Diovan and hair loss?

[Janet]

Has anyone experienced hair loss?

I was looking up side effects because in the several weeks I've been taking Diovan, I have experienced nausea and lightheadedness to the point of having to lie down to avoid fainting, along with a general "sickly" feeling.

I already suffer from hair loss due to Lupus. I have been alarmed by the recent notable increase in hair loss but I didn't think of Diovan as a possible cause of the increase until I read about it on other sites, including DrKoop.com .

[Joni]

Janet wrote:

Has anyone experienced hair loss?
I was looking up side effects because in the several weeks I've been taking Diovan, I have experienced nausea and lightheadedness to the point of having to lie down to avoid fainting, along with a general "sickly" feeling.
I already suffer from hair loss due to Lupus. I have been alarmed by the recent notable increase in hair loss but I didn't think of Diovan as a possible cause of the increase until I read about it on other sites, including DrKoop.com .

I have been taking Diovan for about a year and a half. I noticed hair loss in July of last year. My hair is continiuing to thin. My mom has also experienced hair loss, but she is not on Diovan. I was researching the possible causes and read the same thing you read about Diovan causing hairloss. Anyway, I just had a biopsy done yesterday and will get the results next Monday. Hopefully I can let you know the results soon.

[Pat]

WHY DO YOU LADIES NOT DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR DOCTOR...WHAT AFFECT'S ONE MAY NOT AFFECT OTHER'S..I AM ON DIOVAN, IT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY DRUG I CAN TOLERATE FOR HPERTENSION...ALWAYS ASK YOUR DR. ABOUT ANY SIDE EFFECT'S.

[Bob McHugh]

Yes, yes, yes - always tell our physician about any side effects from ANY prescription drug. I have been taking diovan for about three weeks now - 160 mg. once a day. Phsician originally said to take it at night. I did and suffered from insomnia. I told him and he said that it was allright to take in in the A.M. I did and no problems so far. I am taking this along with Coreg and am due for a checkup today. We'll see.

[jill]

I was on Doivan, and my hair was falling out also, so I asked my doctor, thinking it was the synthroid, and he said that it was most likely the Diovan, So, as of yesterdsy, I stopped it, and hpoefully, it helps. I dont have to much hair to begin with, and I cant afford to lose to much more....

[NORMA]

jill wrote:

I was on Doivan, and my hair was falling out also, so I asked my doctor, thinking it was the synthroid, and he said that it was most likely the Diovan, So, as of yesterdsy, I stopped it, and hpoefully, it helps. I dont have to much hair to begin with, and I cant afford to lose to much more....

PLEASE TELL ME IF YOUR HAIR HAS RETURNED.

[NORMA]

Pat wrote:

WHY DO YOU LADIES NOT DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR DOCTOR...WHAT AFFECT'S ONE MAY NOT AFFECT OTHER'S..I AM ON DIOVAN, IT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY DRUG I CAN TOLERATE FOR HPERTENSION...ALWAYS ASK YOUR DR. ABOUT ANY SIDE EFFECT'S.

DOCTORS DO NOT ALWAYS KNOW THE SIDE EFFECTS. MOST TIME THEIR LITERATURE IS OUTDATED

[ihy]

after about 6 mo of diovan(160mg) therapy my hair gradually increas falling down.During 2.5 years Ilost too much.I stop diovan about 6mo ago and noticed hair decreased falling. How diovan helps in diabetis 2 ?

[Janet]

Pat wrote:

WHY DO YOU LADIES NOT DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR DOCTOR...WHAT AFFECT'S ONE MAY NOT AFFECT OTHER'S..I AM ON DIOVAN, IT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY DRUG I CAN TOLERATE FOR HPERTENSION...ALWAYS ASK YOUR DR. ABOUT ANY SIDE EFFECT'S.

I concur that it is important to discuss side-effects with your physician(s), but it can be impossible to tell what can be causing a particular symptom. Using hair loss as an example, if someone ALREADY has hair loss, it would be hard to pin it on a new medication. Hair loss is a post-marketing finding for Diovan; it wasn't discovered in the initial trials apparently, which seems hard to believe given the reported prevalence of hair loss from Diovan on other sites.

Trust me, when folks have an autoimmune illness, they talk A LOT to their physicians. However, if a medication's impact mimics what a patient is already experiencing, even the patient, like I, couldn't tell right away. I feel lucky that I figured it out after 7 weeks.

Diovan, I'm convinced since I stopped taking it, caused significantly increased hair loss for me. The rate of hair loss dropped within a week of Diovan cessation. I know. I have to keep my hairs to count how much I'm losing. Now I am just hoping that some hair grows back.

I'm glad the medication is working for you.

[SUSAN]

I AM ON DIOVAN -THOUGHT HAIR LOSS WAS FROM DIOVAN, FOUND OUT I HAD A "PITUITARY" PROBLEM. DIOVAN IS GREAT AND WORKS WELL FOR ME.

[Cheryl]

I was on Diovan starting in Sept by Dec my hair was noticably thinning.I told my Dr. he took me off the pills and I'm getting new growth.

[Lauren]

Stopped taking Diovan..just on HCT right now...trying to lower b/p the old fashioned way. Had 10 pound weight gain in just two months, barely eating anything after knee surgery, hair loss, insomnia, dizziness, you name it...Diovan a very bad drug. My doctor let me get off it but didn't believe that my symptoms were related to the drug. That was disappointing.

[DON]

BEEN ON DIOVAN FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS....SEEMS TO WORK BUT b/P STILL FLUCTUATES DRAMATICALLY.....SOMETIMES 160/80 DURING DAY AND WHEN VISITING DR.(WHITE COAT SYNDROME) AND THEN AT NIGHT WHILE LYING DOWN IT COULD GO DOWN TO AS LOW AS 110/65...OR EVEN LOWER....NO SIDE EFFECTS....60 YEARS OLD - RUNNER - ABOUT 40 MILES A WEEK WITH RESTING HR OF 42....CONCERNED SOMETIMES ABOUT THE FLUCTATION IN RATES....MY DR DOESN'T SEEM CONCERNED....ANY THOUGHTS?*I TEND TO GET STRESSED AT TIMES (SCHOOLTEACHER)

[SUE]

I absolutely have noticed a large increase in hair loss...every time I wash my hair, there is a scarey amount built up around the drain. I have noticed this since my doctor increased my diovan from 60 to 360. Also dizziness has become a daily problem and nausia almost to the point of throwing up.

[lee wood]

today im going to my doctor and ask to stop diovan ..my hair has been coming out for years and he had no answers except trying thyroid med which didnt help..

[Sandra in Birmingham]

I have been taking Diovan for about 18 months. No energy at the end of the day. Just started regular exercise and BP drops to 104/65 during the evenings. Hair loss is noticable. Will stop the Diovan today, continue the exercise and start a home remedy for high blood pressure. If it works, I will share it with you.

[Cheryl]

Sandra in Birmingham wrote:

I have been taking Diovan for about 18 months. No energy at the end of the day. Just started regular exercise and BP drops to 104/65 during the evenings. Hair loss is noticable. Will stop the Diovan today, continue the exercise and start a home remedy for high blood pressure. If it works, I will share it with you.

I have been on Diovan for about 2 years, fatique, end of day lack of energy and lately noticeable hair loss.
What home remedy are you trying?

[Sam]

I started taking Diovan about 9 years ago. At the time my doctor prescribed it because the medicine I had been on (Lotensin) was causing me to hack and cough (which was keeping me up all night long).

I started out at 80mg & then 3 years ago my bp began creeping up. I was then prescribed a 80mg dosage with 12.5 diurectic. I am now taking one 160mg/12.5 & one 80mg/12.5 pill each day.

Since I have been on Diovan I have experienced significant, yet unexplained weight gain (approximately 150 lbs), drastic hair loss, insomnia, itchy skin and more recently, brittle teeth (2 of which have broken off).

Over the years I have been blamed by the doctors for not taking control of my weight. Yet with swimming 4-5 days a week, walking & using an elliptical machine, and changing my diet (and eliminating processed/bleached food) I could only get down to 220lbs.

At this point, I do not know where to turn for advice. The doctors use more meds to mask the side effects of other meds & I have yet to find one that doesn't play into that mindset. Even worse is that none of the doctors mentioned that some of my problens could be related to the meds...

[Sheri McGonigle]

I am also on Diovan, I ve had so many reactions to different drugs I don't know what to do. My hair is really coming out and never had a problem before. My arms hurt so mad I can hardly move my right one. I had a terrible raction to Bactrim and have had problems with knee, shoulders and hip. I have heard that I may have a yeast problem in my blood. I am now trying Threelac and cutting out yeast and sugar from my diet. Going to the doctor to see about the hair loss and will log later.

[Donna]

I am on Diovan and have had a number of symptoms that I never attributed to the medications. I have lost so much hair that I now have to wear a wig in public. I am unable to sleep for more then 2 hours at a time and much muscle pain. I asked my Doctor and he said it was not from the Diovan. Now I do not know what to believe. He has ran all kinds of tests and has not been able to give me an answer.