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Alopecia and antidepressants
My doctor has given me antidepressants due to how I feel because of my AA. Celexa is what he gave me-I have read they can cause hair loss-I have more than 50% hair loss now. some regrowth with injections in spots but its falling out as fast in other areas. Does anyone have any thoughts/experiences/info about this?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by letcia Parga on
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well I was also perscribed celexa for deprssion /anxiety and I hated it I took it for about three weeks and started noticing side effects I wasn't able to handle . I did notice more hair loss , shakey hands , and sexual side effects that made my stress level higher. So my doctor said to stop taking it and try fighting depression without drugs . I still take ativan for my anxiety and that really helps when I can't calm my self down .Her advice to me was to excersise everyday , get better sleep , stop being so negitive and to pray to god and read the bible everyday ( she christain like me ) there was alot more steps but to much for me to type these were just the main ones I can remember . My advice to you is to ditch the celexa if you can . How long have you been taking it ? That matters too .
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Permalink Reply by Tanya Stone on
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I havent tried it yet-I have it but I am so hesitant to take it-I take xanax now but it doesnt seem to help.
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Permalink Reply by caroline knight on
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my doc gave that 2 me was what i needed then i read the possible hair loss and im not goin 2 take it because of that, going 2 try other wys such as hypnosis cd!, i decided 2 try giving up caffein so i went on decaf a few wks ago this has really helped im so much carmer!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Carol on
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Antidepressants are a ten-billion-dollar industry, even though their average impact on depression is only 20 percent better than a placebo, too small to be clinically significant (Kirsch et al. 2002). Indeed, our consumption of antidepressants is so high that our rivers and streams have become polluted with them, contaminating the fish we eat (Streater 2003).
Do not take antidepressants if you were not anxious or depressed before you got alopecia. These are mental illnesses where there is a chemical imbalance in the brain which is not a side effect of alopecia. It drives me nuts how doctors can be such pill pushers (because they make money off it) when people don't need to be taking them - children on ritalin being a prime example. Having studied some psychology myself, I know full well that stress, anxiety and sadness can accompany certain life events however that does not mean that you are clinically depressed and need meds. My doctor put me on antidepressants once (I've had alopecia for so long I never would have known about a prior chemical imbalance) and I was so out of sorts, not to mention the drug he put me on was known to cause suicidal tendencies and I think it MAY have been celexa. If you don't have a chemical imbalance these drugs do more harm than good and can cause even more problems with jobs and relationships. I urge you to be very cautious about taking antidepressants! Seek counseling with a psychiatrist or counselor instead or better yet attend an alopecia support group if alopecia seems to be the root of your trouble. Good luck!
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Carol,
What are your thoughts on Xanax? I think I will stick to that-but not sure it helps-its just hard to focus wearing a wig. I am in fear that xanax causes hair loss-I have been on that on and off for a year-anyone think that could cause it?
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well I have also read that anxiety meds can cause hair loss , as a possible side effect . I don't like that the anxiety meds are addicting with out notice .
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Tanya, I am by no means a pro and have only had the one experience however I did some thorough research upon receiving the prescription. From what I've read it's very similar to celexa or at least the side effects are. This one web page sums it up quite well:
http://www.power-surge.com/educate/medication/xanax.htm
The drug probably did not have any effect on your alopecia which is known to do its own thing unpredictably however it could be half the reason you're finding it hard to focus! I'm not sure why you've been on and off this medication since it takes about 6 weeks to start working effectively and you're supposed to be weaned off it gradually as to not suffer as many side effects or withdrawal and it should be taken for at least 6 months continuously to notice any real change in behaviour (or so I've heard). The biggest problem is because you become accustomed to the dosage, you tend to have to stay on it for a very long time and dosages are gradually increased. Might want to read up on this a bit more, especially if you aren't noticing if it's helping. Good luck.
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