effluviums - drug induced telogen effluvium

Drug induced telogen effluvium

A form of telogen effluvium can develop when using certain prescription and over the counter drugs. The mechanism by which drugs might promote hair loss has not been investigated in detail, but it is known that the hair loss is reversible and phenotypically looks similar to telogen effluvium. Only a minority of people suffer hair loss as a side effect from prescription drugs.

Any drugs you suspect might be involved in promoting hair loss can be investigated using a physician's or pharmacist's desk reference (PDR). These are comprehensive dictionaries listing approved prescription drugs with their generic and trade names. These PDRs are issued with relevance to your country of residence so PDRs issued in different countries will list only those drugs approved for use in that country. Note that trade names for drugs also differ from country to country. These reference books should describe the drugs, what they do, and any potential side effects. If hair loss (or excess hair growth) has been found during drug trials or general use then the effect should be listed in these references. A new PDR is published each year and your doctor should have a current version. Alternatively, you may find a PDR in your local library and larger bookstores may also stock PDRs.

There are many, many drugs that can cause hair loss for just one or two people in the hundreds of thousands that may use the drug. We are each individuals with a unique genetic make up and different environmental influences. This means that the same drug can have subtly different effects on different people. Remember that even when reference books record hair loss as a drug side effect, it probably only occurred in a very small proportion of the drug's users.

If you experience hair loss as a side effect of a drug and your are resident in the USA your doctor can register your experience with the Federal Drug administration (FDA) through the Adverse Events Reporting System (AERS). See the The FDA medical products reporting program (Medwatch) web site for details.

For whatever reason, some drugs are more likely than others to switch off hair follicle activity and lead to a diffuse form of hair loss. The most common drug categories and examples of drugs causing telogen effluvium type hair loss are listed below. This is by no means an exhaustive list of drugs known to promote hair loss.