Hair loss/Imuran/Prednisone

Just wondering what your opinion is on Imuran, Prednisone, and hair loss. I have lost quite a bit of hair in the last few months. (more than the normal amount of hair everyone sheds on a normal basis.) I have tried several things to stop it, different hair brushes, satin pillowcases, no heat styling, no coloring, different products, all to no avail. -I have hair, it is just VERY thinned out now. Is this just a part of UC? Or part of taking steroids, or Imuran? I would love to go back to high-lighting, and styling my hair if it isn’t going to make a difference. I know that being able to do my hair is minor compared to some of the other things going on w/ me (and everyone on this forum). I’m just so frustrated with everything that has to do w/ UC right now. What do you think? Don’t risk it? Try it and see what happens?

Thinning hair and hair loss is a side effect of having uc without any medications, and it is listed as a side effect on every class and type of uc medication from anti-inflammatory mesalamine, to immunomodulators like Imuran, to biologics like Remicade all of which have very different mechanisms of action and active ingredients.

As UC patients we're more prone to having low iron levels (anemia), as well as low levels of vitamin B, B-12, and D all of which can result in hair loss. Flares can also cause malnutrition that can lead to hair loss. Hairloss is usually a delayed reaction to a flare. Generally thinning hair is a consequence of one or more of those factors. You can certainly ask your family doctor for a blood test for your iron, B and D levels and adjust your diet and supplements accordingly. If it is caused by a deficiency, once that's resolved then your hair should slowly grow back over time as your body heals and you get all of the proper nutrients your body needs for it.

As others have said, it's not possible to determine if the hair loss is caused by the drugs or the disease. However, Imuran is an old chemo drug from the 1950s, so unfortunately hair loss, nausea and other side effects experienced by cancer patients going through chemotherapy (albeit they are on much higher doses but for shorter periods of time) is not uncommon for those taking this medication.