Hair Loss During Lithium Treatment

The document discusses a study on hair loss associated with lithium carbonate treatment in seven female patients who were receiving the medication for manic depressive psychosis. The first patient experienced significant hair loss after four months of treatment, with a mean daily hair loss of 314 hairs, which is above the normal range of less than 150 hairs per day. This was indicative of a telogen effluvium type of hair loss. The other six patients also showed increased telogen shedding rates, but none had clinical or biochemical evidence of hypothyroidism, nor did hair root microscopy reveal increased dystrophic anagen hairs. The study suggests that lithium carbonate may cause an increased rate of telogen hair shedding, leading to a telogen effluvium type of hair loss, rather than anagen effluvium or androgenic alopecia. Despite the hair loss, the lithium treatment was continued due to its effectiveness in controlling psychiatric symptoms, and it was noted that hair regrowth might occur once treatment is stopped.