Why minoxidil is bad

However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:.

These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1- Use this drug as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you.

Follow all instructions closely. It does NOT include all information about conditions, treatments, medications, side effects, or risks that may apply to a specific patient. Patients must speak with a health care provider for complete information about their health, medical questions, and treatment options, including any risks or benefits regarding use of medications. This information does not endorse any treatments or medications as safe, effective, or approved for treating a specific patient.

UpToDate, Inc. For more resources, visit www. It is used to treat hair loss. If you have an allergy to minoxidil or any other part of this drug. If you are allergic to this drug; any part of this drug; or any other drugs, foods, or substances.

Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had. If you do not have a family member who has had hair loss. If your hair loss is sudden or patchy, or if you do not know why you have hair loss. If the patient is a child. Do not give this drug to a child. Isabelle Claudet, lead author of the report in Pediatric Emergency Care. She told Reuters Health the drug should not be available either over-the-counter or on the internet. Claudet and her coauthors also want parents and dermatologists to be aware of the side effects in kids.

Minoxidil was originally marketed to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients who had not responded to other medications. The 35 million men in the United States who have male pattern baldness have their choice of two FDA-approved drugs to combat hair loss.

Minoxidil is one of them. In some men, using the drug — which comes as a topical solution or foam — once or twice a day can put a stop to hair loss from male pattern baldness also called androgenetic alopecia once it has started. The key is to use it early, as soon as you start losing your hair, and continuously to keep up the results.

Originally, minoxidil was a blood pressure medication that was taken by mouth, says Lance Barazani, MD, a dermatologist at Advanced Dermatology in Roslyn, N. But doctors discovered that when people took the drug they saw hair growth on certain parts of their body, he says. Studies proved that the medication could induce hair growth in certain people when it was given topically, he says. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

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