Any pharmacists on here or general clever people - might these drugs cause extreme hair loss?

[longerdays]

An older friend of mine (aged 70) has been on injectable blood thinner (Dalteparin 12,500 IU/0.5 ml injections) for 6 months and has recently been changed to 75 mg Clopidogrel with folic acid 5mg daily. This may be unrelated but this change appears to have coincided with the onset of sudden extreme hair loss with big strands coming out when she runs her fingers though her hair or brushes it. This is causing great distress and no response from specialists about this. Anyone got thoughts on these drugs? Thanks.

The hair loss could be from either iron or folate defiency anaemia; it would be worth asking for a blood test to check ferritin and folate levels.

and she should also be questioned about signs of occult bleeding, eg dark tarry stools, as there is a bleeding risk with these medications.

Thanks for this response. Would iron or folate defiency anaemia cause sudden and extreme loss then? Thanks.

Yes, it can cause a sudden and dramatic shedding. This site has some helpful bits about hair loss www.philipkingsley.co.uk/clinics/from-the-clinic/ferritin-and-hair-health/