Propranolol and hair loss
Posted , 27 users are following.
After just a couple Of months with 25 mg per day, I experience a massive hair loss. Even diarrhoea, even if that might be caused by other things. When I started with medication, I read about the side effects including the hair loss. I was hoping it wouldn't affect me. I have a tendency to alopecia, but the hair always comes back to the bald spots. This is something else. Is there someone here who has experienced this and can give me some advice? Thx in advance.
2 likes, 45 replies
Ginagirl Conta10
Posted
Conta10 Ginagirl
Posted
Ginagirl Conta10
Posted
mrs_susan74280 Ginagirl
Posted
What mg are you on
Kermodesmum Conta10
Posted
I have been on this medication for over 2 years and apart from the weight gain i cant say that i have experienced any other side effect?
Hope this clears up for you
Take care
Brigid16 Conta10
Posted
I have been taking 60 mg of propranolol nightly for several months for essential tremor. My tremor is much better, but my hairdresser has mentioned for the last few months that I am experiencing tremendous hair loss on the crown of my head. My normal hair is very thick. I don't know if the problem is the propranolol or if it is a lingering side effect of six hours of anesthesia several months ago for a three-level spinal fusion, preceded by two years of frequent spinal epidural injections, nine in all. Thoughts?
Tilly16 Conta10
Posted
Hello, I know this is a late response to the discussion but I have also experienced this problem. I have been on propranolo 40mg for just over 2 years and had a problem with both hair loss and sleep disturbances. I recently decided to come off the medication in the hope that this will help the problems. The sleep disturbances have subsided but I'm yet to see if my hair thickens up again. Hope this helps!
Tess27 Tilly16
Posted
Hello! I know I'm late to the party but I've been on propranolol (40mg once to twice a day) for about 6 months now. I noticed my hair falling out a lot more than normal about 4 to 5 months ago. I'm crossing my fingers it's not the propranolol because it is a life saver for me. I was wondering if you could give us an update on your hair?? It's been 6 months and I'd love to hear that your hair has stopped falling out! If you tell us good things from stopping the meds, I might reconsider taking them everyday! If you could let me know as soon as you can, that would be more than awesome! -Tess
xowie30609 Tess27
Posted
Hi tess I've been taking propranolol 40mg for 6wks now for anxiety and panic attacks.didnt go to work for two wks as couldn't leave the house with the panic attacks.doctor put me on prop,I thought it was a lifesaver till 2 wks ago when I've lost nearly half of all my hair..I'm coming off it as from today,well weaning.front of my forehead is see through now.really gutted.going to try cbt..I asked the doctor and he did say unfortunately it is one of the side effects 😞
kristy19365 Tilly16
Posted
hi I'm about to start propranolol how long did it take for your hair to fall out?
jadecruiz xowie30609
Posted
hi,
just wondered how you were getting on? as im going through the exact same problem
anna1001 Conta10
Edited
In Early/Mid-August I was prescribed 30mg propranolol for anxiety. By October 7th I noticed diffuse hair thinning. By Oct, 20th half of my hair had fallen out resulting in my scalp showing. I have no family history of hair loss on either side of my family, even the men in my family grow old and die with full heads of hair. I've had a slew of blood test, hormonal, thyroid, nutritional, blood count, lupus, RA, diabetes, etc... Every test normal. Propranolol being the only medication I'm taking I'm confident this is the cause of my hair loss. As a 30 year old healthy woman that jogs daily and avoids sugar and sat. fats this is distressing to say the least. My doctor was adamant my hair loss was unrelated to propranolol. So I researched online, and what do I find? Thousands of sites detailing beta blockers to female hair loss. One article is from a 1985 study of 2,000 women, where 4% experienced "mild to excessive hair loss". How is this side effect not known or listed? Anxiety is the very reason I was prescribed this medication and now it's made me more anxious then ever! I'm out of pocket nearly $5,000 towards my deductible and have received no answers, only vague advice to enhance my nutritional intake and shrugging shoulders as though this is no big deal. A new symptom as of yesterday is my eye brows have begun falling out en masse. I visit my parents both in their 60's with full thick heads of hair, while I take showers and fill my hands with hundreds of strands. I finally told my doctor I'll be finding someone else as I don't find her helpful. I'm hoping to reduce this beta blocker until I can be prescribed an alternative anxiety medication. Until then I've been filling in bald spots with a shake on fiber powder from sally's, washing my hair with nioxin, and applying rogaine and taking 10,000 mg biotin at night. In the past month I haven't seen any results but realize it takes time. I appreciate you bringing this subject matter up and hope your hair has regrown as I hope mine does too. I personally don't believe doctors are intentionally deceiving patients about the hair loss effects of beta blockers, because these medications are generally so inexpensive and my doctor appeared genuinely surprised I suspected propanolol to be the cause.
Loveitta anna1001
Posted
Hi Anna,
My goodness! This is very worrying. I'm so sorry that you have had to endure all this whilst also battling with anxiety.
I suffer from hair loss (over 20 years) so i know first hand how you're feeling.
Please keep the faith. I'm sure in time your hair will grow back if it's down to the meds.
Has the Drs discussed changing your medication?
Regards
Pat
xowie30609 anna1001
Posted
Emely133 anna1001
Edited
Hi Anna,
This has LITERALLY been my SAME experience!!!!! I was put on propranolol for my hyperthyroid induced tremors/tachychardia in August 2018. I had been losing my hair due to the thryoid disease for a couple months prior. I was put on thryroid meds at the same time (Aug 2018) and my hair STOPPED falling out for a lovely two months. During this time however, I was noticing rapid and extreme weight gain (like 15-20 pounds) mind you, I've always been a fit and thin gal. My eating habits had only improved and I had been working out consistently as well. I come to find out that propranolol was the culprit for this. As soon as I found this out, I self-lowered the dosage (doctor had me taking 30mg 4x a day). But then, BAM! in late October 2018 my hair starting to fall out at rates I've never in my life have seen before! It is scary! I had lost about 55% of my thick and very curly hair in a matter of 3 weeks! Washing my hair is a slow and dreadful process as the shedding does not want to stop! At this rate, I will be bald in a couple of weeks! I told my doctor about it and he did not seem very concerned and did not correlate it to the propranolol! Thanks to this forum, I am relieved to find out why! I've been STRESSED about this issue and am happy to find that others have experienced similiar situations off of this medication so now i know to stop using it! I will keep everyone posted on how this goes. I've decided to monitor my own heart and only take the medication as needed. So far, I've barely been taking it (once or twice a day) and my blood pressure and heart rate have remained stable. I am very disappointed that my doctor had no clue or did not advise me of this symptom because it's been eating me alive. Wish me luck!
anna75818 Emely133
Posted
Emely,
I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism/graves June 2018. I just recently noticed in the past month i've been losing tons of hair . My levels are stable, but i'm on methimazole and 80 mg of propanolol. I think I may start weaning myself off the propanolol as well. Glad to know there's others going through the same thing. The weight gain has also been such a burden 😦
Emely133 anna75818
Posted
Hi Ana!
YES!!! the hair propranonol induced hair loss is far more intense than the thyroid induced hair loss for sure (it also depends how far along your thyroid issues got prior to treatment because the thyroid hair loss cames like 6 months after my diagnosis in Dec 2017). I've already been weening off the propranolol for the weight issue and as of yesterday decided to only take half of a 30mg tablet (which is half of the entire 60mg, so 15 mg) tablet IF and whenever my heart rate surpasses 100 beats per minute for more than an hour. Everytime I've gone for my blood pressure tests (on a biweekly basis), they have been normal. So that's good! But i wish my heart rate would just become more stable so i did not have to worry about taking the medicine at all! I hope that decreasing my dosage as such well help with the hair loss. I am happy that the thyroid medicine hasn't caused these side effects because that's the one we need to survive lol oh! and this past month I've started juicing. i read that beet juice is really good at lowering blood pressure so I've been drinking tons of that!
SIDE NOTE: i am literally intimidated to wash my hair because i am not looking forward to seeing how much hair I'm going to lose this time. #depressing
we will get through this!!!!
dawn90984 Emely133
Edited
Emely!
I am experiencing the SAME EXACT thing! It is alarming to say the least. I have never had this issue until propranolol. Even a small dose. After taking it for 3 weeks I have extreme thinning and several bald spots. I had long, thick hair before I started taking it.
It has been a couple of months since you have posted...can you tell me if the shedding has stopped? Is your hair growing back? PLEASE update if you see this, thank you!
JadeCruizy Emely133
Posted
hi just wondered how you were getting on? xx
a02928 anna1001
Posted
Hi. From late May 2020 until July 2020 I was on this propranolol for essential tremors. I have lost over 2/3 of my thick beautiful hair. Now October 2021 and it's pitiful. I was switched back to atenolol which I had previously been on for about 10 years for high blood pressure. There was previously no hair loss with atenolol. But since my hair is still falling out I believe the atenolol has kicked in this side effect as well since it's the same family beta blocker. I am depressed beyond words. I have scalp showing. Just shampooing causes so much loss and even gentle hairbrushing and hair everywhere - clothes, kitchen, car, floors. I can't afford dermatologist. It's so depressing . My primary insists no other patients have atenolol hair loss. I'm stopping it by myself.
a02928 dawn90984
Posted
Hi. From late May 2020 until July 2020 I was on this propranolol for essential tremors. I have lost over 2/3 of my thick beautiful hair. Now October 2021 and it's pitiful. I was switched back to atenolol which I had previously been on for about 10 years for high blood pressure. There was previously no hair loss with atenolol. But since my hair is still falling out I believe the atenolol has kicked in this side effect as well since it's the same family beta blocker. I am depressed beyond words. I have scalp showing. Just shampooing causes so much loss and even gentle hairbrushing and hair everywhere - clothes, kitchen, car, floors. I can't afford dermatologist. It's so depressing . My primary insists no other patients have atenolol hair loss. I'm stopping it by myself.
JadeCruizy a02928
Posted
hi,
im exactly the same. i was put on propranonol in Aug 2020, by the end of sept all my hair was dropping out, and i could see my scalp. i know i shouldnt have but i stopped taking them, its been a month now and its getting a little better, i still lose hair, but i have regrowth. i heard that it takes a few months for hair loss to stop after stopping the medication thats causing it.