Drugs and hair loss

[a-SalviaLover]

I've bneen using over the past year many kinds of drugs such as tons of weed, Shroomz, 5-MeO-DiPT, MDMA, Ketamine, Ginkgo and others. A month or so I realised I was getting Alopecia areata - hairless spots. The doctors said it's most probably because of a nervous factor and I should use sedatives. Of course I didn't tell her what substances I am using. So my question is: Could MDMA or any other of these substances produce such hairloss?
I am asking in partivcular about MDMA, because I think I got it after I took MDMA for the first time. Nut I am not sure.

So if anyone knows which drugs could cause such things and what treatment would best fit the problem, please post here. Thanks in advance!

[nanobrain]

unless your metabolic reaction to MDMA et al is waay idiosynchratic, the drugs are not likely to be the cause.

nutritional factors may play a role. are you getting proper nutrition / supplementation?

are you nervously rubbing your bodyparts while taking drugs causing bald spots to form?

[JewishNazi]

The only chemicals that hair loss can result from is DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and its derivatives when they over stimulate the androgen receptors. Unless your taking steroids that either can be reduced to DHTs or all ready are DHTs, your most likely just experiencing male pattern baldness

[Jatelka]

Alopecia Areata is an organ-specific auto-immune disease and is very different to male pattern baldness! It results from auto-antibodies to hair follicles. It is more comon in individuals with atopy (eczema, asthma etc), people with other autoimmune disease (eg: thyroid, diabetes, vitiligo, and many others), and with stress.


SWIM has done a quick search of PubMed, and cannot find any papers re illegal drug use and alopecia.However it is widely reported that heroin use causes kidney disease, and at least part of the mechanismthere is autoimmune (whether that's related to heroin per se or contaminants or concurrent hepatitis or HIV infection is a different matter!). Theoretically any drug can cause an idiosyncratic reaction in any person.


As for the statement that the only drugs which can cause hair loss being testosterone: Chemotherapy, heparin, anti-thyroid drugs, retinoic acid derivatives (off the top of SWIMS head).


Treatment wise: 75% of people get spontaneous improvement. Topical steroid creams, or intra-lesional (injected) hydrocortisone can be tried. Minoxidil can be tried but is often not very helpful. Systemic steroids (eg prednisolone tablets) are generally reserved for severe, widespread hair loss (Alopecia totalis).


Given the way big pharma is moving the next generation of treatments for alopecia are likely to involve immune-modifying drugs and monoclonal antibodies.


Have you visited www.naaf.org, http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/a...a/alopecia.htm


http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069060/?


Edited by: jatelka

[a-SalviaLover]

Originally Posted by nanobrain

are you nervously rubbing your bodyparts while taking drugs causing bald spots to form?

As a matter of fact during a shroomz trip I realised how disgusting down I have on my neck. After that trip I couldn't help touching it and pulling it. Especially when I am on psychedelic, even on weed, but also without taking anything. I was doing it constantly for a few months until I got a hairless blob there. I have no hair any more there. And when I am on a psychedelic I always think that my hair is awful and want to remove it. Especially the down on my neck. I wished there is nothing there. But now I have an ugly blob. It would be a great phenomenon if all the down gets off. The doctor said it is active. And prescribed me aloe injections. She said I have to calm down. No hair will grow there until I calm down. And all my friends say I am the calmest person they know. And sth makes me think it appeared after I took MDMA, but am not sure.

I'll be grrateful for any further information! Thanks!

[nanobrain]

hheh. i shave my head so there's never a bad hair day!

go male pattern baldness (my parents are still convinced its the drugs even though i'm almost 40)...Edited by: nanobrain

[oldman]

well, this oldman still has a full head of hair (then again he's ony 35), but it is a factor that he's weighed out as far as whether he will continue to use. He has read actually many medical reports about hair loss and use of adderall and other amphetemines. Makes sense, not that the amphets. cause baldness directly but peoploe who are on a regular regimen of chems. that encourage any sort of anorexic symptoms should definately consider that when consuming less then ideal ammounts of nutrients and specifically proteins will play a significant role in determining hair loss. people have diets low in protein tend to have more hair lossthan those who have proper diets. true that genetics play the greatest factor but there's not much help for ya there. I'm not a nutritionist, chemist or biologist, just a guy (with a bald father) who thinks about hair loss and has done a significant ammount of research on it.
So if your using anything that may keep your body from eating the right sort of diet, rapid hairloss is just one staple of suffering health. Not that all bald guys are unhealthy, but if your losing a lot of hair in a short time, something ain't right dude.

[thatsall]

I am a young male and am very worried about my hairloss also. I am perscribed adderall but decided it is to stressful on my body so i stopped. I have been perscribed a few months now and i stopped about a week ago. My diet is shit and my sleep is dog shit. My hair seems limp and dead. I think OLDMAN is right. Im not bald but i can see my scalp more then i wont want to. I once dwelled on the fact that maybe hard drugs are causing this but i dont think so. I also think the more i think im balding the more I am balding. It sux but I am goin to shape up my diet, excersize, and sleep right and see if things change in the upcoming new year. Sort of a resolution i guess.

[Marsofold]

Zinc is good for the hair...

[sands of time]

Some peope believe stimulents can cause hair loss. I have no source to back this up, so you might want to do a search with that in mind. Also remember, stimulents put more stress on your body, and stress can lead to hair loss.

[thatsall]

Do u think hair that was lost as a result of stress on body and lack of diet and excersize can be recovered?

[sands of time]

There are a number of hair restoration products available which work well for many people. They can at least restore some hair growth for most. Hair transplant surgery is also another option. Going bald is not the end of the world though. Many people see it as a safisticated look, though not always attractive.

[oldman]

omega 3 oils (especially fish oils), biotin, protein, that kinda stuff is good for skin and hair. I have seen vitamins in stores that specifically target hair and skin health. once a hair follicle is gone it's gone dude. no way to bring it back. increasing the circulation to the scalp is of some benefit in maintaining a healthy follicle I'm told. don't kow anything about those $400 laser combs they sell in the "sharper image" , you can bet if they worked you'd hear about it though.

[thatsall]

what about if hair justs start to go thin, if i was to take one of these products, one of the perscription ones,(not rogaine bescause i heard if you stop hair falls out, life dedicatiom)would my hair become thicker and fill in like it once was years ago?

Im only 19 so it kinda makes me a lil self concious to have thin hair at such a younger age.

And is taking such medicines at this at this poin smart, or should i just wait until im older and my hair is more noticebly gone?

And also i think some might be due to a little stress from major depression, so i think i might wait until im up to par emotionally and see how that helps?

[oldman]

you probably don't need me to tell you that all drugs have some sort of side effects. Rogaine? ask or read thew package. stuff's expensive and if you do stop I beleive it starts falling out again. any sort of depression that has you sacrificing sleep or diet can't help. if you're having stress from major depression you should seriously evaluate whether taking mind altering substances is really in your best interest dude. I know several years ago I had (what I thought was major) depression and when I backed off the pedal things definitely were easier to deal with. try taking some of those vitamins in the pharm.for hair and skin. they're much cheaper than rogaine and probably have minimal if any side effects.

if you consistently blow dry your hair you are risking drying out the follicle as well. towel dry that "do" and don't comb to hard if at all.

[nanobrain]

hair restoration? homey, please. leave that to the vain, insecure, self-conscious weasels who use hair styling products.

shave that noggin, froggin! go capt Pickard!

chicks seem to dig my bald head and extensive scar collection, BTW even though my skin would be totally useless for making a lamp shade out of.

P.S. blowdrying? ahhahhaaa

[oldman]

seems like once you're there everybody says it's no big deal but the journey getting there seems hard for many. I'm mearly giving some advice (pretty much opinion) concerning whether drugs or some other variable is contributing to hair loss.

I will agree some dudes have got better domes for the chrome than others. I'm not one of' em but fortunately it isn't an issue yet.

I've been a towel dryer and hair chem free my whole life. well there was that period in the eighties when everyone wanted to look like the thompson twins or flock of seagulls....hehehe!

[Psych0naut]

SWIM has eczema and chronic bronchitis, he uses triamcinolon cream for his eczema which works pretty good.
SWIM hasn't used the triamcinolon for a while because the eczema was gone, but now it came back again so SWIM started with triamcinolon again today.
In the last month SWIM developed a small bald spot on the back of his head which slowely started to get bigger.
SWIM didn't had any stressy periods, far from that so it isn't stress related.
SWIM is still very young so it can't be baldness, but whatever it might be, he wants to get his hair back and fast.

[Tzetze]

I shave my head a couple times a week, and I would reccommend it as a solution for anyone experiencing difficulties coping with hair loss.

Having said that, I know it seems like an extreme solution. The people in your life do recognise you as having hair on your head, and everyone you know will be shocked by a sudden smooth head.

I can understand that people use their hair as a means to stamp out their identity, or to "fit in" with perceived trends. I personally, wouldn't be interested in any people shallow enough to dissociate themselves from others based on how those others "style" their hair.

It's a huge step for some, but shaving your head sets you free.

[old hippie 56]

Swim began losing his hair back in his twenties, best thing he ever did was shave his head. Blame it on drug use, genetics or whatever. Being a bald headed old guy is ok with him.

[CrystalDextro]

Swims old friend had a bald grandfather on his mothers side, genetically they say that a child will take the mothers side fathers hair pattern swim believes that the hairloss that his old friend had was mostly genetic but this progressive hairloss was most likely triggered by the monthes of ice use. After Swims old friend stopped his chronic use of crystal the recessitation of his hair line slowed or possible stopped(not quite sure) but this was definitely linked to drug use. Methamphetamine use, stress from drug use and no sleep, or the depletion of the body due to nutrient loss was a definite factor because after the chronic use the loss of hair stopped or extremely slowed from swims observatons

[Medicsweb]

MDMA could not be the reason of hair loss, but you would better to advise to your doctor. Hair loss may be caused by stress most of all or nervousness or bad, incorrect nutriotion. http://www.medicsweb.com/

[snapper]

SWIM has started to have a receding hairline but really could care less. However, SWIM will leave SWIMs hair halfway down to SWIMs ass until there are 3 or less strands left (Then SWIM will shave the remainders and grow a beard halfway down to SWIM's crotch!). SWIM is looking forward to the cooky long haired bald look. Sorta like that guy on the Rocky Horror Picture Show..

[drugsrbad]

Originally Posted by sands of time

Some peope believe stimulents can cause hair loss. I have no source to back this up, so you might want to do a search with that in mind. Also remember, stimulents put more stress on your body, and stress can lead to hair loss.

I agree with this. When ever swim binges on stims it feels like i have mroe fallin out then normal. Im pretty sure it has to do a lot with the fact that when you take stims u end up eating nothing or like shit. Eat right and take all your vitamins. If you need some keep chemicals that will give you some hair back pm me. If you are that owrried abotu drugs being the cause....stop doing them? Most of baldness is genetics so i doubt mdma or anything caused it, but it might have sped up the process.