August 23 2006, 1:31 pm PT | Posted in: Drugs + Female Hair Loss
I am 42 yrs (female) and have been experiencing hair loss at the front of my head to the middle I’m of african descent with natural hair. I try all products that encourage re-growth with no results. Using rogaine made me gain weight and I also suffer from anxiety. Can you help?
I’ve never had any patient of mine report weight gain as a side effect of Rogaine (minoxidil), but it may be a side effect of your stress. As you are a woman, Rogaine would be the only medication I’d recommend, as it is the only one FDA approved to treat female hair loss.
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Rogaine can make a person gain weight dr.Why are you not telling her the full story? Rogaine cn cause fluid retention thatwill make you look like you have gained weight.You are not an honest man.
Please, David, you didn’t need to attack me just because you misunderstood my answer. Let me spell things out for you very clearly. I said that I haven’t had a patient report this side effect before — I didn’t say it wasn’t possible. It is more likely that her anxiety caused the weight loss, as people tend to eat more when under stress (and fluid retention and stress are also linked). The “full story” is that her treatment choices are limited, as the only FDA approved medication to treat female hair loss is minoxidil, just as I said over a year and a half ago when the original post was made.
Yes,But in my experience alot of you hairloss doctors dont really take peoples complaints seriously and its getting annoying.When someone complains of weight gain from minoxidil you should probably tell them that it is water retention,because it is very common with minoxidil ,but people dont seen to realise it and think they are just getting fat because they ask there doctors who tell them its something else.Just like we all know about the 2% propecia erectile dysfunction side effect myth,Which is probaly really at 30%
I totally agree with David. There is no missunderstanding from David. You just did not tell the full story, which should be expected from a doctor. What a scientific answer telling a patient that you bever have had such a case. What message do u want to give the patient with that? Think!
I myselve experience rapid wight gain with minoxidil and even sleep disorder because the blood pressure decresed that much.
My doctor advised me to stap taking the medication. he did not tell me that he had never had such a case before.
That’s great, Mark. Here’s a big problem you seem to be overlooking — I am not this person’s doctor. I can only provide general information, as the people writing in are not my patients.
I bet that Rogain is what made her feel anxious. Rogaine can cause a rapid heart beat which can feel like anxiety.
I bet Rogaine also caused her weight gain. Its interesting that you dismiss her own experience so easily.
For me, Rogaine caused a rapid heart beat which I couldn’t figure out the cause of for a while. I just read that Rogaine causes weight gain and now I’m trying to figure out if I was using Rogaine when I unexpectedly gained weight.
Don’t let these people get you down, Doc. They don’t seem to realize that a website isn’t meant to replace a true medical examination. Or that their “evidence” seems to be totally baseless. Braidwood “bets” Rogaine caused the weight gain. David asserts the propecia causes in ED 30% of patients. This of course is a number he presumably pulled out of mid-air.
PEOPLE - IF YOU WANT A DOCTOR TO TAKE YOUR COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY, THEN YOU NEED TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY YOURSELF. THAT MEANS ACTUALLY *GOING* TO A DOCTOR, WHERE THEY CAN PERFORM THE NECESSARY TESTS. YOU CAN’T JUST POST VAGUE QUESTIONS ON THE INTERNET AND THINK ALL YOUR PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED.
Keep up the good work, Doc. Mostly only negative posters bother to post replies, but I didn’t want you to think you were alone in the wilderness.
Rogaine can cause water retention in some people. Thats why its called a side effect, its random and only will effect a certain number of people who take the drug. I had water retention when i took rogaine, my face swelled up and so did my feet. for me its a terrible product. for some, its a godsend