taxotere & permanent hair loss

There's a fairly active thread here on the subject.  Try the SEARCH box to far upper right -- next to Community (it sometimes doesn't show up on my screen for some reason).  Search "permanent hair loss" and you should be able to find it.    

You might also want to search "Penguin Cold Caps" too.  I didn't use one, but some report actually keeping their hair with them.    Deanna

Odd since at chemo training they told me my hair would grow back. Too late now. I had my first treatment of taxotere a few weeks ago and it's starting to fall out.

Why don't they tell you this stuff?

My onc. did not tell me about taxotere and permanent hair loss until I asked her about it.  If I had not asked her, I believe she would not have mentioned it.  It is very real for the ladies whose hair does not ever grow back.  This is one of the reasons that I used the Penguin Cold Caps.  I had read the thread on here about hair not growing back with taxotere.  I am thankful to these ladies for speaking about it and helping me when I had to make decisions.

It seems to me that oncologists in general do not address the problem.  My onc. admitted that there are ladies who never get their hair back!  This was after I researched and brought my information that I had found on BC.org.  She was hesitant to let me try the Cold Caps as she had never had anyone use them.  They did work for me.  I feel that the permanent hair loss needs to be included in all of the taxotere literature...

bernbird -  You'll find the taxotere and permanent hairloss thread in the Recovery, Renewal and Hope section, under Biographies of Breast Cancer Survivors.

The cold caps aren't used much in North America but are quite common in the U.K.  To keep taxotere from disfiguring your finger and toenails, consider taking packets of crushed ice (or frozen peas!) with you, to keep those extremities cool (but be careful not to get frostbite!).

Best of luck to you!

Here's a direct quote from chemocare.com...

Can you prevent hair loss during chemo treatments?

Currently, there is no known prevention for hair loss due to chemotherapy.  Through the years, attempts have been made to reduce hair loss by using tight bands or ice caps.  These techniques were thought to reduce the blood flow to the hair follicles, thus limiting the chemotherapy exposure.  Unfortunately, these techniques did little more than cause headaches and have been abandoned in most settings.

UNBELIEVABLE! But the site also says your hair will grow back in ALMOST all cases.

I'm over 2 years out from chemo & I still don't have all my hair back.  It is slowly getting thicker, but still very thin on top.  Still don't have very many eyelashes or eyebrows.  I can't help but wonder if it is due it part to having had taxotere.

Norma June - I'm with you - I had my last taxotere two years ago this month and my hair has been awfully slow growing - still very thin on top and at the very back and temples - it is not only the Taxotere it is also the AIs I was on for 18 months (I was terribly allergic and dropped them) - anyway I started taking Vitamin B Complex (has biotin in it) and my hairdresser informed me this last time that my bald spots have started filling in - it's been a very long struggle and of course like everyone else I wasn't told anything - I had to find out by reading - I wish the oncologists would just go ahead and tell us - the pretending that everyone's hair grows back quickly and "not to worry" is just plain wrong.  It also would be a good idea to tell us about the finger and toenails - I was not too impressed with all the problems I had there either - all that was needed was Sally Hansen Hard As Nails and I would have been fine - wasn't told until there was permanent damage done - really how hard is it to understand that patients are worth the effort - I AM glad to be alive but I would like to have been under a heck of a lot less stress.

I thought my much thinner hair was due to Femara (an AI) and not to taxotere. I haven't even needed to shave my underarms and my leg hair is extremely sparse.  But now that some of you who are ER- are experiencing the same thing, I'm beginning to suspect taxotere is to blame.  I've been taking 10,000 mcg of Biotin religiously since finishing tx in July 2008.  I even tried a French hair "restorer" called Chronostim.  But when the light shines on my head a certain way, my scalp shines through in return!  Arrgh!

I am in UK where cold caps are used quite frequently.I was advised by a BC oncologist friend in Sweden (Karolinska Institute), that there is a small risk of scalp mets, since the freezing prevents the uptake of chemo.There have been documented cases, albeit pretty rare.

As for taxotere......myy hair did grow back, although thinner than before.My eyebrows and eyelashes are very sparse and not their previous strength.

Here the oncologists do not advise about any of the side effects - their attitude seems to be that patients will then report all kinds of side effects because they think they are experiencing them.They also did not seem to be very clued-up on the known side effects,such as Taxotere rash.I wish I had known what to do regarding my nails, all of which felt as though they had been  hammered, and then subsquently turned funny colours and some dropped off.My big toe-nails are still weird 8 years later, with an extra 'nail' growing undrneath, causing pain and unsightliness.

Very liitle regard seems to be given to the side effects of these very powerful drugs - it is just 'throw the drug at the patient and hope for the best'.

I have permanent male pattern baldness from taxotere. I am 34 and had long thick beautiful hair before taxotere.  It is so overwhelmingly devastating that it is hard to have any perspective. If I had any idea the level of risk I would have never taken the chance and would have done the cold caps or a different regimen. None of the other regimens that don't involve taxotere have this risk.