Hair Loss

[SteveK87]

What is causing this for my wife?  She does the home hemo 5 days a week and she has been loosing hair more and more noticeably.  Almost everyday she can comb it and have a chunk in the comb.  I did a search here and some said its the heparin?  Any remedies such as supplements or foods to help prevent it?  The heparin is a must for her because she clots very easily.  Any ideas?  Thanks.  Just an FYI too she takes Dialyvite everyday and her protein levels are acceptable.

[KarenInWA]

I had this same problem when I was on HD. You can do a search for it on this site and you will find other threads about it. One product that was mentioned a lot was Nioxxon (or Nioxxin - can't remember the spelling). You can get a package deal that includes shampoo, conditioner, and scalp treatment. I didn't notice it working for me when I used it, but maybe I needed to give it more time. I also may have bought the wrong formula for my hair - I didn't notice til I had used it a few times that I bought the kind for "fine" hair, which mine is not. I'd recommend that she buy for her hair type. She can get this product at many salons, or order it online.

There was also mention of taking a supplement - zinc I believe. I'd recommend talking with her neph and/or dietician before doing that. Better to be safe, is what I always say!

Just fyi - if she is on the transplant list - I had my transplant on Nov 23 2011. I no longer have this issue, and I am so thankful!!!

KarenInWA

[Subeat]

You might also check on any prescriptions she may be on.  I was taking metoprolol and noticed my hair loss coincided with the time I started that med.  Sure enough, a little research and I found it was a pretty well known side effect.  I had my neph switch me to another medication and it has improved dramatically.

[cassandra]

Hi, a lot of meds cause hairloss, also heparine. By the way I'm on HD, and a while back hep was changed (Fresenius) to Innohep (Tinzaparine) which is supposed to be better for the few hairs I have left. O yeah, I'v bought some not expensive wigs which make me very,very happy (okay it's winter, don't know yet what to do in summer)

good luck Cas

[Marsh]

My hair started falling out after I started hemo.  One of the techs recommended Dialyvite by Hillstead Pharmaceuticals.  It is non-prescription and I order it from the Hillstead website, very inexpensive.  I noticed a difference in a couple of weeks. 

[SteveK87]

Thanks for the tips.  She had heard something about the nioxin so we will give that a try.  She already takes Dialyvite after every treatment and switching the heparin really isn't an option because she clots very easily.

[looneytunes]

Steve:  If your wife is taking any BP meds, you might ask the doc to switch over to Minoxidil.  It is a BP med with the added benefit of hair growth.   

[cassandra]

thank you Looney, I will try that too (i.e. I will ask the Dr) might be a solution for summer.

[Riki]

I have the same problem.  IT was decided that it was heparin that was causing the hair loss.  They figured that since I had a line at the time, the amount of heparin I was getting both in the treatment, and when the line was locked, that they should try locking the line with something else.  They used sodium citrate to lock the line, and it seemed to slow.  I don't have a line anymore, but I do find that my hair still falls out, but not in the huge clumps that it used to.  I also use Pantene shampoo and conditioner for fine hair.  It does seem to work ok.  It makes my hair look thicker, until it gets dirty again, then you can see my bald spots.

I wouldn't want to take anything that causes hair growth, unless it was guaranteed to grow on my head.  I have enough facial hair now, thanks

[Gerald Lively]

My hair is falling out too.  I have no idea why.  It started when I turned 70.

gl

[Whamo]

My hair started out when I turned 30.  At 59, it's long gone.  I don't really miss it.

[cassandra]

Wow to Gerald, 70 is quite some age isn't it? I don't expect to live that long, but than neither did my hair, that gave up 30 years ago when I was 17. No mystery there though, was caused by chemo. And Riki I thank you for waking up my dopey head, sometimes I'm glad I'm quite slow in doing things that I was going to, and I remember the hair growth of Cyclo A that was everywhere apart from on top of my head. I'll keep the wigs.

love Cas

[Gerald Lively]

73 actually.  Born before WWII, late in the Great Depression.  Yep, I am an old fart.

gl

[Cordelia]

I lost a lot of hair in the beginning of dialysis. Chunks of my hair were on the tiled floor of the hospital. I was horrified. Renal failure and the heparin will cause it. I was mortifiied needless to say. I would say for at least 5-6 months of dialysis everytime I combed my hair the hair brush would have lots of hairs in it. However, it is not near anything like that anymore. I'm sure over time, it will not be as bad.

I'm actually surrprised for the amount of hair I lost with renal failure and the heparin that I didn't go bald. I'm pretty happy about that.

Yeah, I'd check first about meds that cause hair to grow cuz I know for myself, I would like grown more facial hair           And that, I don't want more of either.

[cattlekid]

I was the one who suggested zinc.  It was suggested to me by one of my fellow patients when I was in-center.  It did seem to help, at least my hair stylist seemed to think so.  She has been fabulous at finding ways to cut my hair to mask some of the hair loss as it seems to be most visible around my hairline.

[cassandra]

thanks Cattlekid, I will try the zinc, sounds save enough to me, and might improve my non-existent libido too, I read somewhere. 2 good reasons might get my but in gear.

[cattlekid]

Unfortunately for my husband, I cannot attest to the second part of your comment.   

thanks Cattlekid, I will try the zinc, sounds save enough to me, and might improve my non-existent libido too, I read somewhere. 2 good reasons might get my but in gear.

[cassandra]

Oh no, I hope it does work for my hair than. Will have to keep looking for the libido part, I'll keep you informed.

[Emerson Burick]

What is causing this for my wife?  She does the home hemo 5 days a week and she has been loosing hair more and more noticeably.  Almost everyday she can comb it and have a chunk in the comb.  I did a search here and some said its the heparin?  Any remedies such as supplements or foods to help prevent it?  The heparin is a must for her because she clots very easily.  Any ideas?

Chunks of my hair fell out the month I started CAPD. Two years later they haven't grown back. I know it's not heparin, because I don't use it. The consensus of my doctors (GP, nephrologist, and dermatologist) seems to be that that shock of dialysis caused it to happen and one of these days it might grow back. I'm not holding my breath.

The first six months after it happened I shaved my head, but you could still see where it fell out, so I stopped bothering. Now I just keep my hair as short as it ever was and it has holes in it. I like to think that it keeps people from sitting too close to me on the train.