/15 1.8mg (Feb 2016 - 1.4mg Pamelor only - OFF OF TRANXENE AND ZYPREXA SINCE DEC 2014 BENZO FREE Since 2014. Nortrityline (Pamelor) .8mg Aug 2016 March 2017 DRUG FREE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus WiggleIt Posted May 24, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 24, 2015 hi Wigglelt, When did you first notice this, on which meds were you at the time? Typically, I noticed the same side effect when I was on nortriptylene. Not before when I was on the other meds. My hairline was receding, but overall not getting thinner. Loss of hair is not recorded as a possible side effect in the leaflet coming with nortrilen. But I am now for sure it is a side effect! Just goes to show that the pharmaceutical industry is fooling us (my opinion). I've only recently stopped nortrilen so I cannot tell you if the hair growth will come back. x Sky, I was on nortriptyline, then desipramine, and also on lorazepam. I did not have hair loss on the meds, but the hair loss has started now that I am seven months off meds. *I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience **Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014 -All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness. It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage. All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors -Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine -Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey) -Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011 -Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less) -Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week -Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs -First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened -Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD. Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed. NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it. -Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned -Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia -Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat -Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged -7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mort81 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 If I had hair to lose Im sure I would have lost it already. But thankfully my hair line changed at 30 lol. Im glad bald really suits me . Was on 30mg (Lexapro) for 7-8yrs20mg for 3 months (This was my choice my Doc wanted me to drop much faster)15 mg 2week10mg 2 weeks 5 mg 1 week0 since August 24th . PPI Dexlant 30 mg taper has begun. Cutting 20% currently. using zantac as needed. Benzo is currently 0.10mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sky68 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 hi Wigglelt, sorry to hear your story. Hope the hair loss is a temporary issue and that all will recover at some point. In your sig I read you have vision problems, I have those too. It started like a year or so ago when I was still on nortrilen. But now, after quitting a few weeks ago this problem seems to aggravate. The meds mess you up in all kinds of ways.. x Diagnosis: GAD (2008), clinical depression (2012), again clinical depression (2016) and ptsd (2016) History of: paroxetine, lexapro, sertraline, bupropion, zyprexa, seroquel, nortrilen, oxazepam, lorazepam, diazepam, nortriptyline. Successfully came off nortriptyline after a full year of tapering from 100 mg. Quit in May 2015. February 2016 started mirtazapine, followed by levothyroxine in April 2016 (diagnosis hypothyroidism) Current meds/supplements: mirtazapine 15 mg, levothyroxine 50 µg, diazepam 1mg (tapering off) and melatonin 5 mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLB Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 I have had male thinning hair before meds 11 years ago but now that I'm off it is most definately more hair and quicker growing. Paxil start September 2003 due to Fluoroquinolone adverse reaction that I wish doc. knew what it was. 10mg. most of the time with a few short runs of 20mg. FAST tapered 3 times and finally hit poop out or a reaction to nsaid's in Nov.2013. Started a 10% taper Jan. 2014 and have been ok until Sept 14 and went through a short hell. Now plodding through and looking for the light with unrelenting insomnia and pain, fog, loss of interests....<p>12/20/14 - .8mg. 1/01/15 - .75 mg. 1/15/15 - .42 mg. better sleep now, hope it continues... 2/11-15 - .25 mg. doing really good!! 2 weeks feel 85% of old me! 3/17/15 .14 mg. Knee pain bad! 4/07/15 .05 mg. this is so small now that I am estimating and just licking it off palm small as a "." 4/13/15 NOTHING !!!! Took my last little micro dose on 4/12/15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebalu86 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 My hair started falling out on Cipralex - that's the reason I wanted to quit. Now that I CT'ed and reinstated I can't really tell what's going on because I cut it very short. I suffer from depression, anxiety, pure-o ocd, and panic attacks since 2004. Been on multiple different psychiatric drugs since 2006. Never had a significant WD problem before, only brain zaps for a month and then I'd be fine...............Been on Cipralex (escitalopram) 15 mg and Fluanxol (flupentixol) 1 mg since Sep 2014. Stopped taking the Cipralex after a fast 20-day taper.Took the last 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 5th, 2015. Then took Seroxat (paroxetine) 10 mg for a week, and stopped it too. Severe WD started suddenly on Feb 16th. RI 5 mg Cipralex on Feb 18th, 2015. RI worked and was relatively stable for a while................April 7 - decreased Fluanxol from 1 mg to 0.5 mg and took it at this dose for a week. - BIG MISTAKE; April 13 - WD starts creeping in; April 14 - RI full dose of Fluanxol 1 mg => severe muscle twitching and jerking when trying to relax and fall asleep, overwhelming sense of doom, dread, terror, and horror, insomnia, hoping to stabilize.Tried doing a 10% cut off Fluanxol in the end of May for a few days, but quickly updosed to full dose because the twitching returned.Experiencing waves and windows in the following months.Unsuccessful brief taper attempt of Fluanxol by 5% on November 1st. Symptoms hit the next day. Too scared to continue tapering, reinstate full dose.Severe crash in November after stupidly trying a barbiturate on November 9th. Grave mistake. Sense of unshakable inescapable internal torture, like my soul is in hell being tortured, terror/horror/dread/doom (probably akathisia?) that gets especially bad when trying to relax and fall asleep, muscles twitch, jerk and move on their own, shaking, insomnia, can't eat, confusion, disorientation, brain not working normally. Never felt so bad in my entire life. Never experiment with other meds while in WD! Praying to God I stabilize and get back to my baseline.December - things getting even worse. January - unbearable suffering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MostlyWater Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 The hairloss caused by withdrawal is due to stress in my opinion. It happened to me. My hair started falling out months after I stopped using Paxil and I was 21 so I know it's not due to age. It's been about 22 months and unfortunately my hair is still thin but its not as bad as I thought it would be. I've gotten used to it also, so I don't really think about it anymore.. Just something I have to accept. It might thicken out a little bit but I have no hope that my hair will recover to how it was before meds. Maybe yours will. The rate of hair loss I think has also declined over the months due to me just recovering from all the stress. Good luck. Sry I dont have a more optimistic thing to say Paxil from 2005 to July 2013. 30mg. Very short taper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reachingforthestars Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I have had hair loss as a side effect from citalopram but now after too fast tapering from 12.5mg to 4mg the hairloss has become way worse. Is it typical that during tapering the side effects become more intense? Citalopram 40mg from 2003-2015 Jan 2015 started tapering first dropped to 35mg, Feb 30mg, March 25mg, April 20mg, May 17,5mg, June 15mg, July 12,5mg, Aug 12,5mg, Sep 0mg for 5 days because of stomac flu and after I raised to 7,5mg. All the symptoms of acute WD shaking, diarrhea, vomiting, barely could walk ect. Still didn't realize that it wasn't only stomac flu but I was also going through WD. Oct 2,5mg and crashed again badly and quickly raised to 4mg. It was then when I knew my symptoms were due to WD. Then in November after a month holding on 4mg raised to 5mg due to muscle weakness and had a VERY BAD reaction to reinstatement: akathisia(lasted for one or two weeks), insomnia, anhedonia... Drop quicly back to 4mg, Dec 3mg Jan 2016 2,6mg( in the middle of Jan after I had been on 2,6mg for a week I tried to updose to 2,8mg and immediately had bad reaction to it: akathisia for a day, andehonia got worse. The next day dropped back to 2,6mg), Feb 2,4mg( a new symptom PGAD lasted 24/7 for 2 months after that on and off), March 2,4mg, April 2,3mg, May 2,2mg, June 2,1mg, July 2,0mg( Pgad almost nonexisting, sleeping pretty good, still some anhedonia but there has been a lot of gradual progress), Aug 1,97mg-1,89mg, Sep 1,88mg-1,49mg, Oct 1,48mg- 1,70mg, Nov 0,65mg- current dose 0,5mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus WiggleIt Posted November 22, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 22, 2015 I have had hair loss as a side effect from citalopram but now after too fast tapering from 12.5mg to 4mg the hairloss has become way worse. Is it typical that during tapering the side effects become more intense? I have no idea. My stupid doctors told me to CT, so I don't know what taper life is like. All I know is that between May - November 2015, HALF, yes HALF of my hair has fallen out and the right side of my hairline has receded by an inch, which is an oh-so-attractive look for a 36 year old female. The shedding keeps going severely every day. At this rate, I'll be needing wigs in another six months. *I'm not a doctor and don't give medical advice, just personal experience **Off all meds since Nov. 2014. Mentally & emotionally recovered; physically not-Dual cold turkeys off TCA & Ativan in Oct 2014. Prescribed from 2011-2014 -All meds were Rxed off-label for an autoimmune illness. It was a MISDIAGNOSIS, but I did not find out until AFTER meds caused damage. All med tapers/cold turkeys directed by doctors -Nortriptyline May 2012 - Dec 2013. Cold turkey off nortrip & cold switched to desipramine -Desipramine Jan 2014 - Oct. 29, 2014 (rapid taper/cold turkey) -Lorazepam 1 mg per night during 2011 -Lorazepam 1 mg per month in 2012 (or less) -Lorazepam on & off, Dec 2013 through Aug 2014. Didn't exceed 3x a week -Lorazepam again in Oct. 2014 to help get off of desipramine. Last dose lzpam was 1 mg, Nov. 2, 2014. Immediate paradoxical reactions to benzos after stopping TCAs -First muscle/dystonia side effects started on nortriptyline, but docs too stupid to figure it out. On desipramine, muscle tremors & rigidity worsened -Two weeks after I got off all meds, I developed full-blown TD. Tardive dystonia, dyskinesia, myoclonic jerks ALL over body, ribcage wiggles, facial tics, twitching tongue & fingers, tremors/twitches of arms, legs, cognitive impairment, throat muscles semi-paralyzed & unable to swallow solid food, brain zaps, ears ring, dizzy, everything looks too far away, insomnia, numbness & electric shocks everywhere when I try to fall asleep, jerk awake from sleep with big, gasping breaths, wake with terrors & tremors, severely depressed. NO HISTORY OF DEPRESSION, EVER. Meds CREATED it. -Month 7: hair falling out; no vision improvement; still tardive dystonia; facial & tongue tics returned -Month 8: back to acute, incl. Grand Mal seizure-like episodes. New mental torment, PGAD, worse insomnia -Month 9: tardive dystonia worse, dyskinesia returned. Unable to breathe well due to dystonia in stomach, chest, throat -Month 13: Back to acute, brain zaps back, developed eczema & stomach problems. Left leg no longer works right due to dystonia, meaning both legs now damaged -7 years off: Huge improvements, incl. improved dystonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I am experiencing severe hair loss too. I've gone through a couple of periods with major hair shedding, but it always seems to stop after a couple of months. This time it's not stopping. My hair has never ever been this thin. I've been having some thyroid issues, but since it's only my TSH that fluctuates and my T4 is always in the optimal range so it's considered subclinical hypothyroidism and my doctors won't treat it. I'm scared to take the meds anyway since WD has made me so sensitive to drugs/supplements. As if I weren't stressed enough, this has made me so depressed. a.k.a JMarie Paxil since Mar.1998 2006-2007:40-20mg 2009: 20mg to 14mg 2010: 14mg to 10.5mg 2011: 10.5 to 7.6mg 2012: 7.5 to 6.8mg 2013: 6.7-6.3mg 2014: 6.2mg-5.8mg 2015: 5.7 to 5.15mg 2016: 5.1-4.6mg 1/19/17: 4.5mg 3/17/17: 4.4mg 6/15/17: 4.35mg 8/10/17: 4.3mg 1/29/18: 4.1mg 5/07/18: 4.0mg 7/31/18: 3.9mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reachingforthestars Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Maybe hair loss is due to hormonal imbalance? Increased testosterone or just reduced estrogen levels? Somewhere Alto said that during withdrawal thyroid hormones and other hormones can go somewhat out of balance. Citalopram 40mg from 2003-2015 Jan 2015 started tapering first dropped to 35mg, Feb 30mg, March 25mg, April 20mg, May 17,5mg, June 15mg, July 12,5mg, Aug 12,5mg, Sep 0mg for 5 days because of stomac flu and after I raised to 7,5mg. All the symptoms of acute WD shaking, diarrhea, vomiting, barely could walk ect. Still didn't realize that it wasn't only stomac flu but I was also going through WD. Oct 2,5mg and crashed again badly and quickly raised to 4mg. It was then when I knew my symptoms were due to WD. Then in November after a month holding on 4mg raised to 5mg due to muscle weakness and had a VERY BAD reaction to reinstatement: akathisia(lasted for one or two weeks), insomnia, anhedonia... Drop quicly back to 4mg, Dec 3mg Jan 2016 2,6mg( in the middle of Jan after I had been on 2,6mg for a week I tried to updose to 2,8mg and immediately had bad reaction to it: akathisia for a day, andehonia got worse. The next day dropped back to 2,6mg), Feb 2,4mg( a new symptom PGAD lasted 24/7 for 2 months after that on and off), March 2,4mg, April 2,3mg, May 2,2mg, June 2,1mg, July 2,0mg( Pgad almost nonexisting, sleeping pretty good, still some anhedonia but there has been a lot of gradual progress), Aug 1,97mg-1,89mg, Sep 1,88mg-1,49mg, Oct 1,48mg- 1,70mg, Nov 0,65mg- current dose 0,5mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I had my estrogens, LH, FSH, and testosterone tested and they were all in the normal range. My iron was just out of range but still the best it's been in years including times where my hair was not falling out. a.k.a JMarie Paxil since Mar.1998 2006-2007:40-20mg 2009: 20mg to 14mg 2010: 14mg to 10.5mg 2011: 10.5 to 7.6mg 2012: 7.5 to 6.8mg 2013: 6.7-6.3mg 2014: 6.2mg-5.8mg 2015: 5.7 to 5.15mg 2016: 5.1-4.6mg 1/19/17: 4.5mg 3/17/17: 4.4mg 6/15/17: 4.35mg 8/10/17: 4.3mg 1/29/18: 4.1mg 5/07/18: 4.0mg 7/31/18: 3.9mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplestars22 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I have had problems with my hair thinning and shedding since I hit tolerance from Celexa in 2012. It has been getting worse and there has been no improvements. My scalp is visible on the sides of my head. It's a hard problem to deal with being a woman in a society that definines beauty as having long, full and voluminous head of hair. Hopefully with a clean diet, relaxation techniques, some hair growth serums and time will help grow my hair. Celexa 20mg 2008-2012 for Social Anxiety Failed attempt to stop reinstated 1 year taper skipping doses Celexa free 12/2013 1/2014-5/2014 took 5 htp every other day Failed Reinstatement 5mg of Celexa on 12/2014 for 5 days only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnfoldingSky Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Just a few more things I thought of that might help deal with hair issues.. One trick I learned ages ago to cover thinned areas that aren't big bald patches, is to get some eye shadow that matches your hair color, and apply it to your scalp. I've been doing that for years and people would tell me my hair wasn't thinning when I complained because I had it covered up. Works pretty well for my hair color. I am not sure if they still make this but there used to be a product for men that sprayed on that covered patches, sort of like spray paint, same sort of idea only that one was probably more toxic and expensive. And for those whose hair loss isn't so severe that they have patches missing that would require a wig be worn, they now have human hair extensions that are on a wire that just sits on your head. I haven't tried them as they are fairly expensive but, they are nowhere near as expensive as a really good wig would be and theoretically at least should be less damaging. I've also found that removing chlorine with a chlorine shower filter makes my hair look fuller and feel softer. From what I understand this is a common problem with chlorine, it will make your hair look flatter and duller. It definitely seems to have helped others I know who tried it too who don't even have psych drug issues. However I am pretty sure they don't fit every shower so this may not be an option for everyone. And in case anyone has issues with hair texture and they don't already know this trick, frizzy hair can be somewhat helped by rinsing in really cold water just before you get out of the shower. I am not a medical professional and nothing I say is a medical opinion or meant to be medical advice, please seek a competent and trusted medical professional to consult for all medical decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I have also read that Evening Primrose Oil and MSM are good for female hair loss. The EPO doesn't so much facilitate hair growth as much as it slows the shedding. The MSM is the one that is supposed to make your hair grow faster and thicker. Of course, I'm too scared to try either. My doctor recently prescribed me Spironolactone for my hair loss. It's a drug that is used to lower high blood pressure, but it also has anti androgenic properties so it is used for female hormone issues caused by high testosterone or androgen sensitivity (acne, hair loss, hirsuitism, all of which I have.) But, like with most meds/supplements, I am terrified to take it. Especially since the worst crash I've ever had occurred right after starting birth control pills. Ever since then I've been wary of anything that messes with my hormones significantly. However, vanity is also a powerful influence. a.k.a JMarie Paxil since Mar.1998 2006-2007:40-20mg 2009: 20mg to 14mg 2010: 14mg to 10.5mg 2011: 10.5 to 7.6mg 2012: 7.5 to 6.8mg 2013: 6.7-6.3mg 2014: 6.2mg-5.8mg 2015: 5.7 to 5.15mg 2016: 5.1-4.6mg 1/19/17: 4.5mg 3/17/17: 4.4mg 6/15/17: 4.35mg 8/10/17: 4.3mg 1/29/18: 4.1mg 5/07/18: 4.0mg 7/31/18: 3.9mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretzle Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 I had hair loss at my highest dose of Citalopram (40mg), it's why I initially went back to 30 mg. I'm not at 6 mg (liquid) and so far my hair is fine... It has recovered quite a bit from where it was when I was at 40 mg I think it will probably recover completely for most of us. On Citalopram (Celexa) since January 2014. Up to 40 mg (highest dose) then down to 10 mg (few months at both 30 mg and 20 mg). In the process of tapering off completely using liquid form of the drug. 4 drops (8mg) is supposedly equal to 10 mg tablet. (early Dec:) 3 drops (6 mg), two weeks of pretty bad symptoms (all physical) and then fine, held for 2 weeks after that. (27 Dec) 2 drops (4 mg), (23 Jan) 2 mg -> steady lowering by 0.25 every few days to (14 Feb) 0 mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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