Q. I stopped dyeing my hair in 2018 and got new photos for my passport and driver\u2019s license once my hair turned white. Now my hair is turning dark brown while I\u2019m on rosuvastatin. I started this prescription to lower my cholesterol in September 2024, and my hair started changing color within six months. Now it is hideous.<\/p>\n
I saw articles about this possibility on your website. Is there an alternative cholesterol medicine that won\u2019t affect hair color? I\u2019m seriously considering stopping this medication to see if my hair will go back to white, which I now prefer. Help!<\/p>\n
A. It has been quite a while since a reader has reported hair darkening while taking a cholesterol-lowering medication. We received more complaints about ezetimibe (Zetia), but a few people also reported an experience like yours associated with simvastatin (Zocor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor). Drug-induced hair color changes are uncommon (European Journal of Dermatology, Dec. 1, 2016). <\/p>\n
There are other medications that could help you control your cholesterol. You should discuss this with your health care provider. To prepare for that conversation, you might want to read our \u201ceGuide to Cholesterol Control and Heart Health.\u201d It is located under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. In it, you\u2019ll find discussions of the most common pros and cons of the various cholesterol-lowering medications.<\/p>\n
Q. In the early 1970s, my doctor prescribed Afrin for nasal congestion. I used it so often that eventually I had to carry it everywhere because I couldn\u2019t breathe without it!<\/p>\n
To get off it, I used the spray in only one nostril. That let the other one clear and open up. It took a lot of patience, but it worked. Then I never used it again. I still use Neo-Synephrine, children\u2019s strength, when I\u2019m congested but very sparingly. I never want to be like that again!<\/p>\n
A. Once upon a time, Afrin (oxymetazoline) was available only by prescription. That changed in 1975 when the Food and Drug Administration allowed over-the-counter sales.<\/p>\n
Many people have reported rebound congestion after using oxymetazoline nasal spray for more than several days. This topical decongestant is the active ingredient in Afrin No Drip, for example. Your tactic of using the spray in just one nostril can be effective for getting past rebound congestion.<\/p>\n
When shopping for a nasal spray, be careful to read the ingredients. In addition to the oxymetazoline version, Afrin also has a drug-free saline nasal mist and an extra-strength \u201cSaline Burst\u201d product with seawater.<\/p>\n
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is \u201cTop Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Q. I stopped dyeing my hair in 2018 and got new photos for my passport and driver\u2019s license…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":173141,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[64,63,137,490],"class_list":["post-464965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-health","tag-medication"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=464965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=464965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=464965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=464965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}