Metoprolol & Hair Loss
(Newest posts first)

I have been taking 200 mg. a day for about 4 years. I thought it was a coincidence that I've lost 50% of my hair during this time because I am also going through menopause. I just found out that it is possible the hair loss is caused by metoprolol, so my doctor just wrote me a RX for a different drug. Will my hair grow back? It was very long, down to my waist, but I've been cutting it to compensate for the thinness. I just touch my head and lose a few hairs! Any ideas?

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I have read all of the posts and I am sitting at my PC crying because this is so upsetting. I had two open heart surgeries (ages 9 and 39); I am now 51. Was not on any medications for heart reasons at all. Was put on Metoprolol because of heart palpitations about two years ago. I have been losing my hair for the past 18-20 months playing detective and trying to find out why. I have other issues - perimenopause, migraines, and thyroid. My "other" issues have pretty much been stabilized and I kept telling my doc about my hair loss connection to the beta blocker. I called my Cardiologists office today and I am telling them to get me off of this crap. I don't know what I am more depressed about. Losing my hair or the fact that the "professionals" can't seem to figure it out. From reading posts, it sounds like you either get a wig to mask the hair loss or die because of refusing to take the meds....... phone is ringing. I just finished up my call with the Cardiologists office. The nurse took all of my information and the nurse practitioner will call me back tomorrow. Just for the heck of it I asked the nurse if she gets complaints about hair loss. She said she has not and she looked it up before she called me. Low and behold that side effect is at the bottom of the long list. She told me that she learned something today. I hope she remembers this lesson. I'm just so angry that I want to go and punch somebody out. As I calm down, I wonder if a big part of this problem is that people who take the meds just don't make the connection. They think the hair loss is due to perimenopause, thyroid problems, aging, etc. And, the feedback never gets back to the doctor's ears. My personal plan is to get off of this medication start CoQ10 and Biotin.

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to post. I have learned that being your own health care advocate is a necessity these days. I will be sure to follow up with another post to give you an update on my status.

As someone stated.... "this too shall pass"....

I'm so happy to hear that for those who could stop the medication that your hair did come back, it just took a while. The hardest thing is when people pretend that they don't notice your freaking hair is missing. If I absolutely have to be on this medication, I will buy a wig. I know I could have it a lot worse.

My motto is DO NOT take a medication unless you have explored on your own all other options. Don't just take a doctor's word for it Also, just because it is an alternative Rx make sure you do your homework also. Everything has it's limitations. My sister once turned orange from too much Vitamin A. Was really kind of funny.

Peace and good health.



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Thanks, Angel ! Did your hair grow back?

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Ok there is help! I stopped taking mine and started taking a mixture of Hawthorn berry with COQ10 and garlic. And a baby asprin a day religiously. NO MORE HBP for me. Surf the web and lookk for Cardio support supplements.

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April...some one posted that BIOTIN, a supplement, helped, I I think it does too...I experienced some regrowth when I was taking it but I ran out and never got anymore...of course at the time I didn't realize it might have been because of the biotin that I got the regrowth. I am now starting to take it and have changed my bp med, so hopefully I will start seeing no more loss and with any luck, will see new growth. I will try to keep posting as there is progress!!

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I am taking Protandim and became a vendor because of the short term results I saw not related to my bp.. however oxidative stress can be a cause of many issues so I am also monitoring it for this.. I will definately keep everyone posted on what it does for me:) I agree no-one should have to deal with this crap! It is a shame that doctors know so little about this stuff and brush it off.. I went to a dermotologist before changing meds to ask his opinion and he pretty much treated me like I was crazy and it was just me aging..... pointed out some other stuff and basically kicked me out the door! I am only 36 and it is not aging!! gheesh:(


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I just re-read my old posts on this subject, along with all the new ones. I feel so bad for all of you who have hair loss due to these blood pressure/heart medicines. Both Metoprolol and Lisinopril cause hair loss to some degree or another. You all are so young to be going through this--and still none of us know what to do to regrow our hair!

We can't stop taking medications without risking stroke and/or death. Having beautiful hair again is not worth risking our lives. I hope you all agree with that.

I keep hoping someone will post a solution! or find a doctor who figures out an alternative medication that won't make hair thin and fall out. IF anyone does, please announce his name and what the solution is!

Even on a low 10mg. dose of Lisinopril, my hair is still thinning, only at a slower rate. New hairs grow about 2-3" and then fall out. I take lots of vitamins, use gentle shampoo and rarely take a brush to my hair.

I must mention that I also have thyroid disease, but supposedly it is under control with meds.

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My hairs growing back ppl whoop whoop it's taken 7 months after stoping the pills and had a heart opp there's hope I lost nearly all my hair and now slowly it's coming , come off the drugs it's the only way thanks everyone tho for the support and good luck guys

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I forgot to say also that when they switched to the Lisinopril I spoke with my doctor because she mentioned that "my heart and lungs would slowly get stronger now also" because I always had a faster pulse so they put me on the Metorolol also to "slow things down".. and I said hey wait a minute is this going to fix the polycythemia ruba vera that I mysteriously just started having a few years back and she said well yeah I guess that it probably would but no-one had connected the dots.. even when I asked when I was told I had it (a different doc but the new one didn't see it either til I said something)..I only make more blood because I had a low oxygen count (apparently not common) but obviously a side effect also of the slowing everything down for so many years. These meds just aren't good for you:(

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Thanks, I have had multiple thryroid tests so I think that I am ok but am now on a lower dose of Lisinopril which doesn't sound much better, and am still having hair loss also.. . I have now started taking Protandim and will continue to monitor my results since it may help me altogether with the bp and getting rid of all of the meds. I know that many others are struggling with this stuff so I will try to remember to come back and post my results in a few months:) I am very hopeful as my bp is the "heriditary" kind because they cold never find an actual cause and I have had it since I was 23 and am now 36. (and it was stroke level when it "popped up"). Good luck to you all!!

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I started BP meds about 4 years ago...started on Lisenopril and had a bad cough reaction to it, apparently fairly common. Doc rx'd the metoprolol 50 mg., cough stopped within a week. Great! Late in the summer noticed a quArter sized bald spot on the lower back of my head (thankfully). Didn't think much of it at the time as I had recently found a tick in the same area and thought it was a result of the tick bite. By December my hair loss had doubled and the bp was up so she upped my med to 100 mg and tested me for lupus. Lupus was neg. but its now April and my hair loss is now almost 50%! In reading mor about lupus, I found that there is drug induced lupus! It involves hair loss, achey joint and muscles, all of which I have experienced, not to mention the tiredness! One of the drugs that causes drug induced lupus is beta blockers, metoprolol being one. BINGO!!!!! If it is drug induced lupus, it may take months, even years for symptoms to show up...yah that would be me! Like one of the other bloggers, I started taking biotin...for my nails, actually but I did start experiencing a little regrowth, so I will start taking it again...the weird thing is, I have naturally dirty blonde hait that I lighten with some gray mixed in. The new growth is SNOW WHITE!!!! I have always had naturally thick hair and lashes which are now considerable thinner. Fortunately my hairs loss is at the lower back of my head so I can cover it , but I'm about bald half way up my head. I hope it comes back, but if I can just get it to stop, I'll be happy. New med starts today! Lets hope there are no more bad reactions and that all the joint and muscle pain go away too!

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HAVE RESEARCHED OVER AND OVER WHAT TO DO ABOUT MY HAIR LOST, I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THE MED I AM TAKING CAUSE HAIR LOSS, I NOTICED BUT WITH AGE I THOUGHT IT WAS NORMAL, NOTICED THAT I SEE STRAIGHT THUR MY HAIR AND A VERY THIN PONYTAIL, OVER A MATTER OF FEW MONTHS WAS NOT OKAY. I AM NOW SCARED TO WASH MY HAIR BECAUSE IT IS ALL IN THE BRUSH. I JUST CRIED NOT TO BE VAIN BUT WITH RAPID WEIGHT GAIN BECAUSE OF THE MED AND NOW THIS I AM MAJORLY DEPRESSED. MY HAIR WAS LONG AND FULL NOT ANYMORE, MY NEXT STEP WOULD BE A WIG TOO THIN TO WEAR SHORT. GLAD TO KNOW I MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE. I AM NOT TAKEN THIS NO MORE.

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erm iv bein off mine 2 months and my hair has not even started to grow back at all i hopeing it mote just take time ,and iv also had the heart opp so i wont have to take meds again thank god

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It will grow back. I have been off mine a month and I am soooo happy to say I have re- growth!!!!!!!!!. My hair has always been so thick and very long. So yes it should grow back....

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im sorry shuld of said i was on bisoprolol but most beta blockers work the same and yes it was defo 100 percent the drug and if anybody is taken and is having problems plz dont waite as long as i did to get it sorted

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why do ppl always same THATS A LOW AMOUNT TO BE ON ???????? im am 25 years old and i have heart problems so i was put on a LOW amouth 2.5 then moved up to 5mg and over half my hair is gorn i had long think hair,i stuck the meds out for 9 long months and xmas day just gorn i stop and my hair is still falling ,each doctor is diffrent and most of them shrug it off ,its heart brakeing and i dont know if ill ever be able to wear my hair down again ,and yes when ur ill u still cant help careing about the way u look !! i only stuck to the meds that long as i have to young children and i belived it was for the best ,i just half the pill for 2 weeks then stop xmas day with no probs at all thank god and am now waitening for a opp ,i would love to know if anybody has being through the same and if there hair even has started to grow back as its all i think about plzzzzzzz help me xxxx

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Forgot to say that since November 1st, 2011 I have been prescriped a higher dose of Metoprolol 50mg Succanate ER and since the 1st until now i have now got a huge bald spot at the top of my head about the size of the palm of my hand. I have also got several quater size spots in various spots all over my head including one right in the front(cant hide that one) I am posting this because for the two years that I have been taking this drug, I have been slowly loosing hair, but because I HAD such thick and long hair, it did'nt bother me that I was loosing it. But now I cry myself everytime I run my fingers thru my hair or daily combing because I can litterally feel it popping and it just makes me cry to know that I will eventually be bald if I keep taking it. PLEASE PLEASE questions your Dr's. They are NOT GOD"S and we are just guinie pigs. I, just got a call from my Dr and now he wants to put me another drug-you better believe that I am about to do Research on it before I agree to take it.

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I feel for you soo much. I am a 40yr old female and i have been on it for 2yrs-Metoprolol 25mg. The bad thing about it is that i was not given it for HBP i was given it for heart palpatations. Now when I stopped taking it breifly,I ended up in the hospital with a BP of 172/154! I don't want to take this crap. I called my Dr today and the nurse tells me to not take it anymore, but i thought you had to be weened off of it. Wow good advise especially since they still have not called me back!!!!!

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IF your doctor insists metropolol is not causing your hair loss, you should confront him with a statement from your pharmist! They know so much more about drugs than doctors do (seriously).

For heart problems and blood pressure problems it seems you only have a choice between ace inhibitors and beta blockers. Ask a pharmacist for a list of the most popular in each category. See which list metropolol is on and choose one from the other! Both will help, so why not choose one from the other category?

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yes Lisinopril caused me severe hair loss. I was ok on 10mg but it wasn't reducing my blood pressure so the doctor pushed me up to 40 mg. I had large bald spots (3) int two months. Metoprolol 25mg also caused severe hair loss after taking it for 49days. The doctor insisted that neither med should cause hair loss. Time for a new Doctor?

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yes Lisinopril caused me severe hair loss. I was ok on 10mg but it wasn't reducing my blood pressure so the doctor pushed me up to 40 mg. I had large bald spots (3) int two months. Metoprolol 25mg also caused severe hir loss

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