Massive Hair Loss Post Treatment

[TravelGrl]

Sorry to use a thread for this...I know this question has been asked over and over on this board but this involves POST treatment.  Amanda's hair started falling out about 11 months into treatment...Clumps in the shower and on the brush.  Now, three weeks post treatment, it is still coming out full force.  For a teenager this is very traumatic...She was absolutely hysterical this morning...She says she has hardly any hair left and didn't want to go to school.  Can some of my post treatment friends please tell me when this normally stops so I can talk to her about it.  The doctor couldn't give me a straight answer.  I was thinking about calling Intermune today to see if they had any information for us.  I don't want to sound shallow, but with all the other problems of this illness that Amanda is dealing with, this is just one more that she doesn't need...Please give me some of your experiences....



Thank you All,



Please Use this thread for other topics as well



Jodi

[TravelGrl]

Also wanted to know if anyone knows if this is a normal occurance after treatment or could something else be going on?  It has been three weeks now.  Not sure how long it takes for the interferon to leave the body..??

[mikesimon]

From Janis. See towards the end where end of treatnment is addressed. Hope this helps a little. Sorry Amanda is having to deal with this too. She's a tough girl. Mike





Hair Loss



Yes ladies it happens, to most of us on treatment. You will not go bald, it will just become somewhat thin. This started to happen to me in my 6th month of treatment. Also my hair was so dry, it seemed to never really get dirty. It does all grow back, it took mine about a year after I finished my treatment.



Hair loss is common with interferon. It is difficult  to give you a exact percentage of patients who experience this problem but it is one of the side effects that I warn patients about. You also have to appreciate that the severity of this side effect varies enormously form patient to patient.



In my experience with hair loss (we use the term alopecia) associated with interferon or combination therapy, a couple of points stand out. One is that patients tend to feel their hair loss is more noticeable than individuals around them including me, the physician. In addition, the hair typically grows back. We often will evaluate our patients on interferon who have hair loss for thyroid dysfunction because thyroid problems are seen with interferon and they can cause hair loss. Finally, if patients are very bothered by the hair loss, I sometimes suggest they consider Rogaine (topical minoxidil) though I do not have evidence that this is effective.



http://www.medhelp.org/perl6/hepatitis/archive/1290.html



Thinning-  

Thinning hair or change in hair texture sometimes occurs. This may begin after the first few months of interferon therapy. It does not generally represent complete loss of hair, rather some people notice an increased amount of hair in the shower drain or loss while combing or brushing. Hair returns to normal after the course of interferon is discontinued. However, whatever part of hair loss in men is attributable to male pattern baldness is gone for good.



Some people experience hair loss as a side effect of interferon, but it doesn’t always happen. It may range from a slight to moderate amount of hair loss, but I have never seen anyone become completely bald from the doseages given for hepatitis.



See our FAQ section of our web site. This list was put together by Peppermint Patti.



The hair grows back after the treatments are over. When your hair does begin to grow back in, it may come in thicker, curlier, or straighter than it did before your interferon therapy.



Hair loss can occur on all parts of the body, not just the head.

Facial hair, arm and leg hair, underarm hair, and pubic hair may all be

affected. Hair loss usually doesn’t happen right away; more often, it begins after a few weeks. At that point, hair may fall out gradually or breaks at or near the skin, and the scalp may become tender. Any hair that is still growing may become dull and dry. To care for your scalp and hair:



Use mild shampoos.

Use soft hair brushes.

Use low heat when drying your hair.

Don’t use brush rollers to set your hair.

Don’t dye your hair or get a permanent.

Have your hair cut short. A shorter style will make your hair look thicker and fuller. It will also make hair loss easier to manage if it occurs.

---



There is a special type of shampoo and conditioner designed specifically for people undergoing chemotherapy. Many people have reported good results using it while taking interferon. The brand name is "Nioxin" and it is sold only in salons.







ALOPECIA



PATHOPHYSIOLOGY



Interferon affects the hair follicles and changes the texture of the hair, thereby making it



more sensitive to breakage. Hair loss, which has been described as a possible side effect



of treatment with interferons,1 occurs by one of two mechanisms. First, loss via a



shearing or friction effect at the scalp level (often during sleep as the hair moves across a



pillow) is caused by the weak, brittle nature of hair changes. Second, loss can occur via a



spontaneous release of the hair from the follicle, leaving the follicle empty, which is



usually seen with vigorous shampooing or brushing. Alopecia is frequently observed



when therapy is continued for longer than 3 to 4 months, and is characterized by thinning



and slight-to-mild hair loss. It appears to be the most common cutaneous reaction



associated with interferon alfa treatment.2 Alopecia may become more pronounced when



interferon is discontinued and may continue for 1 to 3 months.3 In general, alopecia



associated with interferon is reversible. In some patients, hair regrowth occurs during



treatment continuation.1



Total revealed alopecia is seen more often with high-dose interferon or long-term



interferon maintenance therapy. Thinning, often unnoticeable to others, is usually seen



during combination therapy with ribavirin or low-dose, short-course interferon. Patches



of loss occur unpredictably in some patients.

[britgirl]

Make sure it is not thyroid related. My hair loss also occurred mainly AFTER treatment - great clumps of it. It has never grown back. I am on thyroid supplements but they have not helped my hair. I dreaded washing my hair at the end. The worst for me was about two months after tx.

[fabienne]

The hair will grow back but it takes awhile..... I felt like I was going bald but no-one else noticed... and when it grew it was VERY curley and still is after a year.... it seems I'm stuck with this hair...

[TESSTUBE]

Please tell Amanda that my hair too thinned out quite a bit the last 4-6 weeks of treatment and continued for 6-8 weeks AFTER treatment (ending in August 2003). It was unnerving but it is all growing back in full force and I have a bit of a punk look with all the new growth.  My thyroid hung in there (barely)during treatment and that may have something to do with it too.



Good luck and I'll say a prayer for you and Amanda.

[new-sojourn]

My hair kept thinning for a while post-tx, also.  I think those dudes are doomed, anyway.  My nails were also incredible weak for 7-8mo post-tx.  Now, 14mo post-tx, my nails are so strong they are hard to cut and my hair grew in thick, curly, silky and very, very dark.  I'm 56 and also lost almost all the grey.  The few strands are just lost in the shinny, dark curls.  Even my mother, 80's, asked me if I dye my hair.



It's snowing right now.  This is another winter I was not supposed to live to see.  Instead, I'm SVR and not so ESLD anymore.

[sugie]

Does anyone have any knowledge of Chiropractic when on TX? I had a bad neck before and the TX has seemed to make the soreness worse. Wondering if it is unrealistic to expect Chiro. ajustments, gadits like tens and wave table to help. Or could it hurt?? I was sore before I went and still sore after. Just trying to find an alternative to tylenol for aches and pains. Thanks for any info.

[Galen]

I've read that the