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Do Narcotic Drugs Cause Harm To Hair?

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Posted on Thu, 18 Sep 2014
Question: Hi in Febuary I was in the hospital for a hip socket replacement which went well except for the fact that the nurses gave me seven narcotic drugs in a 24-36 hour period and the narcotics put me into total arrest. Now I can not get my hair to curl. I always had perms, one every 6 months, no problems. I have had two perms since May and my hair will not hold a curl. Could this be caused by the drugs still being in my system. The drugs given were oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, percuset, fentynal, tramadol and ultram. I know these are not spelled correctly.
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Answered by Dr. Kerry Pottinger (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Not related to pain-killers.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for using Healthcare Magic. From the information you have provided I can see you were given a number of strong pain-killers. All of these have a place in managing the pain related to hip surgery. They will all have been eliminated from the body within the first couple of days post operatively. Importantly, these drugs do not affect the hair of how the hair reacts to a perm.
The change in the nature of your hair is most unlikely to be related to anything to do with the surgery. Hair can be sensitive to general well-being and ensuring a healthy diet and life-style may help bring your hair back to it's usual nature.
I hope this is of help. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Dr K A Pottinger
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Kerry Pottinger

Pain Medicine & Palliative Care Specialist

Practicing since :1983

Answered : 1337 Questions

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Do Narcotic Drugs Cause Harm To Hair?

Brief Answer: Not related to pain-killers. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thank you for using Healthcare Magic. From the information you have provided I can see you were given a number of strong pain-killers. All of these have a place in managing the pain related to hip surgery. They will all have been eliminated from the body within the first couple of days post operatively. Importantly, these drugs do not affect the hair of how the hair reacts to a perm. The change in the nature of your hair is most unlikely to be related to anything to do with the surgery. Hair can be sensitive to general well-being and ensuring a healthy diet and life-style may help bring your hair back to it's usual nature. I hope this is of help. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Regards, Dr K A Pottinger