Stopped monoxidil after a week - shedding like CRAZY!

I'm a 38 year old female who has alopecia areata. My dermatologist recommended 5%monoxidil foam for a small bald spot on my crown. After a week of use, I had to stop because my scalp was raw and itchy. That was the 1st week in january. My hair has been falling since(diffuse loss) like crazy and now it's March. Will this ever stop? I lose approx 150-200 hairs a day. This never happened before the monoxidil. My dermatologist refuses to believe it is because of the monoxidil because I was only on it for a week. I've also seen an endocrinologist- my levels were normal except my testosterone was a bit low, which she said is common if you are on birth control pills. I've started seeing a naturopath Dr. Because I am at my wits end and don't know what else to do. He had me just stop the pill to see if that will help- BUT stopping the pill can also cause hairloss! Anyone else stop monoxidil after a short time and experience horrible shedding for months? How long did it take to stop and did your hair recover- or will my worst fear come true that it will ALL fall out? Please help!!! Thank you :)

It's POSSIBLE that it's the minoxidil but unlikely. If so, it's causing hair that was nearing telogen and unable to respond to growth signals to hurry through catagen to reach anagen again. I really wouldn't worry about it in this case, as it's temporary.

It isn't the BC pill unless that is new. If it's new, then that's the most likely cause. :) The progesterone-only BC are most likely to cause shedding, though any type can.

The itchiness can be overcome just by letting your head rest a bit while it's getting used to the carriers in the minoxidil. If it's alopecia areata, though, minoxidil doesn't really have a great track record with that.