HAIR LOSS - How are you dealing with it?

I'm going on 4 years on Tamoxifin & my hair has been thinning year to year now. I really noticed losing clumps of hair over the last year but have blamed it on stress. ONC recommended having my thyroid checked because hair loss can be attributed to hypothyroidism. I've also had a lot of joint too. It could be a combination of things but all I know is...I'm really tired of it! Yes, the benefits of Tamoxifin outweighs the risks but now I'm conscientious of my hair.

I have heard that Biotin (sold over the counter) can help with hair regrowth? I hope this is not one of my SE's when I start on an AI but I am told it very well can be! Ugh...why can't these drugs be a little easier to tolerate...so scared!

Hugs and hoping that once the tamoxifen is out of your system, you hair will begin to grow in like crazy!

Hlya, don't know what stage of cancer you had, but maybe you could stop the zoladex, which is basically putting you into a menopausal state.  Hair loss happens for sure with menopause.  Can you just be on the tamoxifen for now and see what happens with your hair?  I was perimenopausal at diagnosis, did 3 years of tamoxifen, which I finished a year ago. Did not notice any major hair loss during that time.  Hair looked good.  Now that I'm postmenopausal, I'm noticing gradual thinning a little more each year, so I think this is just naturally happening from regular menopause.

Hi, I'd appreciate everyone's comments please. I was on tamoxifen for 3 months and perimenopausal when I started active treatment last spring. I regrew my hair after chemo and was just getting full coverage when I started losing it in a male pattern specifically quite quickly. Since second week of January I've lost a lot of hair at my temples and lots of body hair. I was told to stop tamoxifen 4 days ago and am on biotin and iron. I understand from my research that minoxidil or propecia and spirolactone can help to stop the loss tho not so good at regrowing hair. I also understand that insulin resistance can increase likelihood of hair loss. I am in the metformin trial.



I am scared. I don't want to be bald and need to intervene before I am more noticeably bald. This is not gradual or thinning. Whole areas have been lost and are bare. I am going to seek out an endocrinologist. I have an appointment with my mo who I'm pretty sure will only focus on what to substitute for the tamoxifen ... I am not sure who else may be able to help me. Have you experienced anything like this? Please weigh in.

Barbara, thank you. I am so great full for your words. Really. I know you understand how upsetting this is. I would appreciate learning anything else you care to share. Hvv

Hlya - Yes minoxidil is the generic of Rogaine and the cost is significantly less for minoxidil.  Until I realized I had developed an allergic reaction to the propylene glycol in both Rogaine and minoxidil I had been using it for about 20 years.  I do not know anything about the German product you mentioned.  Before using minoxidil my hairloss was diffuse also however it was most noticeable on the top of my head.  It does take about 3 months before new hairs can be seen.  I now use dualgen-5 because it does not contain PG.  It works the same as minoxidil and can be found through a google search or PM me if you want the web site address.

Hvv - I have not tried spironolactone nor propecia, not that I didn't think of trying them.  The side effects from those products scared me away and at the same time I was getting good results from minoxidil.  I definitely have male pattern baldness issues (I have a bald brother and a balding son).  It really started during menopause and it was extreme on the top but all over loss at the same time.  The minoxidil that I started using some 20 years ago did work.  Not that my hair ever returned to the original fullness but new hair did grow and the shedding did stop.  I know I was helped from the minoxidil because I did stop using it at one point (about 10 years in) and within 3 months I had extreme hair shedding, so back to using it and the shedding stopped within 6 weeks or so.  I so understand your desperation to resolve this issue.  If you have more questions, please ask. 

Sending good thoughts to you both.

hlya - I was shedding so much to begin with that I was okay with it taking 4 to 6 weeks to make the shedding stop.  So whether it was the minoxidil that caused it to continue immediately after starting it or whether it took awhile for the minoxidil to actually stop me from shedding, I don't know........however I just knew I couldn't continue the way it was so I was willing to put my faith in the fact that it would stop within weeks.  I was desperate and had purchased a hair piece for the top of my head.  Fortunately I never had to use it.  I did try to hide the top thin area with oblong scarves wrapped double around my head until I had about an inch or two of regrowth.  Good thoughts.

hiya, PG is propylene glycol. Barbara/gentianviolet notes in her Feb 24 post that she is allergic to PG, which is why she was avoiding products that contaied it.

• The Mods

I've had issues with thinning hair on and off for years. Between perimenopause, iron deficiency and stress it's been pretty bad lately. I will start an AI after my hyst/ooph next month and I am aware it might get worse. I'm not sure what I will try going forward, but I urge you to use caution when considering spironolactone after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The drug definitely interacts with hormones (young men are warned about gynomastia, erectile dysfunction, etc) and I have even seen passing reference that it might increase your risk for developing breast cancer (but I acknowledge that I don't have the sources in front of me for that). Something to ask your doctor about anyway...

I'm glad to see this topic and hope everybody who has any solutions to the hair loss problem will post!  I've been on arimidex for a little over 2 years and the problem has only increased.  Due to a combination of heredity and side effects of blood pressure medicines, I already had some (but manageable) hair loss, but now it's awful.

My dermatologist said to use minoxidil in the men's strength (5%), which I was already doing, and I also take 5000 mg Biotin daily, plus vitamins, calcium, and D-3.  Nothing helps.  I found a product called Toppik at Sally's beauty supply, a fiber like powder that you sprinkle over balding areas, so I do use that daily.  Cosmetically, it's better with it than without, but it gets all over the bathroom sink, etc. 

Don't we all just hate this???

Kathy