Anti-Depressants, Smoking and Hairloss

[cook'n'milkies]

I am considering getting on an anti-depressant medication, preferably one of those that also helps with quitting smoking. Does anyone have any input or experiences with this? I've heard some anti-depressants can accelerate hairloss and/or inhibit hair growth.

I'm really at a loss of what to do because I'm unable to shake this depression and anxiety and I want to quit smoking but I'm unable to with all this going on.

 

[cook'n'milkies]

thoughts? anyone?

 

[silkeysmooth]

From my personal experience, anti-depression/anti-anxiety medications have not caused me any hairlosss. Hair loss is listed a side effect of many medications however (though rare IMO), so it's really impossible to tell until you try the medication.

I haven't had any experience regarding anti-depressants that are supposed to help with smoking, but I am in the same boat, where I have consant anxiety coupled with depression, and also am a regular smoker. I think that the stress may contribue to hairloss, so it really could not hurt to try some medication.

 

[ronaldkia]

no, anti-depressants do not cause hairloss...but i swear on my life that your depression/ anxiety IS causing your hair loss, i swear on my life 100 percent. whats making you anxious...me at the time, i realize now, it was the lack of sex...i worked so hard/ and am so anxious....but never had fun/ release in my life.

 

[cook'n'milkies]

ronald, i think depression may play a part in exacerbating your already genetic predispostion to hairloss, but it is not causal. I did not get like this until after the hairloss became readily cosmetic.

 

[Guest]

ronald, i think depression may play a part in exacerbating your already genetic predispostion to hairloss, but it is not causal. I did not get like this until after the hairloss became readily cosmetic.

Feel Free to discount Ronaldikas comments...

 

[silkeysmooth]

I know that Ronald comes off as an escaped ADHD patient most of the time, but I really do think that stress plays a larger role in hair loss than just acting as a catalyst for a pre-existing case of male pattern baldness.

Obviously I don't have any facts, but I know for a fact that, for me, the most thin areas on my scalp are in alot of pain when I am anxious/stressed. It feels like it's burning or something, and though this may or may not be unrelated to male pattern baldness, the pain stops abruptly when I manage to clear my mind. I don't mean some deep, meditative state; just shut my mind off from worries and the pain goes away.

Maybe, in addition to male pattern baldness, alot of us are undergoing chronic stress are suffering from CTE? Maybe male pattern baldness isn't even involved for alot of these constantly stressed posters. It might explain why alot of young people here, with only diffuse thinning, might be suffering from hair loss.

This is all anecdotal evidence, but there certainly seems to be a connection between stress and diffuse thinning.

 

[tu pac]

This anti-Dep medication works MIRTAZIPINE non addictive has the lowest % for sides ie(sexual) Ive tried em all but I aint crazy BIATCH the first couple dayz you be sleepy but trust it helpes tons, It will take some of the anxiety away that and exercise are the best way to combat the psycological part dont get me wrong though the pain still there just less cocentrated.ITs still one day at a time.

 

[giggio26]

a lot of andtidepressants can cause hair loss. tricyclics for example but virtually all new antidepressants like ssri or mirtazapine, trazodone mianserin....If you look at pubmed there are a lot of researches and cases.
I experienced a terrible hair loss with tryciclics and mirtazapina, but if you are not predisposed to, you will not experience hair loss

 

[The Gardener]

I am considering getting on an anti-depressant medication, preferably one of those that also helps with quitting smoking.

Wellbrutrin?

C'n'M, I would have had no idea that you were struggling with the dark clouds, you are always such a bright and supportive voice here. I doubt that it would have any effect on hairloss, and I would think that the benefits of quitting smoking and shaking off the dark clouds would be nothing but good in all aspects.

 

[michael barry]

Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood. This may have a SMALL adverse effect on your hair and skin. It does stain your teeth and up melanin over time, making you a little darker complected. It completely phucks up your lungs. Drop it like the bad habit it is. Just think, the two bucks a day you save will pay for your hair treatments.