Hair Loss

[jjsmommy3313]

Hello Friends,
So I have noticed that I have been losing a large amount of hair here lately. I will get in the shower, start washing my hair, and it'll come out in clumps! You wouldn't believe what I have to pull out of the drain after all of one shower...
I'm not trying to blame the Suboxone necessarily. It could very well be stress or other factors. But I was just curious to see if any of y'all were also experiencing this at times, as this is the only medicine I take.
Look forward to hearing from yall.
Much Love, jjsmommy

[Amy-Work In Progress]

Hey Jjsmommy!

To the best of my knowledge, this wouldn't happen from the buprenorphine. Hair loss is usually caused by hormone shifts. So maybe check with your doctor and get your endocrine system checked out?

The same thing happened to me right after I had my son at 27. I was alarmed for sure, but my doctor said it was fairly common. But get checked and try to figure it out for your peace of mind. My hair went back to normal, but I always seem to lose a lot of hair!

Amy

[SubstantialTarantula]

Hello Friends,
So I have noticed that I have been losing a large amount of hair here lately. I will get in the shower, start washing my hair, and it'll come out in clumps! You wouldn't believe what I have to pull out of the drain after all of one shower...
I'm not trying to blame the Suboxone necessarily. It could very well be stress or other factors. But I was just curious to see if any of y'all were also experiencing this at times, as this is the only medicine I take.
Look forward to hearing from yall.
Much Love, jjsmommy

I just read that complaint on a Sub review board. However, I know someone who has an eating disorder and it seems to cause chronic hair loss, so if you've been neglecting your calories, there's another reason
All I can say is it better not cause hair loss or I am f**ke*!!! lol
SubSalon

[jennjenn]

My hair comes out a lot but it’s been that way my whole life. Even though I have a lot of hair that falls out, I cannot tell any different as far as the thickness goes. I have thicker hair so even though my hair falls quiet a bit each day, a certain amount is normal on a daily basis. Isn’t it normal to lose somewhere around 100 hairs each day? I read that somewhere. Think about it like this, if you skip a hair washing one day and wear your hair in a ponytail or something like that, then the next time you wash it you’re also getting rid of the hair you’d shed the previous day too, because you hadn’t washed it & it was in a ponytail or even half up and it’s all coming out in the shower. That’s how I always look at it because I’ve never noticed my hair becoming thinner but I do lose a lot of hair. Losing clumps of hair in the shower is totally normal, just google it. Having longer hair will make it even more noticeable compared to men who have shorter hair. I know of course there becomes a point that it isn’t normal obviously but I wouldn’t automatically jump to conclusions, do some research on this and you may not be so worried, that’s all I’m saying.

[Amy-Work In Progress]

Nutritional deficiencies can definitely cause hair loss! In the case of eating disorders, those nutritional losses wreak havoc on the endocrine system causing hormonal changes. An anorexic person will not only lose hair, but their periods stop, and downy hair starts to grow on the body.

In the case of pregnancy, I've never looked this up, but this is my hypothesis. The baby takes what it needs from mom during pregnancy. If mom isn't taking in what baby needs nutritionally, the baby leeches it out of mom's reserves, leaving her with losses. That is fact. Perhaps any deficiencies can contribute to hair loss after the pregnancy is over. Of course, the large hormonal changes after pregnancy are the more likely culprit in a new mom.

I notice that our OP goes by the name "jjsmommy", so I am thinking that her child may still be quite young. My handle on ebay was something like "jacob'smom" when he was very little because that's how I defined myself. (I still do, but by necessity I have to look elsewhere for my identity since he's now a young man. Otherwise, holy weirdness!) Anyway, these are the meanderings of my mind as I consider this post.

Jen, you make some fantastic points. I had never looked at my own hair loss that way.

Amy

[jennjenn]

Yeah I definitely don’t think my point is to replace someone obviously losing lots and lots of hair because there can really be so many different causes but I did want to throw the possibility of it being normal in some cases. I used to get scared at how much hair would come out in the shower. I always wondered why my hair wasn’t thinning since I was losing so much. I started researching it and realized that the average person loses 50-100 hairs a day. I’d realize that it would be exceptionally bad on days I’d skipped a washing the day before so when I read up on it it really made a lot of sense to me, that’s why my hair wasn’t thinning. If your hair is noticeably thinning then of course my suggestion is probably not the case. I didn’t realize how much hair we were supposed to lose each day until my late 30’s, if someone had mentioned it to me sooner or whatever I wouldn’t have been so quick to think something was wrong with me. I actually have to get my hairdresser to thin my hair out with those thinning scissors every time I get a haircut because my hair is thick..... and that’s with losing a lot of hair each day. Us women notice it even more because our hair is longer and of course more noticeable. But still, this all goes bk to IF your hair isn’t getting thinner, because that wasn’t the case for me. It’s something to think about for sure though..... we lose 50-100 hairs a day ppl! Weird right!

[jjsmommy3313]

Thanks for the responses guys. Like I said, I'm not trying to blame the bupe for my hair loss, I'm just trying to figure out some possible causes for it, and would like to rule out the sub because it's not going anywhere anytime soon lol.It is most likely hormonal, because I do have a lot of issues with my menstrual cycle. I also have very long hair that needs a trim in a bad way.
And yes, my child is, I guess, what most people consider small still; she's 5, will be 6 in March. I guess I mostly identity with being her mother because I'm a single parent and pretty much everything I do is connected to or because of her, if that makes any sense. Even being on subs because they have saved my life and made me the mother I need to be for her.
Thank y'all again for all the responses, they have definitely helped narrow down the potential causes of it.
JJsMommy

[Amy-Work In Progress]

Well, I am married, but my main focus has still been my son. First, I've always wanted children, and secondly, my husband doesn't have a bunch of interest in knowing me beyond a certain level. Focusing on my son is now much less of an option because he's 20 and in college. I've never wanted to be one of those moms who tries to control the relationship with their son. Still, it can be painful to acknowledge how much he has withdrawn from me since he was a kid. Age appropriate, but painful.

In any case, enjoy the closeness with your daughter for as long as you can! She'll be needing you for many years yet. It makes me happy that buprenorphine has enabled you to truly be her mom.

Amy

[Mumin]

I have this same problem. I just now noticed that hair loss is on suboxone's side-effect's list. I'm thinking of quitting Suboxone or maybe switching to Methadone (there's no hair loss on Methadone's side-effects list). It's not a common side-effect but it is there on the list.

This is a link to a site that's used in Sweden for medicinal information to doctors & patients: https://www.fass.se/LIF/product?userTyp ... 1206000022

This is the same site translated with google translate to english: https://translate.google.com/translate? ... 1206000022

In this article they also mention reports of hair loss: https://www.arbetaren.se/2012/11/23/sub ... i-sverige/

Translated: https://translate.google.com/translate? ... sverige%2F

I want to bring attention to this so i'm going to make a whole new topic about it. I just wanted to reply to you that you're not alone.

[BlueLight]

For the overwhelming majority (95%+) of people hair loss is not going to be an issue. However, all opiates including Suboxone raises prolactin levels in men and women due to the dopaminergic effect of them, which shifts the body’s usual hormonal profile by lowering most of sexual response hormones like testosterone, estrogen, dihydrotestosteron (DHT), and others. If you’re experiencing hair loss on Suboxone it’s almost certain you’ll encounter the same switching to methadone. Likewise, you most likely were experiencing it in active opioid addiction but didn’t care or notice it.

[clockoclock]

Hi everyone, it's me, the hypochondriac who can't get over the curvature of my skull, hair loss and a number of my own imperfections. Three weeks of manipulation of the area of focal alopecia, including medication, physical therapy, massage and mustard rubbing, haven't produced visible results. At this point, it was decided to go to the clinic for a hair transplant, and I believe it will help. Anyway, I know that it definitely helped my friend, which is why I was inspired to get a hair transplant. Do you think I made the right choice?

[rule62]

Sorry the hair loss bothers you so much but I do get it. Being a man makes it easier but most of us still don't like it. The hat/cap manufacturers sure make a lot of money off of us.

Another solution to consider would be a very good wig. One that most everyone could not tell it's fake. Most of them fool me but some women are very good at spotting one. Who cares? If it makes you feel and look better than it's a less expensive alternative to a hair transplant. I'm sure you've looked into it but maybe give it another glance.

Whatever you decide I hope it satisfies that urge to do something. Hate to see you waste a lot of money and still not be happy.

Take care

[JasckonGrey]

Apologies for reviving an old thread, but I think I might be able to help. First, I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing hair loss. It can be really stressful and disheartening. Second, have you considered exploring hair transplantation as an option? It's a great way to restore your hair, and it can be done without any invasive surgeries. You may want to check this place https://goo.gl/maps/wqRwnyAEp4ejWQDk9. They know their stuff there. By the way, did you find the root of the problem? That's the most important I think. I hope you actually found something that worked for you and your hair loss situation.