has anyone faced hair-loss?

My mother is facing severe hair loss since she's started the arthritis meds. Has anyone else faced this? Is there a way to stop it? What RA medicines might be causing it?

I had major hair loss when I started on MTX and also when I was on Testosterone. My tub would be literally covered in it after taking a bath. My Rheumy prescribed me something but it had no real effect on slowing it down. Eventually it stopped and reversed on its own. Talk to her Doctor.

Given that most of us are on several RA RX at the same time and that many of them can have the potential of hair loss side effects you may want to spend some time on a search engine looking at side effects for her specific prescriptions. It's a good idea anyway to be aware of them just in case she begins having others that are more serious.

Lots of people experience this though so although it is certainly alarming and especially when you are sick it is just one more thing to frighten, madden and sadden you. It is not out of the ordinary.

Sorry to hear she is going through this. Not fun that is for sure.

I remember the first time I started losing my hair. I was bathing my second baby in the tub. She reached out and pulled on my long hair. Yup! She got a handful. I was 27 and shocked, of course. I was on MTX at the time but there was no internet. I had a set of Encyclopedias but it only gave basic descriptions of diseases/conditions, certainly not how to handle anything. I didn't have time or energy to visit Drs. much and missed many of my appointments.

Many years after I got on the net, people mentioned about the MTX causing hair loss and to use folic acid and then biotin. Both helped some but I still don't have the same amount of hair I had when I was young and never will. I've read that auto immune diseases, hormonal imbalances, thyroid, stress/anxiety, post menopause, aging, depression, some medications, our genes can cause hair loss.

How did your Mom's appointment go today. Did you get your questions answered?

http://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/medication/side-effects/hair-loss-disease-arthritis.php