hair thinning ,can rh.arthritis drugs cause this. I am taking Metotrexato 15mg.simvastalina,Meloxicam,Acfol,Dacortin 5mg,Eutirox 100,Omeprazol 20mg.
11/10/08 1:57pm
Methotrexate is a chemotherapy drug and comes with a host of side effects related to chemo, including hair loss. When it's used to treat RA, it's given in much smaller doses than when it's used to treat cancer, so the side effects are usually much milder or don't show up at all. However, hair loss or hair thinning can still occur and does in some people who take methotrexate for RA.
When you take methotrexate, it's paired with folic acid to help counteract the development of side effects. I have heard of people who have increased the dose of folic acid and in this way stopped the hair loss. I recommend that you call your rheumatologist right away to discuss this issue - s/he may want to increase your folic acid or stop the methotrexate altogether and put you on another drug for your RA.
11/26/09 7:14pm
A couple of things. Whenever someone is experiencing hair loss, I always recommend B12 injections or at minimum, a good B. complex vitamin. You may want to consider consulting a licensed doctor of naturopathy - they are sometimes able to help bolster your overall health so you've better able to tolerate the meds. For links on to how to find a naturopathic doctor in your area and other forms of holistic and supplemental treatments, check out my post on alternative medicine.
Second, regarding the hair loss. We all decide what side effects we can live with and which we can't and if you decide that you can't live with hair loss, don't judge yourself. Instead, talk to your rheumatologist about treatment options - methotrexate is on the bottom rung of RA treatments and there are many options for other medications. Of course, they may also have side effects, but hopefully they will be tolerable - check out this post on how to manage side effects. If you think that you may want to try continuing methotrexate, check out this post by Hollybgrooving about living with hair loss.
11/26/09 9:48pm
Thanks, Lene, for your well-considered reply. I think a naturopathic doctor is in order to sort out all the supplements that I am taking in addition to the RA medications. I seem to be averaging about 23 pills a day! Maybe I will have to, in the end, get a wig. I think that adapting to this would be more in my head rather than on my head, if you know what I mean. The ability to do very intense and delicate work with my hands is worth losing the little hair I have, hair that my grandfather used to stroke and call "fine as corn silk". I don't know why it is so hard to let go of such things, but it is. It has less to do with vanity, and more to do with how I name and recognize myself.
Thanks again.
11/10/08 9:19am
Hi Bonnie, I also am on Meth.and have hair loss. I think it's pretty common.
11/10/08 1:55pm
I took meth of almost three years and just recently lost half of the hair on my head. My dr. took me off it. I'm noticing the change in just on month,not with my hair but I have had to start plucking my eyebrows again which I haven't had to do in about 6 months. I would discuss going off it.
1/28/09 7:16pm
Methotrexate can definitely cause hair loss. I had to add a good daily B complex to slowthe hair loss. I also found out that too much vitamin A can cause hair loss, and the joint supplement I take was giving me too much vitamin A. When I cut back just one capsule a day on the joint supplement, the hair loss stopped completely, and started growing back almost immediately.
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By Bonnie— Last Modified: 12/24/10, First Published: 11/08/08
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I am taking 25 mg methotrexate each week, and follow up the injection Sunday night with one tablet of Leucovorin calcium/Folinic acid (5mg) the morning after. I was taking folic acid, but was getting mouth sores, so the rheumatologist switched me to the folinic acid.
My hair was quite fine to begin with. It seems to be coming out and not regenerating (ditto for my eyelashes). It's obviously not a tragedy...but it's sad for me. It's especially difficult because I have started swimming to help with the rheumatoid arthritis. I put creme rinse on my hair before I go in, wear a bathing cap, and wash my hair as soon as I get out of the pool. I also use a clarifying shampoo once a month to strip off all the medication from my hair.
Is there anything else that I might be doing?
w/thanks, jane