Do medications for bipolar disorder and depression cause hair loss?

Yes, certain medications used to treat bipolar disorder and depression have been linked to hair loss. While this symptom is not common nor generally severe, it can happen in some cases. Medications known to cause hair loss include certain types of antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. Drugs such as paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac) and venlafaxine (Effexor) may all lead to shedding of hairs in some people. Lithium carbonate, carbamazepine (Tegretol), lamotrigine (Lamictal), lurasidone (Latuda), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and quetiapine (Seroquel) are also linked with thinning of the scalp's hairs along with other possible psychological side effects.

It’s important that you work closely with your doctor when starting a new medication for bipolar disorder or depression because every person will react differently to different drugs; he or she can help you determine which ones could potentially cause more harm than good if it means having thinning hair as a side effect. It's also important to make sure your doctor knows about any existing medical conditions you may have since these medications can worsen symptoms at times or interact negatively with other drugs you may be taking simultaneously; this could potentially be an issue regarding the risk of losing hairs as well.