Prednisolone side effects & hair loss - help!

I have Crohns colitis and was recently hospitalised after a flare up which I didn't see coming as i'd felt fine until I came down with a really bad fever and loss of appetite.

In hospital, I managed to escape any surgery but have gone back on steriods which I was prepared for as I thought they couldn't be any worse than the last time I went on them and had really bad migraines, insomnia and put on LOTS of weight.

This time, as i'd lost a stone prior to going in hospital with not eating, i've stayed around my usual weight. I had problems with strange 'parkinsons type' shaking in the mornings and couldn't write oand didn't feel safe to drive until they'd settled. This was really scary. I had expected the insomnia which was hard going back to work but 2 months later, now my steriods are reducing - my hair has started to fall out....a lot. I have afro hair so it i thick usually but i've literally brushed out 2 handfuls today and i'm only on 2 steriod tablets a day as i'm due to finish the course this month after being on a high dose coming down from July.

I found a few posts on the forum where this is apparently quite common on steriod reduction but i'm frightened to death of all my hair falling out or getting bald patches. I'm only 28 and already struggling to cope with the less attractive sides of this disease which makes me wary of getting close people to have relationships. I've joined a gym which I think helped me not balloon up and I only have slight 'moon face' as I've heard it called but this is really worrying me and my IBD nurse doesn't seem to know what to suggest. I'm on 150mg azathioprine at the moment, 10mg prednisolone.

I wondered if anyone else had experienced this hair loss and could suggest anything they tried to combat it which helped. I've read a vitamin called Biotin may help and i'm off to buy some today!!!

If you go for the biotin, check out Biotin Forte.  You can get it at The Vitamin Shoppe (they have an online store too).  It's 3mg and includes Folic Acid, Zinc and B vitamins.  It was reccommended by a dermatoligist to my mom and I've recently switched over...I was taking the Target brand biotin for 2 years but switched and have been using Biotin Forte for 2 months and have already noticed a difference in the health of my hair.  Take care.

Hi I had hair thinning but no bald spots and as I got healthier it grew back in .I wouldn't worry too much unless you continue to loose lots of weight .Protien is also good for the hair. lol gail

Just an update - I've had little help from my IBD nurse, she reckons she's never had anyone complain of hairloss on steriods but said Azathioprine which i'm on can cause alopecia but was unlikely as i've been on it for years.
My GP decided my body may be in shock similar to that when pregnant women shed hair from the stress on their bodies.
Either way i'm still losing hair and i'd say that in 3 weeks it's about 25% coming out as even as I guess it can do. I can't wear it down as it's clear that something is wrong.

My other thought has now turned to my contraceptive implant Implanon which I believe can also cause hair loss and my friend mentioned it as i'd not even considered that and neither had the hospital or my GP.

I've had it in since June and i'm wondering if that may be contributing to it so i'm going to read up on it as i'll have it taken out if this is a side effect!

Hello.
I was also on immuran and steroids. while on steroids I lost 75% of my hair. They attributed my hair loss to malnurishment and the steroids. My hair did all grow back and nicer Imight add! It does really suck when it falls out, I cried and cried! I always had thick, long beautiful hair! It was hard for me. My fiance bought me lovely bandanas and scarves for my head which made it better. Then I figured people were already staring at me so I bought wild and wacky scarves and bandanas which attracted more attention but funny attention not pitty attention. It helped me.
I'm sorry you're going thru this, I know it seems like a slap in the face, like Crohn's and all the crap (pardon the pun) that goes with it isn't bad enough!
Take care

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in Jan 2005 and it was managed for quite some time but have had constant flare ups over the last year and cannot get it under control biopsy results that came back in Jan 09 said that it was more consistant with Crohns but my consultant still says I have UC ?!?! anyways I have been on and off prednisolone since oct as well as other meds (asacol which they recently changed to mezavant and azathioprine) but as above I have notice quite a bit hair loss and I'm getting a bit worried my bathroom floor seems to be covered in hair when I brush it and if I run my fingers through my hair it just seems to come out in clumps although I haven't noticed any bald patches it is definately thinning out if it keeps coming out like this I don't think I'm gonna be left with any hair - did any of the vitamins mention above help anybody any ideas, words of wisdom please its getting me down.

Hi all,

Just joined up to this today as I need some comforting vibes and need to confront some demons.

I have had extensive Ulcerative Colitis for about 12 years and have been on asacol 1200mg x 2 per day [Mezavant now] for all that time and have been on and off [but mostly on] the prednisolone ranging from 35mg to 5mg per day depending on flare ups [most of that time on 5mg]

I noticed no serious side effects to get in a twist over in the beginning though with the pred, I had the euphoria which was great though didn't last very long but also the insomnia and the mood swings ;-( but I was on a low dose of 5mg they called it the maintenance dose. [ winding down from 20mg, this was after a flare up usually]

To be honest with you all I think I was in denial for years about having this disease [I was a young kid who didn't want it, who does! and I just stuck my head in the sand] has any of you felt the same about not being able to deal with it mentally?

I kind of dropped out of the system for a while so not seeing the doctor for a few years while taking the 5mg pred and the x2 1200mg Asacol. I went back to the docs for a check up and he pesuaded me to come off of the Pred but after a bad flare up I had to go back on the Pred and I have now really noticed all the side effects, maybe it was the prolonged time I had been on them or they just built up or the break I had while I was off them, then going back on them really hit me pretty hard over the last 7 months or so. Started on 20mg for about two weeks, then dropping down to 5 per day over the following weeks, I have had a fair amount of hair loss and I am REALLY down, sorry to sound vain. I was probably losing my hair [albeit slowly] over the years before though not enough to really notice but its really noticeable now. My skin is pretty bad as well now, I have been having cystic acne, big unsightly ones and I feel like I am really depressed ALL the time. I have read the list of side effects from another website from what Pred can do and I am ticking most of them all which is really scary, I only really noticed the effects being so bad since I went back on them.

Well, I am coming off the pred now and will try the biotin, anything else I should try?. Starting the Azathioprine next week and winding down the Pred.

I just hope I haven't damaged myself too much by being on them for so long I have shed many tears for not dealing with this sooner. the only consolation is that it was a low dose

Any words of comfort for this [35 yr old] scared and down in the dumps guy would be most appreciated.

Take care

I was diagnosed woth Ulcerative Colitis on 16 Jan 2013, after suffering from severe stomach pain and alot of diarrhea and blood in stool, since mid December 2012. I had also lost my appetite and with everything passing right through me,(going to toliet every 1.5-2 hours), I lost about 4 kgs in 3 weeks so I went to GP who referred me to Gastoenterologist. I had a Colonoscopy scheduled for 21 january, but didnt make it as I was rushed to emergency on 15th Jan. After ultrasound and xray and a flexi sigmoidoscopy I was then diagnosed and blood tests and stool samples. I was diagnosed with UC.
They put me straight onto an IV, I think it was saline and hydrocortisone as I was lacking alot of body fluid,salt and stomach was inflammed and potentially septic.
After I had my sigmoidoscopy and found I wasn't septic, they took me off the anitbiotics and kept me on the IV with saline and put me on oral medication. This was a concoction of 40mg of prednisone, nexium 40mg in the morning and 7.6 gms mezavant in the evening and alot of panadol as well as the old clexane injection to stop blood clots.I was also checking blood sugar twice daile and had regular blood tests. I was in hossie for 7 nights and then released with several scripts of the above medication, but the prednisone was a reduced doseage from 40mg reducing by 5mg each week there after. I was to have an appointment with the dietician but they didnt get in contact with me and said they had been too busy, so I was at home with no appetite taking all these drugs and symptoms got worse and was sticking to the low residue diet the hossie had me on!(steamed chicken,fish and rice.Neeedless to say I was back in hospital as I felt worse and several blood tests has revieled my inflammation marker was over 230 which should be under 50. The GP actually phoned me and said I need to go to emergency straight away! I was in hossie for another 4 nights they put me on the Saline IV and increased my prednisone to 50mg the rest of meds was the same. I felt better after a few days and my appetite came back and after a bit of googling I worked out what foods I could possibly eat and also the protein/ vitamins suppliments I should be taking to help keep all the vital nutrients I needed.
I am in my mid thirties so hair loss was already beginning for me but I have since noticed since being on predisone that my hair is falling out alot quicker. I am currently on 45mg predisone and I'm assuming after I have finished my course of medication and as long as I have adequate nutrition and vitamans and the drugs are out of my system, my hair may be restored as much as possible anyway.
I have come across a book called the Makers Diet by Jordan Rubin who had cronic Krohns desease and after 2 years of seeing 72 different types of doctors,nutritionists and vistied 6 or more different countries ended up finding a man who put him onto the bible diet(makers diet. From following these principals he was able to live a normal life. Basically the diet irradicates the foods you shouldn't eat and provides you with the knowledge with the foods you should eat.(diet based on what jewish people ate 3000 years ago who were at the tme the healthiest people during times of plague)
He was only 19 when diagnosed and was sufferening hair loss and lost 50 pounds over a course of a short time. He was even in a wheel chair because of the severity of his case, now he can walk and is fitter than ever. I am reading the book and will try and follow the principals as close as I can. If you are sick of the medication as I am I hope you might look at this as an alternative.After I have reduced my medication to zilch I hope to have it all under control by means of proper diet and by living healthier in general. Also it might be worth looking into Soil based Organisms, according to Jordan, we lack these essential natural probiotics because our farm lands are destroyed by excessive use of pesticides and herbicides and the food lack these essential elements so it filters through to us. anyway food for thought, I know what I have read makes sense and I am wiling to try anything to be able to live normally again without the need of steroids and protein shakes, hopefully my hair can grow back after a while. Good luck to anyone who suffers this condition or any of it's related illnesses, I know how horrible it is but I am confident we can recover from it and live a normal life...

I just found this site by running a google search for prednisone + hair loss and I'm so glad I did! For quite some time my hair has been coming out all over the place and I've finally been able to admit I seem to be losing my hair. My son suggested that perhaps it was from the prednisone. I was diagnosed with "unspecified colitis" about 5 years ago (a few months after I had an unnecessary gall bladder removal which I think started all this) and I was on and off larger (40 to 60mg) of prednisone until about 5 months ago. The prednisone caused my skin to get very thin but it was the only med that kept me from running to the bathroom 20+ times a day and allowed me to lead a somewhat normal life. I didn't really notice any hair thinning until I finally weaned off prednisone for good. Fortunately no bald spots yet but I've lost a lot of hair and it's still coming out in gobs. I'm going to see about finding the biotin, etc.

One thing I have to mention, because it really worked for me. I had heard about a diet called SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) as outlined in a book called Breaking the Vicious Cycle. I got the book and read it but it seemed like so much work as it cuts out all sugar, flour, starches, and everything else I loved so I yo-yoed back and forth about trying it until when none of the other meds worked my gastro wanted to put me on Imuran. I read the possible side effects and knowing how I have adverse reactions to drugs it scared me so much that I decided to try this SCD first.

Well, it's been 5 months now, I'm on no meds other than LDN 4.5 mg, and I no longer have the chronic constipation that went with my colitis, I have no bleeding in my stools and I don't run to the bathroom all the time anymore. It's a lot of work because pretty much everything has to be cooked from scratch, I still have all sorts of cravings for carbs and sweets (I even missed that final box of Twinkies before they took them off the market) but I'm a true believer that the diet works. There's a yahoo groups SCD site that's been a great help to me and I know there are people on there with Crohn's. I wouldn't push anyone to try it--but I did want to share what it's done for me.

Lori S.

had the same hairloss from pred too, doc switched to entocort as it has a lot less side effects, also stay away from as much salt intake as you can on the preds it helps with someof the weight gain. also take your preds early in the morn if you can to help wit some of the insomnia. or just roll wiht it and find some thing to keep you busy and away form the kitchen.....cleanest house in the world when im on the preds..lol stay positive and come to places like this for help on these questions many have been through all this before... may the lord grant you strength

While taking steroids my hair started falling after 4 months and at the same time new hair started growing. I just had it cut very short. It was falling anyway and my doc told me it was going to grow back. It is not a nice feeling to see your hair going away, but it is part of this journey.

This is a general suggestion.
I have ulcerative colitis. All the medications I took gave me almost all the side effects possible.
As a suggestion for all those who have tried all the drug menu give a try to the following probiotic I was recommended DR. OHHIRA'S PROFESSIONAL FORMULA which you can get over the internet.
It is a product from Japan and I took it as a supplement for 1 month and I got relief the very first week. When I started improving I started lowering my meds and continue for other 5 months until I was back to normal.
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I suffer from cluster headaches. It's a chronic condition and I get bouts of attacks every 3 to 4 years. They can last up to a month and a half. January this year was the last cluster of attacks. I had put off taking prednisolone for as long as I could because the last time I took the steroid to deal with the pain 3 years ago, I suffered from massive hair loss. Not being able to bear the pains anymore, I resorted to taking the steroid.

I got off the meds in mid-February this year. I had all the post-prednisolone effects that I've read here in this forum - weight gain, large appetite, moon face, trembling hands and incoherence - all these I suffered quite instantly during and after the steroid. But in mid-April, a month ago, I started losing hair. A LOT. Clumps! I've been losing hair for 5 weeks now and have lost 3/4 of my mane of beautiful hair. It's worse than the hair loss I experienced 3 years ago from the last time I took the steroid.

Please.. can someone tell me if it'll ever stop? And will my hair regrow? I'm so very depressed that I find it hard to carry on with work and life as routinely as possible.

The last time I lost hair, it did regrow. But I wasn't losing for this long.

Will my hair regrow?

And, is there anyone here who also suffers from acute cluster headaches?

Thank you all! I am on prednisone for 6 month now - started with 120mg, and now on 12mg but it seem i will have to stay with this dose for much longer... my hair started to drop 2 month ago and i think i lost half of it by now. Any suggestions for helping strengthening the hair/stop its falling, while taking prednisone?
Thanks!