ABSTRACT
The effects on hair growth by treatment with cimetidine have been studied. This drug has been given orally to 4 women with simple hirsutism and 3 women with peptic ulcer as controls for a period of 9 months. Hair growth slowed down in all of the treated women but the results were not statistically significant. A significant decrease in urine 17-ketosteroids has been observed, while plasma levels of testosterone, 17-beta estradiol, progesterone, FSH, LH and prolactin, did not change substantially. It is concluded that, on the whole, cimetidine doses not seem to induce such results on hair growth as to claim a role in the treatment of hirsutism in other current regimes.
Subject(s)
Cimetidine/therapeutic use , Hair/growth & development , Hirsutism/drug therapy , 17-Ketosteroids/urine , Adult , Estradiol/blood , Female , Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood , Hirsutism/metabolism , Humans , Luteinizing Hormone/blood , Progesterone/blood , Prolactin/blood , Testosterone/bloodABSTRACT
The research here reported concerns 9 hirsute women, four of them with PCO and five with idiopathic hirsutism, who underwent treatment with spironolactone. 4 non hirsute hypertensive cases served as control. For one year hair growth, testosterone, 17 Ks, estradiol and gonadotropins behaviours were studied in all of the patients. Results clearly show that the peripherical response (the hair) to the therapy is only just sufficient, and corresponds to a good reduction of the androgenic hormones in blood. However, there is also an LH gonadotropin secretion reduction which is statistically scarcely significant. If the therapeutic response of hair were good, fetal risk could be prevented with safe and contemporaneous contraception. However, since the response is scarcely sufficient, we do not think this therapy is more advisable than other ones.
