Hair falling out

[Cat lady]

Ok I know I suffer with trichotillomania (where you pull your own hair out) but mine has always been in a specific place on my scalp. Since having a bit of a break down suffering with depression and anxiety my doctor has increased my fluoxetine from 20mg to 40mg. I'm on week 4 now and have noticed that my hair is falling out all over my head, when I wash it there's loads that has fell out. Any ideas?

[Lilharry]

Are you sure it's actually falling out? You do lose a lot of hair when you wash it - I used to lose huge hunks of it when my hair was long, but didn't realise it until one day I noticed adn freaked out. Does your hair actually look thinner or have just started noticing it when you wash it? Basically what I"m saying is, if you're just noticing it in the shower, but it doesn't actually look thinner on your head, then I would say that it's normal.

[steveo]

As Lilharry said, it's quite important to notice the difference between the two.

If you believe it genuinely is falling out noticeably through no cause, then arrange to see your GP and discuss this with him as I believe hair loss is an EXTREMELY rare side effect of prozac. And I mean extremely rare.

But here are some articles that back what I say up -

1: Ogilvie AD. Related Articles

Hair loss during fluoxetine treatment.
Lancet. 1993 Dec 4;342(8884):1423. No abstract available.
PMID: 7901703 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

2: Gupta S, Major LF. Related Articles

Hair loss associated with fluoxetine.
Br J Psychiatry. 1991 Nov;159:737-8. No abstract available.
PMID: 1756373 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

3: Mareth TR. Related Articles

Hair loss associated with fluoxetine use in two family members.
J Clin Psychiatry. 1994 Apr;55(4):163. No abstract available.
PMID: 8071263 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

4: Jenike MA. Related Articles

Severe hair loss associated with fluoxetine use.
Am J Psychiatry. 1991 Mar;148(3):392. No abstract available.
PMID: 1992847 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

5: Ananth J, Elmishaugh A. Related Articles

Hair loss associated with paroxetine treatment.
Can J Psychiatry. 1991 Oct;36(8):621. No abstract available.
PMID: 1742721 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Tufty]

Blimey - well done steveo :hugs:

I've been slowly loosing my hair for the past year, I do not suffer from the tricho thing. I was on Prozac for 8 years and didn't notice much hair loss, maybe a little which goes with ageing but throughout this year of increased anxiety and depression my hair has become noticably thinner. Not only have I noticed it but friends and family have noticed it too. Stress and anxiety can cause your hair to fall out so I'm not sure if it's the anxiety or the drugs causing mine but it's distressing and depressing me further.
I'm actually just on the way to get my hair cut as I'm thinking that a shorter style may hide the thinning areas better
Sam

[Cat lady]

Maybe its just a stress anxiety related thing, its my kids that are noticing. I'm moulting according to them. :ohmy:

many thanks xx

[Magic]

I have regular boughts of hair loss, mind you I am older than many members on here. I will have to put it down to growing old.
I have started to take a multivitimin-- one a day, and cod liver oil tabs.
My GP says that the simvastatin tablets I take for cholesteral may cause hair loss
in some patients (I am one of them then!:huh:) I think that stress is contributing
to it too.