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Has anyone experienced extreme hair loss since beginning treatment? I have been diagnosed with Crohn's from one GI doctor and UC from another and have been on almost every medication listed. I have also been hospitalized 3 times in the last 9 months.

Thanks!

 Reply posted for Karl40.

Sorry last post say my wife is not pregnant, that isn't right, she is pregnant.  Darn vitamins!

 Reply posted for Karl40.

Oh, if you go with the prenatal vitamins and iron, be careful, they are dangerous, my wife is not pregnant.  Just a fair warning.

 Reply posted for Cares07.

I have been diagnosed with UC.  Being a guy, loosing my hair only makes it easier for me to wash so not a bit deal.  However, my wife has Sjogrens, which is another autoimmune disease.  She has also been loosing hair.  She went to see a dermatologist who had her start taking prenatal vitamins with additional iron at night, taken with orange juice.  This seems to have helped her.  You might talk to you doctor about it, it might help.  

 Reply posted for HabsFan.

Ive only been dealing with this for about 5 months but since being diagnosed with UC   i have also experienced a lot of hair loss. Ive been hospitalized 5 times since being diagnosed and have had to cut my hair twice because of how thin and dry it has gotten. What really helps me though are Biotin Vitamins. 1 a day and it helps tremendously! 
Good Luck with your journey! 

 Reply posted for Cares07.

Even without meds, I had hair loss due to missing nutrients.  With Pentasa, additional hair loss is noted as a side effect.  Honestly, people ask if I have a cat they have never seen!
My best recommendation is take Folic Acid.  It made a huge difference in my hair loss.
Also, we can lose hair if we are not intaking much fat.  You might want to watch that you still try to have some fats in your diet.

 Reply posted for Cares07.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2010. I pumped my body full of every chemical drug out there and experienced awful side effects (my hair fell out too!). Not even a year after I was diagnosed I had my entire colon removed (ileostomy). It’s been almost a year since my surgery and I am completely drug free.. not to say it hasn’t been a rough road. I guess I'm not your typical 25 year old, with my poo bag 'round my waist, but this is the normalist I've felt in a looong time:)

About five years after diagnosis, I developed a scaly rash-type thing on my head, and then my hair started falling out in patches. I had been on Remicaide for about 3 years at that point, but my GI suggested I switch to injectable methotrexate, just in case Remicaide was causing the issue. Eventually I switched back to Rem because I was starting to get Crohn's symptoms again. I saw top dermatologists who injected my scalp with steroids, which made my scalp infected :( icky, I know. I think what finally made my hair grow back in was getting on Repliva, which is a prescription iron supplement, and seeing a naturopath. Once my hair grew back in, I still had the rash. I spent about a month washing my hair with only baking soda, and I think the break from chemicals in shampoo finally got rid of the scale. Honestly, it was just a confusing time, and I have no idea what eventually worked to fix it or what caused it. The dermatologists said I had alopecia... sort of... but it wasn't normal alopecia. Having Crohn's sure is fun, huh?

tl; dr: try seeing a naturopath, getting on an iron supplement like Repliva, and using really simply, chemical-free shampoo. Good luck <3

 Reply posted for Cares07.

I lost about half of my hair when I was on 6-MP and two years later it is still not nearly as thick or healthy as it used to be. However, switching to azathioprine helped me, and taking biotin supplements and prenatal vitamins has also helped :)

 Reply posted for sfslp.

I have lost a lot of my hair every time I get on Pednisone. It starts coming out on the first day of steroids.

 Reply posted for Cares07.

I havent had a flare in 1/5 years but I notice hair loss. I;m thinking it's from my imuran.
The buzz on the street in biotin and keratin.  Im calling my doctors for the amounts.

 Reply posted for Cares07.

Hey,

I lost about 1/2 the hair on my head.  To the point where I had to cut it short and had spiky wisps of new hair growing in all over the place.  My GI suggested that my body had been through a major trauma and was shedding damage as it heals.  It also corresponded with the ending of my prednisone treatment (60 mg/ day for ~8 months, tapered to finish), so I have always felt the prednisone played some sort of roll.  I was on another less severe prednisone treatment a few months ago and my hair is starting to fall out again (though hopefully not to the same extreme)- so again, I wonder about the prednisone. It sucks, but don't worry, it will grow back:)  Not convinced either of these has much merit to them - but I took 1000mcg of Biotin a day which is said to increase and strengthen hair growth and used Nioxin Shampoo and conditioner. You may also want to look into pre-natal vitamins.  Worht a shot:)

 Reply posted for Cares07.

I was diagnosed wit Crohn's disease and I still have hair loos from both medication and mal-nourishment. I hope this helps!

Hi,

I was diagnosed in March with ulcerative colitis. Was in the hospital for 14 days. Have been on many different medications. Yes, I was having hair coming out every day when I washed my hair. One day I counted and I had over 150 strands of hair come out. I am happy to say that it has finally stopped. I think it was from being on so much medication and in the hospital. I am still having a lot of problems with the colitis. Still have a lot of bleeding every time I use the bathroom. That is 6-8 times a day. I have just started on another medication and I am hoping that it will help. I get very depressed at times. I have been very healthy all my life. I am going to be 70 in a couple of more days. So, I should be thankful for my good health all those years. But I think the ulcerative colitis can really wear a person down. I also have a daughter that has MS and I am her care giver. 
I have a question for you---do you have a  lot of bleeding with your colitis?/

Thanks, Marilyn

 Reply posted for Cares07.

I was diagnosed with UC in January 2011 after having a flare, and then flared again in April 2011. Starting in March 2011 I experienced increased hair loss that lasted until about July 2011.  My GI took me off the Asacol as he thought that may have been the cause, but my primary care physician thought it was a reaction of my body to the trauma of the flares.  I am back on the Asacol (as I am pregnant and have UC symptoms), and the hair loss has not returned. I am inclined to believe that it was a result of the trauma of the flares.