Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group loss of hair...anyone else?

The cooking thing! I forgot about the food thing! I was so humiliated when two of my guests found Bridget-hairs in their Christmas cookies! I was ALWAYS pulling my hair out of my own food, but other people's food . . . (thank goodness it's not like that anymore! for now) I also remember pulling my hairs out of the weave of my boyfriend's sweater, after it had been washed twice since I'd seen him a week before.

We are SOOO cool . . .

-Bridge

Okay, so I think we have pretty much established that we are all gonna go bald!!!! okay maybe not bald, but we definately have to clean our hairbrush more often.

Actually after reading some of the scarier hair loss posts I feel much better! Apparently the grass isn't always greener but someone somewhere has more hair on their shirt than I do! hehehe

Now I am wondering.....the eye specialist said that the steroid drops should not have any side effects for me as they are just going into my eye and not into my main blood stream....hmmmmmm, maybe just the little bit of steroid drops is getting into my blood and is damaging my hair! [Man, cataract and hair loss, not cool] Okay, that sucks! I have been trying to grow my hair out and have just reached a fairly nice length, but it seems to be falling out at the root. I think like Megan said my hair is becoming brittle and falling out right at the root.

Boy, another reason to hate the [**BLEEP**] iritis. I will have to consult my eye doc and see if some sort of vitamin will help.

Any ideas about which vitamins to take?, 'cause I'm pretty sure my eye doc will have no clue on that one!

Cheers,
Rita

James, 12, Adrian, 10, Elisabeth, 3, my babies!

I ve lost about half of my hair over the past 2-3 months but it happened after I had Simon as well. I really do hope it is cause I had a baby and not AS!

Folic Acid and prenatal vitamins!

-Bridget

OH Rita, This can be quite the puzzle!
So many things can cause hair loss.I got caught up in a search for my own hair loss back in 1999. Lots of money
was spent going to drs.hormones thyroid,poor circulaiton
acute chronic illness weight loss diabetes fever,iron
deficiency,fungal infections.nutritional deficiencies
on and on. The big one, for me was chronic stress.
after taking care of a loved one thru their terminal cancer (14 months) my hair started falling out. about 40%
loss. emotional and physical pain is a big culprit.
Oh course meds are known to cause hair loss. I was
taking ativan for anxiety at the time and think it was a contributing factor. Are you getting enough time for yourself? 3 children and your hubby to take care of
can be stressful. Having smoldering iritis a.s. to boot
isnt easy. I hope you get some pampering now and then.
My hair grew back,not as thick but much better. It took
4-5 years though. Gina

Hi Rita,

Just typed out a great long reply to you and somehow managed to lose it!
So, here goes nothing.......!!

I've been losing my hair in large amounts regularly since my late 'teens, long b4 I'd even heard about AS, let alone taking any meds (except the Pill!)
I thought I was going to lose the lot, but luckily I didn't, tho it got very thin, but it had kept on regrowing all the time so fortunately I had lots of short, whispy hair growing back. I had to cut my long hair short, and wait for all my "layers" to grow out, but actually they never have, b/c of my regular "moults". It still happens even now, especially during a flare.

Strangely, my daughter began losing her hair at the same age, tho again, not all of it luckily. She'd already been dxd with CD by then. It wasn't until several years later that I got my AS dx and read/heard somewhere that it's quite common for ppl with autoimmune probs to lose their hair
Talk about adding insult to injury......

I find taking multi vits daily helps to keep mine re-growing, even when it's "moulting", tho' it's much thinner and finer now that it was in my youth.....

Good luck! Hopefully you won't lose all yours either!

Hugs,
Sue

I know all about hair loss. I have been losing hair everyday in fact if I comb or brush three times a day I can guarantee hair in my comb or brush. I have been losing since 1987 when I realy realize I was loosing my hair. The loss is usually in the thickness.
I am now wearing wigs when I dress up. When I just brush and go to the gym or around the neighborhood you can see my scalp.
My daughter think part of my problem is also from using chemicals on my hair over a period of time.

DB

Hi there
I think it may of been me that has posted a message about hair loss. I am currently taking arava and I am experiencing hair loss - not only on my head - on my legs and other places, too
The doc says its a side effect of Arava and I guess it is as the only other time I have experienced hair loss was when I had my daughter (that was only head hair).
I've noticed I have lost some thickness in my hair. I have the same problems as you, I tend to shed everywhere but it also can come out in small clumps.

Hope that helps,
Jess

Steroids will cause hair loss for me, even in minute doses. That, and certain shampoos