arimidex hair changes thinning

SusanDL123

I have been on arimidex for 4 years with a number of side effects. Most were stiffness of joints and general acheness.  I have gotten wonderful help from water aerobics.  But......my hair...it used to be thick and curly.   After chemo it grew back pretty well.  But, the last year or so it is getting very thin, very frizzy and I don't like it...  I will live with it , of course, but wonder if anyone else has this problem and if you have any ideas to help.  My hair used to be my greatest asset.  

Pessa

I've been on anastrazole for 14 months.  My hair is thinning more as time goes on, especially on the top.  It also became frizzy!  I didn't think the frizz was from the anastrazole, but now I see that it may be (I had thought that is was because of the regrowth after the chemo).  I put on a spray from Nioxen called Bliss after I wash my hair and it is still wet (it stays on, no rinsing out).  It controls the frizz nicely.  Not sticky or anything (not at all like a hair spray).  It works very well.  Small bottle is about $15 but it lasts for months.

hrf

yes, the Arimidex does affect hair. Mine is becoming so thin now that I don't know how much longer I can go without going back to a wig - which I hate.

bevin

HI, I didnt have chemo, but Armidex has effected my hair as well. My part is getting wider and wider

Char2010

I have been on generic Arimidex for 14 months now.  My hair is thinning on top and getting frizzy.  Very concerned.

chrissyb

I'm on Femara and have the same problem.  My hair line has receded so much that I now have a higher hairline than my DH.  It's also very thin and wiry whereras it used to be very silky and thick..............It bothers me to the point I have my wig standing by!

Love n hugs all.  Chrissy

Mollydog

My hair was never my greatest asset -- coarse and wiry -- but I actually liked it when it grew back after chemo.  It was quite curly and very soft.  NOW, after being on Femara for a couple of years, and Tamox before that, it's getting so thin.  My hairdresser use to have use thinning shears but not anymore.  This is a very emotional thing for me.  I think everyone notices it, and I'm very embarrassed.  When I touch my head, I can feel the hardness, just like during chemo.  I wonder how bad it's going to get... 

ruthbru

Maybe try Nioxin products.

208sandy

Nioxin doesn't work - and it's expensive.  AIs cause hair loss and that's why we need better drug therapies - anyone anywhere listening?

LtotheK

Had a long talk with my pretty awesome hairdresser.  I have weird receding hairline issues thanks to chemo and Tamox.  She said save your money, nothing works.  Not Nioxin, or Rogaine.  I've been using rosemary oil, honestly, even though people report it works, I am not seeing it at all.

We surely do need better treatment.  It frightens me sometime that the treatment involves blocking the hormone vital to our health.

Pessa

The Nioxin doesn't deal with the hair loss.  It keeps the frizz under nice control. 

Am happy to be alive and to have to deal with these issues!

applejax

I had thin hair on top before arimidex, lost some hair during pregnancy. I have thin hair before. I started using Joan rivers great hair day and love it .

Heidihill

My onc just prescribed zinc and selenium. I haven't taken them yet. Will get back to you guys if they work. Ask your oncs though as one or the other can interfere with meds. And too much can be harmful.

SusanDL123

Thanks so much for all your replies.  I think I will give the nioxin a try.  I totally agree that this hair thing is very minor in the scheme of things and am very grateful that I seem to be doing well.   But......I feel better when my hair looks better.  A healthy New Year to all.

LoriBird

I started on Armidex in March 2008.  Except for debilitating joint pain off and on, I noticed no hair issues until Summer of 2011, shortly after my med onc switched me to Femara - because it was so much cheaper.  By March of 2012, I had noticed significant hair loss - in fact it was my husband who first commented on how much of my hair was around the bathroom.  So glad to save some money in exchange for my hair!  Boo!! And this after being totally hairless for the entire 6 months of chemo!  Why doesn't it feel as if I've won the prize?  After being back on Armidex, my hair has only continued to thin, especially in the front and on top.  And it is so dry and just plan awful.  I have 8 months to go and am seriously considering rolling the dice and going off the Arimidex now and hope my hair will grow back in.

ductal

I was on arimidex and generic for over 2 years.  You ladies are right.  My hair never really returned after treatment, I waited and stared in the mirror!  It came in curly/dry on left, straight on right, and thin/hardly there on top.  I have been living this way out of pride until I saw our new family portrait.  I got a really thick nice wig and had it cut/framed to my face and I have gotten amazing reviews, people love it!!!!  I love it and feel much better.  It isn't my cancer wig, a totally different look.  I don't wear it at home usually, but when we go out to restauranrs or appts.  Why did I wait?

wendyraceforcure

Hi Lori,

I to have sufferred your fustration with thinning hair.  Every time I wash my hair I get a handfull of hair.  It is getting very thin and wondering If I should go back to my wig.  I too have thought about going off my medicatin of arimidex.  My oncologist told me to stay on it for another year.  I will be 5yrs cancer free in October net month.  It is hard to look in the mirror anymore and see my thin hair. 

Pessa

I am also realizing that if things keep up at the current pace (I'm finishing year 2 of Arimidex) I will have to go back to wearing a wig!

Blessings2011

I've only been on Anastrozole (generic Arimidex) for three weeks, but in the forums about SEs I've read that the supplement Biotin can be helpful for thinning hair.

I'm really hoping I don't need it, but I picked some up just in case!

Pessa

My doctor did mention that.  I should give it a try.......Thanks

LoriBird

Well, after careful consideration and a bit of a tongue-lashing from my daughter (who happens to be a doctor!), I've decided to finish the recommended course of Arimidex.  Once this pack of pills is done, I have 5 months left.  What's another 5 months, I guess?  And I cut my hair super-short (too short, actually) and now it's at a great length that I feel it's not nearly as noticeable that it's quite thin.  My doctor-daughter advised me to give a lot of thought to the fact that, as a 50+ year old, I should expect to experience age-related "issues", one of them being thinning hair.  Her comments/advice gave me pause to wonder whether going off Arimidex would improve the condition of my hair.  And it I go off the med and my hair doesn't change, then I'll be pissed - and SCARED!!  That's where I'm at!  Take care everyone!! 

Adey

On Anastrazole less than a year and yep effing thinning hair, with weird texture and mine was thin to begin with.  Debating baldness because I do not appreciate the thin see the scalp look.  Phssst.

conley05

I took Arimidex and tamoxifin for 18 months. Four years later, I noticed severe hairloss.  I feel it fall as I walk.  I wasted two years with MD telling me that it could be thyroid.  I began taking thyroid medicine for hypothyroidism.  He finally said it's not thyroid.  I went to a dermatologist and endocrinologist.  The dermatologist (and endocrinologist) said my DHEA was high which causes male pattern baldness.  When your estrogen is suddenly, chemically stopped; the male hormone levels will rise causing male pattern baldness (hormone inbalance).  The endocrinologist said no doctor would give me estrogen because of the BC.  The derma put me on spirolactin about 3 weeks ago.  They say it takes 6 months to do anything.  She also told me to use men's strength rogaine.  I also take every supplement I know of for hair including biotin, zinc, saw palmetto, L-lysine, etc.  I use an organic shampoo with biotin.  So far, nothing really helps, but it's too soon to tell for the spirolactin or rogaine.

If anyone has answers please let us know.

Sandy 

conley05

It worked! Hair loss stopped and is growing back!!  I just wanted to post a follow up. After taking the spirolactin (50 mg.2x daily) and using male Rogaine for a few weeks, I could feel the hair growing back! ( When you rub your scalp, it sorta feels like a  short stiff burr at the roots.)  Within about 6 weeks, the hair stopped falling out.  After 2 months, I noticed increased facial hair so I stopped using the Rogaine. It's almost 6 months now, and I'm still not losing any hair!  I think the spirolactin balanced those hormones.

Raisa

I am on Anastrozole for past 7 months and started noticing a hair thinning too among with other bunch of side effects such as joint pain and stiffness, chronic fatique and insomnia, hot flushes, weight gain - all that makes me feel like I am 90-years old (I will be 52 next month)... Right after I lossed my hair during chemo I started taking Hair, skin, and nails vitamin supplements with huge ammount of daily value (1700%) of Biotin, and I used a Nioxin system #2 shampoo and conditioner, and my hair came back nice and thick first, but now that I am on Anastrozle  I know it is very fine and thinning, the only body I have on my head is from my curls...I am considering to quite Anastrozole. It cripples me...

I also want to color my hair, it came back pretty gray, and I feel that I look older now, but again with soft and frain hair should I take a chance of damaging them more with coloring....My hair is about 3-4 inches in length now.

Hortense

I have been on generic Arimidex for about two years now, and lately I have noticed that my hair is shedding much more than it usually does. My hairdresser said that many people shed in the fall, but I am not sure that is the problem. I have been reading through threads on here and elsewhere to see what experiences others have had with hair shedding while on Arimidex, and it seems people start shedding at all different times.

I used cold caps to save my hair through chemo in the summer of 2012, however, the oldest, weakest hair strands do shed while using cold caps and I lost about 30% of mine then which reduced its overall volume. The lost hair grew back quickly, filling in between the hair I kept, but I am wondering if what I am experiencing now is the normal shedding of those replacement hairs coming to the end of their life cycles, or is my uptick in shedding caused by Arimidex? I am not sure yet.

I take Biotin regularly and also BioSil liquid silica which has been clinically proven to grow stronger thicker hair.

Diana9491

I’ve just been on Arimidex for 7 weeks but just had my usual hair coloring done. It has always come out dark brown but this time it came out very dark black. Looked horrendous. I went back to the salon and they assured me they used the same formula so don’t know what happened, but they did a clarifying shampoo for me and it lightened it just a shade but enough that I didn’t look ridiculous. Could it be the Arimidex? My hair has been falling out as well but that started before I had radiation and before I started the Arimidex. I thought maybe it was low thyroid but that tested ok. So I can’t blame the Arimidex for hair falling out.