Medication just after / before transplant

[JP2018]

Hi,

 

I take Ritalin / methylphenidate for ADHD. This medication can cause the hair to thin - it doesn't speed up balding exactly but can cause it to thin generally. The effect's not massive but it's there.

 

I have a HT scheduled in June. I'm wondering whether I should stop taking the medication for a while before / after the op. Maybe it's best to let the grafts bed in before going back on it. Does that sound wise, and if so how long would you leave it?

 

BTW my health wouldn't suffer if I came off it for a while - it's just that my quality of life would go down for a bit.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Jp2018,

 

That is really a question for your hair transplant surgeon and medical doctor. Typically, hair transplant surgeons ask patients to stop taking any medication that thins the blood a few weeks before surgery but I’m not sure about Ritalin. I would speak with your hair surgeon first and if he or she advises you to stop taking Ritalin for a period of time, I would then check with your prescribing physician to get their opinion. The truth is, some medication, when stopped can cause withdrawal symptoms or other problems so it is advisable to consult your doctor before making any changes to your medication.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[JP2018]

Yes, I could ask the transplant surgeon - but he offers a guarantee that if the grafts don't grow out he will repeat the op, so I think he is bound to err on the safe side. Plus, if I mention it and anything does go wrong it will get put down to the Ritalin even if it's not. It's a can of worms I'd rather not open. The prescribing physician is happy either way, so I'm planning to make my own decision - advice / experiences still very welcome.

[mattj]

This is one of those situations where we can't know for sure if stopping or continuing on the medication will make any difference, but it's best to be cautious and stop, to protect your hair and your investment. The last thing you want is to have a failed transplant and to be left wondering if it would have worked if only you stopped the medication.

[JP2018]

Thanks Matt. At what point do you think it's safe to restart though?

[mattj]

I couldn't possibly give you any accurate advice there. Sorry. I'm not a doctor and, frankly, I don't think even a doctor could be certain. There's simply no data to go by. I'm sure you can appreciate that nobody knows if Ritalin will affect the outcome of a hair transplant. I would just go by what your doctor tells you. They will err on the side of caution which will mean that you'll have to try and go without the drug.

 

Is it that bad stopping the stuff?

[Bill - Seemiller]

I actually don’t think it’s wise advising to go without the drug without hearing it from your doctor. While I suppose we look at “erring on the side of caution” anything that won’t hurt your hair transplant, the other way to err on the side of caution is to do what’s best for your overall health. I don’t know what would happen if you stop taking Ritalin cold turkey and I would not buys it without getting an OK from your doctor.

 

Bill

[mattj]

Good point, but he did say that his health wouldn't suffer if he stopped the medication.

[JP2018]

I couldn't possibly give you any accurate advice there. Sorry. I'm not a doctor and, frankly, I don't think even a doctor could be certain. There's simply no data to go by...

 

Is it that bad stopping the stuff?

 

There's no effect on my health, but life is a lot better with the meds. Without them it's difficult to get anything done at work, you don't get round to paying bills and stuff like that, it's harder to get on with people, you lose things... I wouldn't lose my job or my friends or anything but I would go through kind of a bad patch.

 

I guess another way to come at it is, at what point can you treat transplanted hair like regular hair? I'm not sure whether this is when the scabs have healed, when it has been shed naturally, when it has come back, or what.

 

I appreciate Bill's concern but can I restate that there is no effect on my health and the prescribing physician is fine with me stopping for a period.