My Mom is Allergic to Minoxidil — Might I Be Too?

Hello,

My question is in regard to Minoxidil. About ten years ago my mother tried the product and ended up having a very severe allergic reaction. Her face and throat swelled greatly and she was convinced she was going to die. Thankfully, she ended up ok after several months of treatments and recovery. Doctors told her that because she applied the product after scraping her head, it most likely entered her bloodstream and resulted in the reaction she experienced.

I am now 28 years old and have been losing my hair for about 5 or 6 years. I would very much like to try Rogaine, but I am afraid of having an experience like the one I just described. My question is whether an allergy to Monoxidil is hereditary, and if there is a way to be tested in advance to determine whether or not I am allergic.

Your response is greatly appreciated, and please accept my apology if this topic has been covered before.

Most medications reactions are not true allergies. A true allergic reaction to a medications cause, itching, rash, swelling, difficulty breathing. From your description it sounds like your mother had a true allergic reaction. A family history of reaction to a specific drug does not mean that one has an increased chance of reacting to the same drug. You can do a skin test where you apply minoxidil to the skin (a very small area on your arm, possibly the size of a pea) and then wait to see if you react to it.