Can Lexapro increase my chances of developing telogen effluvium?

Question

Hi. I've been on lexapro SSRI now for 3 months and I also take finasteride. I'm on 10mg of lexapro if I go up to 15 or 20mg of lexapro will that increase my chances of developing a telogen effluvium hair shedding? Or since I’ve been on lexapro 10mg for 3 months now that the risk of upping my dose won’t trigger TE? Thank you.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

Anything is possible. The risks are very, very low that you will get shedding by increasing the dose but no the risks are not zero. Some shedding is dose dependent (meaning higher doses give shedding where lower doses do not) and some shedding happens more towards 4 months (not all humans have a “3 month” TE cycle). But the risks are so low in this story that for most people increasing the antidepressant dose would be a reasonable plan.

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Can Lexapro increase my chances of developing telogen effluvium?

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