Sore scalp...

[SnipC]

Hi everyone. I am 13 weeks into treatment and I have a very sore,dry scalp. My hair is also falling out quite a bit now. I was wondering if any of you have found a product to help the scalp. I have been using Nioxin shampoo and conditioner, but it doesn't seem to help at all. Thanx so much:)

[leebambee]

   You responded very well! I hope u stay UND for the rest of your life.  I also am UND early on and plan on not drinking ever to improve my chances of staying. I must add that one big factor in deciding the treatment was to prevent spreading it to family members. I am the cook and caregiver in my home, have small children who are into everything. Ive even seen my 4 year old use my tweezers, toothbrush and used floss (Im even luck enough to have my own bathroom but she is into everything!). This frightens me for them. Just an angle maybe other people havent thought of.
   Good continued health to you!

[SnipC]

Thank you all so much for sharing what you are going through.

[Jestewart]

I hope people can read my above message I am doing it on an iPhone
So the mistakes are probably plenty
But I hope it makes sense

[Jestewart]

Thank you
Where am I at in my treatment......
I started triple therapy sept 20th, 2011
I wan undetectable at day 10, (super cool) since I am on a trial medical thing I get all my checks done weekly and then every two weeks
My azt and alt scores are all normal (good thing)
But on Jan 10th 2012 I will have 14.5 weeks of UND readings (again that's great) but if you look at my situation treatment was not the right move for me to do at this time.... Let me explain:
My age is 53, my VL was pretty low (658,059) my azt and alt scores were 67 and 71 ( if I remember correctly) I was a state 1, and I was detected with hep c in 2000. At 53 I could easily live 20-25 years and very possibly longer with a good diet and some basic hebal stuff.  Alot of fruit and veggies, no surgars and salts.  So on the 10 th of Jan 2011 I am stopping treatment, and who knows I mak be the 60% that stay UND, if not I believe that with a good diet and no drinking I will have a very productive life, treatment is not always the answer to all hep c situations, a person has to look at all angles, all situations and really ask a lot of questions, but today (Jan 8th 2012) there is no cure,
Now some of you may think I am a fool
But again if you. Look at my situation treatment was not the best move I could of made at that time, sure I am greatfull. I am UND and have been for 14.5  weeks.  But the extreme weight loss. The extreme musle loss, loss of hair
The extreme toxics in my system from treatment, a very low red blood count, I could not do any thing
, I made it 16 weeks total, and 14 of them is UND so I am greatfull. But it's not for me at my age and with my current situation, if I was 30, then sure it would be,

I wish you all well and good luck, remember treatment is good (but rough) most of the time
But again it is not always the right thing to do at that moment, could you wait 5-7 years? Maybe, see what else comes up

Take your time making a decision

Jeff Stewart
Vancouver canada

[Gerbils]

Jestewart-you either have a very small pillow or really large rats where you live. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. There are no words to describe what we experience during tx sometimes. I don't mean to make light of your situation at all- you're right-this stuff is way terrible but so is HepC that it takes so much firepower to get rid of it. I don't know where you are in your tx but wish you UND and SVR soon.
I had a horrendous scalp rash (along with rash elsewhere) during treatment. The itching on my scalp would have made me crazy if I hadn't already been nuts by that time. I wish I had known about the shot while treating, it's too late for me and I don't think my doc would have gone for it under the circumstances. My hair started falling out around week 4 and continued through the end. It is long and I have probably lost about 50%, I don't think anyone notices but me. And I know it will grow back. All of you gave good advice. If your hair is just starting to fall out, try to wash it as little as possible and try not to over comb it or style it. I never liked the way my hair looks up or in a pony tail but I got to wearing it that way alot. I used a very stinky product to keep it from drying out and it is a solid goo but I melted it in the microwave to apply it. Once the severe itching and scalp rash started all bets were off. I tried all sorts of things at the time trying to get through the next minute, hour, and day. What helped the most for me with itching was Head and Shoulders shampoo for itchy scalp. However, in a short period of time my scalp became a real mess. I won't go in to it all but once I got it better (weeks! later) I stuck with the H&S shampoo. It does a nice job on the hair. Since then I have been trying to think of a way to put some oomph in my hair at the roots without a lot of "products"so it won't be so flat. Yesterday, I used baby shampoo and it looks pretty good! Feels good too!. I used it yesterday because I thought, hey, babies grow hair, right? And I am working on growing it back too.
Hang in there everyone, it will get better. You are all on the way to SVR.
G

[researchmonkey326]

I am four months post-trial and my hair has finally stopped falling out.  The interferon hit me hard -lost most of my hair, all of my eyebrows and everywhere else (some of that is a good thing).  No amount of Nioxin or anything else helped. I finally shaved my head so that my scalp could heal from the nasty rash and started wearing wigs in July.  It has not really started coming back very well  Yes, it is humbling but I'm still UND.  I must wear a wig to work because of the type of job that I have so I have found some really good and inexpensive ones online - good luck everyone!

[leebambee]

I feel very lucky to not be losing so much hair! I heard to the side effects prior so bought and used the nioxin in huge liters before hand and cut my hair up above my shoulders so may have helped prevent this. I dont think so, I guess it effects everyone differently.
Remember that its only temperary and as long as the virus leaves too, then losing hair will be worth it.
  Good Luck

[Jestewart]

My pillow looks like a rat in the morning, I shower, opp's I bath because I do not have the energy to stand for 5-6 min. The tub after I get out and drain it looks like floor to a head shaving party

This stuff is way terrible,
And is with out question the worst thing I have done to my body, I was stage one my vl was 658,059, ALT was 67 I believe and my ALT was 71,
And I am a guinea pig for a pharmaceutical company,

I wish you all well and god bless,  

[frijole]

" I try to laugh when someone says "well you know, you lose about a 100 to 150 hairs a day"  I lose that before breakfast"

Dee you are cracking me up.  Me too.  I take the little pile of hair out of the shower drain every morning and throw it in the trash.  If I forget,  I just tell my hubby I forgot to clean up my hairball todayand he scowls at me.

My hair is short - about 2" so the bald scalp is really starting to show.  It is like a red road map in my greying brown hair.    I remember first treatment it stopped falling about about week 24 and I am in 20 now so I sure hope it stops soon.  I use Nioxin 6 and don't really know if it helps, but it is a 3-part program - shampoo, treatment (conditioner) and an after shower leave-in.  I think that after shower treatment helps it lift off my scalp and look a little fuller.   The stores only carry 1,2, and 3, but nioxin has a website and you can answer questions and they tell you which product is best.  Then you can google to find your best price -- I do suggest the 3-pack system.

[his3707]

Im constantly scratching my head.  Week 36 of 48 my hair has slowed in falling out but is pretty thin.  I still dont  wear a wig.  If anyone notices they dont say anything.  That would be rude anyway.  
The peppermint shampoos seem to irritate my scalp even more.  So I just try to use simple baby shampoo. only when I have to and a baby conditioner.  The perfumes in the reg shampoos make me ill.

[Dee1956]

Thank you for posting, every time I brush or comb my hair it comes out by the handful.  I know there is nothing I can do, no product I can use to stop it.  It is the medication.  The first time I treated I tried everything to save my long hair, nothing worked..  This time, knowing there is nothing to be done,  I just wear it up as the hair falling everywhere drives me crazy.  It is all over my home.  I try to laugh when someone says "well you know, you lose about a 100 to 150 hairs a day"  I lose that before breakfast.  I am trying to keep my eye on the prize SVR,  Best wishes to all of you
It will all grow back
Dee

[crossroadsec]

Ive tried all the above. Dr Bonner is awesome as is coconut n olive oil. I still scratch n wore my wig to work today. I try n run steroid cream on my scalp, but it's not easy n I'm stingy w it! I told Dr today that the hair loss has hit me hard emotionally. I just look so frail n goth. The hig is a hot mess, but I'm adjusting.
Hang in there..

[crigger]

I have use this soap off and on for years I lived in south GA aqnd in the summer I would use it just to cool off . I also use peperment lotion by Avalon

[JasmineT]

I have been using the coconut oil.  It may not stop the hair loss but it moisturizer the scalp and stops the itching.  Me not scartching and my scalp not being dried out may help reduce speed of the hair loss or may not but I am more comfortable.

If you try coconut oil, liquify it for 5 or 10 second in the microwave so you are not working a solid into your hair and making it fall out more by overworking.  Olive oil may be a good alternative too since you can buy it in bigger quantities easily and be liberal.

Since my hair started falling out week 13, I wash less, condition when I shower, occasionally use a leave in conditioner to help detangle and brush, and have started taking biotin.  Biotin is a hair nail supplement.  Have no idea if it's helping but just trying what I can.  

Am on week 20, although I can tell my hair is thinner, others do not see it yet.  Hoping i can make it 4 more weeks without a short haircut, wig, or other solution.  Best of luck.

[beeblessed]

Thanks for this post.  I have an extremely itchy scalp right now, and these posts may help me as well.

Crigger -- Never heard of Dr. Bronner products, so I looked them up.  The liquid soap doesn't say what it's for (hair, body, hands), which I thought was kinda weird.  But I did see that they have a conditioner too.  And you're right, the thought of peppermint sounds soothing.  Might give this a try.  Thanks :)

[indy531]

Topicals can't counter what is chemically changing internally. I empathize-I've begun to lose my hair and will be getting it cut off this weekend. I have a wonderful friend who is a hairdresser and she washes /blows it out for me 1x a week for free; she has been keep an eye on my scalp for me. I have had lots more scalp itching and begin tx wk 16 tomorrow. Remember, it grows back.

[jojim55]

Mine got soooo bad I had to put ice packs on my head and finally I got a Kenalog 40 shot and all of my rash and itch cleared in hours and the dry skin cleared up in days.  I got another shot 5 weeks later and then my treatment was over.  I might add I tried every cream, lotion, shampoo and whatever,  prescription and  over the counter and nothing worked till the shot.  

[crigger]

I like Dr Bronner peperment soap It kind of drying but it puts the fire out from the rash. Nothing is going to prevent the hair loss.  

[crigger]

I like Dr Bronner peperment soap It kind of drying but it puts the fire out from the rash. Nothing is going to prevent the hair loss.  

[SnipC]

Thank you:)

[orphanedhawk]

The only advice I can offer is to use something gentle and don't shampoo as often.

I use small amounts of a light olive oil on my hair because it's very dry.
It hasn't helped it from falling out, but maybe a little on the scalp would feel good, or coconut or jojoba oil.

The conditions you describe, sore scalp, hair loss are from the interferon.
Once you are done with tx, your hair will grow back and your skin, scalp, will return to normal.