HEP C TREATMENT HAIR LOSS

[SNOBILER]

I have been off the hep c treatment for 3 months,I am still losing so much hair that I'm afraid that I will lose it all. I'ts very thin. It comes out just by running your fingers through your hair.Has anyone else had this problem?

[taketoloadofffanny]

I went to a dermatologist PA and he suggested Minoxidil OTC (men's version but check with your DR first as you shouldn't take it in some cases, and Biotin 5000 mg/ day, plus I decided to take a multivitamin because I have been vegetarian for many years. I had some hair loss before treatment because I am on Tamoxifen for the next 4 years after having recovered from breast cancer. I also heard of a product that many people like called Toppik. There are different brands, but it is a powder that forms a matrix with your hair with fibrin strands so that your scalp doesn't show through as much while your hair grows back.  I was also told to try thickening shampoos, as I am blond and have fine hair. Another great idea was headbands, I like the cloth ones, as they cover exactly where it's thinning most.  I hold my scalp when I comb with a wide tooth comb. Oh, I sound so vain. I was told that in these cases, sometimes hair loss reflects what happened 2-3 months ago, so since I have been off treatment for a month, I am looking forward to getting my hair back.  It is noticeable although I am not bald, my landlord after having 3 glasses of wine admitted she noticed it. lol Thanks Landlady!

[Surfermike]

I have been off treatment for Hep c now for 20 months and still have thin on the top of my head. It seems like i noticed it towards the end of my treatment and it still has not grown back yet? Has anybody else had this same problem, and is there hope that my hair will get thicker on top again?

Thanks,
Mike

P.S. I took a high dose for one year. A shot once a week and pills twice a day. I guess it was Interfereon and Ribovrin. I am still showing that the Hep C is gone, so there is hope that the treatment does work.

[diane510]

IS IT WORTH IT?   DOES YOU HAIR GROW BACK HEALTHY?  I HAVE NOT STARTED THE INJECTION'S YET.   I AM SCARED.  I LIKE THIS SIGHT, BUT I THINK I WILL DO OK.

[nmb93435]

Hi again,

I just read through all your comments and I have a couple of comments.  As I implied in my last post, I went off treatment about a year ago and have done a decent amount of research on these issues, so I feel fairly qualified to address many of your questions and concerns.

WHY HAIR BECOMES CHEMICALLY DAMAGED & FALLS OUT:
Hair falling out during HCV treatment is a medical condition known as Anagen Effluvium.  Essentially, this treatment is a form of chemotherapy, meaning that medication is injected into the body it kill cancerous cells.  Since the purpose of taking this medication is to kill the bad cells, it's not all that surprising that some good cells are killed in the process.  

Hair follicles are critically affected by the drugs during Anagen, which is the natural growth phase of hair--that is to say, when new hair is being produced. The medication poisons and kills the hair follicles just as it is intended to poison and kill the cancerous cells that are produced by Hepatitis.

DOES ANEMIA HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH HAIR LOSS?
I do not believe that anemia significantly affects the hair loss that is experienced during treatment.  I am naturally anemic and have had to take supplements to solve this problem, so while I was doing my treatment, I continued to take Iron and Vitamin C (which helps your blood absorb the Iron).  Every month, I was tested for anemia during my monthly blood test.  I did not test positive for anemia at any point during this time.  However, I did experience what I believed to be fairly significant hair loss.

[elaine french]

try this. 1/4 cup mix virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.  leave on your head for 15 min. wash as usual. stay away from harsh shampoo's, hairspary etc.

[rusty_bawa2000]

My hair started to fall out at about 90 days into my 24 weeks treatment. I shaved my head and started applying emu oil twice a day. Also I discontinued use of "non-organic" hair products, kept the hat on most of the time and the hair started to grow back. It should grow back, eventually.

[yaso]

Did someone has his hair back after treatment ? why there is no clear answer ?

[cuteus]

it was answered in C3 and C42, why wouldn't it grow back? It is the same as with your red cells, they come back to normal, most everything does.

[SURVIVIN]

DYEING YOUR HAIR DARK PUTS A PROTECTANT ON HAIR AND MAKES IT STRONGER AND HAS LESS BREAKAGE  I GUARENTEE IT OR YOUR MONEY BACK !!AND FOR YOU WHO THINK DYING IT OR SHOULD I SAY STRIPIN IT TO BLOND THINK AGAIN  ..ADDD NOT   WEAKEN PEEPS
I WISH  ALL  THE BEST !!TAKE IT EASY

[SURVIVIN]

TO STOP  HAIR FROM FALLING OUT  during pegatron treatment  i dyed my hair dark brown  it was blondie brown highlighted so I THREW ON DARK DARK BROWN AND EVEN STREAKED IT BLACK  AND IMEDIATLY MY HAIR STOPPED BREAKING AND FALLING OUT . SERIOUSLY I WAS TOLD TO DO THIS AT THE BEGINING OF THE TREATMENT  AND I THOUGHT NO WAY THEN I LOSE IT ALL FORSURE EVEN FASTER  BUT AT END OF 6 MONTHS I WAS IN A UPSET CONDITION AS IT WAS ALMOST DOWN TO NOTHING(WELL WHAT  WAS TO ME NOTHING) SO I DID IT  AND  I WAS SO HAPPPY NO MORE HAIR FALLING OUT ITS  THICKER GROWING BACK AND IM DONE TREATMENT EVERYTHING SO FAR GOING OK  BUT BE CAREFUL THE BEST IS YET TO COME AFTER YOU FINISH   INJECTIONS AND PILLS  A VERY SCARY  DEPRESSION HITS   I GET THESE MAYBE FOR  5 TO 30 MINS  3 OR 4 TIMES A WEEK (*ONE TIME FOR 6 HOURS ) BUT HOLY WHEN IT HITS NOTHING CAN BRING YOU OUT OF THIS IT IS SO HARSH IT SCARS ME  I HAVE TO BE TALKING TO SOMEONE AT THE SECOND I FEEL THIS BECAUSE ITS LIKE NOTHING IVE EVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE AND IM CLINIQLY DEPRESSED FOR YEARS  NOW AND THIS IS ZERO COMPARED  NO WONDER THERE IS A HIGH SUICIDE RAte  from this stuff  now i know why  ~!! also more side affects comming off  as i go but im survivin!                    cheers

[jmjm530]

What lab, where, and do they give you the results on the phone or by mail? Best most of us can do is get them faxed to us if they follow the instructions written.

-- Jim

[nyhepc]

i also go to lab directly for results. had to sign a release that's good for a year, but i do believe anybody can pick up their own results.

[go-girl]

Highjacking to skin-------Is the idea to get a moisturizer without alcohol in it because of drying out the skin? I se mentioned here often AVEENO I checked it out today and some have ctydel alcohol (not spelled right) which the gal told me was a cosmetic alcohol and then one other had something like bendrl alcohol, again spelled wrong, she didn't know what that was. I didn't buy any, thought i would inquire her first which has worked the best for most of you, thanks for any info

[GoofyDad]

Nuep is where it's at for me. Worked like a charm and with no sx. We just decided to space me out to 10-12 days and see what happens since 7 day intervals has ANC over 2K.

Also going to space out the procrit since I've got one in the furnace (injected Monday) and I'm holding at hgb 10.5. The one in the furnace has a ways before we'll see it's affects.

Hint: I do my labs at the hospital outpatient clinic and have the CBC results in about 3 hours.  

[friole]

goof - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Nor Cal - Can you belive - it has been 14 days since the PCR and I still don't have the results.  I parked myself at LabCorp yesterday and am making a total pest of myself at the GI's office and labcorp.  I am so sick of fighting with these people to get my results.  Frankly I am expecting a call tomorrow that says, sorry we didn't suck enough blood - please come back.  I do so want to post my results but.......

Now, here is an interesting factoid for all ------ there is ANC and there is ANC. I wait for my CBC labs at the hemo doc -- Last week my ANC was at .5 (500) and the nurse said  to come in today and if it was still low it's Neupogen for me.  Well, this week it is still .5, but she prints off last weeks CBC and the ANC is .8.  They did a "manual" count after I got the initial ANC result and it was higher.  So, this weeks is probably higher too, but I am just tired of fighting all of this and will do the shot on Monday. (and yes, Cougar, I am one of those)

friole

[texasgal]

yes, i stopped treatment about one month ago, and as of that time, my viral load was less than 50.  That really doesn't mean anything.  The true test will be the next three months to see if the virus stays away.  All I can do is hope for the best.  As far as counting the hairs in the shower, there were too many to count.  I am talking a handful.  You could easily make a barbie from what I pulled out of the shower. It is hell waiting for it to grow back, but as you all know, time is everything.

Linda

[nor cal mom]

forget the hairs we want to know about how many viruses you DO NOT have in a/ ml of your blood The labs sure are slow Good Luck and let us know as soon as you find out Hey,Jack them up right now its been 2wks?  Darc

[NYgirl]

I found 15 the other day.  Thought I was going to lose it.  But yeah I counted them too - no input needed here Goofy! ;-)

[GoofyDad]

So does that make them 'anal hairs'?

Sorry ;(

[friole]

Glad to see you posting. You did quit tx, correct?  I hope you are feeling better and I that your beautiful hair will recover and that there may be some hope for you with less harsh rx in the future

ps I counted 32 hairs in the shower on Tuesday and 63 on Wednesday and decided I better quit counting. LOL I am so anal.

friole

[texasgal]

Hair loss is a huge issue with a lot of people on Hep C drugs.  I am one of them.  I am a geno 1a, and a non responder to Peg and Copeg, so I went on daily infergen and riba for 6 months when I finally decided that the sides were too much.  I was on the verge of not being able to work, the depression was continuing to grow and worsen, but the final straw was when I woke up one morning and my usual immensley thick, blonde beautiful mane was mostly on my pillow.  It happened so suddenly that I freaked out and naturally my mental condition on top of the horrible side effects was about all I could take.  My hair is spider web thin and every day, I look in the mirror and see this horribly thin hair.  I am hoping and praying that there is a chance that it will grow back healthy and normal.  I am on vitamins and take very good care, but I will not go in public or too many places just because of self consciousness.  I hope this doesn't sound like a major vanity issue, but I have gone thru this disease suffering anything and everything with the side effects, and vanity is all I have left.  I truly believe that the drugs are worse than the disease in my case.  Love to all!!

[carpedi]

A week of Procrit to anyone who can find my missing eyelashes (and the other half of my eyebrows)!
Ribbet...ribbet

[strator]

So the yoke is on me.

[go-girl]

Reminds me of my dad , he would tell me "be a spectator not a spectacle" chuckle, doesn't always work