Sme asked
I’ve been taking azilect generic for two months, along with Neupro patch. I have noticed increased shedding over the past couple of weeks and read online that Hair loss can be a side effect but that is rare. I also read that it occurs During the period of 2 to 6 months of taking the medication. My question is will the shedding stop as my body adjusts to the medication or should I stop taking it?
Answer
Hair loss from medication use is more common than most people think. Commonly associated with chemotherapy, hair loss does also occur with numerous prescription medications. Drug-induced hair loss usually involves an interruption of the hair growth cycle during the telogen (resting) phase. When hair is stopped in this phase, noticeable hair loss can occur... sometimes more than 50% of total hair mass. If hair loss occurs, it tends to be spontaneous and generally occurs within two to three months of therapy initiation, which is right around the timeline you gave in your question.
The good news is, aside from some chemotherapy drugs, drug induced hair loss that involves the interruption of the hair growth cycle, is usually reversible once the drug is discontinued. After discontinuation, hair shedding can continue for up to six months but typically is much shorter. Do not expect your hair to stop falling out immediately if you discontinue the drug. It takes time. Regrowth of hair is typically seen about two to three months after the drug has been removed however to see much of a difference, 12-18 months sometimes needs to pass after discontinuation.
In terms of the specific drugs you are taking, Neupro and Azilect, they are not typically associated with hair loss. Hair loss is not mentioned as a side effect in the prescribing information for both of the drugs and clinical trial data for both drugs indicates that no study participants complained of hair loss. Still, it could certainly be a possibility that these drugs are causing it since everyone and their body reacts to medications differently.
I would recommend talking to your doctor regarding these two drugs causing hair loss. It is difficult to say whether or not your body will adjust...there is just no way to definitely answer this. Your doctor may have some recommendations on if you should continue therapy on these two or if there are other available alternatives.
