I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: WishIKnew on August 16, 2011, 06:27:41 PM

Title: Hair Loss
Post by: WishIKnew on August 16, 2011, 06:27:41 PM

Hey, my hair  is coming out in small handfulls.  Does Hemo dialysis cause hair loss?   Does it eventually slow down?  What's going on?

Title: Re: Hair Loss
Post by: jbeany on August 16, 2011, 06:32:40 PM

The loss of protein is a pretty common culprit.  Anemia can do that, too.  Seems like some people on here had that reaction to heparin.  Someone out there please confirm my potty memory, but I believe the shampoo most of us had luck with was called Nioxxin?

And yes, it will hopefully slow down for you as you get used to D. 

I also lose mine when I get stressed out, regardless of my health at the time.  (Since I was a kid, waaaaaay before D.)  Betcha there's no stress in your life that might be causing it, now is there?  :sarcasm;

Title: Re: Hair Loss
Post by: M3Riddler on August 16, 2011, 06:36:14 PM

Another reason for hair loss is heparin. Heparin is known to cause hair loss along with other drugs.  Also, poor protein levels and lacking vitamins as well as the #1 reason...STRESS......can cause this...

///M3Riddler
www.nxstageusers.com

Title: Re: Hair Loss
Post by: Cordelia on August 17, 2011, 06:40:14 AM

Yup, it's the heparin. I blame everything on the heparin    ;D   Heparin is responsible for a lot of things gone wonky in my body.

Hair loss was a biggie for the first almost 6 months of dialysis for me. I don't have chunks of hair falling out anymore, it does get better as time progesses while on D. (I've been on D now for a full year.)

Title: Re: Hair Loss
Post by: Desert Dancer on August 17, 2011, 08:14:41 AM

Yup. It sucks. I, too, blame it on the heparin, since my protein is fine and my anemia is well-managed. I ended up chopping off my hair to make up for it. It doesn't seem to be coming out in clumps anymore.

Title: Re: Hair Loss
Post by: cattlekid on August 17, 2011, 08:44:14 AM

mine did the same.  I was told that I should take zinc supplements.  I started the zinc and it seemed to help.

Title: Re: Hair Loss
Post by: Shona_ on August 22, 2011, 05:44:21 AM

Aside from Heparin, is there anything else that can cause hair loss?

I was on Haemo but have been doing PD for a few weeks now and have only recently noticed hair loss (past few days)

Apart from creatinine levels, all of my numbers are ok-ish....

Any ideas?

Title: Re: Hair Loss
Post by: Zach on August 22, 2011, 06:36:40 AM

Quote from: Shona_ on August 22, 2011, 05:44:21 AM

Aside from Heparin, is there anything else that can cause hair loss?

I was on Haemo but have been doing PD for a few weeks now and have only recently noticed hair loss (past few days)

Apart from creatinine levels, all of my numbers are ok-ish....

Any ideas?

How are your various iron-related levels?

8)

Title: Re: Hair Loss
Post by: lmunchkin on August 22, 2011, 11:27:36 AM

Wish I Knew, when you had cancer, did they give you chemo?  I know that causes hair loss!

lmunch :kickstart;

Title: Re: Hair Loss
Post by: Riki on August 24, 2011, 08:14:29 PM

We figured that heparin and anesthetic from the multiple surgeries I had in the first 6 months or so after I started hemo caused my hair loss.  I had very thick hair, the kind that can break the teeth off combs, and now my hair is very thin. I had a line for the first year and a half and they stopped locking it with heparin and used something else.  Since they started using the fistula, I'm not using as much heparin as before, and it seems to have stopped falling out.  I got a sample of Pantene flat to volume for fine hair shampoo and conditioner, and it seems to have made a difference.  It's still thin, but it looks much thicker, especially on top, where I have a bit of a bald spot