Not sure if meds are causing increased hair fallout / shampoo suggestions?

Diseases & Conditions Ulcerative Colitis
1
Just wondering if anybody has any suggestions on volumizing or hair thickening shampoos or hair treatments. I have fine straight hair and while I wouldn’t say my hair is thinning, I have noticed that after washing my hair, there is more hair coming out when I comb/brush it out. I’m not sure if it’s due to being on prednisone and Azathioprine and having started Entyvio or if it’s just dead hair that is re-growing. I’m going to get my hair cut soon, but I am started to taper off the prednisone and I wanted to give my face a chance to lose some of the slight moon face I have. Anyway, I’ve been using the Medline ph balanced shampoo I got during my Easter weekend stay in the hospital and I think it has actually helped with some dry scalp/flaking issues I get sometimes.

For those who have had hair fallout due to meds, what do you use?

Thanks
Age 28
Diagnosed September '01 : Remission since July '02 : Flare Up Jan 2018
Asacol HD- 2 pills 3xday, Azathioprine- 75mg morning, 2 Adult Gummy Multi-Vitamins
Feosol (Iron) 1 tablet
Entyvio started 4/27/18
Prednisone 40 mg
"I may be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it."- Maya Angelou
"Without suffering there would be no compassion." A Walk to Remember
2
I use Nioxin, I don't know how much it helps but I like it.

If you search for Nioxin on youtube you will have a lot of reviews and before and after; both from women and men.
3
Hi - I just started using Biolgue Biotin Shampoo about a month ago, it comes in a pink and gray bottle. It seems to be working! I noticed a lot of hair loss after tampering off Prednisone and starting Remicade. However, it has since stopped and I am still on Remicade every 8 weeks. I would also suggest drinking a ton of water, a good biotin supplement - take double if you have to. Good luck!!!
Started Remicade on 7/25/17

Colonoscopy on 12/14/17 confirmed remission!
4
when last I looked Costco had the lowest cost Nioxin.
Keith

DX'd with Severe Pancolitis June 2005
Previous Meds: 5ASAs, Predisone, 6-MP. Remicade, Humira, Simponi, Cimzia & Cyclosporine
3-step J-Pouch surgery: 2013 & 2014

Current Condition: Chronic Pouchitis -- Not as bad as I thought it would be
Current Meds: Stelara
Total Hip Replacement: 12/16 -- Thanks Prednisone!!!
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=3755226
5
i noticed that my hair was thinning and a lot was coming out omg he shower and throughout the day. I’m not sure exactly what caused it, as I was very hospitalized with a UC flare and cdiff, and then did a prednisone taper and started twice a week Humira injections. It could have been the prednisone, the Humira, or just being that sick that caused the hair loss, I can’t say for sure. It lasted about 6 months and then slowly started tapering off. Now I’d say that the hair loss has stopped and my hair is starting to fill in a lot more.

I did start using an organic shampoo, but I don’t think it had much of an effect.
6
Just tapered off Prednisone and still on mesamaline. Had a flare and was eating mostly soups. Talked to pharmacist and on-line search says no cause for hair loss. However my hairdresser says when you don’t eat protein you lose your hair and it really doesn’t come back. I was not eating protein mostly homemade carrot, squash and broccoli soup and yogurt. Now I’m back on protein and my hair loss is nothing to what it was. I put protein powder in yogurt if I have to. I’m back on my hormone patch too.

Age 55
First diagnosed at 33, hospitalized , went all natural and no meds.
Next flare at 43, hospitalized and went off meds after all nAtural raw diet and juicing.
Now off 1 month pred (30 mg) on mesamalime but it’s not working. Not really eating healthy.
7
Yep, our meds definitely cause hair loss. I use Neutrogena shampoo & do not scrub hard. Also comb gently with a widetooth & de-tangle by hand when necessary. Diet does affect hair growth (heredity, too) so be sure you're getting a variety of nutrients. / Old Hat (37 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
8
I started taking Viviscal - it's not cheap, but I have found I'm losing less hair after about a month of using it. I got it on Amazon.

I also use gentle shampoo and conditioners, and try to make sure I take vitamins and Omegas.
Pancolitis - diagnosed September 2017
Currently flaring and on Cortiment + Cortifoam + Salofalk.
Maintenance meds - Mezavant

Lover of wine and cheese and can't wait to eat them once again.....
9
Mesalamine drugs caused hair loss for me. The amount varies among users. Mine was severe.
10
Thanks for the info. Does anyone know if the hair will come back if you stop taking mesalamine?

I’m finishing my 2 month of mesalamine. My hair is not falling out in clumps since like it did after I started it. I’ve added more protein but it definitely a little more than it used to be. The pharmacist said it shouldn’t.

My recommendation is Find a really good hairdresser! One who has been in the business, seen women thru menopause, seen and understand all stress issues and etc. if you can get an appointment in 2 weeks, she’s not the one for you. Mine is fabulous in So Cal.
Diagnosed 1995 hospitalized. Mega drugs. Went all natural eating. To no drugs
2003 hospitalized 3 days (major stress). Went raw diet and juicing off drugs.
2028 presently in a flare, have had bad eating habits, pred & mesalmine
11
Flying gal said...
Thanks for the info. Does anyone know if the hair will come back if you stop taking mesalamine?

Mine stopped falling out after being on mesalamine for a few months. Initially I had a really bad period of losing so much hair, literally chunks, but after a while, it stopped coming out and regrew.

I have so much hair I can't imagine having noticeable hairloss, but it was certainly noticeable after a shower in the drain.

Why are you stopping mesalamine? Are you using something else for maintenance?
Moderator: UC
Currently: no meds 6/15 Step 1 J-pouch Surgery Complete 9/15 Step 2 Complete 11/15 Step 3 Complete
From Sickly to UC Free
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime; give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish
12
Hair loss is most often caused as a delayed-reaction to a (about 2-months after the worst of) UC flareup, and not by a medication. Hair regrowth is a delayed-reaction (about 2-months after healing). Every class of UC medication mentions hair loss as a rare side effect, despite them all having very different mechanisms of action and very different active and inactive ingredients. To me, that points to it being unrelated to a medication.

Are you anemic? That can cause hairloss. Are you low on vitamin b, b12, or d? Those can cause hairloss...

Stopping your meds is a bad idea.
Moderator Ulcerative Colitis
John, 40, UC Proctosigmoiditis
Rx: Remicade @5mgs/kg/6wks; daily 75mgs 6MP, 4.8g generic-Lialda, and rowasa
I laughed, I cried, and I screamed out in anger; all in one poop. Thanks UC...

Post Edited (iPoop) : 5/29/2018 10:13:25 AM (GMT-6)

13
When your body is stressed/malnourished then it shuts down all unnecessary functions to preserve the vital stuff. When your body is in remission then your hair/nails will improve.

Everytime I flared (bad flares) my nails would stop growing (you could see where my nails got thin and damaged) and my hair would start failing out and becoming dry & brittle.

Currently my hair has never been healthier. It is soft, shiny and full. I had surgery and I am healthy again but I switched to new Shampoo and a daily hair oil.

I use /www.hairstory.com/ and us.davines.com/oi-oil/. They are both really expensive but my hair has never been healthier.
Keith

DX'd with Severe Pancolitis June 2005
Previous Meds: 5ASAs, Predisone, 6-MP. Remicade, Humira, Simponi, Cimzia & Cyclosporine
3-step J-Pouch surgery: 2013 & 2014

Current Condition: Chronic Pouchitis -- Not as bad as I thought it would be
Current Meds: Stelara
Total Hip Replacement: 12/16 -- Thanks Prednisone!!!
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=3755226
14
Just remember the process hair falling out at a noted rate is set up long before it happens. Usually the dormant stage is extended.... then once new hair is growing, it pushes out that hair.

We lose 100 - 150 hair daily NORMALLY. Add the other factors....it will be exacerbated. If the hair is longer, it looks like a gazillion times more.

Shampoos, treatments won't have an effect on the growth process except to keep the hair that's on the head healthier and stronger....

Lots of reasons for hairloss....mesalamine is more than likely not the culprit in this situation.

q
*Heather* I give suggestions, do with them what you will.
Status: ...Asacol 3 @ 2x daily; Salofalk enema @ 3rd night (nightly/ flares, tapered/maintenance)
~diagnosed January 1989 UC (proctosigmoiditis)
~Bentylol 20mg as needed; Zantac 150mg; Pulmicort/Oxeze/Airomir (asthma); Effexor XR 75mg (depression); Rosuvastatin 10mg (cholesterol); Telemesartin 80mg / Amlodipine 5mg (BP)
~vitamins/minerals/supplements; Probiotics....(RenewLife Ultimate Flora Critical Care + Genuine Health Advanced Gut Health 50 billion @ bedtime)
~Metamucil capsules 6 @ 2x daily with meals; Vitamin D 4500 IU
~URSO 500mg @ 2x daily for Primary Biliary Cholangitis
"TREAT (FROM)BOTH ENDS" worth it !!
15
Obviously, some people on this thread have not experienced hair loss from mesalamine or they would not be saying mesalamine doesn't cause hair loss. There is a huge difference between shedding a few hairs and having to unclog your drain every time you shower because so much hair falls out and it happens as soon as you start taking this type of drug. It is very frustrating to have someone naysaying side effects just because they have not experienced them personally. It discourages an open discussion on about the side effects and realities of prescription drugs.
16
I was taken off 5ASAs the first month that I was diagnosed with UC, they determined that I was allergic to 5ASAs and my liver was acting up because of it. I lost my hair and the drain was clogged from my hair loss too. I was NOT taking mesalamine. My hair loss was from the stress on my body and my malnourishment.
Keith

DX'd with Severe Pancolitis June 2005
Previous Meds: 5ASAs, Predisone, 6-MP. Remicade, Humira, Simponi, Cimzia & Cyclosporine
3-step J-Pouch surgery: 2013 & 2014

Current Condition: Chronic Pouchitis -- Not as bad as I thought it would be
Current Meds: Stelara
Total Hip Replacement: 12/16 -- Thanks Prednisone!!!
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=3755226
17
Im a hairdresser and do understand the hairloss process. Yes, it's listed as a side effect, but it doesnt mean a proven one until all other factors have been taken into account.

Not naysayer....sayer of there are many factors that take a long time to set into motion. Mesalamine isn't a med one takes for no reason.....
q
*Heather* I give suggestions, do with them what you will.
Status: ...Asacol 3 @ 2x daily; Salofalk enema @ 3rd night (nightly/ flares, tapered/maintenance)
~diagnosed January 1989 UC (proctosigmoiditis)
~Bentylol 20mg as needed; Zantac 150mg; Pulmicort/Oxeze/Airomir (asthma); Effexor XR 75mg (depression); Rosuvastatin 10mg (cholesterol); Telemesartin 80mg / Amlodipine 5mg (BP)
~vitamins/minerals/supplements; Probiotics....(RenewLife Ultimate Flora Critical Care + Genuine Health Advanced Gut Health 50 billion @ bedtime)
~Metamucil capsules 6 @ 2x daily with meals; Vitamin D 4500 IU
~URSO 500mg @ 2x daily for Primary Biliary Cholangitis
"TREAT (FROM)BOTH ENDS" worth it !!
18
Yes you are naysaying the side effects of Mesalamine drugs by trying to downplay the impact some of us experience. Cutting hair and observing natural hair loss with age doesn't make one a pharma expert and is irrelevant to this conversation. Extreme bloating, skin rash, skin peeling, severe headaches are all real side effects from taking mesalamine drugs. I know because I experienced it personally. A person knows their own body and what happens when they take a prescribed drug compared to when they don't. It is very frustrating to be on an open forum that is meant to allow us to share ideas about the impact of pharm drugs only to have it be shut down by someone who has not personally experienced it. What we need is MORE discussion about this so doctors and pharm companies can look for new drugs to put on the market without all the horrific side effects. We are paying thousands of dollars for drugs that don't really help us like we need them too. It's time we start demanding more from our doctors and pharm companies and national organizations. These groups that claim to be supporting us when we know they are funded by these same companies who provide us these weak drugs that don't help and put us at risk for even worse medical conditions. We need to get more organized and start asking for real change - not just get another old drug that's been around for over 30 years and barely does anything! I'm frustrated and I just lost a friend from Crohns who was promised a cure by surgically removing her intestines and all it did was come up with horrific complications and now she's gone with 2 small children she left behind. These drugs don't work and the surgery is not without complications either. We need to demand for better ourselves. We deserve better.
19
I believe the forum works best when an opinion is stated by opposing sides, and both parties move on without digging in their heels and slinging insults back-and-forth. You've stated your point, let it lay, and let the readers decide. As making accusations to one or more users is not conducive to a civil conversation or debate of points (rather it muddles your point). If you disagree with a given post then so be it, you're not going to convince everyone you're right and they're wrong by repeatedly posting the same opinion. Let it lay.

Nobody is disagreeing that side effects and adverse reactions are possible with medications, with supplements, with food, or anything else we come into contact with. Doesn't mean "suspected" means an absolute, emphatic "yes" either. As a healthy skepticism is always something good to have.

Our biology and genetic diversity means that a small percentage of us will have a reaction to a given thing. Whether that is a glass of milk, gluten, mesalamine, a seasonal allergen, and so forth. The vast majority of us will not have a reaction, but there's always a small percentage that do. I wish that nobody had an adverse reaction to anything, but I fear that is impossible.

Cheers!
Moderator Ulcerative Colitis
John, 40, UC Proctosigmoiditis
Rx: Remicade @5mgs/kg/6wks; daily 75mgs 6MP, 4.8g generic-Lialda, and rowasa
I laughed, I cried, and I screamed out in anger; all in one poop. Thanks UC...

Post Edited (iPoop) : 5/30/2018 11:25:50 AM (GMT-6)

20
AdventureUC....more is at play then regarding your reaction to mesalamines than just hairloss. What really helps is not repeating or simplifying one issue without expanding on other obvious extreme reactions tied in with it.

Nope, I'm not a trichologist, but know one who is a most valuable resource.

My opinion regarding 5ASA meds personally is good considering my own and others' experiences. Your reaction is understandable, albeit extremely biased. It's really not an all or nothing. What sucks is we have a disease that needs meds.....and the research continues with new meds available, and if they work or not, or have serious side effects or not, is subjective.

Deepest condolences on the death of your friend.

Heather
*Heather* I give suggestions, do with them what you will.
Status: ...Asacol 3 @ 2x daily; Salofalk enema @ 3rd night (nightly/ flares, tapered/maintenance)
~diagnosed January 1989 UC (proctosigmoiditis)
~Bentylol 20mg as needed; Zantac 150mg; Pulmicort/Oxeze/Airomir (asthma); Effexor XR 75mg (depression); Rosuvastatin 10mg (cholesterol); Telemesartin 80mg / Amlodipine 5mg (BP)
~vitamins/minerals/supplements; Probiotics....(RenewLife Ultimate Flora Critical Care + Genuine Health Advanced Gut Health 50 billion @ bedtime)
~Metamucil capsules 6 @ 2x daily with meals; Vitamin D 4500 IU
~URSO 500mg @ 2x daily for Primary Biliary Cholangitis
"TREAT (FROM)BOTH ENDS" worth it !!

Post Edited (quincy) : 5/30/2018 11:36:56 AM (GMT-6)