Taxotere and permanent hair loss????

crking71 My dad & brother are both bald. (Dad did a comb-over for years. Brother started losing is in college). Grandfather on Dad's side also bald. I had thinning before chemo on my temples and upper hair line. I though for sure my hair would not come back after reading about the 3-6%. It did grow back and actually filled in a lot of the spots that were thinner.

So I'm not so sure the history of male pattern baldness is it. One thing I have noticed although I have do not have a large sample is it appears the women who have taxotere induced permanent alopecia, completely lost their eyebrows completely during chemo. Mine just thinned. Not saying if you completely lose your eyebrows you're going to have a problem.

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I can't believe non of these onc seem to be concerned about you physiologically. Permanent hair loss for a woman is devastating. Hasn't anyone's onc recommended seeing a therapist!

Hi Ladies: I am joining your conversation and your group. I have had baby hair and had been wearing a wig for the past 2 years since I finished chemo.  I did 6 rounds of Taxotere and Carboplatin over 2 years ago. Afterwards, I was on Tykerb (a clinical trial drug for Her2+) and Herceptin for a year and a half. My chemical treatment (Herceptin) ended last September (2012), which was 6 months ago. I should have a full head of hair by now, but I don't. Sadly, I have baby fine hair. I look like an 8 months old. Also, I was not told about the possibility of permanent hair loss. I wish I was. It is very hard to accept the way I look now. And that I have to wear a wig to work even during the summer.

Has anyone tried stem cell therapy for hair growth? 

gratitudeforlife it's actually more like 3-6%. They don't have the exact numbers yet but I think <2% might be the number of his patients that have had that experience.

Sickofpink 2.5 weeks… you're still in the chemo cycle. It takes a bit of time. Check the hair thread. A lot of us posted. My nails actually got worse after chemo. They never fully recovered. For at least a year I was wearing nail polish all the time they were so horrible. I don't now. They don't look like before but most people didn't know what my nails looked like so no one actually notices. I had the nail issue pretty bad too. You may not be as unlucky as me… but seriously it's not a big deal for me.

rozem I paint Minoxidil on my eyebrows. It helped a little but I still have to fill in. My lashes aren't at thick but I'm attributing this to Anastrozole. If the eyebrows aren't taxotere induced then maybe the Minoxidil will help.

I have a question for those who have permanent hair loss from Taxotere.  I have one dose so far and go for my second tomorrow.  My hair started coming out a few days ago - so far the top looks almost bald while the sides and back look almost normal.  I am going to buzz it tomorrow since obviously I can't leave the house without a hat anymore anyway.  I was wondering if this pattern of hair loss is linked to the risk of permanent hair loss?  It seems like a strange pattern for hair loss - like male pattern baldness.  I think I've read that some of the limited hair regrowth seen with Taxotere is in a male pattern baldness pattern.  It has me VERY worried that my hair might not come back properly!  Should I be scared because of this?

My hair fell out like male pattern baldness. I assumed for sure I would get the taxotere induced alopecia because my hair was starting to recede before bc diagnosis. I didn't even watch my hair come in initially once chemo ended. Well as you can see I have a full head of hair. A lot of the receding grew back too.

 This is rare, only about 3-6% get it. Don't worry about something that most likely won't even happen. From what my friend told me in her research (it happened to her) you are more at risk the more treatments you have especially if they are combined with something else. My 2 friends that got it had the same chemo and 6 rounds I had. It's a crap-shoot and they need to study this more to figure out why some get it and most don't.

Even of those who do get it some are not completely bald. Both my friends have some hair. Thin on top in the male pattern baldness area and it won't grow more than 2 inches on top.

I decided to delete my post, because I was complaining about my lashes and brows which were messed up by Taxotere.  But the more important takeaway here is I have normal head hair growth!

I do, frankly, think the stats for hair changes is far more than 6%.

Hello, Lago!  I just had my estrogen tested, and I am still firmly pre-menopausal.  Tamoxifen may have weird effects on lashes and brows for sure, but it doesn't seem to be my estrogen levels in my case.

I took down my initial post because I can draw in my brows, I can get extensions on my lashes.  The important part is, I got a full head of hair.  It has weird receding in areas where I had softer hair (the soft hair is all gone, I attribute this to Tax as well).

Though you are right, it could also be Tamox, truthfully, we just don't know entirely in this game.

Stormynyte - I hope your hair comes back fully!  I would be interested in hearing how it goes in the next few weeks.  Keep us posted!  I will keep my fingers crossed that you will get a full head of beautiful hair back!!!!

Just a follow-up and to share what I've done to help me cope.  What hair I have is gray.  Someone posted that she looks like an 80-year-old ugly man.  Me, too.  It's really awful.  Recently,  I colored my hair and cut it really short like a pixie cut.  This does not mean that my hair is cute because it's definitely not.  It's still awful and there is no way I would allow anyone to see it uncovered, but when I wear a hat (a cute hat of course) I look like every other woman who is wearing a hat and running errands.  The color makes the hair more visible and with the hat it looks like I just have really short hair.  I have several wigs and I feel better with that look, but I also worry about the wig coming off and when it's hot, it's hot.  I always get compliments on my "hair" and frankly, my own hair never looked this good.  I profess that the wig doesn't bother me, but it is always the very first thing that comes off when I come in the house.   At the gym I wear a hat of scarf.  Something always has to be on my head in public because my hair is so awful.   If I don't have anything on my head in the house (I usually do), I always always always have a hat close by in case I have to answer the door.  I will not walk out the front door without something on my head.

I have no eyebrows and the rest of my body hair is also very sparse.  My eyelashes are very short, sparse, and fine and light.   I got permanent makeup a year and a half ago.  I'm very fair with blue eyes and I looked like an alien until I got the permanent makeup (liner and brows).   I feel better having features.

Recently I got lash extensions.  Mascara really was not enough and the extensions are wonderful.  They look very natural and not at all false.  But they require maintenance and are expensive.  I figure I can afford them because I don't get my hair done anymore! 

All of this makes it better, but I still have times when I cry and am always sad when I think about not having hair.  It really isn't ok.  I do try to keep this is perspective and am thankful I'm on this side of the grass.   Had I known about this potential side effect, I think I'd still have had the Taxotere, because I wouldn't have believed it would happen to me.  I've learned there are many other medical conditions that cause women to lose their hair.   Mine is from breast cancer treatments. 

I may buzz my hair (or whatever you want to call it) this summer.  Somehow that seems more acceptable than looking like I'm trying to cover baldness and it ain't working. 

Suzanne

I personally would stop taxotere.  Horrible side effects.  Permanent hairloss,neropathy, punctal scarring,vertigo and to top it off cataracts.

Do your research...I would switch to taxol weekly

That's me.

Taxol actually has a higher incidence of permanent nueropathy than Taxotore. I am so glad I didn't get Taxol. I only have some minor numbness in my left heel.

All chemos have SE. Some are lasting some are not. Some are serious (heart issue with Adrymicin). But the chances are rare or less common with many of these SE. Just be sure you know all the SE so you can make an informed decision.

Stormynyte so glad it's filling in. Be warned though this might be as long as it will grow if you do have taxotere induced alopecia. I still think it's early and you may not have this.

Worrywart9390 Please don't worry about something that is rare, may not happen to you and there is really nothing you can do at this point.

I too will admit that I found out about this after my first TX. At that point I knew there was nothing I could do about it. I was so sure this would happen to me that I didn't even pay attention to my hair growth… (my hair actually started before my last TX in the back and sides).

Get through treatment. Then worry about this. I know easier said then done but worrying will make you ill.