Sukie checking in here ...

A brief history before I ask my question:

At 40, I experienced major depression. The depression lasted a couple of years and the last year was coupled with extreme anxiety, hypochondria, panic, etc. It became completely unmanageable to the point where I admitted myself to the hospital.

Fast forward 5 months and I'm doing much better. I'm on Zoloft. I recently tried to wean down from it but when I did, all oft the symptoms that landed me in the hospital came back in full fury.

The problem is that I'm losing my hair. I used to have thick hair--and lots of it. Now it's thin and every shower freaks me out a little more with the amount that I see I'm losing.

Will this ever stop? Is it permanent? Has anyone experienced this and tried a different SSRI and had success in preventing any more hair loss?

(And as a side note: Does anyone else have trouble believing that all of this stuff is actually perimenopause? I still am convinced that I just had a nervous breakdown and that am now officially mentally unstable.)


Thanks, e-friends.

xo

Sukie

I have read that hair loss can be a symptom of thyroid imbalance, and that some SSRIs have fluoride in them which interferes with the body's processing of thyroid hormone. Something to consider. Well, I had my nervous breakdown at 41 with no prior history of mental problems. While there may be more to it than hormones, I definitely think the hormonal upheaval makes the hormone-sensitive brain vulnerable to imbalances.

Thank you, surfin4answers,

Tell me, did you recover from your nervous breakdown?

Bless you for sharing.

Sukie

Dear Sukie

You have been through a lot and I admire your courage and honesty in sharing.I had a -breakdown when I suffered Premature Ovarian Failure.Prozac plus HRT saved my life. This happened when I was 39 and I am now 57.

I am still on Prozac and take Xanax for anxiety as needed.I do not consider myself mentally un-stable and neither should you,dear friend.Some of us are more vunerable and fragile emotionally and mentally just as some are more physically frail.

-Menopause can cause lots of symptoms both physical and mental.Some ladies have experienced Psychotic breakdowns but with the correct Meds and Therapy have lived to tell the tale.They are all highly intelligent articulate ladies

Please have your Thyroid thoroughly tested as it can cause symptoms that mimic near breakdowns,if over or under-active.

God Bless
And do keep us up to date so that we can share and help.
You are not alone
God Bless
Elizabeth

P.S. Never suffered any hair loss on AD but this can also be a sign of Thyroid imbalance.

Have not recovered YET, but just now trying my second AD. See my other post about zoloft today. Thanks.

Hi to OP ... do check into the thyroid imbalance because that can definitely cause the hair loss, BUT, with that being said, I know that because I'm bipolar (have been for 20 years), at certain times when my psych dr ups my depakote, it causes alot of hair loss. Fortunately I have a nice thick head of curly hair, but it's disconcerting nonetheless.

My latest hairdresser told me to take biotin (and my psych dr told me it's totally safe and your body excretes the excess). I've been on 5,000 mcg since January '09 and IT WORKS. Much less hair in the drain after my showers and on my hands in washing my hair.

Also, years ago, a different dr. told me that Centrum Silver (with its extra selenium and zinc) would also help ... and it did at the time, so I still take that (although I'm not 50 yet ... just 49

Reading up on the internet before taking the biotin, I found that long-term use of depakote (an anti-convulsant used to treat bipolar disorder) CAN cause a biotin deficiency ... so fancy that, my hairdresser was on to something.

Anyways, I'm not a doc, but it is a B vitamin and could be worth a try.

Hang in there ... I'm going to perimenopause and my sleep is all screwed up right now. Other than that, I'm doing great!