Alopecia Associated with Gabapentin in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain

March 2009 in “ Journal of pain and symptom management ”

H. Evren Eker, Oya Yalçın Çok, Anıs Aribogan

alopecia gabapentin neuropathic pain hair loss hematological tests hormonal tests hair shedding hair regrowth

TLDR Gabapentin may cause hair loss in patients treated for neuropathic pain.

A 28-year-old woman experienced significant hair loss after starting gabapentin 1800 mg/day for neuropathic pain management, marking the first reported case of acute alopecia associated with gabapentin for this condition. Despite normal hematological and hormonal tests, the timing of hair loss suggested a causal link to gabapentin. Hair shedding ceased two months after discontinuing the drug, with gradual regrowth observed. This case highlighted the potential for gabapentin to induce alopecia, a side effect more challenging to tolerate in non-epileptic patients, suggesting the need for cautious dosing and monitoring.

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Research cited in this study

2 / 2 results

research Hair Loss in Psychopharmacology

63 citations, March 2000 in “Annals of clinical psychiatry”

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research Alopecia Associated with Gabapentin in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain

4 citations, March 2009 in “Journal of pain and symptom management”

Gabapentin may cause hair loss in patients treated for neuropathic pain.