Thinning Hair

[PAP48]

I’ve been taking Rivaroxaban with Flecainide and Adizem for AFib. My hair has become noticeable thinner. My Consultant has just changed my Rivaroxaban to Apixaban which also has hair loss as a side effect. Does anyone have this problem and are you able to recommend anything to help? I’m 76 years old and I know some of it will be age related! Thank you.

[Mrsvemb]

You have my full sympathy. I have the same problem and have had the problem with all of the DOAC’s and also Warfarin. So in my opinion they all cause hair thinning in some people.

I have spent a fortune on products, but nothing works. My hairdresser says that products won’t help, it has to come from within. Maybe a visit to a tricologist might help.there might be some sort of tablet that can be prescribed.

Having just had a mini maze, I am expecting to be able to stop my anticoagulants very soon now. I am hoping that my hair will recover and grow back 🤞.

I am sorry that I can’t be of more help, but may have saved you some money on buying products that will not work despite the claims on the packet.

[PAP48 in reply to Mrsvemb]

Thank you, I had a feeling that might be the case😒 Did you speak to your doctor about it? There is some prescription only medication but I’m not sure even that will work!

[Mrsvemb in reply to PAP48]

Yes I did speak to my doctor a few years ago, no medication was offered, but that may be because of my intolerances to most medication. Worth a try in your case. 🤞for a solution.

[PAP48 in reply to Mrsvemb]

Thank you, I'll give it a go! Keep well.

[BobD Volunteer]

Luck of the draw I'm afraid. Hair loss has been noted for all anticoagulants in some people. Personally having taken warfarin for nearly twenty years I can say it has never affected me BUT my nails are very brittle and crack easily.

[PAP48 in reply to BobD]

Thank you BobD, I'm having problems with my nails too, very brittle as you say and continually snapping.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to PAP48]

Doesnt help building race engines!

[PAP48 in reply to BobD]

I can imagine! 🤣🤣

[opal11uk in reply to BobD]

try Gelatin Bob, eat a cube of jelly a day x

[kkatz in reply to BobD]

I have the same problem & never thought of meds

[Finvola]

It's a problem for me too - including paper-thin nails. I take Apixaban and notice that my hair breaks very easily, falling over my clothes like a snowstorm.

The only remedy for appearance is to keep my hair short, trimming every couple of weeks to try to give the impression of bulk. Nails clipped short too.

I had some minor improvement by not using heated rollers, not rubbing wet hair with a towel but wrapping it for 10 minutes and brushing as little as possible. It's a pain.

[PAP48 in reply to Finvola]

Thank you, I don't use heated rollers but I do use a hair dryer. I also use a wide tooth comb to comb conditioner through. I'm wondering if I would be better not colouring my hair but just going grey gracefully!

[opal11uk]

Yes, Ive gone from having a thick red head of hair to now thin white hair and I too think it is the medication as ive been taking it now for over 20 years so will be interested in any tips the group give.

[exmouth]

Hi Pap48 My husband takes Rivaroxaban he doesn’t seem to have a problem, unfortunately he hasn’t got a lot of hair.Ive been taking Apixaban for quite a few years, and I don’t get a problem, my hair is really thick and always has been. I’m the same age as you, I might shed some hair with brushing but really nothing you’d notice. Hope you get it sorted, Take care and keep safe. x

[PAP48 in reply to exmouth]

Thank you exmouth! I used to have very long, very thick hair, sadly not now! You keep safe too. x

[Tellingfibs]

I am 72 so also expect some changes because of my advancing years ! However, there is no doubt that since starting to take Warfarin ( and Bisoprolol, so can’t identify the culprit ), I have drier skin, which has never been a problem for me, and much more noticeable hair in my hairbrush after brushing. Also, it’s only recently that I put two and two together and realised my ‘dry eye’ problem and Blepharitis began at the time these medications were prescribed. They are small annoyances in the big scheme of things though.

Annie.

[PAP48 in reply to Tellingfibs]

I think we're all different, the way we react to drugs. I'm quite happy that my Afib is under control though.

[Entegra19]

I was on Xarelto and now Apixaban, it’s worse on Apixaban. Just had the mini maze done, so no longer on blood thinners (since Wednesday). So it will be interesting to see if my hair stops falling out. It might take a couple of months to notice any difference. If you don’t have thyroid problems you should ask your Dr for Minoxidil, it’s to be used all the time, if you stop using it, you are back to square one. I couldn’t use it because l am hypothyroid. My cardiologist denied knowing anything about hair loss, but l think he thinks if he he’d of said yes it does, ld of stopped taking blood thinners.

[PAP48 in reply to Entegra19]

Thank you Entegra19, hopefully it won't be worse for me on Apixaban. I'll contact my GP about Minoxidil, I've read quite a bit about it.

[Afperic]

Have your vit D level tested. Not had hair loss tho as i hit 70 bit seemed thinner. Due to Covid i became awware of need for D and saw dr David Grimes videos among others. My hair seemed to improve in amount and texture also lost the ridges in my nails. The research reviewd by Dr Campbell on excess vit D basically said u cant take too much . Dr grimes and Henderson talk about 25 to 40 THOUSAND iU units a month . Elderly dont make much or any as we lack oil under the skin. I was in Spain for winter and doc there said 25,000iU is standard there per month. Not the derisory 400iU dished out to care home residents here. Its cheap and effective no big pharma profits there. A spanish study in 2020 proved their treatment of covid using mainly short term big dose instant Vit D in form of calcefediol improved recovery and avoided ventilation in the study patients. Calcefidiol is licensed in Spain and Italy but not in uk. Here it is given as a supplement to cattle. All in Dr Grimes many videoas or interviews.When nails become brittle usually too much garden or washing up its onto the jellie babies or gelatine works within weeks.

Read and try. Ps i have had an ablation and on rivaroxaban.

[Auriculaire in reply to Afperic]

Calcifediol is licensed here in France too. I get drops prescribed by my GP. 3 drops a day gives me a very high vit D level. I have still had some hair loss with Apixaban though.

[PAP48 in reply to Afperic]

Thanks for info Afperic, I do take a Vit D supplement, particularly during the winter. Maybe I'm not taking enough. I have been taking Perfectil for Hair which has all sort of vits and minerals, they did work for a while but seem to have stopped now.

[Afperic in reply to PAP48]

Get your vit D level tested. If doc wont do it you can do it thro superdrug doctor website. Sent a self prick kit and then send them your phial of blood. Very easy unless your blood doesnt flow from the lance prick .

[CTG99]

I've just been through chemo and the whole hair loss experience. The Cancer Hair Care charity only recommend products that they have tested and basically rosemary is your friend. There's a Weleda hair tonic for thinning hair and Faith in Nature rosemary shampoo / conditioner that they recommended. My hair has returned as thick as ever - how much was the rosemary and how much having naturally thick hair before, I couldn't tell you, though.

[PAP48 in reply to CTG99]

Thank you CTG99, interesting, I think someone else suggested Rosemary shampoo. I have actually got some from Bramley, maybe I'll persevere with that. I'll look for the Weleda hair tonic. I'll give anything a go!

[Cavalierrubie]

Yes, Me as well. I do use a volume conditioner to give a bit of a bounce, but other than that it’s grin and bear it l am afraid. I am thin on the crown so do a bit of back combing. Do you remember that? 😊

[PAP48 in reply to Cavalierrubie]

Back combing, I certainly do remember that! Its the front of my hair and sides so not sure back combing would look quite right there! 😊

[Cavalierrubie in reply to PAP48]

Not unless you want to look like Ken Dodd!!! The Queen Mother wore a hairpiece so we are following Royal tradition. 😂😂😂

[PAP48 in reply to Cavalierrubie]

😂😂. Only the best for us!😊

[Silvasava]

If it's any help I take Zinc and VitC tabs last thing at night. I had hair loss after a severe bout of flu last year and my hair fell out in handfuls, after a few months it was back to normal but I'm still taking them I am on the 4 pillars and Edoxaban, my cardiologist has no issues with me taking them. It's worth a try, you've nothing to lose (pun unintended) I just buy them in the supermarket HTH

[PAP48 in reply to Silvasava]

Thank you Silvasava, is it one tablet containing Zinc and Vit C? I'll honestly give anything a go, as you say I've got nothing to lose! 😊

[Silvasava in reply to PAP48]

Yes, it's just the supermarket Zinc and Vit C combined. I only take 1 per night as it works best if you don't consume anything else. I used to take 2 per night as many years ago I suffered from alopecia and it was a great help. Don't expect quick results it will probably take a couple of months at least before you see any improvement. I do hope this helps you as I know first hand how hair loss feels.

[Ppiman]

I have read that beta-blockers can cause this sometimes, but hadn't read that DOAC drugs do, too. In my case, judging by the thinning pattern, I think it is natural and age related.

Steve

[PAP48 in reply to Ppiman]

It's difficult to say whether mine is just due to drugs or age as well. The joys of getting old!

[Ppiman in reply to PAP48]

One side effect that I seem to be developing is the inability to be able to proof-read my posts when the phone has auto-corrected them! 😳 Sorry for the typo. I should stick to using a laptop.

Steve

[kkatz]

I have been on edoxaban since 2017 but no flecanide.Not noticeable thinning but I noticed my hair got thicker after no longer in Persistent AFib.

[PAP48 in reply to kkatz]

That's good news, I'm not in persistent Afib, never have been and actually haven't any significant episodes for a year now since being on the blood thinner, Flecainide and Adizem, so long may that continue.

[Vonnegut]

If the Flecainide prevents you having episodes of AF why do you need to take an anticoagulant? I haven’t had an AF episode for well over a year and stopped taking anticoagulants as it didn’t seem that I needed them with their nasty side effects and I’m still here at over 80 and the docs have accepted that.

[PAP48 in reply to Vonnegut]

Both my consultants want me to continue taking the anticoagulant, although I have to say the few times I have not taken them, I've felt much better!

[Vonnegut in reply to PAP48]

Do point that out to them and if they are EPs who specialise in electrical problems in the heart they would know as I was told by an EP, that unless an episode of AF was with a very fast heart beat and continued for some time, I was not at risk of stroke.

[PAP48 in reply to Vonnegut]

I haven't had an episode for a year now but when I did my heart rate was very high, 160, so maybe that's why they are insisting that I continue with them. I will talk to them at my next appointment and see what they say.

[Vonnegut in reply to PAP48]

The EP who originally gave me the Flecainide prescription to take as a PIP told me to take a Bisoprolol 1.25 if my heart rate was over 140 twenty minutes after taking the Flecainide (checked with my Kardia), which rarely happened with me and rarely needed to add it but did when necessary and episodes never lasted more than a few hours! But we know we are all different and hope you find what works well for you.

[SuziElley]

I was on Apixaban for a couple of years, no problem. Doctor changed me to edoxoban and yes, hair loss. I requested to be changed back to Apixaban which he did immediately. Hair stopped falling out. It had been falling out at an alarming rate…..

[PAP48 in reply to SuziElley]

Thank you, maybe I'll be lucky and once I start the Apixaban, my hair loss will stop too.

[Hashihilary]

Hello PAP48 . I am a little older than you (80), and also have had hair loss over the past few years. I am also hypothyroid, as well as having PAF, and I have always assumed it's the low levels of thyroxin rather than the meds for AF that is the problem, as hair loss is a known symptom of hypothyroidism. If you haven't already checked, do get your blood tested for low thyroid.

[Auriculaire in reply to Hashihilary]

I lost head hair before my diagnosis of hypothyroidism but also the outer third of my eyebrows . This is a classic sign of hypo that doctors are no longer taught about now that all diagnosis is done by blood tests. When I started combo treatment with T3 the eyebrows grew back. After developing afib the T3 was stopped and the eyebrows fell out again. T4 only just does not cut it for a lot of patients.

[PAP48 in reply to Hashihilary]

Thank you Hashiliary, I have had all the blood tests going and my thyroid is good so I can only think my hair loss is due to the Rivaroxaban. I'm sure the aging process has something to do with it too!

[NottinghamNeil]

Good morning, I take warfarin and bisoprolol and finasteride(for a waterworks issue). Apparently, finasteride is the reason that my hair is so thick. It's worth doing some research, as finasteride is also prescribed for baldness. Propecia and Proscar are brand names for finasteride. I hope that this helps.

[PAP48 in reply to NottinghamNeil]

Thank you for the info, I'll definitely explore!

[madgrannyBeth]

I’m taking apixaban and also have thick hair. It hasn’t made my hair any thinner but it has slowed down its growth rate considerably.

[PAP48 in reply to madgrannyBeth]

My hair has definitely become much thinner over the last few years and. I had pneumonia 8 years ago and was pretty ill, my hair came out in clumps on my pillow in hospital! It's never really recovered but has got thinner as the years have gone by. Fingers crossed Apixaban at least stops it getting any thinner. Thank you for your reply.