8 Types of Drugs That May Cause Hair Loss By Cynthia E. Keen, AARP

The patient was depressed. She had kidney disease, endured regular dialysis and had undergone an aggressive medical regimen after doctors discovered blood clots. But that wasn’t what was dimming the 49-year-old’s spirits. “My hair is falling out,” she lamented. Her doctors suspected the cause. She had been prescribed warfarin, an anticoagulation drug, to deal with her clotting issue. Within three weeks of switching to an alternative drug, apixaban, her hair stopped falling out — and eventually it grew back.

Like turning gray, hair loss can be a natural part of aging. But alopecia, the medical term for hair loss, is a complex condition with many variations, from slow-progressing balding (referred to as male- or female-pattern hair loss) to more rapid and patchy loss (alopecia areata is a common form). Genetics, hormonal changes, inflammation and even certain diseases — including, in some cases, COVID-19 — can trigger temporary or permanent hair loss. And prescription drugs may also trigger excessive and sudden shedding. continue