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Author Topic: AN and hair loss  (Read 2775 times)

elderbirds

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AN and hair loss
« on: December 13, 2008, 09:47:44 pm »
Has anyone had any experience with thinning/breaking hair in correlation with thier AN?  A while ago my hairdresser and I noticed a patch of my hair broken off ( no hair loss, just broken off), we couldn't figure out why, then when I told her about my diagnosis with the AN she said she had heard that people with tumors could experience changes in their hair.  It somehow resolved (now I can't remember honestly whether it was pre or post surgery).  Anyway, was backgetting my hair cut again today, and she mention that the other side of my head had some hair breakage!  Now I am coming up on the 1 year diagnosis of the AN, so I am a little sensitve,but you all know where I am going with this.  My AN patient side hit the panic mode, and my medical background side says there are lots of causes of hair breakage and damage.  I will mentiion at my follow-up appt. in 3 weeks, but in the meantime, has anyone else experienced this?  I don't think insurance will pay for another MRI with the diagnosis of "hair breakage"
thanks and happy holidays to all
Hope
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jtd71465

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Re: AN and hair loss
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2008, 09:02:12 am »
Hope-

I wish I could help but my hair at it's longest is about 1/2 inch.

Joe-
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Right side AN removed 1/10/07 @ NYU Medical Center
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Sue

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Re: AN and hair loss
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2008, 09:05:41 am »
The only thing I've experienced is about one year after my GK, I had alopecia areata, and I lost all my hair in one place and it's since grown back in pure white.  Coincidence?  Maybe, but I think somehow it's related.

Sue
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Sue in Vancouver, USA
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Jim Scott

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Re: AN and hair loss
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2008, 03:33:51 pm »
Hope:

I'm sorry to learn about your hair breakage.  Not fun.  It could be associated with the AN but, as you noted, hair problems can have a wide variety of sources. 

I have a full head of hair and get it cut every 4 weeks, like clockwork.  My barber, who is fully aware of my AN, surgery and radiation, didn't notice any loss or changes in it's color, texture or condition.  My radiation oncologist said he purposely adjusted the FSR 'dosage' so that I 'probably' wouldn't lose any hair, even temporarily.  I didn't.  Am I grateful?  You bet! 

I trust your bouts of hair breakage are (a) not related to your AN and, (b) that you and your doctor can find a remedy for this annoying problem.

Jim
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4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

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Denisex2boys

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Re: AN and hair loss
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2008, 07:06:43 pm »
Hi there - - During one of my correspondences on Facebook on the AN page .... this gal sent me this email ...... if you want I can maybe have her contact you ....  i have not had hairloss myself - but my hair is really, really, really dry .....

I had a weird thing happen to me though about a week and a half after surgery. I had some hair loss on my left side (my surgery was on the right ear), and I have a bald spot. It fortunately is under most of my hair--I'm blessed with thick hair--so you can't see it unless you lift up my hair. My surgeon said he never saw anything like that before.

I went to a dermatologist, and he said I had alopecia arreata--can be caused by stress on the body--such as a recent surgery. Very strange. I had cortisone injections in my scalp. I go for another treatment in 2 weeks. The hair should grow back.
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elderbirds

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Re: AN and hair loss
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2008, 07:22:22 pm »
thanks for the input.  I think I just hit the panic button when I found the hair issue and then found about the AN, then as I thought things were fine, found more hair breakage, worried about another "tumor".    The hair breakage itself doesn't bother me just worried about what may be underneath...  like I said before, they could be totally unrelated.  I guess once you've been diagnosed, you are always about leary about the future.
Hope
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