Tramadol, Pain Killers, and Hair Loss
Hello Doctor, I was wondering if the drug Tramadol, or any other perscription pain killers (possibly even neruontin) could cause hair loss? I took Seasonale for one month about a year ago, and my hair was falling out in chunks. It slowed way down after that, and I am now on Yaz (like Yasmin) which I heard is good for women with that kind of hair loss. But I have taken Tramadol pretty much every day since last september for chronic pain, and since then I noticed my hair is a lot thinner on top, mostly in the front but its thin all over. I just stopped taking my tramadol a week or two ago and the hair loss has decreased by about half. Do you think this is just a coincedence and that I truely have female pattern baldness, or is there any correlation between pain medication and thinning hair and if so will it grow back? Thank you so much!
Many medications can cause hair loss. It is virtually impossible to tell if Tramadol is causing your hair loss especially when you are taking other medications. Moreover, stress and chronic pain can also be a factor with your thinning hair.
I too had similar problem. I had taken tramadol for about 14 days to control my painful disk prolepses. Two weeks after I noticed my hair become thinner, which use to be very dense and thick. Now I have stopped the drug. Is this a known side effect of this drug? Is this hair loss reversible?
Thanks
Hi. I definitaley think tramadol makes your hair fall out. Whenever I use tramadol my hair becomes very thin and then when I stop using it my hair thickens up again.
If birth control causes hair loss as a side effect then does it continually keep thinning or is it a side effect that stops after 3 months when your body adjusts to the birth control ?
I have been on tramadol since September for a pinched nerve. I noticed that my hair has gotten alot thinner and started falling out. I had beautiful long hair, and now it looks horrible. Is it possible that tramadol is causing my hair to fall out? I am so upset. Thank You for your help and time with this question. Donna
Hello Doctor, I forgot to ask. If I stop using tramadol, will my hair grow back. I am 50 years old, and very worried. Thank You.
I have always had naturally thin, fine hair but it seems like I have half as much just in the last few months and I have been taking Tramadol. I too would like to know if this will reverse if I stop taking it? I can’t afford to sacrifice any of my hair. I just googles this to see if this was a possibility and I am disappointed to hear other people have the same concerns. I need my Tramadol but I want my hair more!
I too am convined that using Tramadol causes hair loss.I would also like to know if I stop taking it, would my hair grow back.
i am positive tramadol causes hair loss too. i am 28 male healthy and i just take it occasionaly gives me energy and makes me feel happy. i take 600mgs (not all at once) a day by nightime im itching all over and by morning my pillow has hairs all over it. But only when i take tramadol.
If I stop taking Tramadol will my hair grow back again?
I have experienced a similar issue with hair loss. Can any of you tell me if your hair grew back after stopping the drug? Thanks! 42 yr old female.
I am a 42 yr old female and have experienced excessive hair loss. Please let me know if any of you hair had your hair grow back after quitting the drug? thanks!
Both my cat and I are experiencing thinning hair [approx 50% for me], after he was started on an ear prep of tramadol that I massage into his ear tid for chronic back pain. I use a finger cot when rubbing it in and but not when removing the residue that remains the next day (supposedly inert).
To confuse our story this intensified/became pronounced after testing a new base(drug that helps it penetrate the skin) for the ear prep- because he was having sensitivity to the tramadol (ears warm, sore and behavior sluggish suggesting nausea/discomfort for about 30 minutes following application), and _potential_ exposure to pestisides. Our condo sprayed with a non-specificed pesticide for an unknown problem. I was able to keep him in the day they sprayed and until dusk the following day. He is, however, mostly a sedentary deck cat, who occassionally patrols the edges of our tiny “yard”.
So, is it the tramadol, the base, or the pesticides? Might as well go with all of the above. The next question is what to do, as vets are very hesitant to prescribe any kind of pain medication for cats- any suggestions?
Same problem. I Stopped tramadol about a month ago, and am hoping it grows back. Im 27, and should not be balding ;(
Ive been using tramadol for a whole year and I use it off and on again i finally think i found the problem It has to be this medication
I started taking Tramadol about 5 months ago and my hair has been coming out terribly. I was at the hairdresser last week and she noticed as well. She told me the first thing to look at was my drugs. Iremembered that it started shortly after taking tramadol.
I’ve been taking Tramadol for pain for a couple years now and been noticing a lot of hair loss. Has anyone noticed hair regrowing after stopping the medication?
I have been taking tramadol for about 3 years on a daily basis for chronic fatigue, which works wonders, at 50mg/day. This year I have noticed my hair thinning at the top and front, the roots are very tiny, so I now the hair is choking out before it fully grows out. I don’t have any baldness in my family or extended family. I did notice that my hairloss was more pronounced if I added any form of ritalin or adderall. But as soon as I stopped those, the hairloss decreased. I’m going to stop taking Tramadol to see if it will make a difference. It would be Tramadol or it could be just short term Adderall/Ritalin i was taking. Hard to tell since it takes months for the new hair to start growing.
I have just come back from the Doctor about my hair falling out by the handfuls. I’ve taken tramadol for a couple of years for migraines. They have drawn some blood to check my tyroid, but I’ve got a feeling that it may be the tramadol. Will post again with my lab results-may be helpful to some.
Bec A hope you come back with the results, i think any pain killer that contain opio has this side effect
This is Bec A. I said I would post the results of my thyroid results. They are normal. I told the Dr. about my hair loss,
he sent me to the dermatologist. She said my hair could be in a resting state, or could be post-menopausal, or it could be from my surgery in August. I don’t know what to do. I wish I knew if it is the tramadol. I can’t bare the migraines, but I don’t want to lose all my hair either. I’ve been through a hundred different trial meds, and tramadol is the only one that prevents my migraines. Wish the FDA would run some tests!!!!!!!!
I’ve been taking tramadol 100 mg every day for a year for chronic pain. My hair is thinning at a rapid rate and I notice it has very short roots. It is especially bad along my forehead hairline and generally all over. I am convinced it is the tramadol but don’t know what to do as it does help with my pain. I am going to try and get along without it and see if my hair will grow back, it makes me so upset to see it all falling out.
I too been taking tramadol 100 to 150 mg daily for migraine prevention, my hair is thinned out a lot I have only been taking it for a little over a month, but I also take several other meds too, so not sure ;(
I’ve been taking tramadol for a year for arthritis.
I just take one 50mg tab a day, very rarely I take two.
I’ve notice hair loss creep up on me. Most hair loss is evident in front
and on top, but it all feels thinner…a little thinner every day.
Tramadol is the only medication I take and has been
the only med I’ve taken for about a year. I drink a lot of coffee
too, but that’s been a lifestyle for three decades. I’m going to
stop taking, or try to get along without the Tramadol, and I’ll let you all
know in a month what happens. It may take longer, but I can give
30 day updates.
imho i’m 99.9% sure it’s the tram.
been on exact same meds for many years. started tram 4 weeks ago, 2 to 3 50mg/day. i have long thick hair, sadly the last few showers im seeing strands of hair and when brushing, very large amounts of hair stands are coming out. adding tram is the only change in meds or lifestyle. finished scrip, so good time to bail on tram and see if hair stops coming out so much. btw this “shedding” of long full stands is very much un-normal for me. wasn’t like this last month at all. meow
It’s definitely the tramadol everyone. I’ve been on and off it..was devastated the first time I lost 1/4 of my beautiful long hair. I stopped the tram, it all grew back. I’m back on the tram again now and my hair is falling out rapidly.
The same the happened to me on a medication called Lamictal which I was taking for bipolar.
The hair always grows back when I stop the meds.
I recently went a dermatologist, who says that he has seen a huge correlation with alopecia areata and tramadol use. He says that hair generally grows back from 3 weeks to 6 months. But, sometimes it takes over 1+ year for it grow back. Tramadol related alopecia usually doesn’t result in Totalis hair loss and usually is self-correcting. But, it does take a long time for it to grow back.
Well, today I was lying in bed ‘covered from head to toe in perspiration’ I honestly thought it was the menopause!! But this is unnatural. I lay on my bed and noticed a couple of long hairs that have to be removed from my big toe coming through, so I gently pulled, they fell out I wasn’t alarmed at first, then I tried to see if pulling the hairs on my forearm would ‘hurt’ they fell out in clumps. I’ve been on tramadol for 3weeks max !! So I panicked and gently pulled my head hair some came out, once again totally pain free, it’s reassuring to read it’s not long term ! But what can I take for pain relief now???
I forgot to mention, it’s my body hair hair that’s more evident in the loss!!
I stopped my pills last month now I’m completely bald and I have photos. I’ve been taking notes for my Dr. Well a tub of hair is what I get
I was on tramadol 50 mg twice a day for four years, I had beautiful very long thick hair so by the time I realized I was losing it the damage was done. I knew nothing about it causing hair loss until after the fact. I lost over half of my hair and it was course and straw like. I’ve now been off tram for 4 months and my hair is growing and is healthier and thicker. It’ll take another 6months to a year to get it back to where it was. I now use essential oils for my pain. No more meds for me!
Tramadol was ABSOLUTELY the cause of my hair loss. I had really thin hair to start with. Now I have to use a mirror to cover the missing hair. I have only taken about 5 50mg pills over 4 weeks. It was great for the pain, but I will deal with the pain over the hair loss!
I am on tramadol 50 mg. After about a month my hair started falling out like one of the previous bloggers. First, it came out in the shower and it was terrifying. Then as I combed it, more and more came out. I am not stressed, I eat healthy, and take vitamins. It is definitely the tramadol. My hair was beautiful before that.
I, too have had hair loss due to Tramadol. I’ve had really thick hair all my life, after two weeks with this medication I’ve lost over half my hair! I had hand surgery with no anesthesia or sedative just a freezing in my hand. I’m very upset with the lack of compassion from the doctor. He didn’t care about the wellbeing of me, his patient!
I pray that my hair will regrow to it’s original state. Please let me know if anyone else is able to regrow their back.
I agree it’s the tramadol now after reading everyone’s posts. I’ve been taking it for a few years now. At first there wasn’t any noticeable hair loss. But all of a sudden in the last few months my hair has gotten very thin & is coming out a lot!’I was only taking two 50 mg a day at the most. I only take levothyroxine & I know that’s not it. So the tramadol has to be stopped.
It’s the Tramadol everyone one for sure my hair started falling out from the roots about 3 weeks when I started the trams I didn’t figure it out wright away but thinking back thats hen it started for me.Ive been taking them for four year’s now and I’m getting off of them four sure!!!!
It’s the Tramadol everyone one for sure my hair started falling out from the roots about 3 weeks when I started the trams I didn’t figure it out wright away but thinking back thats when it started for me.Ive been taking them for four year’s now and I’m getting off of them four sure!!!!
I have been talking Tramadol for a few years and my hair have come out really bad I take it for knee pain I have a knee replacement surgery should I stop talking it.
Been taking Tramadol 50 mg twice a day for 3 years. Loosing hair in handfuls. Have been to several Dr’s. they all said Tramadol doesn’t cause hair loss…..even tho that’s what I suspected. Had all kinds of blood tests and other tests. They all came back O.K. I’m not on any other kind of medication. Know several friends taking Tramadol and they are having the same issue too, but they have a LOT of hair..I don’t. So like the rest of you I had to stop taking it. For those of you who decide to get off Tramadol be prepared for some very uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. I slowly cut down 1/2 per week till I was completely off of it. Had horrible headaches, leg cramps, restless legs, and horrible night terrors. I recommend slowly getting off this stuff. Don’t stop cold turkey…..you’ll regret it. Hoping now my hair will grow back as I’ve lost half of my hair. Hair dresser suggested I save all the hair that’s falling out and work it in with my normal hair to cover the bald spots. Tried that didn’t work our so well. Good luck to all of you dealing with hair loss. It sucks…..