Yet another hair loss question

[redapple3]

yet another hair loss question

Hey Everyone.

I've been taking meds since February. Started on 40mg of Predizone and 50 mg of Imuran. I'm now on 5 mg of pred (hopefully only for one more week) and 75 mg of Imuran a day.

Starting a few weeks ago, my hair is coming out in clumps. Every time I shower, my hands are covered! My hair was thin to begin with so now it feels terrible. Luckily the cut I have makes it less noticeable. It is my only side effect but it's driving me mad.

Anyways. I've read that hair loss can be a symptom of both the pred and the imuran. I'm hoping that once I'm off the pred for good, it'll stop. I asked my GI and he said "it's just the nature of your disease!!???". What is that?

Anyone on Imuran and had hair loss start and then stop? Should I just shave it and save myself the agony?

 

[Dustin]

Hey redapple3,
I started losing my hair when I started on the prednisone and Imuran at age 13. Even when I stopped the prednisone, and the Imuran appeared to stop working (although I still take it), I continued to lose my hair. I know male-pattern baldness runs in both sides of my family, but I know it was a combination of the drugs and the disease itself. Around the age of 24 I decided enough was enough, and shaved all the hair off my head - I have continued to shave it off ever since, mainly because I still get hair in the bottom of the shower from my arms and legs falling out.

 

[Christy]

Sorry you're having a hard time, redapple.

I've never taken Imuran, can't comment on it. The prednisone ~ in my case (started at 40 mg, down now to 30) my hair isn't falling out but seems to have simply stopped growing. Even the hair on my legs & underarms; in fact, that's how I noticed, I didn't shave my legs for a week and they were still smooth. Not that I'm complaining particularly ... I hate shaving. If my hair on my head starts to give me trouble, now that would probably affect me more deeply.

 

[redapple3]

Thanks for the replies.

It seems like I'm just stuck with thinning hair. I'm trying not to be vain about it. It's mostly the hair on the floor and clogging all my drains that's driving me nuts.

And Christy - When i started taking Pred, I had no hair on my underarms and bikini line. Now the hair is growing back, slowly there and it's going away on my head. Go figure.

I also had facial hair growing wild one day and it hasn't shown up again since.

 

[Astra]

Hi redapple

I'm not on either drugs, but I have hair loss too, and it's been thinning rapidly for years, I think you'll find that your GI is right, it is all part n parcel of being a Crohnie, not the meds.
xxx

 

[violetcreams]

Yeah, this disease causes hair loss. I was losing a lot of hair months before I started the meds (which can also cause hair loss). Like Joan says, it's all part & parcel of the gift of Crohn's - the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[Nyx]

I've got the hair loss thing too and wasn't on any meds till about 5 weeks ago. I've had it for years. Thank goodness there are some pretty nice hats out there! And wigs too...