Has anyone on antidepressants experienced this odd side effect - the urge to pull your hair out?
412572
Hi,\nI'm a Pharmacist.\nThe side effect is very specific, so it's possible that there aren't many people that can identify... BUT, an 'uncontrollable urge to pull your hair out' can be a way that you delt with some of the side effects that can occur. \nAntidepressants alter the neurochemical balance in the brain to help alleviate the symptoms of depression, but the whole picture is still not known. Antidepressant drugs usually target one specific neurochemical, yet many different systems have been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. Hence, antidepressant use can alleviate depression and/or throw the balance out of whack! Symptoms of mental state changes (eg hypermania, anxiety) can arise. The 'uncontrollable urge to pull your hair out' may be a manifestation of one of these symptoms.\nThe results seen are usually patient specific, and what works in one patient may not work in all.\nIf you find that antidepressants make your situation worse, try some non-pharmacological treatments to help you eg/ behavioural therapy or counseling.\nHope this helps! Goodluck!
1041854
I suffer from the same..It's so annoying and really disturb my everyday life. For that problem I was treated adequately by a psychiatrist and now I have only temporary "fits" of fobia.Well,you must see a good shrink and explain to him all in details,and I am sure he/she will decide do you need a medical treatment.As I said I undergone such,with a combination of SSRI antidepressants and some tranquilizers(those are administered only temporary).And the problem is both psychological and psychiatric..The best working SSRI antidepressants for that(as from my experience) are Zoloft(contains Sertraline) and Paxil..Wish you luck and if you need any information or further advice E-mail me..
705543
I have been per scribed every antidepressant I can think of, and of course they changed keep changing it.  I finally got a doctor to listen to me, and she put me on the medicine Depakote and Wellbutrin SR. Please talk to your doctor and let them advise you.  If your doctor doesn't help, go to another one.  I wanted to quit so many times but you must keep on trying. Good Luck and God Bless You.  Let me add that I have been like this since I was a little girl and of course no one know or recognized what the deal was.  It is very hard to explain when you don't know what's going on in your head as a  child.  When a doctor did say the words "bipolar" I had an explanation for all the weird feelings I had and all I was going through. Peace.
937947
Honestly I was on Cymbalta about three months ago and the withdrawals are a piece of cake... there are much worse medications out there.  But, I was in the process of switching to another medication to replace the Cymbalta.  It's a good medication I think but if you're losing weight that quickly, that is not a good sign.  You should probably call your psychiatrist about that.  I never had side effects from it, so if you are...probably not the right medication for you, but I'm definitely no doctor.  I've just been on tons of different types of anti-depressants  :)  Hope that helped!
511330
Pretty common. I had it when I was about 9 or 10. It was embarassing, but it happens to alot of kids.\nI remember my mom freaking out. She practically bobbed my hair short and bought the special shampoo for head lice.
295584
I have trichtotillamania, a disorder brought on by stress that runs in my family.  I've been compulsively plucking hair from my eyebrows, eyelashes, arms, and face since I was 8.  I can tell you from experience that two more will not grow back in place of a plucked hair, otherwise I'd be plucking 24/7.  Also, trichtotillamania is classified in with the other manias, such as pyromania and kleptomania...which I believe needs to be changed because it's more like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...which I also seem to have a touch of since childhood.
214452
I have seen many people/friends try to do this and if you are doing it without dr supervision it can be extremely dangerous. Effexor can affect your body for a long time after you stop or decrease it especially your moods. If you dont like taking it or are having side effects I encourage you to discuss this with your dr before making any changes. If it is an issue of cost contact your dr or pharmacy many drug companies will provide you your medication if you meet certain criteria\nGood luck
70549
I am and have been for several years now. Over the past year, they have switched mine around so much that I have definitely had some of those effects. It depends on the kind though. As long as you keep your doctor informed, take them every day like you are supposed to, and never just drop them cold turkey, you should be ok. \n\nI was always very wired on Welbutrin and oppositly always tired on paxil. You may have to try a couple types before you find one that is perfect for you, but give them a couple months to reach full potency in your system. It is well worth the struggle once you start to feel like you are in control of yourself again! Trust me, I've been depress for almost 15 years now. I finally admitted it and got treatment a couple of years ago and it has made a world of difference. Make sure you have a good therapist to talk to as well. \n\nOff topic, I really like your avatar. I've seen it a couple times and it always stood out!
187514
If this is soemthing you find your unable to control you may have something called trichotillomania. trichotillomania is a condition where people pull out hair such as eyebrows,facial hair, leg hair, hair on your head ect  if you find that this is something that you do trigored by nervousness, fear, anger ect then you should tell your doc. Your doc can help you find the appropriate treament.\n\n here is a site that can give you more info on this and help you figure out what some more options are\nwww.hairscientists.org/q&a.htm
412325
My best friend and boyfriend's antidepressants had one of those rare side effects on him and he ended up killing himself by sticking a knife to his throat.\n\nI found him on his kitchen floor in a pool of blood and that is pretty much the worst thing that I can think of to happen to anybody. \n\nI would never wish the sight on my worst enemy... and the only reason I can even talk about it now is because I want people to be aware that anti-depressants need to be taken responsibly! Check warning labels, read the side effects, make sure you look out for signs.
457514
Tricholtillomania- i need to write that down anyway i have it. For me i have a constant bald spot on the top of my head i can cover with clippies or scrunchie my hair is almost always up. I pluck my armpit hairs, and if it is a really bad day with stress i do it alot more and if i am alone i will pull pubic hair. I am a wife and a mother and other than my mom and my immediate family no one knows i have it. Mine came when i was in 5th grad and i pulled almost ever hair out of my head... kids thought i had cancer and i lied and told them no i had an elergic reaction to a perm. (thats what my mom thought it was and took me to a dermatologist) i never pulled my hair in front of her. Now i dont even feel it, and sometimes i dont even realize i am doing it. my husband yells at me to stop when he notices but during pleasant non stressful times i can go a long time without doing it. Right now we are buying our first house and our closing is coming with moving and being 6 months pregnant i pull often.
174575
Common adverse effects include anxiety, which is possibly associated with an interaction of fluoxetine with the pineal gland,[9] in addition to restlessness and insomnia. weight loss, trembling, weakness, skin rash, anorgasmia, itching, and a decrease in sexual drive, have also been reported. Finally it has been reported to cause subsequent weight gain [10].\n\nLike other SSRIs, an overdose of fluoxetine or combining it with other antidepressants can lead to serotonin syndrome.
891761
well, i feel like mine will never stop. i was on meds for years, then i was taken off of them, and now i feel as crazy and depressed as ever. it's a chemical imbalance in the brain, and that might not always be fixable. emotional depression is fixable, and chemical can be, but sometimes it's not. just the draw of the hand i guess.
290860
I find that they're similar to the side effects when you first start taking it. The biggest one for me is that "electric jolt" or "brain shock," that hard-to-describe sensation that comes on suddenly, originating in the brain and going throughout your body. It isn't serious, but it is annoying. I have these "shocks" even if I forget to take my meds one day.\n\nIf you're going off, definitely TAPER your dosage rather than go cold-turkey. If you gradually decrease your dosage over a couple weeks, you probably won't notice any withdrawl symptoms. \n\nOf course, I've never successfully quit effexor--I tried switching meds, but my anxiety came back with a vengeance, so I went back on. I felt great while tapering, and even a few days afterward, but then the anxiety came back. I'll try again when my life settles into a more sane routine. I hear that helps when going off meds (which my friend HAS done successfully).\n\nGood luck!
387274
I know the sensation you're talking about. I was on Paxil for a while and when I was comming off it I got rushes through my head (felt like electricity), plus I'd get dizziness along with it that felt a little bit like vertigo. I cut my dose down gradually over about a month or so. Have you tried 75mg for a week then 50mg for a week, then 25mg for a week, then one every other day for a week?
265737
I did without even trying, I'm on wellbutrin xl 300mg. I was put on it for depression, but the longer I took it the less I wanted to smoke. I didn't have nearly as many cravings and when I did smoked it made me wanna be sick.
764638
Lightheadedness, headaches and dizziness are all side effects. For the first couple of weeks after taking it I also had an upset stomach and felt really jittery. I lost all interest in sex and felt quite 'spaced out' a lot of the time, and separated from what was going on around me. Of course some of this is symptomatic of depression too. Word of warning about the alcohol - its a depressant so will counteract the prozac. If you must drink try to keep it to a minimum, but the safest bet is to avoid it completely.