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Key takeaways
Vyvanse does not contain any ingredients that directly cause hair loss.
Taking Vyvanse can cause side effects that may indirectly affect hair loss, such as stress, insomnia, and loss of appetite, leading to weight loss.
If you notice thinning hair after taking Vyvanse, tell your healthcare provider.
Hair loss can be a deeply personal experience, particularly when it seems to coincide with a medication intended to improve daily functioning. Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine), a prescription stimulant commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and binge-eating disorder, has helped many people manage symptoms and regain focus. Still, some report noticing thinning hair or increased shedding after taking it. These reports raise an important question: Does Vyvanse cause hair loss, or could other factors be involved? While it’s possible, it’s not a common side effect. Understanding the connection, what research shows, and when hair changes should prompt a conversation with a healthcare provider can help you make informed decisions.
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Can Vyvanse cause hair loss?
The short answer is no: Vyvanse does not directly cause hair loss or hair thinning. However, the full story about folks who experience hair loss while taking this medication for their ADHD symptoms is a bit more complicated.
The prescribing information for Vyvanse does not list alopecia or hair loss among its side effects. Alopecia is listed under post-marketing experiences, meaning it was reported voluntarily after the drug was FDA-approved rather than in a clinical study. With this type of reporting, it is not possible to establish a cause-and-effect relationship or understand the frequency.
In other words, hair loss while taking Vyvanse is possible, but usually isn’t related to the drug itself. “Hair loss is not a common side effect of Vyvanse, but it has been reported,” explains Raj Dasgupta, MD, a quadruple board-certified healthcare provider specializing in internal medicine based in California. “When it happens, it is usually an indirect cause rather than the medication directly damaging hair follicles. Most of the time, the hair loss is temporary and related to changes in appetite, stress, sleep, or nutrient intake rather than permanent follicle damage.”
Austin Shuxiao, MD, an internist and founder of PeachIV, hasn’t personally observed hair loss in his patients taking Vyvanse. “Hair loss is not a common side effect of Vyvanse, and I have not anecdotally seen it happen. This is the type of symptom that tends to be prevalent on the internet, but so much in real life.”
How Vyvanse works in your body
Vyvanse’s active ingredient is lisdexamfetamine. “This is a prodrug, which means it is converted to the active drug in the body after being metabolized. It is broken down into dextroamphetamine, which produces Vyvanse’s effects,” explains Dr. Shuxiao. Dextroamphetamine is an active ingredient in other ADHD medications, such as Adderall.
It works by increasing certain chemicals in your brain that help with attention, motivation, and impulse control—making these neurotransmitters more available to help you function.
Potential mechanisms of hair loss on Vyvanse
While Vyvanse is not known to directly cause hair loss during use, side effects that occur with its use could lead to some thinning hair. “Common side effects may be decreased appetite, weight loss, insomnia, dry mouth, anxiety, and increased heart rate,” Dr. Dasgupta explains. Some of these may indirectly contribute to thinning hair or hair loss.
Reduced appetite
“Reduced appetite can also lead to an inadequate intake of protein, iron, zinc, or other nutrients needed for hair growth.” However, you would need to be seriously deficient in one or more of these nutrients to see pronounced hair loss, Dr. Shuxiao emphasizes.
Disrupted sleep
“Insomnia and poor sleep from the stimulant effects of Vyvanse can lead to stress
hormones like cortisol being released in the body and disrupt the normal hair growth cycle,” Dr. Shuxiao adds. “This pushes more hair follicles into the shedding phase, possibly leading to telogen effluvium, a temporary form of hair loss.”
However, difficulty sleeping may be a sign that your Vyvanse dose is too high. Many people with ADHD sleep better when treated with stimulant medication.
Worsened body-focused repetitive behaviors
Stimulant medications have been associated with new or worsening body-focused repetitive behaviors in some people. “Vyvanse can cause or worsen hair pulling, which is a condition known as trichotillomania,” which often occurs in people with ADHD, leading to compulsive pulling, Dr. Dasgupta notes.
Narrowed blood vessels
Vyvanse works by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain. While norepinephrine helps with focus, it also plays a role in temporarily narrowing blood vessels. Called vasoconstriction, this can reduce blood flow in certain areas of the body for some people, which could possibly contribute to hair loss. “Overall vasoconstriction in the body, and especially in the hair follicles, may lead to a lack of blood perfusion and nutrient delivery to hair follicles, causing them to shed early in the hair cycle,” Dr. Shuxiao says.
What to do if you’re experiencing hair loss on Vyvanse
The good news is that if your hair falls out while you’re taking Vyvanse, it’s most often temporary. “The hair loss often stops or improves when the medication is discontinued,” Dr. Dasgupta says.
If you notice hair thinning after starting this medication, talk to your provider before doing anything. “Patients should not stop the medication abruptly,” Dr. Dasgupta cautions. “They should talk with the person who prescribed it to them to review dose, timing, nutrition, sleep, and stress level.”
Your provider might adjust the dose to alleviate sleep issues, order blood work to check for nutrient deficiencies, or recommend an alternate medication.
Other potential causes of hair loss
Taking Vyvanse and experiencing hair loss at the same time does not necessarily mean the drug is the reason for your hair loss. There are other potential causes of hair loss that are important to consider when evaluating whether the side effects of Vyvanse are part of the problem.
- Natural pattern baldness: Dr. Shuxiao notes that sometimes, people diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood begin taking a stimulant medication around the same time their age may be causing hair loss, they would be experiencing regardless. “Some individuals may also be coming to an age where they would have started to see the balding process unfold and coincidentally begin to take Vyvanse for ADHD,” he explains. Topical minoxidil is one potential treatment for male or female pattern baldness, but always check with a healthcare provider before using it.
- Autoimmune disorders: “Alopecia areata is an autoimmune cause of hair loss that is characterized by hair loss in distinct patches,” Dr. Shuxiao explains. “Sometimes it is triggered by stress, and sometimes it is idiopathic (no known cause). The treatment is simple: corticosteroid injections.”
- Underlying health conditions: “Other causes of hair loss could be iron deficiency, thyroid disease, postpartum changes, autoimmune conditions, and genetic hair loss,” Dr. Dasgupta says.
It’s important to rule out other potential causes of hair loss with your provider before discontinuing ADHD treatment.
Prevention and proactive steps
If you would prefer to keep taking Vyvanse, there are some tips that could prevent or lessen future hair loss.
“Protecting the basics is the best way to prevent hair loss while taking Vyvanse,” Dr. Dasgupta says. “Eat enough calories and protein, prioritize better sleep, manage stress, and stay consistent with meals even when you do not have a large appetite. Working on these factors usually helps address hair health while allowing patients to continue taking the medication.” You may benefit from consulting with a registered dietitian who can help you design an eating plan that works with your lifestyle.
There are supplements you could try to help prevent hair loss and promote faster hair growth, but discuss with your healthcare provider before you start taking any new supplements.
Medical advice aside, you could also explore hair care products designed to make hair appear thicker and more voluminous if you are concerned about the appearance of thinning.
The bottom line
If you’re prescribed Vyvanse for the management of ADHD symptoms, hair loss should not be a direct side effect. However, hair loss can still occur due to nutritional deficiencies, stress, poor sleep, and other factors related to the medication.
If you think Vyvanse is causing you to experience hair loss, don’t stop taking the medication without discussing your concerns with a healthcare provider. “If Vyvanse is the cause of the hair loss, the good news is that this mechanism of hair loss is generally reversible, and case reports of people who have hair loss possibly related to Vyvanse saw their hair grow back after stopping or switching the medication,” Dr. Shuxiao says.
- Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse), a prodrug stimulant for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Pharmacy and Therapeutics (2010)
- Lisdexamfetamine, MedlinePlus (2021)