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Question

I was taking Prozac for my depression but came off it about three monts ago.

Recently I have been losing a lot of hair, about a handful every time I wash it and a fair amount during the day. I suffered from this kind of hair loss before I was put on Prozac, but while I was on my tablets, less hair fell out.

I have been feeling very tired and fed up lately, could my hair loss be a symptom of returning depression or could it be due to a hormone imbalance?

Answer

Rare cases of hair loss have been reported with using Prozac, and hair loss such as this (alopecia) usually shows three months or so after the initial cause, which would fit with your Prozac use.

Depression may also occasionally cause hair loss, as may other hormonal imbalances such as thyroid underactivity. If you have not already had some simple blood tests taken by your doctor I think it would be a good idea to do so, and certainly you should see them again to let them know how you are feeling.

This could be an early sign your depression is returning.

Yours sincerely

The Medical Team

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