The Link Between Beta Blockers And Hair Thinning

Get hair, health, and science news delivered right to your inbox.

Medically Reviewed by

DR. MELISSA ANZELONE, N ND

Beta blockers are a class of medications that block adrenaline and other stress hormones from affecting your heart. Most often, beta blockers are a treatment for heart conditions, anxiety, or even glaucoma.

While using beta blockers, some people experience hair thinning and hair loss. As the beta blocker stops the stress hormones, it can restrict blood vessels, including the hair follicles, and that can cause hair thinning. 

Hair loss and medications

Hair loss or hair thinning are common possible side effects of many medications — beta blockers included. There are two types of hair loss that can occur while taking these medications: telogen effluvium and anagen effluvium. With telogen effluvium, the medication affects the hair in the “resting” phase of the growth cycle, causing short and temporary hair loss (however, new hair growth continues in follicles that are in the growth stages).

With anagen effluvium, thinning occurs with the follicles in the growth stage and stops new hair from growing. Anagen effluvium is longer-term hair loss and can cause hair loss not just on the scalp but with eyebrows and eyelashes, too. 

What medications cause hair loss?

Beta blockers, especially those used to treat glaucoma and include forms of timolol, may cause hair loss or hair thinning.The beta blockers used for high blood pressure can also cause hair loss.

However, there are many other medications that cause hair loss as a possible side effect, including:

• Blood thinners
• Statins
• Antidepressants
• Anti-inflammatory drugs (some medications used to treat inflammation like naproxen or sulindac can cause hair loss)
• Vitamin A (taking vitamin A in high doses can actually result in hair thinning and loss)
• Acne medication
• Immunosuppressants

Note that these are just some of the medications that cause hair loss. If you’ve experienced hair loss and are wondering if it’s from your medication, talk to your doctor for more information.

Will my hair grow back?

Most hair loss from medications will stop once you stop taking the medication. (But before stopping any medication — even if the medication causes hair loss — you should talk to your doctor.) The hair regrowth won’t be instantaneous. Some people notice hair growth again within three to six months after stopping the medication. Most people notice their hair starting to regrow after six months. It may take up to 12-18 months for hair growth to return to normal.

Most likely your hair will grow back; it just won’t grow back instantly.

The bottom line

There are many medications, such as beta blockers, that can cause hair loss by targeting either the resting follicles or the new growth follicles. While the hair loss can be uncomfortable for some people, it’s usually reversible within a year of stopping the medication. If you are experiencing hair loss from medications, talk to your medical doctor. You can ask your doctor about alternatives, changing the dosage, or stopping any medication.

It’s important to stay healthy and to get the right treatment, so make sure you follow your doctor’s advice.

List, What You Can Do, and More

Some medications, including vitamin A, antibiotics, and chemotherapy, can cause temporary hair loss. Others, including hormone therapy, may cause hair loss that is permanent.

Hair loss, or alopecia, is a condition both men and women may experience during their lives as a result of health-related issues, genetics, and medications.

Some forms of hair loss are temporary, while others, like pattern baldness, are permanent.

Medications and hair loss

Hair loss is a common side effect of many medications. Most of the time, these drugs only cause temporary hair loss that goes away once you’ve adjusted to or stopped taking the medicine.

These medications damage the hair follicles themselves, disrupting growth at different stages.

Two kinds of hair loss may occur. One is telogen effluvium, or short-term, temporary hair loss. This occurs in the “resting” phase of the hair follicle, but new hair growth continues.

Another type of hair loss often caused by medications is anagen effluvium. This is a longer-term type and often also includes thinning or loss of other body hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. Anagen effluvium takes place in the hair’s “new growth” phase.

Here are some of the types of medications that can cause hair loss as a side effect.

Vitamin A

High doses of vitamin A and medications derived from it can cause hair loss.

Acne medications

One type acne of vitamin A-derived medication, isotretinoin (Accutane) and tretinoin (Retin-A) can cause hair loss. Because there can be other serious side effects as well, you may want to discuss other options with your dermatologist.

Antibiotics

Prescription antibiotics can cause temporary hair thinning. Antibiotics can deplete your vitamin B and hemoglobin, which disrupts hair growth.

When hemoglobin is too low, you can become anemic and lose hair as a result. Normal levels of vitamin B are also critical to maintaining healthy hair.

Antifungals

Antifungal medications are indicated for fungal infections and have been linked to hair loss in some people. The antifungal medication voriconazole is one such treatment that has been associated with alopecia in the past.

Anti-clotting drugs

Anticoagulants like heparin and warfarin are used to thin the blood and prevent blood clots and certain health concerns in some people (like those with heart conditions).

These medications can cause hair loss that begins after taking these medications for about three months.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs

Some statin drugs like simvastatin (Zocor) and (atorvastatin) Lipitor have been reported to cause hair loss.

Immunosuppressants

Some immune-suppressing drugs used to treat autoimmune conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can cause hair loss. A few of these include methotrexate, leflunomide (Arava), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), and etanercept (Enbrel).

Anticonvulsants

Medications that prevent seizures, like valproic acid (Depakote) and trimethadione (Tridione), can lead to hair loss in some people.

Blood pressure medications

Beta blockers, including the following, can cause hair loss:

• metoprolol (Lopressor)
• timolol (Blocadren)
• propranolol (Inderal and Inderal LA)
• atenolol (Tenormin)
• nadolol (Corgard)

ACE inhibitors can also lead to thinning hair. These include:

• enalapril (Vasotec)
• lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)
• captopril (Capoten)

Antidepressants and mood stabilizers

Some people who take medications for depression and mood stabilization may experience hair loss. Drugs that may cause this include:

• paroxetine hydrochloride (Paxil)
• sertraline (Zoloft)
• protriptyline (Vivactil)
• amitriptyline (Elavil)
• fluoxetine (Prozac)

Weight loss drugs

Weight loss medications like phentermine can cause hair loss, but the side effect isn’t often listed. This is because dieters who lose their hair are often also nutrient-deficient or may have underlying health conditions contributing to their hair loss.

So, while some people taking weight loss drugs have reported hair loss, that loss could be due to malnutrition.

Medications for gout

Gout medications like allopurinol (Zyloprim and Lopurin) have been reported to cause hair loss.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs used to treat certain types of cancer and autoimmune illness can cause anagen effluvium. This hair loss includes eyelashes, eyebrows, and body hair.

These drugs are designed to destroy the fast-growing cancer cells in your body, but they also attack and destroy other cells that grow quickly, like the roots of your hair. Regrowth will occur after treatments have ended.

Hormone therapies can trigger hormone imbalances in women, causing hair loss — and potentially causing permanent female pattern baldness.

Birth control pills used for contraception and hormone replacement therapies (HRT), like progesterone and estrogen, are examples. Women who have undergone a full hysterectomy, for example, require ongoing HRT after surgery.

Post-menopausal women may require HRT as well. Here’s how to prevent hair loss during menopause.

Like females, males who take certain hormones may experience hair loss or permanent male pattern baldness.

Testosterone replacement therapy to treat low testosterone (low T) can cause hair loss. The use of anabolic steroids for muscle-building can also cause hair to fall out.

If you’ve recently begun taking a new medication and have noticed hair thinning or loss, talk to your doctor about switching to another medication. They may be able to choose a medicine that doesn’t cause the same side effect. Your doctor may also recommend that you stop taking the medication for a few months.

If you’re experiencing pattern baldness as a result of medication, some treatments like Rogaine (men and women), Propecia (men), and dutasteride (men) may be right for you.

You may have to use these medications for a certain period of time before you see results. For example, it may take six months or more to see results from Rogaine treatment. Learn how to get the best results out of Rogaine.

Hair transplant surgery or laser therapy may also be right for you if you’re experiencing pattern baldness.

Home and lifestyle remedies include wearing a wig or hairpiece and covering your hair with a scarf or hat.

Many people who undergo chemotherapy choose to proudly display their new look. Remember that if you’re going through a tough health situation, you have every right to be proud of how you’re fighting it. It’s entirely up to you to decide the look you’re most comfortable with.

In most cases, hair growth returns to its previous state once you’ve stopped taking a medication that causes hair loss. Adjusting the dosage may also ease symptoms of hair loss.

Remember, never stop taking a medication without discussing it with your doctor. There may be other options with fewer adverse side effects.

How to stop hair loss? Hair treatment and care

Medicines and vitamins

• Medical author: Divya Jacob, Pharm. D.
• Medical Reviewer: Pallavi Suyog Uttekar, MD

• Treatment
  • What treatments can help with hair loss?
• Hair care
  • What hair care tips can slow down hair loss?
• Style Tips
  • How to make hair more voluminous
• Natural Remedies
  • How can hair growth be stimulated naturally?

Hair loss can be stressful. Learn how to stop hair loss with treatments, proper hair care, and home remedies to stimulate hair growth.

Hair loss is a common problem that can be caused by diet, stress hormones, genetics, and other factors. In order to effectively treat hair loss, it is important to determine what is causing it and address the underlying problem. For example, if your diet is the culprit, eating foods high in protein and amino acids can help.

In general, hair loss can be stopped with treatments, proper hair care and home remedies.

what is gentamicin sulfate ophthalmic solution

What treatments can help with hair loss?

Treatments that can help stop hair loss include:

• Minoxidil: Rub this over-the-counter sundae on the scalp as directed to prevent further hair loss and stimulate hair growth.
• Prescription medication: Medicines containing finasteride can delay hair loss in men.
• Vitamin Supplements : vitamins such as iron complex of vitamins D and B can stimulate dormant hair follicles.
• Devices: Special brushes, combs or portable devices that emit laser light on the scalp can stimulate hair growth.
• Hair Transplantation : This procedure involves removing part of the scalp with healthy hair growth and transplanting them into areas that need hair.
• Hair Serums: Serums containing urea and ceramides can be applied topically to help maintain the scalp’s natural biological barrier, prevent itchy, inflamed scalp and treat hair loss.

What hair care tips can slow down hair loss?

You can also try the following hair care tips to slow hair loss:

• Don’t brush your hair after getting out of the shower.
• Air dry if possible.
• Try not to tie your hair back too tight and keep it loose.
• Limit the use of curling irons or flat irons and use the low heat setting.
• Use swimming caps while swimming and rinse hair immediately after swimming.
• Use special ava water filters when swimming if the water in your area is mineral dense (hard water).

How to add volume to your hair

In addition to hair care treatments and tips, there are ways to add volume to your hair:

• Use a volumizing shampoo.
• Avoid shampoo labeled as a conditioning shampoo because it can weigh down your hair and make it lifeless.
• Use a conditioner suitable for fine hair because it has a lighter formula that can give your hair bounce.
• Always apply conditioner to the ends of the hair strands and not to the scalp to avoid weighing down the hair.
• Avoid conditioners labeled as intensive conditioners.
• Experiment with different hairstyles to add volume to your hair.
• Avoid harsh coloring, shampooing and heat treatments.

side effect of bystolic 5 mg

How can hair growth be stimulated naturally?

Home remedies that can help increase hair density include:

• Massage the scalp with oil to improve blood circulation in the head. Use jojoba, coconut or almond oil for best results.
• Avoid using too many styling products that can stress the hair follicles.
• Massage gently to stimulate circulation.
• Stress management. Stress and anxiety can cause dry, brittle hair and eventually hair loss.
• Stay hydrated.
• Make sure you are getting enough of the following hair growth nutrients:
  • protein
  • Omega-3 fatty acids
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Iron
  • Vitamin D
  • Zinc
  • Copper
  • Magnesium
  • Selenium
• Eat a diet rich in healthy fats, proteins, and calcium. Examples of products useful for hair health include:
  • Olive oil
  • Rapeseed oil
  • Nuts such as almonds
  • Chicken and turkey
  • Oily fish such as salmon
  • Lean red meat
  • Milk
  • Curd
  • Yogurt

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

• Curved Penis Erection
• Can I have a CAD?
• Bent fingers treatment
• Treatment HR+, HER2- MBC
• Tired of dandruff?
• Living with Cancer

used WebMD literature. Slideshow about healthy beauty. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/ss/default.htm

American Academy of Dermatology. Hair loss in young mothers. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/insider/new-moms

What are the side effects of psychotropic drugs?

Author Asya Melkonyan, psychologist Views 33 Published 07/31/2021 Updated 12/24/2022

Contents

Treatment of mental illness is often accompanied by side effects. In this article, we will look at the side effects of psychotropic drugs.

Side effects depend on the pharmacological properties of the drug and its dose, as well as on individual susceptibility to the drug. The goal of drug therapy is to reduce the likelihood of side effects or prevent them completely (which is true very rarely).

Side effects may go away after a while or may remain and cause discomfort.

The instructions for a particular drug usually tell you what side effects it may cause. Some of the reactions appear quite often, and some are extremely rare. Just because a drug may cause side effects does not mean you will have them.

Tell your doctor if you have any reactions and talk to your doctor about what to do next.

Common side effects of psychotropic drugs

Weight gain

Antidepressants, mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics are the most common causes of weight gain.

Metabolic syndrome may develop during treatment with antipsychotics. It manifests itself in obesity and insulin resistance, which in turn can lead to diabetes and the development of cardiovascular diseases.

Most antipsychotics cause weight gain, with olanzapine and clozapine having the highest risk of this side effect.

Weight increases rapidly in the first few weeks after starting therapy, then the rate of weight gain decreases.

Weight gain may range from 2 to 20 kg during the course of treatment.

How to correct: Control sugar intake, exercise, walk more. There are also drugs for weight loss.

Anhedonia and emotional flattening

Anhedonia is a side effect that is often overlooked and underestimated. The main symptoms of depression pass – the mood and activity levels level off, but the opportunity to receive joy does not appear.

People taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) often complain of a lack of emotion, this can be quite an unpleasant condition.

How to adjust: Consider reducing drug dosages, adding a second antidepressant to the regimen, or switching to a different class of antidepressants. Medications with different mechanisms of action help reduce anhedonia.

A fairly common side effect is sleep disturbance

Psychotropic drugs can cause a variety of sleep disorders ranging from insomnia to drowsiness or a combination of the two. Sleep may also become interrupted.

Different drugs can affect sleep in different ways, and their effects may vary from patient to patient.

How to correct: There are many steps patients can take to treat insomnia before turning to medication. Do not neglect sleep hygiene and relaxation. If excessive sedation or insomnia becomes a real problem, then something needs to be changed in the treatment regimen.

Sexual dysfunction

Many psychotropic drugs, including antidepressants and neuroleptics, cause various types of sexual dysfunction.

First generation drugs tend to cause more serious sexual side effects than some newer drugs.

Problems can only start after a few months of treatment, so it is important to consider this point already when choosing a drug. Sexual dysfunction is one of the most common reasons for non-compliance with drug therapy. Therefore, it is worth discussing this issue with your doctor in advance.

How to adjust: Reducing the dosage or changing the drug class will help. Definitely under the supervision of a doctor!

Hyperprolactinemia (Increased prolactin levels)

Prolactin is regulated by a number of drugs and physiological mechanisms. Many first-generation antipsychotics cause a significant increase in prolactin. Also, a slight increase is observed when taking SSRIs and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Hyperprolactinemia has some “very insidious manifestations”, including bone loss, sexual dysfunction, irregular menstruation, infertility, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.

It can also have mental effects, including anger, anxiety and irritability.

How to adjust: For the treatment of hyperprolactinemia, the dose of an existing antipsychotic drug can be reduced or switched to a safer drug such as aripiprazole or quetiapine. Women can use oral contraceptives to compensate for estrogen deficiency.

Side effects of various psychotropic drugs

Antidepressants

There are many types of antidepressants and several classes (tricyclics, SSRIs, and so on). Side effects may vary depending on the medication being taken.

But in general they include:

• dizziness;
• excessive sweating;
• increase/decrease in blood pressure;
• dry mouth;
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
• weight gain;
• disorders of sexual functions.

In bipolar disorder, antidepressants should be used with caution as there is a risk of a manic state.

Atypical antipsychotics (neuroleptics)

These are drugs such as quetiapine, aripiprazole, olanzapine and others.

Some drugs in this group can cause significant weight gain. Under the influence of certain atypical antipsychotics, so-called. metabolic syndrome.

It manifests itself in the form of excess weight, an increase in the level of fats in the blood and an increase in the circumference of the abdomen. Metabolic syndrome causes a number of successive diseases, most notably diabetes and diseases of the cardiovascular system. Contributes to the development of these diseases and unhealthy lifestyle: fatty diet, physical inactivity, alcohol and smoking.

Typical antipsychotics

Most common side effects: extrapyramidal disorders:

• parkinsonism
• dystonia
• tremor
• akathisia

900 05 tics

• and others

Antipsychotic extrapyramidal disorders are usually divided into two large groups: early and late .

The early ones occur within the first weeks after the start of the antipsychotic and disappear after the drug is discontinued. Late ones occur against the background of long-term use of antipsychotics and are more persistent, that is, after the abolition of antipsychotics, these side effects do not disappear or disappear immediately.

We discuss the side effects of neuroleptics in more detail in another article.

Lithium

Lithium is considered to be quite toxic and has a narrow therapeutic window, so it is very important to control the level of lithium in the blood.

Possible side effects of lithium:

• Hand tremors;
• frequent urination;
• thirst;
• weight gain;
• thyroid dysfunction (requires periodic monitoring),
• impaired renal function
• impaired attention
• possible worsening of pre-existing skin conditions

Elevated lithium levels may lead to the risk of intoxication.

Symptoms of intoxication: lethargy, drowsiness, speech and movement disorders. In these cases, urgent medical attention is needed!

Valproates

• Gastrointestinal disorders
• dizziness,
• slight movement disorders,
• increased appetite
• weight gain
• liver dysfunction
• hair loss.

Carbamazepine

• dizziness
• nausea
• Allergic skin reactions possible,
• hair loss,
• headache
• decrease in the concentration of sodium in the blood plasma.