Can stimulant medications like Adderall really lead to hair loss? Learn about the potential connection to hair health here.
Adderall is a stimulant medication that is commonly used to treat ADHD or Narcolepsy. It is made up of the two active ingredients amphetimine and dextroamphetamine.
While the side effect of hair loss from stimulant medications like Adderall is not common, it may be possible.
Below, we will outline if Adderall can cause hair loss, the potential indirect cause of hair loss when using Adderal, and tips on how to help limit hair loss or generally improve or maintain your hair health while you are taking these sorts of medications.
There are a few case studies of people who rapidly developed hair loss when taking stimulants like Adderal. In one case, a 50-year-old woman taking a stimulant medication presented with a rapid onset of diffuse hair loss. The case study suggested that stimulant medications may be a cause of alopecia areata in people who are susceptible to this side effect.
Additionally, the FDA labeling information for Adderall lists alopecia (hair loss) under the potential adverse effects, but does not go into detail about how common this effect is or the occurrence rate during the clinical trials.
There may also be a few indirect causes of hair loss that occur once you start taking stimulant medications like Adderall, that are not directly tied to the drug itself.
Adderall and other stimulants tend to cause a decrease in appetite and weight loss. If this is extreme or causes significant weight loss or under-eating, it is possible that users are not meeting their dietary nutritional needs, or developing deficiencies. Over time this can cause hair loss related to rapid weight loss or not consuming enough to meet their nutritional needs.
One other potential indirect cause of hair loss when taking stimulant medications is hair pulling, or trichotillomania, which can be brought on through stress and anxiety. Since these stimulant medications may induce anxiousness or stress, it is possible that hair pulling develops on rare occasions.
One case study reports how a 12-year-old girl who was started on Adderall began developing hair pulling (trichotillomania) shortly after, causing hair loss. The girl was not on any other medications, and once the medication was switched to a different non-stimulant therapy, the hair-pulling dissipated.
If you are noticing hair changes after starting on medications like Adderall, consult with your doctor to see if a dosage change or medication switch may be appropriate for you. They will help guide you to a good answer for your situation. Never stop or adjust a medication on your own without speaking with your doctor.
If you suspect your hair loss is stemming from a lack of appetite from your medication, talk to your doctor about your eating habits to see if a lower dosage may be able to control your symptoms without causing too many appetite disturbances. Also, try to eat nutritious foods on a normal schedule even if you aren’t quite as hungry as usual.
If you are experiencing much more stress or anxiety after using Adderall, talk to your doctor to make sure this is a good fit and strength for you. Some people may help relieve excess stress or anxiousness by including healthy stress-relieving activities in their day like exercise, yoga, or meditation.
Most causes of hair loss are not due to a medication like Adderall, but rather develop due to your genetics in the case of male pattern hair loss and female pattern hair loss.
If you think you may be dealing with patterned hair loss, you may benefit from using a prescription medication containing ingredients like Minoxidil, Finasteride, Dutasteride, Spironolactone, Latanoprost, Minoxidil, or Caffeine.
Here at Strut, we carry customizable multi-ingredient hair loss medications that can include a combination of the active ingredients listed above, depending on what your hair situation needs.
To get started, simply select a general formulation you are considering and complete a free online questionnaire and image-based telemedicine consultation in under 15 minutes. Our U.S. doctors will review your information and develop a treatment plan for you based on your current hair, your hair goals, and your preferences. Then, your medication will be put together at a U.S. compounding pharmacy and shipped to your front door with our free shipping.
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