Anyone Had Problems With Hair Loss?

[Julie]

Has anyone had any problems with hair falling out, and the hair itself getting very thin? If so, does anyone have any suggestions to stop the hair loss. I can deal with the tiredness, the cold hands and feet, the bloating, etc., but I DON'T want to end up bald!

 

[hensylee]

yes, others have mentioned hair loss and they will come along to tell you about it. Could be the medicines. You might ask your dr about it.

 

[Karlynn]

Welcome Julie.

Here is what an expert on Coumadin has to say. Al Lodwick is a member of our site and had incredbile credentials. You may want to go visit his site if you are new to Coumadin. www.warfarinfo.com

Hair loss from warfarin is probably the most common non-blood related) side effect of warfarin. It is rarely total and almost always grows back. It happens in many people who have blood clots without surgery. Please look at my web page http://warfarinfo.com/hair-loss.htm for several people's experiences.

 

[Bina]

Julie, welcome!
Post op I was shocked by the hair loss, I even had a small bald patch on the back of my head from lying down. I believe it was more likely due to the onslaught my body had just been through and secondly from the new meds. I take Coumadin and Metoprolol, things have calmed down....I still have hair!

 

[AgilityDog]

I experienced hair loss about 4 months after OHS, and it lasted a few months, general shedding. Even my stylist noticed it. But once I got my INR balanced and my health recovered from the stress, my hair grew back and the losses stopped.

 

[KristyW]

Quite honestly, I think the hair loss has more to do with the general anesthesia than the Coumadin/warfarin. Hair loss is a rare side effect of anticoagulants, but the stress of surgery and the overall effects of anesthesia are a much more common cause.

 

[Duff Man]

I continue to lose hair and it started when I started taking beta blockers.

 

[Julie]

Thanks you so much for the welcomes, and the great information. I don't feel so alone now. I'll visit the web site and see if I can find anything out there also. I'm trying to find something I can do to help stave the hair loss off. Every time I brush my hair, I cringe!

 

[Bina]

Try to keep brushing down to a minimum. After hair washing use only a wide toothed comb and be gentle.

 

[catwoman]

Julie:

I had some hair loss after my MVR.
However, I also had hair loss after jaw surgery (age 17), bunionectomy (age 29) and hysterectomy (age 34).

 

[aussigal]

I really noticed my hair loss because it is long and dark and all over the floors...It has slowed down now that I am 2 years post op but for a while there I thought my hair was actually beginning to thin...usually I have really really thick hair. I'm with Kristy and think its more to do with all the anaesthetics than the warfarin.

 

[azpam]

I think the whole surgery thing is a huge stress to the body.So I think that is the reason for the hair loss as I know people who have had other type of surgeries/long illnesses that also experienced hair loss. Build yourself back up with great nutrition. Stay away from bad foods,eat healthy foods.

 

[Dina]

Just so you know , I had serious hair loss before I was even considering
having surgery. I had an arrhythmia (a.flutter)and was put on heparin in
the hospital and coumadin at home.2 weeks later my hair began to come
out esp. when I washed or combed my hair.A month later and it wasnt
getting any better and I ruled out just about every other cause including
low protein and dietary causes .
Later when I was told I needed a VR , I decided to get a tissue valve.
Though I am still on coumadin , I DO have some hair left ,but nothing
like the thickness it used to be. And I have also gained some weight , so
the last thing I want is to be a fat , bald , WOMAN at 42 yrs old!!

But truly , I have read that total hair loss from coumadin doesnt happen
that I know of , and with alot of people this symptom does seem to
level off . Though it is a more common problem than most people realise.
The Best To You-Dina

 

[Magic8Ball]

Nope, all present and correct.

 

[ChouDoufu]

Hair today, gone tomorrow...

Hair today, gone tomorrow...

Julie, welcome!
Post op I was shocked by the hair loss, I even had a small bald patch on the back of my head from lying down. I believe it was more likely due to the onslaught my body had just been through and secondly from the new meds. I take Coumadin and Metoprolol, things have calmed down....I still have hair!

seems i don't have to start a new thread. i've had thinning hair since i
was 16, compensated by growing it down to my waist. now that i'm older
and more responsible, had kept it (in the back) to shoulder length to go
with the 22" wingspan yosemite sam moustache. in the front, well, looks
like i done been scalped. anyway, found that that much hair could make
chinese children (and some girls) cry, so shaved off the stache and went
with the telly savalas doo. now takes forever to get through passport
control. yes, it's me, i got a haircut dammit.

to make a short story long, shaved my head prior to surgery to avoid
having to wash. NOTE: don't do this too close to admission, or you'll
have the discomfort of stubble growing back while you're stuck in bed.

noticed last week i've got a bald patch about 1" diameter in the middle of
what should be a rapidly shrinking median strip. what's the actual cause
for this?

coumadin? beta blocker? stress? other?

 

[Ross]

I have so much hair that I have to get it cut constantly. Stress does cause you to lose some. That's a fact. You should see my cat when she's stressed. Rub your hand down her back and I'm talking tons of hair fall out, almost enough to build another cat with!

 

[netmiff]

a few weeks after my OHS, I noticed a bald patch, just above and behind my left ear, probably about 2 inches in diameter. Fortunately, I have enough hair that it was easy enough to camouflage, and it grew back in almost straight away - but I could feel the stubble for a while, too!

 

[ChouDoufu]

now i understand. it's the coumadin.

not just a blood thinner, also a hair thinner.

 

[EireCara]

I take warfarin, a betablocker, and a calcium channel blocker, but no hair loss here.

 

[catwoman]

Hair loss explained

Hair loss explained

The Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic have some very good information about hair loss at their websites:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-and-hair-loss/AN01442

http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/dermatology/hair/hair.htm

BTW, having shown cats for 20 years, I am familiar with hair loss in felines. A sudden shock, change in temperature, pregnancy, surgery, etc., can cause a cat to, as we say, "blow" its coat. I avoid having surgery done on a cat -- unless absolutely vital -- during its show career. An elevated body temp can cause what's called "fever coat," causing the coat color to change. For example, the "point color" on a Siamese's ears, muzzle, tail and paws can become speckled. Dark-colored hairs can become light-colored. With time, the light-colored hairs are replaced by dark-colored hairs.
The same thing happens with humans. Ever hear of a person whose hair went white "overnight" due to a sudden shock?

I've had hair loss -- patches or just overall shedding -- following each major surgery I've had.