Ssri & antidepressants hair loss

[JMB]

Hi just wondering how common this is as I’m desperate to start my escitalopram for severe social anxiety and generalised anxiety .. I have read that it’s extremely common .. is there away around this or maybe a different med if this is not the safest one for this side effect …My hair is starting to thin as it is more then likely do to anxiety .. however when I have researched if the ssri treating the stress related hair loss it just says they cause it! Thanks I’m advance 🙏

[panic_down_under]

Hi just wondering how common this is as I'm desperate to start my escitalopram for severe social anxiety and generalised anxiety .. I have read that it's extremely common ..

Hair loss/thinning is a rare potential side-effect of most of these antidepressants (ADs). Anxiety/stress can also cause it. If it does occur switching to another AD will often restore hair growth. Even switching from escitalopram to citalopram may do so despite both containing the same active drug. Lexapro (escitalopram) contains only the 'S' isomer of the drug, i.e. escitalopram. Citalopram also has the 'R' mirror image isomer which is a poorer fit biologically and so is mostly inactive. This minor difference can vary the side-effects each med produces.

BTW-weren't you on escitalopram 6 years ago? If so, was hair loss a problem then?

My hair is starting to thin as it is more then likely do to anxiety .

Yes, probably. However, if this is a recent issue then get it checked out. One of the dangers of having an anxiety disorder is dismissing symptoms as just being anxiety, or an anxiety med side-effect and not getting them properly investigated. Having these disorders doesn't protect us from the other maladies of humanity.