Pristiq and Hair Loss

Hi I was put on Prestiq after losing my Dad suddenly in January 2010. In April 2010 I noticed hair loss. I have had 2 biopsy’s and tons of blood work and have been told I have chronic telegen effluvium caused by the stress of losing my Dad – however I am wondering if Prestiq may be the cause. It seems all the SSRI’s have hair loss listed as a possible side effect but Prestiq does not – yet there seems to be many people who report it when I search on the net. Have you heard of Prestiq causing hair loss. Thanks

We know that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications can cause hair loss. Although hair loss isn’t listed in the list of known side effects of Pristiq (desvenlafaxine), I wouldn’t be surprised if it caused it in rare cases.

You might get a baseline bulk assessment of your hair to determine just how bad the loss is. If/when you see a difference either from changing the medications (talk with your doctor) or hopefully just getting better over time, the hair bulk test will help you know for sure where you are in the process.