Minoxidil Side Effects

Brand Names: Loniten

Please note - some side effects for Minoxidil may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/ or 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).

Side Effects of Minoxidil - for the consumer

Minoxidil

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Minoxidil:

Changes in body hair; excessive hair growth; mild weight gain; nausea; vomiting.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); changes in hearing or vision; difficulty breathing; excessive, sudden weight gain; fainting; lightheadedness; increased chest, arm, or shoulder pain; increased heart rate; pounding heartbeat; swelling.

Minoxidil Foam (For Men)

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Minoxidil Foam (For Men):

Changes in hair color or texture.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; dizziness; fainting; fast heartbeat; redness or irritation of the scalp; sudden, unexplained weight gain; swelling of the hands or feet; unwanted facial hair growth.

Minoxidil Solution

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Minoxidil Solution:

Burning or irritation of the eye; itching; redness or irritation at the treated area; unwanted hair growth elsewhere on the body.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; dizziness; fainting; fast heartbeat; sudden, unexplained weight gain; swollen hands or feet.

For the professional

Minoxidil

1. Salt and Water Retention—Temporary edema developed in 7% of patients who were not edematous at the start of therapy.

2. Pericarditis, Pericardial Effusion, and Tamponade.

3. Dermatologic—Hypertrichosis—Elongation, thickening, and enhanced pigmentation of fine body hair are seen in about 80% of patients taking Minoxidil tablets. This develops within 3 to 6 weeks after starting therapy. It is usually first noticed on the temples, between the eyebrows, between the hairline and the eyebrows, or in the side-burn area of the upper lateral cheek, later extending to the back, arms, legs, and scalp. Upon discontinuation of Minoxidil, new hair growth stops, but 1 to 6 months may be required for restoration to pretreatment appearance. No endocrine abnormalities have been found to explain the abnormal hair growth; thus, it is hypertrichosis without virilism. Hair growth is especially disturbing to children and women and such patients should be thoroughly informed about this effect before therapy with Minoxidil is begun.

Allergic—Rashes have been reported, including rare reports of bullous eruptions, and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

4. Hematologic—Thrombocytopenia and leukopenia (WBC<3000/mm3) have rarely been reported.

5. Gastrointestinal—Nausea and/or vomiting has been reported. In clinical trials the incidence of nausea and vomiting associated with the underlying disease has shown a decrease from pretrial levels.

6. Miscellaneous—Breast tenderness—This developed in less than 1% of patients.

7. Altered Laboratory Findings—(a) ECG changes—Changes in direction and magnitude of the ECG T-waves occur in approximately 60% of patients treated with Minoxidil. In rare instances a large negative amplitude of the T-wave may encroach upon the S-T segment, but the S-T segment is not independently altered. These changes usually disappear with continuance of treatment and revert to the pretreatment state if Minoxidil is discontinued. No symptoms have been associated with these changes, nor have there been alterations in blood cell counts or in plasma enzyme concentrations that would suggest myocardial damage. Long-term treatment of patients manifesting such changes has provided no evidence of deteriorating cardiac function. At present the changes appear to be nonspecific and without identifiable clinical significance. (b)—Effects of hemodilution–hematocrit, hemoglobin and erythrocyte count usually fall about 7% initially and then recover to pretreatment levels. (c) Other—Alkaline phosphatase increased varyingly without other evidence of liver or bone abnormality. Serum creatinine increased an average of 6% and BUN slightly more, but later declined to pretreatment levels.

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