Gagging, Hair Loss, (not at the same time!) and Itchy Back.. are they related?

[alrightstill]

I feel I should preface my post by saying I'm 27, female, ESRD since 12, have been doing nxstage via perm cath since 2005.

OK, so this may sound weird.   Since the beginning of summer I've noticed a severe change in the amount of hair that I'm losing.  My hair is pretty long (midback) and I always seem to "shed" around this time of the year - but it just seems like its much more than usual.

Also - for about a month now I've had this rash on my back that is extremely EXTREMELY itchy.  I thought maybe it was the detergent we use to wash clothes, but I've since switched and it doesn't seem to ease up.  My phosphorus is fine at 3.4.

And finally - and this may be the weirdest of them all, lately I've been having this random case of gagging.  Imagine a cat or a dog with a hairball, that's me (minus the hairball..).  I'll be driving in my car and suddenly feel like I'm going to throw up, it almost feels as if I'm choking; my eyes an face turn red and my eyes get all watery.  It lasts for no more than 20 seconds, and then I'm fine.

Has anyone ever experienced any of these symptoms?  I wonder if they could be related.  I mentioned the gagging and hair thing to my dialysis nurse; she sorta shrugged the gagging thing off as I suspected she would.  "I never heard of that, but I'd be concerned.  Maybe ask your doctor".  The hair thing she said "I've heard of this happening to patients.  Maybe zinc will help.." 

The only med change that I've had recently was the addition of Loestrin birth control pills about 4 months ago.  Any insight or if anyone has experienced any of these symptoms I'd love to hear your story!!   

Thanks!!

[boxman55]

I am not a DR but if all you changed was adding the new medication for birth control maybe it builds up in your system and is causing it...Boxman

[Black]

I agree with Boxman.  I'd suspect the hormones are causing the hair loss and possibly the others problems as well,  BUT don't rule out a hiatal hernia and/or esophageal reflux as a cause of the gagging. http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3751

Have you increased the temp of your dialysate?  When Mike increases his, he gets a rash on his back that really itches.  There's a thread here in the NxStage section about it.

[stauffenberg]

All those three symptoms you describe are associated with one and the same thing -- renal failure!  Over time, the subjective symptoms patients experience from the disease get worse, which could explain why you are just beginning to experience them all now.  By my fifth year on dialysis, once I lost all residual urine production, I began having all three symptoms you describe.  In 25% of all cases, excessive itching occurs in dialysis patients despite normal phosphorus levels, as was true in my case as well.

[alrightstill]

Thanks so much for all your replies, I'm just seeing them now!     I figured I'd add an update incase someone searches for a similiar problem later on.

A little more research on the Birth Control pill I was taking led me to believe the gagging and back rash could have to do with that.  And sure enough, a week after I stopped the pills - they went away.

The hair loss is still happening though.  I am going to ask my doctor about it tomorrow. 

Thanks again!

[Chicken Little]

I go through cycles every couple years where I shed extreme amounts of hair.  Hundreds of strands every day.  My neph says this is normal and will subside.  It always does, but it ALWAYS scares the crap out of me when it's happening.   I'm just now getting over a shed cycle and I have little tuffs off new hair growing out all over my head.  It would look like I cut bangs, but they tend to stick straight up in the air unless I glue them down.

My phos is also fine and I'm itchy all the time.  My dermatologist says my skin is really dry, despite my obsessive moisturizing.  Again, this is supposedly normal for dialysis patients.