Fluoxetine- and Sertraline-Related Hair Loss in a Teenager: A Case Report

February 2013 in “ Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bulteni-bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology ”

Serhat Türkoğlu

fluoxetine sertraline venlafaxine SSRIs alopecia hair follicles growth phase resting phase drug-induced alopecia Prozac Zoloft Effexor selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors hair loss

TLDR A teenager lost hair due to fluoxetine and sertraline, but it grew back after stopping these drugs and switching to a different one.

In the 2013 case report, an adolescent female experienced hair loss after taking the SSRIs fluoxetine and sertraline, with no prior personal or family history of alopecia. The hair loss stopped after discontinuing these medications and did not return when the patient switched to venlafaxine, suggesting that SSRIs may cause reversible hair loss by shifting hair follicles from the growth phase to the resting phase. The case underscores the need for healthcare providers to consider drug-induced alopecia in patients on SSRIs and to monitor this potential side effect, which can impact medication compliance and cause emotional distress. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of SSRI-induced hair loss and to inform treatment recommendations.

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Research cited in this study

9 / 9 results

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40 citations, August 2006 in “Current Drug Safety”

Some drugs can cause hair loss, excessive growth, or color changes, often reversible but sometimes permanent.

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25 citations, January 2006 in “Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety”

SSRIs can cause hair loss, especially sertraline, with higher risk in women.

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349 citations, January 2005 in “The FASEB journal”

Human skin can make serotonin and melatonin, which help protect and maintain it.

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Some psychiatric medications can cause hair loss, but it usually grows back after adjusting the medication.

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Some psychotropic medications can rarely cause hair loss, and stopping these drugs usually reverses the condition.

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38 citations, September 1996 in “Annals of Clinical Psychiatry”

Hair loss from mood stabilizers is common but can be managed without stopping the medication.

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63 citations, March 1995 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

Some drugs can cause hair loss, and stopping these drugs often leads to hair regrowth.

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147 citations, April 1994 in “Drug Safety”

Some drugs can cause hair loss or increase hair growth, but these effects are usually reversible when the drug is stopped.

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30 citations, May 1991 in “Psychosomatics”

Some psychiatric medications can cause reversible hair loss.

Related Research

1 / 1 results

research Diffuse Hair Loss Induced by Sertraline Use

3 citations, January 2015 in “Case reports in psychiatry”

Sertraline can cause hair loss, which stops after stopping the drug.