HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Apriso and hair loss

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 1/18/2011 5:49 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with moderate to severe pancolitis in October and have been on Apriso 4 capsules a day since then. It worked and I have not had any ulcerative colitis symptoms for the past month. The only problem I'm having is that I'm losing tons of hair. It comes out in clumps and I'm surprised that I have any hair left on my head! I was just wondering if there are any alternatives to Apriso that will not cause hair loss. Also, do I have to take Apriso forever or can I stop taking it since my symptoms are gone? It's a question I forgot to ask my doctor.
I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!
Posted 1/18/2011 6:00 AM (GMT 0)
The hairloss can also be from the severe pancolitis and problems associated with that.

Alternatives to 5ASA are steroids, immunosuppressants and biologics.

I would suggest you ride out this process before totally pinning it on the Apriso. Remember, we lose about 100 hair a day normally. What disease can do as well as stress and meds...it can change the pattern of hairloss/ dormancy period and regrowth.

Explain clumps...as in 10 hair? Have you had your thyroid checked as well as B vitamins?

Have you made any changes in food intake?

What other meds are you on exactly?

q

Posted 1/18/2011 6:19 AM (GMT 0)
I changed my diet somewhat when I was in the flare. I avoided spicy foods, raw vegetables, coffee, etc but now I am eating everything I normally ate before. I am not taking any other ulcerative colitis meds but I am a type 1 diabetic so I take Lantus, Humalog, and enalapril (a very low dose to protect my kidneys). I also started taking a multivitamin, probiotics, and fish oil. I would say at least 20 hairs come out when I brush my hair (A LOT more than ever before) and it accumulates all over my carpet now so it falls out throughout the day. I have had my thyroid checked and it's normal. In October right before my colonoscopy and my diagnosis I had lab work drawn. Everything was low (Sodium, potassium, albumin, protein, hemoglobin, etc) because I had not been able to eat in the previous couple of weeks. Thanks for your input. I appreciate it!
Posted 1/18/2011 6:27 AM (GMT 0)
How many times do you brush your hair? If you saw 20 hairs on your clothes daily and if you just brushed your hair aside with your hand and pulled out 20 hair..different thing.

Is your hair long or short? If long, imagine how much space a long hair takes than a short one? You'll obviously see that the long hair is noticable compared..on a carpet,


Diabetes...another issue with hair loss, maybe that in combo with the UC flare...

Remember, hair that's pulling out/ falling out is dormant. The only way it falls out is if hair is growing in. Unless the follicles are changed/ damages/ or not producing hair any longer/ or hormonal changes such as in men and some women...it could be that for you the process started much longer than you're imagining.

Now,.,,.when your hair is wet, do you see little baby hairs along your scalp, or along the hairline, etc?

You might want to consider a B vitamin in addition to the multi.

The process may be hindered somewhat...but ifyou have new hair growing in...it's not the apriso.

q
Posted 1/18/2011 6:33 AM (GMT 0)
I do have little hairs growing in so maybe it's not the Apriso? I know that when my hair is in a ponytail it is much thinner now. But I will stick with Apriso because I don't want to feel like I'm dying like I did before! Is this a med that I will have to stay on permanently?
Posted 1/18/2011 8:20 AM (GMT 0)
I am diagnosed with crohns and usually post in that area but I am finding that I respond better to the UC meds for bleeding so I started posting here too! Anyway, I had very bad hair loss and was on track to loss 3/4 of my hair. It was falling out all over the house and tub. It was very traumatic so I started taking Biotin and Folic acid and the hair loss stopped and my hair started growing back. I am now back with a full head of hair thanks to the supplements. Good luck!!
Posted 1/18/2011 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
I take a B-100 supplement as well; I too had hair loss when I was flaring. My hairdresser said the same thing as Q (who definitely is our resident hair specialist!) that our hair gets stressed from illness.

Posted 1/18/2011 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, you WILL need to stay on Apriso permanetly.

I lost a lot of hair (some of which was pregnancy hair) after my first flare. But it started coming back a while after I got into remission.
Posted 1/18/2011 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone!
Posted 1/18/2011 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
Let me also add that butt meds should be part of your regimen, ESPECIALLY to start them at the first signs of a new flare.

When you wear a ponytail...please do not put it up when it's wet, use very small clips, not the kind that can snap the hair off, etc.

Regarding the Apriso...4 is a low dosage, so yes...you should be on it continually. The whole point of 5ASA meds is to keep inflammation at bay. Unless you have a plan to let inflammation continue, it's best to be logical as to why it works. Ive been on Asacol for 22 years....I hope to continue it for another 22 years if I'm able. And that goes for the butt meds as well.

Yeah, we don't want to be on meds...but we need them. Well, most of us do.

q
Posted 3/10/2011 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
I have also noticed hair loss since being on apriso.  I take 6 a day.  I am thinking of adding folic acid, biotin and fish oil, as well as using beneful and probiotics yogurt.  Has anyone ever tried accupuncture?  I have not had a flare up in 7 months but I think alot of it has to do with my mental state.  The calmer I am, the more harmonious my body feels.  thoughts ?
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply