Saw Palmetto, Tamoxifen, and Hair loss

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Lisey
Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
edited March 2018 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

So I'm dealing with trying to mitagate my hair thinning and I purchased an Irestore, LLLT helmet. It comes with a pill that is Saw Palmetto. I am reading Saw Palmetto is both a natural pill to fight breast cancer, and is Estrogenic... I want to take the pills, however, my oncologist is one who says 'nothing hormonal.. ever!" I just don't think she knows about herbals... Here's an excerpt from a study regarding Saw Palmetto:

"There are some examples of plants that are used in breast cancer, for example ginko, goldenseal, ginseng, garlic, Echinacea, aloe vera and saw palmetto."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4881189/


So would y'all take the pills to help with hair loss?

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  • Lula73
    Lula73 Member Posts: 1,824
    edited March 2018

    I’d take biotin supplements instead. 5000mg a day. Why take the risk with saw palmetto if you don’t have to?

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited March 2018

    Lula, I'm already taking biotin, have for a year. The reason Saw Palmetto appeals to me is 1) it blocks some of the male hormones that lead to baldness and 2) there are studies that say that phytoestrogens actually block breast cancer. Thus I'm asking others if they've run across anything on it.

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  • Icietla
    Icietla Member Posts: 1,265
    edited March 2018

    I am so sorry you are troubled with your hair.

    >>"There are some examples of plants that are used in breast cancer, for example ginko, goldenseal, ginseng, garlic, Echinacea, aloe vera and saw palmetto."<<

    This linked item relates to estrogenic effects of one of those purported "remedies" enumerated there__

    http://jmj.jums.ac.ir/files/site1/user_files_204932/eng/admin-A-10-1-3-90a387c.pdf

    >>[...] it blocks some of the male hormones that lead to baldness [...]<<

    Have you Androgenic Alopecia? I have not noticed any indications of it from your pictures.

    Might you be having a periodic seasonal Spring shed? Some have a seasonal shed (temporarily high shed rate) every few years in Fall, some every few years in Spring.

    >>So would y'all take the pills to help with hair loss?<<

    I would not take them.

    Nor would I take Biotin. I have been advised by a knowledgeable Health Care Professional that Biotin supplementation can promote growth of unwanted hair. It has taken a lot of time, expense, and pain to get my unwanted hair growth under control. I am older, postmenopausal by about seventeen years. Unwanted facial hair has been more embarrassing to me than has the thinness of my wanted hair.

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  • Icietla
    Icietla Member Posts: 1,265
    edited March 2018

    I like this__

    http://rishikajain.com/2015/03/23/super-inspiring-story-grab-a-purple-hat/

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited March 2018

    HI Icietta,

    I have a whole thread documenting my hair thinning and texture changing. It's called "Tamoxifen and Hair Loss". In any case, my hair is definitely half the volume it was a year ago. I'm trying to prevent it from thinning further with the irestore. I'll probably give my husband the palmetto pills, he's thinning too! :) My dermatologist just prescribed this overnight hair scalp treatment I'm going to try in addition to the irestore helmet. I also am using Rogaine. I refuse to let my hair fall out gracefully.. I"m going to fight this. I just think more scientists should investigate this side effect from Tamoxifen and AI's and find a good solution.

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  • Icietla
    Icietla Member Posts: 1,265
    edited March 2018

    I am so sorry, Lisey. I had overlooked that discussion. I will try to catch up tonight on what has been going on with your hair.

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited March 2018

    Ah, Thanks Icietla, <3 it's a slog. Here's a quick link for that discussion. https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/78/topics/858736?page=1

    I"m just bummed my hair has lost all its curl and is so much thinner. and the itching.... it's horrible. I've read accounts of others dealing with this on Tamoxifen. I didn't care about losing my boobs, but man oh man.. losing my locks... that is a hard pill to swallow and I'm going to fight to try to keep it. (I'm hopeful for the irestore.. we will see).


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