Has anyone had their hair grow continually throughouth chemo?

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phoenixsmom
phoenixsmom Member Posts: 58
edited June 2014 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

I'm 2 weeks out of ac chemo #4, and my hair is now a few centimetres around most (most but not all) of my head.  It started falling out about 2 weeks after my first treatment so I shaved it right bald, but it has been growing like a son of a gun ever since.  I have all my eyebrows and eyelashes I think and am grateful, but its starting to freak me out since everyone says I should be bald by now. 

I ask the question here, because I am taking alot of natural supplements, and am wondering which one is helping (if any).  Sometimes I think maybe the chemo isn't working if my hair is growing, but my tumors have shrunk to oblivion also.  My naturopath mentioned something about an isolated form of vitamin E they are now using to treat male pattern baldness....but I'm not taking that (I will if I can though).  Anybody have the same experience?  I've also decided to continue my treatment so will be starting taxotere in a week.  I'm really hoping the hair sticks around...

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  • NanaOfTen
    NanaOfTen Member Posts: 191
    edited June 2009

    Hi phoenixsmon,

    I never lost all of my hair, either. I cut it short to be ready for it to fall out and then one day it fell out in clumps. I had my son buzz my head. Quite a bit of it is still growing. It wouldn't be a full head of hair, would still need a wig for something really nice with the kids. I did lose my eyebrows, lashes, and everyelse!

    I take the supplements stresstabs with zinc, vit D - 1000 u per day, calcium 1200 U per day and I just got a B12 shot today.

     I have two more tx's to go so I still may lose more. some days I notice some falling out still.

    Cheryl

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  • FloridaLady
    FloridaLady Member Posts: 2,155
    edited June 2009

    I only lost my hair with one chemo combo out of the ten chemo I've done.  The key is what kind of chemo and the dose level.

    Flalady

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  • phoenixsmom
    phoenixsmom Member Posts: 58
    edited June 2009

    FloridaLady, what chemo combo are you talking about?  Did you have the adriamycin/cyclophosphamide (ac)? That's the one I just finished.  Since I'm stage 3 I imagine its a pretty good dose they gave me.  The nurse said I shouldn't have any hair.

    Cheryl, did you lose your eyebrows on the taxotere? Or was there another chemo that you got first that did it?  I'm taking completely different supplements (B6, curcumin, glutamine, melatonin, fish oil, CoQ10 with flax and vitamin E, vitamin C, Berberis, L-Carnatine, Coriolus and I also take greens+ and fractionated pectin).  So I guess maybe there isn't one thing in particular?  I wonder if just loading up on nutrients and being healthy is what makes the difference with the hair.

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  • ddlatt
    ddlatt Member Posts: 448
    edited June 2009

    I had dense dose adriamycin/cytoxan and then taxol and never lost all my hair. i did lose eyelashes and eyebrows completely.  i finished chemo on may 1st, and my hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes are coming in very quickly! i never took any supplements, not even vitamins during chemo.

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  • phoenixsmom
    phoenixsmom Member Posts: 58
    edited June 2009

    Wow!  I have to say, I'm kind of confused.  I guess everybody just responds differently.  Good for you though.  I know for me, the hairloss isn't the biggest thing, but its a daily reminder of all the crap.  When I get up and feel good I almost forget about chemo and everything, but everytime I look in the mirror I get reminded again.

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  • ddlatt
    ddlatt Member Posts: 448
    edited June 2009

    phoenixsmom - it is amazing how differently we all respond to chemo. none of my friends lost all their hair, and we were all on AC/T at the same time, and no supplements. i know what you mean about looking in the mirror. when my hair was just a fuzz ball, i didn't like to look in the mirror and would go weeks without doing so.

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  • cookymkr
    cookymkr Member Posts: 82
    edited June 2009

    I loss most of my hair, but was never bald as a cue ball like I thought I would be. I didn't lose my eyebrows or lashes until 2 mos AFTER my chemo was completed. My co-worker had the same response.

    I was hoping that the leg / underarm hair would never begin to grow back, but NO to my disappointment it decided to grow back. Back to shaving! UGH!

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  • phoenixsmom
    phoenixsmom Member Posts: 58
    edited June 2009

    Isn't that the strangest thing!  I know my (can I say this?) pubic hair was the first to fall out!  But I too have hairs growing under the arms and here and there on my legs.  I've been out not thinking I needed to shave anymore and looked down, only to see a few long hairs sticking out from my knee!

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  • NanaOfTen
    NanaOfTen Member Posts: 191
    edited June 2009

    I had my taxol first (4 txs every 3 weeks) and that is when I lost the majority of my hair. I am now on AC (4 txs every 3 weeks) plus Aredia and immunoglobulin (once a month for these - the Aredia will be for a total of one year). The eyebrows and lashes are still gradually leaving me. One eye is completely with no hair. I agree, when I look in the mirror, what a reminder. I do not recognize the person looking back at me.

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  • cleomoon
    cleomoon Member Posts: 443
    edited June 2009

    My Mom did not loose her hair during chemo. She was using Nioxin hair products and alternative treatments. Not sure all that she was doing back then.

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  • pinoideae
    pinoideae Member Posts: 1,271
    edited June 2009

    I had CMF chemo treatment, a six month treatment that went beyond 6 months due to low neutrophil counts.  Lost hair, but more hair thinning (albeit very thin at the end of treatment).  It seems to be the standard for CMF treatment that most patients do not loose all of their hair.

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  • RobinWendy
    RobinWendy Member Posts: 1,983
    edited June 2009

    I have done two chemo's (AC and Taxol/Avastin).  Lost my hair both times but it started growing back while I was still on the Taxol.  It was a great lift emotionally for me and I stopped wearing the wig only 5 weeks after stopping the chemo.  Everyone reacts differently.

    Robin 

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  • Karieileen
    Karieileen Member Posts: 3
    edited June 2009

    The thing about chemo is that it might make your hair fall out, but it doesn't stop it from growing.  You said you've been off of the treatment for two weeks.  Once the drugs are out of your system, your body repairs itself.  If your tumors are going away, don't worry about the chemo working.  Your hair growing back isn't a bad sign!

     

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