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Yikes! I'm loosing my hair!

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/1/2013 1:17 AM (GMT 0)
I know that my hair is falling out, but wow! I really noticed how badly today when I put it up in a pony-tail. Now I'm concerned, and want to know why. I have crohn's, RA, and fibromyalgia. I recently was anemic, but the hemoglobin is back up to 12 last month. The major drugs I'm on are Methotrexate 20mg injectable, Orencia, medrol 8mg, Lialda, and Zanaflex 2 or 4 mg, and Yasmin.

Is it the drugs? The disease? I noticed it falling out when I was anemic (hemoglobin at 8) but it seemed to go away as the hemoglobin went back up. Now the falling out part is back. :( Any suggestions on how to make it stop and grow back fast?
Posted 5/1/2013 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
Are you taking any vitamins? I take folic acid and vitamin D. I think the folic acid might help prevent hair loss.
Posted 5/1/2013 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
I believe that hair loss that is from an illness or medical stress occurs several weeks after the stressful event, so it may be related to your anemia, and now that it is resolved, it may get better. Here's a good article on hair loss. I hope it turns around soon!
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003246.htm
Posted 5/1/2013 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
If you are taking methotrexate, you should be on prescription strength folic acid. MTX depletes folic acid so it MUST be replaced.
Posted 5/1/2013 10:33 AM (GMT 0)
Ditto Ides response. I'm on MTX and scripted folic acid, however my hair is still thinning.
Posted 5/1/2013 11:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, Yes, I am taking 1mg of folic acid, daily and 2000 iu's of vit. D daily, for at least a year faithfully. The hair falling out started when I was anemic this winter, and then was better, and now it's started again! Maybe it is due to stress...the fibromyalgia is new. What next??!! I am going now to look at that link....thanks everyone!
Posted 5/1/2013 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
Is it looking very thin or are you just noticing a lot of hair falling out? My hair got thicker during my pregnancies and while taking prednisone for long periods, then shed brushfuls daily after the fact when everything was going back to normal. But I didn't get thin or bald spots.
Posted 5/1/2013 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
It's looking/feeling thiner than normal. My hair is very fine and always has been thin, so now with this problem, it's making me nervous! Thankfully I have no bald spots (yet). If this keeps up I'll be calling my doc to see if "upping" the folic acid will help. Just as I feel that everything is better, something new comes up! Oh the joys of chronic disease! :)
Posted 5/1/2013 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
 Since most CDers do not absorb nutients the way "normal" guts do, we tend to have thinner hair.  I've had CD for 42yrs and counting and my hair is thinner too.  Biotin works for some.  It's only a vitamen, and has the ability to restore hair loss.  Always check with your Doc first to make sure it will not interact with anything else you may be taking. God, my hands are shaking so bad.  Tomorrow morning, I  will have my endo/colonoscopy done. It's been 4yrs and with longstanding CD I'm a bit nervous, esp since docs saw changes in a recent CT scan and I've been feeling poorly.  Sorrry, did not mean to end this reply about me.   
Posted 5/2/2013 8:06 AM (GMT 0)
I have been on remicade then humira and methotrexate for 9years now and my hair has got really thin. I've also lost all of my eyebrows and hair on my legs and arms. I've blamed the meds but my consultant has now said it is due to the inflammatory disease process. I don't know if getting the disease under control will improve it but I'm ever hopeful. There are some good point - at least I don't have to shave/wax my legs anymore :-)
Posted 5/8/2013 7:05 AM (GMT 0)
Ive lost all the hair on my legs only. Very weird.
Posted 5/9/2013 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
Thought I might post here as its kind of related. I have noticed hair loss since Jan-feb of this year. Started off as normal shedding, then I was losing handfuls in the shower, no bald spots, just very thin all over. Never seemed to have a problem before. It is also quite dry(no breakage), but the hair falling out it for sure coming out at the root. My scalp has also been flaking, but not like regular dandruff (which I rarely had in the past).

I started remicade in November 2012 and attributed the hair loss to that, but my GI suggested it may have been from how sick I was the last 6 months of last year and not for sure the remicade. I have read that the hair loss cycle can start 3-4 months after incident or sickness. Does anyone know how long until it would start growing in and being healthy again?

I have started a multi vitamin (which includes biotin) and fish oil. Just not sure how long I should wait to see results or what time frame I should give my hair to show improvement. If it doesn't then I know its the remicade, but with how great I have been feeling, I hate to go off it.

I apologize for the long post! Thanks :)
Posted 5/13/2013 3:08 AM (GMT 0)
I had a long post about this a few years ago when my hair started to fall out - after two separate flares. I know it feels awful right now, my hair fell out all along the perimeter of my scalp, and for women that can be very traumatic. And no doctor could pinpoint why (the crohn's? the rapid weighloss? the stress to the body? all the medicine I was on?) Long story short, the first time it fell out I was miserable and still didn't have my crohn's under control. Good news, it WILL grown back. The second time it happened I got clip in extensions that my hairdresser showed me how to put in (you have to get the good kind) and then she cut them and styled them and my self esteem skyrockted. Now thankfully my crohn's is under control but my hair is still growing back (it seems like it takes forever!) Luckily, big picture - my crohn's in manageable AND no one can tell that I have extensions in. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll find my original post. It's common about 2-3 months after a severe flare to start falling out, then peaks at about 6 months, then starts to grow back. You won't be bald, don't worry, but it's tough especially if you have long hair to have clumps of hair coming out when you brush it. :(

Good luck to you xo
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