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Taking Amlodipine Besylate For High BP. Noticed That Hair Is Thinning. Suggest Medication Without Side Effect?

Posted on Mon, 1 Jul 2013

Question: Hi, I have been taking amlodipine besylate for almost 7 weeks and have noticed my hair thinning a lot. I have also read that this particular medicine is known for hairloss and alopecia. Can you tell me which HBP medicine does NOT cause hairloss

Answered by Dr. Jorge Brenes-Salazar (1 hour later)

Dear patient,

Thanks for your health concerns. Usually beta-blockers or thiazide type diuretics, as opposed to calicum channel blockers (amlodipine) do not have that particular side effect; examples of beta blockers are metoprolol, bisoprolol and carvedilol; examples of thiazide diurectics are chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide and indapamide.

Hope that is helpful, please talk to your provider so you can switch medications to an alternative without that side effect to keep your blood pressure in good shape.

Yours truly,

Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Cardiology
Mayo Clinic MN

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Jorge Brenes-Salazar (2 days later)

Hello,
Thank you for your answer....I forgot to mention that I am also taking two 50mg tablets of Cozaar/Losartan Potassium along with half of a 5 mg tablet of the amlodipine.....Does Cozaar also cause hair loss? And, which medication can you take with it besides the Amlodipine?

Answered by Dr. Jorge Brenes-Salazar (2 hours later)

Thanks for the update; hair loss is NOT a common side effect of losartan. These group of medications can be combined either with beta blockers or diuretics; the combination with diuretics results optimal since it stabilizes potassium levels.

Yours truly

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar