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Hair thinning due to Pred?

Posted , 11 users are following.

pat38625
pat38625

Hi everyone, I was at the hairdressers today and she asked me had I noticed my hair thinning.  I hadn't noticed because I have very fine hair anyway but she did remark on it.  Would this be the pred?  Also these hot flushes, I am well past the menopause and even in this cold weather I rarely put the heating on it's as if I have my own built in thermostat which seems to on max most of the time.  My heating bill will be a lot cheaper if this keeps up.

0 likes, 29 replies

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  • karen28161
    karen28161 pat38625

    Posted

    Hi pat ,yes I also have huge hot flushes ,when my hubby is freezing and puts the heating on I moan that it's not cold ,also my cheeks get that red when I am having a hot flush and I can feel them burning hot ,it takes a good 30 mins for the to go away!,it's not the menopause because I went through that about 7 yrs ago .the joys of PMR hey xx
    • pat38625
      pat38625 karen28161

      Posted

      Thanks Karen, so you have hot flushes as well.  I think my body heat could warm a whole room up lol  I went through menopause in my 40s so it's definately not that.  Its good to get reassurance though.
  • EileenH
    EileenH pat38625

    Posted

    The hot flushes can be the PMR - or rather the underlying autoimmune disorder - even without the pred where it is said to be a side effect. I rarely needed the heating on and my husband was always cold so I was wearing summer clothes in the winter! I've got right down to 4mg and still get the occasional wave of warmth although since I have been taking beta-blockers most of the built-in central heating is obeying the thermostat! Even to the extent of needing a pullover rather than just a shirt over my t-shirt.

    I've been on 3 different sorts of pred: enteric coated prednisolone in the UK, Medrol (methyl prednisolone) here and now Lodotra (prednisone). I had no real problems with the enteric coated except that weight I had put on with PMR due to immobility redistributed to face and middle and I lost some hair but it was very thick anyway . With Medrol my hair went mad - dry and frizzy, it fell out and what was left barely grew at all. I also grew a fairly impressive dark beard - and I have been white since I was 40! It started as peach fluff and got steadily stronger and darker. Since I was put on Lodotra the beard has gone and my hair has all grown back, smooth shiny like it was before and curly! That is taking some getting used to - it had been straight for the 7 years of PMR having been curly before. Within a few months of starting the Lodotra the new hair was growing back in, like a baby's hair but under the longer hair at first!

     

    • pat38625
      pat38625 EileenH

      Posted

      Thanks Eileen so hot flushes could be PMR, I didn't know that.  Like yourself I have put on weight, I have gone up one size and my face and neck have got bigger.  I take 20mg of Gastro-resistant prednisolone although with the holidays I did over do the chocolate.  Also I had very little mobility for about 5 or 6 months due to undiagnosed PMR.  My hairs not falling out (yet) and I don't have a beard (yet) but will be closely looking out for one.  Everyone reacts differently.  So here's hoping my hair thickens up and I don't grow a beard.  I think we have enough to contend with.
    • vanessa66630
      vanessa66630 EileenH

      Posted

      hot flushes when i get dressed or do any house work, so guess it is best to stay in bed!!! have had a really bad couple of months, but at least my husband has not left me, must be true love, end of november broke my leg and ankle, he hired me a electric wheelchair so I could move round bungalow! boxing day got sickness and diarreah bug, what fun when you cant walk, mid january got really bad tooth absess, could not root fill too painful to take out, put me on amoxacillian, 2 really strong sachets plus 500 mg course, felt really ill, Dr sent me for blood testto see if I had steroid induced diabetus, Emergency Dr phoned me at 11pm that night to say hospital had phoned him to say my liver results were really bad, he arrived at midnight to c heck me out, said I could not fly to Florida on the Sunday, had to go to hospital on monday morning for liver tests went to hospital they said I had been overdosed on anti biotics, eventually was alowed to fly to Florida where am     having a good rest, the joys of PMR and age, but guess we need to thank our lucky stars that it is nothing worse and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
    • EileenH
      EileenH vanessa66630

      Posted

      Glad to hear the end result is OK but what a journey! My daughter was complaining she'd been ill since October, one thing after another, and all the doctors say is "it's that time of year"! She isn't amused - she needs to keep away from sick people but that is a bit difficult when you are a paramedic!

      How did you break your leg? How very careless - especially just before Christmas! ;-)

  • joey2
    joey2 pat38625

    Posted

    After menapause, I get hot flashes when I eat sugary foods.  Do a test as to get a somewhat answer to this hot flash mystery.....Try an experiment....eat one or two cookies and if you get a hot flash then the hot flashes are easily controlled.
    • pat38625
      pat38625 joey2

      Posted

      Thanks Joey I will definately try it.  I did overdo it on the chocolate and last night I didn't have any and I cannot remember a hot flush.  I am gonna record all my symptons.  
  • constance.de
    constance.de pat38625

    Posted

    How very strange we human beings are!  Since the beginning of PMR I am always COLD -  I even have to wear bed-socks!!

    Also strange - I never had hot flushes!

    • pat38625
      pat38625 constance.de

      Posted

      Hi Constance, thanks for your comments.  Isn't it really strange how we all  react differently that's why I hate this one size fits all that gps and hospital drs use.  
  • Crystalcave
    Crystalcave pat38625

    Posted

    Hello pat,

    i usually have quite thick hair but also my hairdresser has commented on my hair thinner than it used to be.  Also it has become very dry and brittle,  I think it could be the meds I am on.  I am also my own thermostate as you say.  I hardly ever have to have my heating on these days and have to be mindful of when I have visitors as I sometimes forget how cold they can be.  Hope you are keeping well at the moment.

    sue

    • pat38625
      pat38625 Crystalcave

      Posted

      Hi Sue, thanks for your input, much appreciated.  Yes hairdresser noticed my hair thinning and also not in the best of condition.  It must be the steroids, although I never did have thick hair.  

      And yes very rarely do I have the heating on.  I will put it on for a short while just to heat the room, sometimes I would need a hand held fan.  Someone did comment that when they ate sugary food/fruit that made it worse.  Well with the holidays over and no more chocolate I am going to try it and keep a diary.  Thanks again.

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