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Hair Loss! Please help.

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/30/2017 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Guys,
I was wondering if anybody could help me out with this problem I'm experiencing! So this past month I have been loosing clumps of hair, it's really scary! So just some background information, I'm 21 years old got diagnosed with pancolitis when I was 19. This December that just passed I was experiencing a really bad flare. I had a colonoscopy performed in Jan and the tests came back positive for c-diff, so my doctors concluded that I had c-diff with an active flare. I was put on two different types of antibiotics, prednisone, and he doubled my dosage of Apriso! After a month of taking antibiotics my flare started clearing up in Feb. I started tapering off the pred. and was off it by march. He wanted me to continue taking the double dosage of Apriso which I was fine with since it had never really caused me a problem. So around April I started to notice that my hair was coming out in clumps in the shower which is something unusual since I usually lost about 5 hairs in the shower. After my hair was dried and I passed my brush, clumps and clumps of hairs would come out on the brush & would cover my floor. I called my doctor and he told me to stop taking the double dosage of Apriso. I did and waited for the hair loss to stop which it didn't. So, I went and picked up biotin 5mg, I've been taking it for maybe two weeks! I have seen no improvement, if anything I feel like the hair loss has increased. I have stopped brushing my hair because I feel like it just increases my hair loss. I'm also taking vitamin D, iron, and a multi-vitamin. I have an appointment with a dermatologist on Thursday but I was wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar to this. I'm really worried and I just cry seeing clumps of hair fall out. My hair was pretty thick and I can feel my ponytail thinning out. So if anyone has any idea what's causing my hair to fall out, please let me know.
Posted 4/30/2017 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
It's from the prednisone.....but you need to have a full panel of blood testing and especially check for vitamin d, b vitamins, iron, thyroid, zinc, glucose....

Please go back on the apriso and rectal meds if you aren't already

It's normal to lose 100 hair a day. If you have long hair it will look like much more.
Do you have patches of hair missing on your head, or is the thinning mostly at the top?

This is not anything that will stop quickly by dropping a med...it's a process/cycle that's been in progress for a while. The dormancy stage is usually extended and then hair shedding will seem much more than normal. Remember that hair coming out will mean a new hair growing and pushing the dormant one out.

Now, if you have bald patchy areas .....that's usual from very high doses of steroid such as dexamethasone or autoimmune attack of the follicle called alopecia areata.

q
Posted 4/30/2017 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hey thanks for responding! I had blood taken out not too long ago and everything seemed normal. I'm still taking Apriso, I just stopped taking the double dosage of it. I'm loosing way over 100 hairs a day, every time I run my hands through my hair I pull clumps of hair out. It's really scary! My mom checked my scalp today for any bald patches but she couldn't find any. So I'm guessing my hair is just overall thinning out. I try to stay positive but it's really hard when I see clumps of hair falling out. I feel like if my hair continues to fall out at this rate I'm going to have none in like a couple of months. It's weird because when I was on prednisone, I felt like my hair was the thickest and healthiest it had ever been. I have been off pred for almost 2 months! If anything I thought the hair loss would be while taking prednisone not when I stopped.
Posted 4/30/2017 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
hi,i had same problem few weeks ago.i started to take biotin+iron supplements and problem solved.low hemoglobin level also cause hair loss and it will be fine in some time so dont waste money going to a dermatologist
Posted 4/30/2017 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
Ditto return to the double dose of apriso.

We can have hairloss as a delayed reaction to an ulcerative colitis flare whether we're on medications or not. Flares can cause malnutrition and rapid weight loss, anemia, low vitamins d, b, and b12 all of which can cause hairloss. Your recent bloodwork is good then the hairloss should slow and reverse in time, it takes a while so be patient.

All UC medications with very different ingredients and mechanisms of action list hairloss as a possible side effect (anti-inflammatory like apriso, immunomodulators like imuran, and biologics like remicade). I tend to think it's not the meds in most situations.
Posted 5/1/2017 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
How long were you on the prednisone?

You have to understand the process of hair growth and shedding. This is not the apriso, and the pred would not have made your hair thicker if it was already on the outside of your scalp.. Thick hair doesn't happen in a few months when it only grows about a half inch to an inch a month tops. Hair outside the scalp is only influenced to appear thick by products and humidity levels. The prednisone will extend the dormant stage....whuch means the follicle producing a new hair is influenced.

What is the length of your hair now?

q
Posted 5/1/2017 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
I was on prednisone for about two months! So I guess you're right my hair wouldn't have gotten thicker. I guess I'm comparing how my hair feels now to when I was on prednisone and there's a noticeable difference. My hair is cut in layers, & my longest layer falls right on my breasts.
Posted 5/1/2017 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hair down to that length will be growing for at least 3 years ago....

Try not to freak out, but do ask your doc for blood checks on vitamins.

There are hair health vitamins....priorin is one that seems to cover the spectrum.
Do you have your hair coloured?

What products do you use for wash, style, do you use heat appliances, etc? If you put yiur hair up, what do you use...breakage and follicle fatigue can happen.

I can go through a whole list of precautions, products etc for your hair now and future. If you get your hair cut regularly, it will keep the ends in good state and not allow splits to continue.

knowledge and understanding will help you lessen your distress....this is a long process. Especially if you like your hair longer.

q
Posted 5/1/2017 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
This was one of my most distressing symptoms when I was first diagnosed. I was absolutely crushed by the bald spot on the back of my head after a horrible flare and 9 mo on 30 mg Prednisone. I focused on getting to remission with the Prednisone, and oral and rectal Mesalamine plus biotin, iron, folic acid and B-vitamins. Now about 2 years later my bald spot is finally filled in. It's a process, but it can change. I changed to a short, layered style which added fullness in the back as well.
Posted 5/1/2017 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
I appreciate everyone who has responded to my post! It's making me feel better and I feelless stressed about this entire situation. I've always been really aware of the things that I put in my hair, one of my worst fears oddly is loosing my hair at such a young age. So, to answer your questions heather, my hair isn't colored. I used this organic shampoo brand called Calia, and I usually clip my hair back through out the day. I never apply heat on it, no flat ironing or blow drying. I try to treat my hair with care applying oils here and there. But ever since my hair started to fall out in clumps, I limit my contact with it. I clip it back into a pony tail and try to ignore it throughout the day because once I run my fingers through my hair that's when I notice the clumps of hair falling out. I easily get stressed when I see this and I know stress doesn't help my cause at all.
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