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Loosing my hair!!!

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/29/2013 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
I went in and met with my doctor the other day...I explained that I have been loosing a lot of my hair.  He at first didn't think it was my meds....but then came back and said that the medicine that I am on (balsalazide) can cause hair loss.  I am wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them and what they have done about it. 

He is currently having me cut my dose in half to see if that makes a difference.  I am not able to really go to other meds due to their cost....I don't have any prescription coverage!

Not really wanting to go with the Sinead O'Conner look... :(

Any supplements that may help???

Thanks all!!

Posted 8/29/2013 7:29 PM (GMT 0)
I had hair loss when I took Canasa Suppositories (Mesalamine). I found that Biotin helped a great deal.

Best...
Posted 8/29/2013 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
I totally understand! I started losing my hair not just because of the UC, but also Asacol and then Remicade. So not fun, but as protocolteck said, Biotin works very well for hair growth. I take a B100; has B-12 plus Biotin so I get a double whammy! Take care, hope this helps.
Posted 8/29/2013 7:43 PM (GMT 0)
Asacol caused me hair loss. It was all over the place! Had to wear it in a pony tail to cut down on shedding everywhere.
Posted 8/29/2013 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
My hair has fallen out and grown back at least 3 times because of UC and the meds. Last time it was after my surgeries (anesthesia will do it too). The good news is it always grows back.
Posted 8/29/2013 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
Lots of fruits and vegetables.

I think getting sick makes us lose our hair and it comes back when we are well.

 

Posted 8/29/2013 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
A bad flare can cause hair loss, too.
Posted 8/29/2013 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
Collagen has made my hair amazing! Its so thick. I take one scoop a day. You could also try gelatin.
Posted 8/29/2013 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
You were on prednisone over the past year...Are you still on it?

q
Posted 8/29/2013 9:10 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone! I will try Biotin and see if that helps! I have always had thick hair...so that helps...at least I'm not bald...YET!

Yes...I was on prednisone a few months ago for a few weeks. I thought that that may have contributed to it, also.

It kinda stinks that you take two steps forward...and feel like you take a step backwards. Grrr...

The good news is I am not in a flare right now...hoping that with only taking half the amount of drugs won't cause me to start a flare!
Posted 8/30/2013 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
I've had hair loss for over 10 years now.  I was on Asacol when it started. I used to have very, very thick hair and it fell out in clumps for months and months - even a year later it was still falling out. I switched to Colazal (Balsalazide) and it got a little better. All the mesalamine-based drugs can cause hair loss after long-term loss. It does stop eventually though.  

 Now I have very thin, fine hair - its never grown back to the thickness it once was. I'm trying to get off Prednisone and that has caused my hair to fall out again a ton. It's so thin now I can't stand to look at it! I know it will grow back once I'm completely off the Prednisone - for me its tapering the Prednisone that is causing it to fall out. I have seriously low DHEA levels - a little from birth control pills but mostly low from Prednisone. I started taking a DHEA supplement and that has helped me a little. So you may want to get that checked out.  I take Yasmin as my birth control pill also as it specifically has the hormone dropsironone, which is in the family of spironactolone - a drug they give for hair loss sometimes.

As far as what else I've learned over the past 10 years, seeing dermatologists and endocrinologists - have your zinc, iron, vitamin D, ferritin, folic acid levels all tested. Low levels of those can cause hair loss.

For supplements I take Biotin, Calcium, Zinc (I had low zinc at one point), Vitamin C (helps body absorb zinc), L-lysine (known to help hair growth) and a multivitamin. 

I know its hard not to stress about it but try if you can - stress can just make it worse. I have lots of little hairs growing back in now so hang in there. You may not have the same hair you had before, but it won't all fall out and you will get regrowth. 

Posted 8/30/2013 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Eating vegetable/fruit smoothies made my hair grow in twice as thick. Also I went gluten free.
Posted 8/30/2013 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
Well here is an interesting turn. Thought my hair was growing out of control because I thought it looked full and growing quickly and my sister told me it's the best she's ever seen it look...so much fuller. So I go to get my hair trimmed tonight because we are leaving on vacation, and I have a new person. She says, "Gee, your hair is thinning on top." **Sigh** Now I'm trying to decide whether it's the meds (mesalamine) older age (55) or she was trying to sell me hair products. Lol.
Posted 8/30/2013 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
I wonder how many of us have significant hair loss. I've been to 2 different dermatologists, both who said my hair loss was due to being "chronically ill". They thought the combination of drugs may have been the reason my hair came out in clumps. I've tried biotin, biotin forte, MSM, Rogaine, Rogaine foam and even a very expensive electronic comb.

I noticed my hair is not falling out abnormally now that the UC is controlled and I can't figure out what drug or diet changes helped. But, my hair remains fine and thin.

So, I quit dying my hair and had it cut very short. Now, the grey hair makes the scalp less visible and the remaining hair has more body and does not climg to my scalp and makes my hair loss less visible. My friends say it looks great.

I wish everybody good luck in finding a solution to this outward and emotional sign of UC.
Posted 8/30/2013 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
Any recommendations on the best deal for Biotin?
Posted 8/30/2013 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
I'm also reading that acne is a side-effect. Anyone experiencing that?
Posted 8/30/2013 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
I was unaware that acne is a side effect of Biotin.

Eph: I'm not sure if we are allowed to state where we purchase OTC meds. I get mine from Swanson Vitamins on line. They have very good prices and a good variety of brands.
Posted 8/30/2013 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
I have had bouts of hair loss and I always thoughtnit was uc,meds related, but now I think it is certain shampoos. I have seen some strong correlation. I woul really try switching, just to see. Try redken all soft. I seemed good with that. When I ran out I had some aveeno and I noticed it coming out and feeling brittle. Then went to my brothers for a week and used tressemme split remedy. Seemed ok and so I bought some and so far so good. I am flaring just so you know.
Posted 8/30/2013 7:13 PM (GMT 0)
"Now I'm trying to decide whether it's the meds (mesalamine) older age (55) or she was trying to sell me hair products. Lol."


probably all 3 ;-)

I tend to think that when our bodies are sick, especially something as serious as uc, non-essential functions are sacrificed in order to put all energy into fighting the main battle -

we get funky stuff like hair loss, aches and pains, skin issues - our hearts don't quit beating, our lungs don't shut down -

and the meds all have their sides on top of all that - some subtle, some significant -

just my thoughts -
Posted 8/30/2013 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
shampoo won't cause you to lose hair, but it can certainly change the texture of the hair to have it appear much thinner or much thicker, or oilier or brittle (usually because of certain thickening agents that actually build up on the hair causing it to go brittle).

Hairloss on the top of the head for women is pretty much hormonal related...that can include loss of hormones (estrogen) which is related to age...or inherited which is still hormone, but programmed.

Any changes won't be seen until 3 - 6 months. The main culprit is that the dormant stage is very prolonged because the growth of the new hair has been interrupted. Once the new hair starts to come in, it pushes out the old hair. The new hair growth won't be seen on the scalp for about 3 months. It should take about a year for the hair to regain its strength and previous state if it's hormonal cause is medications, illness, distress, etc.

If it's inherited/genetic, there's not much one can do except to encourage great nutrition, especially of vitamins D, multi-B. The use of a product that encourages specific hormones into the scalp, such as Bosley, can be very helpful.

One has to look at the big picture over a longer period of time.

q
Posted 8/30/2013 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
you talk like you know a little something about hair ;-)
Posted 8/30/2013 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
just a tad, although I'd have to do more research if someone wants to know more.

I've been through tons of crap, but never on a systemic steroid (been on inhaled for about 30 years, however)....lost tons of weight, but never malnourished I guess, and on 5ASA for 24+ years. Never lost my hair, although I have had a spot of total hairloss the size of a nickel on the crown of my head when I was a teen and the same place around age 28. I was thinking it could have been autoimmune? or hormonal because I got adult acne during both those times...it's not absolutely perfect now, but mostly filled in, so it's not consistent or even up and down.

q
Posted 8/30/2013 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
Another product that helps is Nioxin. It is available at most hair salons and at Ulta stores. It isn't cheap, and I don't like the smell - very medicinal - but it does help with thinning hair due to illness or medication.
Posted 8/30/2013 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
yes, and they've recently improved the effectiveness for the leave on scalp treatment as well.

q
Posted 8/30/2013 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
I would have said the same about shampoo, if I hadn't actually noticed more hair coming out right at the time I had started a different shampoo that happened to be on sale. I agree there are lots of other possibilities, but I wouldn't'rule out shampoo and it is a lot easier to test. I felt a lot less hair would come out when I gently ran my fingers through, not necessarily waiting for it to look thicker. There is a lot of weird stuff in shampoos and a lot of people are sensitive to certain chemicals.
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