HCV type 2 24 week treatment hairloss?

I have HCV type 2 am on 24 week treatment (week 6) with Pegasys and co Pegasys. Has anyone experianced hair loss with this treatment. My hair is very long  just want to know if I should get ready mentally.

[jdwithhcv]

You should expect to lose some (but not all) of your hair.  I've been losing my hair since about week 16 (I'm doing 48 weeks).  It falls out in double handfuls when I shampoo.  This lasts for about 5-6 weeks then stops for about 2 months, then I repeat the cycle.  I can always tell when its coming because for a week before the shedding starts I have a funny feeling in my scalp.  Hard to describe except to say my hair hurts - like the feeling you get when its been in a too-tight ponytail for a while.

Its not as bad as it sounds - it will grow back.  Good to be mentally prepared, though.  Good luck.

jd

[H20Lover]

Hello there....

I was treated for geno 2 also for 24 weeks.  I did not really notice my hair getting thinner until about weeks 18-20.  At 24 it was still thinning, but no one ever noticed.  Now (nearly 7 weeks after end of tx) I have all these new hairs growing in.  I have to keep licking them down like a cat!!!!!  It is like I have a halo of fuzzies.......

I kept my hair shorter than usual and resorted to the good old pony tail a good deal of the time.

As you will find out though, we all react differently.  You may not have any problem with your long locks!

Good luck!

Pam

[Texas714]

I'm 2b on week 12 and I'm losing some hair.  My hair is long too.  I'm hoping I don't have to cut it.  It's not so bad yet.  I choose to think no one has noticed!  :-)

[FloridaMouse]

I'm a 1a.  I have long hair also.   I'm in week 27 (of my second round) and I started losing my hair around week 12.  I've had to cut about 3 inches off so far because it got real ratty looking from the breakage.  

I did 48 weeks of tx my first round and lost about 2/3 of my hair.  I have been losing steadily this time and have another 44 weeks to go (I'm doing 72 weeks)

Mouse

[proud48]

Hello,
I am 1a and had 48 weeks. By the 3rd month my hair starting coming out and it did so for the rest of the Tx. It felt like my scalp was sore and it would get bright red then several days later out it came. When I finished I told everyone I felt like I had feathers. It looked like a baby bird with sparse feathers. :) It all grew back by 2nd year which was february. So it will all come back. I am SVR and have hair again.
  

[ladybug52]

I lost hair starting around week 11. It kept falling out even when I stopped tx at week 16.
My hair loss was pretty lopsided, the right side of my head had nearly none, but the left side looked OK.
I responded to tx early, got anemic early on, und by week 3. I think all the radical reactions were proof that the drugs were kicking hepc-butt.
Good luck, everyone responds differently.
Bug

[ladybug52]

Would like to add that I was genotype 2 also.
In all fairness, hair loss is all relative to the person experiencing it. What embarrassed and devastated me, might look like nothing to someone going through 48 weeks or more.
Bug

[nerja2007]

I am 24 weeks gen 3, my hair started falling out after 6 weeks, although I had moments in life when it  fell out before tx (maybe that had to do smth with the liver too) , however I had beautiful long curly hair and aftex 10 weeks it turned out like dreadlocks, esp at the back, so I used this excuse to get a nice short haircut, and now not only Iook fantastic- my husband is in love with me more than ever before and I am having smth like second honeymoon :-) Well, if it takes tx to swing things back to spicy- bring it on

[nerja2007]

I also lost all after baby weight and cellulite is gone. Took me 8 years of dieting and excercise to achieve no result- and after 3month on treatment, I look like a model :-))) ( a very tired model though ;-(

[rita863]

i am geno 1, i had hair to my shoulder when i started tx,  started loosing it around 8 weeks.  i cut very short and still color it.  but it doesnt look thing because of the cut.  the ends tend to look burnt (i think from the riba)  so i keep trimming them so that it looks healthy.  

peace
rita

[charm27]

Im on week 31 and have lost almost 50%. I havent cut it yet its shoulder length. My doc said no hair coloring, and only brush once a day, and shampoo only once a week.
Luckily Im not all white yet .

[nerja2007]

my hair does not take colour as well. I used semi permanent, but it seemed to have no effect

[jdwithhcv]

My hair also doesn't take color well either, and it fades really fast.

BTW, great screen name.  I love Nerja, spent about a year there in the early 70's when it was still a tiny fishing village.

jd