Fibromyalgia Support Group

I wrote about this in my diary and I've received so much feedback that I thought I'd take the topic to the forums.

I've been losing my hair and lately it's just getting ridiculous...I had to put a hair trap in my bathtub because it was constantly clogging with my hair and I don't like handling Drano.

I had my thyroid checked and it's OK. My doctors didn't seem concerned but I sure am. I've tried attributing it to stress, but I'm not particularly stressed right now. I am menopausal but I don't remember any of my family members having this side effect to menopause. So I figured it had to be one of my drugs. I went through my meds, googling them and hair loss. A few had it as "rare", and NSAIDS are bad for your hair, but the one that jumped out at me was Gemfibrozil, which I take for my skyhigh triglycerides and bad cholesterol.

Hair loss with Gemfibrozil is "common". There's the culprit...I knew it was something that started in August and has been getting worse since. So I have decided not to take that med anymore and instead try to control my tri's and cholesterol through healthy living. Starting today, no more fried anything, and no more high fructose corn syrup.

I feel a little airheaded, putting my hair above heart or pancreatic disease, but I just can't live with this pink scalp showing through my bangs!!

Rayne,

I know what you mean I've been losing mine like crazy but I'm not on any chol, meds. But if you do want something to help lower it try fish oil caps, especially if don't eat fish 3 or more times a week. It's a great chol, lower as well as eating oatmeal....Just thought I'd throw that out at you....

Hope hair starts coming back!!!!

I take 1000ius of salmon oil three times a day and have for about 5 years now. Just about every doctor whose treated me has told me to keep it up. One told me to double it but I can't afford it. Supposedly it helps with my eczema, my eye sight, my arthritis, and my depression. I'm from a Salmon-eating Tribe which is why I take salmon oil instead of a cheaper fish oil.

I do eat a lot of oatmeal but lately I've been eating a wonderful low-fat oat bran & berry muffin for breakfast every day. I love their texture and taste. I generally eat salmon at least once a week, more often if I can afford it.

Blueberries are suppose to help lower cholesterol, too. Best of luck. Have you been tested/diagnosed with lupus? I've heard hair loss is common with that.

Janet

I have been tested for Lupus and my ANA was negative. I do love blueberries and generally go through a bag of frozen in a week or so and a pint when they're in season and fresh. Love blueberries I just am such a junk food junkie...I'd live off of hamburgers if I could LOL..that's what's brought me to this unhealthy state...burgers, french fries, Coca-Cola, ice cream and cookies. Yum. Somehow oatmeal, Cheerios, a plateful of veggies or a bean soup just don't appeal as much

Rayn, I just read your post and thought I would pass this along. My step-daughter has Juvenile RA and takes Methotrexate which is apparently the same drug used for chemo, only a smaller dose. She started losing hair like crazy and the doc put her on 2 Folic Acid tablets everyday. It has helped tremendously! She's not losing anywhere near the amount of hair that she was.

Thanks Kbooth, I'll give that a try!

Has anyone tried Beta Ceratine? I have heard it is great for hair growth and also great for your nails. Here is a link I read about it. Towards the end it talks about taking vitamins and stopping the potential hair loss. Interesting read.

http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/vitamins- hair.html

I used to take beta-carotene along with a bunch of other anti-oxidant vitamins until I read that a long-term study of beta-carotene and lung cancer had been terminated because the smokers on beta-carotene were coming down with lung cancer at a much greater rate than the controls. I discussed the study with the doctor I had then and she told me it also affected the former smokers. There is some beta-carotene in my multi-vitamin but a small amount compared to what the smokers and former smokers in that study were taking. My doc said I should be safe because it's been more than 10 years since I smoked, but I've spent a lot of time around smokers breathing in that 2nd hand smoke, as well as smoking other substances

HMMMMMM,

wonder what that could be? LOL LOL LOL

Just had to sneek that one in..........