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PMR, Hair

Posted , 10 users are following.

kathy67492
kathy67492

Wanted to say something positive! I have had PMR for 19 months, started prednisone at 15 briefly, then 10m...have tapered down to 8m presently. I color my hair, bleaching it in streaks.  8 months ago It dried up completely, would not take any conditioning substance and really thinned out....but now it has returned to normal...? Must be the prednisone, but good to know the hair gets better while I am still on the prednisone...strange!

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • EileenH
    EileenH kathy67492

    Posted

    Yes - although Medrol sent my hair haywire it has returned to normal even though I am still on prednisone (also a corticosteroid). While I was on higher doses I had the best, hardest and longest nails I have had in my life - but they are returning to "normal" as the dose reduces. I've also lost weight while still on pred - it can be done and does happen.

    There are positives ...

  • andrea93419
    andrea93419 kathy67492

    Posted

    Hi Kathy, yes I colour my hair too and noticed at a higher dose of pred, between 10 - 20 mg, my hair was awful, thin and lifeless! But over the last month or so it's really getting back to its 'thick and shiney self'!! My GP tells me that anything under 10mg isn't having much of an adverse effect on our bodies!! (Hope so anyway)

    Andrea xx

    • erika59785
      erika59785 andrea93419

      Posted

      Always good to read positive information about prednisone and the dosage involved.....of course the lower the better.  I am still on 12 mg and waiting to reduce by 1 mg in about 2 weeks.

       

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga kathy67492

    Posted

    Good to hear.  I still haven't noticed an improvement in the hair, but I guess it takes a while for new hair to grow.
  • snapperblue
    snapperblue kathy67492

    Posted

    Thanks for posting. Nice to hear we don't have to be pred-free for the negative effects to end.

    One of my real breaks in terms of genetics was hair that needed no attention- wash and go, cut it occasionally.  Post-pred, it is getting thin and limp. It's a minor thing, but now that I am down to 7 mg, I hope the new growth in will curl and stand up by itself.  

    On the other hand, I am not sure that I want the fat cheeks to go.  Better a chipmunk than a withered prune!  

    • VickieS
      VickieS snapperblue

      Posted

      I had to laugh at your fat cheeks comment. I've always been somewhat thin, especially in my face. When I came down with PMR, I lost weight and was looking kind of skeletal & my face looked absolutely gaunt. Luckily, the pred didn't make me fat, but it did fill out my face. Now everyone tells me how healthy I look (even though I don't feel that way). I don't really want my fuller face to go away either. The funny thing is that now I look like my mom, who had fully cheeks, when before I never really looked like her.
  • Susanne_M_UK
    Susanne_M_UK kathy67492

    Posted

    I've now got great, strong nails. They were always very soft and never grew much.

    But I've also got a horrible hamster face. I hate it! I used to have a slim face that suited me just fine. Now people I haven't seen for a while don't immediately recognise me.

    Only two weeks ago, I went to a birthday party and bounded up to a woman I had met several times before and have had some good chats with. "Hi!" I said with enthusiasm. She replied "umm hi" in a voice that clearly said "who is this crazy woman?".

    I later told her who I was and she was gracious enough to say that she wasn't good with faces. We both laughed, as we both knew she was being kind.

  • paula63201
    paula63201 kathy67492

    Posted

    About 1 month ago, my hair, which has always been very long and healthy, has started to either break or fall out. Oddly, it happened from one day to the next. I am now alarmed each time I run a brush through my hair. It was during the time I was reducing from 5 mg to 4.5 mg. Saw my rheumy yesterday and although she did not look at my hair, she suggested Biotin. This has been recommended to me before, but I am not sure how much to take. The gel caps are 5000 mcg. On the bottle it says take one daily, but I have been told that it is not an effective dose and to take 10,000 mcg daily.

    I recall somebody on this site having a reaction, but no longer recall from what dosage.

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga paula63201

      Posted

      Paula, remember that the hair that is affected was actually growing when you were at a higher dose of pred.  Perhaps now that you are lower new hair will start growing that is healthier?  Apparently hair only grows at a rate of about 1.25 cm per month.
    • EileenH
      EileenH paula63201

      Posted

      A lot of what happens to hair is not due to the current situation but to something that went on months earlier. If you are ill then sometimes you won't notice it in your hair for 6 months or so. Even the effect of something like biotin won't show up for months either.
  • IssyR
    IssyR kathy67492

    Posted

    Hi Kathy, my hair appears to be thinning..(which i hate) i thought it was the pred that caused it...!!

     

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