About 2 years ago I started noticing that my hair was much limper and softer than usual. I was upset because my hair is naturally very fine and thin. Over the past year or more I've seen that it's getting thinner on top--again, bad news for someone with very little hair to start with!

I thought it must just be hormones causing this. But I was recently put on hydrochlorothiazide to go with the metopropolol I've been on. And since being on the 2nd med, I've been losing more hair. It finally dawned on me that the first med was causing the problem and the 2nd one made it even worse! Don't ask me why it never occurred to me before...DUH!

From what I've read online, all BP meds have hair loss as a side effect. Is anyone else having this same problem? It's not overly noticeable right now, but if it keeps going like this it soon will be. I'm waiting for my doctor to call me back, but I'm not very hopeful about finding a different med that won't have the same effect (or worse ones).

I know there are far worse problems and I feel quite shallow, but I'm so bummed right now.

It could be low estrogen or low iron (ferritin)

But Metoprolol is a beta blocker, and beta blockers are known to interfere with the conversion of T4 to T3 (the active thyroid hormone), so you might want to either switch to a different, non-BB med, or get your thyroid levels checked (free T4, free T3--must be *free*).

I've been in peri/menopause for years and had no hair problems until recently, I have no other thyroid symptoms at all and the timing just fits too perfectly with the BP meds. I hope the doctor can give me a good alternative to what I'm taking.

Thanks for the input.

I am sorry, Parlie, ask your doctor for Spironolactone, this is also BP medication but it will help to reverse hair loss, it is know to combat androgens, and many women take it just for the hair growth sake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spironolactone
yes, BP meds can cause many nasty side effects, so perhaps worth trying this one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spironolactone
Good luck,
I.

Thanks for that Iradan! I just got the Metoprolol changed to Norvasc, which has hair loss as a much more rare side effect. The doctor didn't want me switching 2 meds at the same time, so at my next visit in two weeks, I'll ask about the Spironolactone.

Parlie,
It seems like you are on beta blockers, and Norvask is calcium channel blocker, perhaps you had heart palpitations along with elevated blood pressure.
Ask your doctor is Spironolactone is a better option for you, but I hope Norvask will be least impacting, when it comes to BP medications, most have side effect. I want to see one medication that does not have side effect in general.
When it comes to T4 to T3 convertion, it takes healthy liver and kidneys, most meds keep these organs busy, so it makes harder to perform their normal functions.
I hope you will find med that has least impact.
I.

It's funny that you said that. I was on a beta blocker and I didn't have any palpitations at all. Last week I got switched to the Norvasc--today I've had palpitations for the first time. I've been on the Norvasc for 4 days now. I called my doctor today and I'm going in tomorrow to get checked. Palpitations are a side effect of the med so I wonder if I'm going to have to switch again.

Turns out that hair loss is a side effect of just about every BP med, but in Norvasc it's supposed to be rarer. Of course, I don't even know if that's what's caused the hair loss. I'm going to ask to get my thyroid checked when I'm there.

I have an appointment with a dermatologist that specializes in hair loss, but the first time I could get was August! I sure hope I have some hair left if I have to wait that long. I'm going to keep checking on cancellations.

I wonder if my anxiety over a number of things, including this, is causing the palps. But it seems too coincidental that I just started this med and boom! Here they are! Blah.

I will have to ask my mom, but she always had really high BP. Then she started to get massive hair thinning....

Well about a year ago, doctor's gave her some medicine to take for her hair thinning... Well then her pressure started dropping big time. Well they finally found out that the side effect of the med for the hair thinning was lowering BP. My mom has been on BP meds since her early 30's, she is actually no longer taking the BP med's just the med for the hair thinning...

I will ask her what the name of the med is. Perhaps you can ask your doctor. Just keep an eye on BP, cuz it could really drop your pressure.... My mom was so excited that she no longer needs her BP.... (Remind's me of that show, HOUSE, whereas he prescribes med's based upon their side effects...)

about 8 months ago I noticed a lot of hair comming out of my head every morning when I would wash my hair.. it lasted for about 5 months then stopped, I just chalked it all up to this lovley change !