Morning Periorbital Edema Due to Low Dose Oral Minoxidil

The document discusses two cases of morning periorbital edema (swelling around the eyes) associated with low doses of oral minoxidil, a treatment for androgenetic alopecia (hair loss). The first case involved a 40-year-old man who experienced the swelling after 4 weeks of treatment with 5 mg/day of oral minoxidil. The swelling resolved during the day and did not impact his daily life. After reducing the dose to 3 mg/day, the symptoms completely disappeared. The second case involved a 37-year-old woman who experienced the swelling after 2 weeks of treatment with 1 mg/day of oral minoxidil. The swelling resolved within 60 minutes each day. After discontinuing treatment for 12 weeks, the symptoms disappeared and did not reappear when treatment was reinitiated at a lower dose of 0.5 mg/day. The document concludes that while this side effect is rare, it is important for patients to be aware of it. The swelling is not a serious adverse effect and does not result in long-term complications. It can remit spontaneously after 2-3 months of treatment without altering the dose regimen.