hairloss with medication

[Tracey789]

What is the likelihood of Azathioprine or hydroxychloroquine causing hairloss?

[SurferGuy]

What sort of hair loss Tracey?

I've used Hydoxychloroquine for over 10 years and not really experienced hair loss as such. I did however last year out of nowhere have some kind of alopecia hairless, but that grew back within a few months. I now and again get small patches of loss, but nothing too major.

[AimeeA]

I've found that it is the lupus itself (and low thyroid) that causes hair loss, not the meds. So I will get scalp inflammation and/or more hair loss if I spend too much time in the sun or am having a flair. And thyroid issues can cause this, and people with lupus often have thyroid problems.

So if you notice a big change in terms of hair loss, talk to your doctor and get your thyroid checked, and stay out of the sun.

[eekt]

Tracey, I had hair loss from HCQ, thinning plus falling out round my hairline...it's grown back immensely thick since I stopped, HCQ didn't agree with me at all xxxx

[Blaahh]

Im on azathioprine and have had a lot of hair loss ,im on prednisolone as well and im sure it can be worse if on steroids too?Good news is that its starting to grow back in after being on it for 10 months ,a long time! Its the only bad side effect ive had from it but obviously everyone is different x

[Sixy6]

I haven't experienced much hair loss but I did when I was on prednisolone. I don't take it anymore. I feel at the time that I was very stressed so that could have contributed to my slight hair loss

[Amakura]

I have and recently experienced hair loss. At first, it was undiagnosed discoid and very low Vitamin D. Vitamin D tablets and steroids helped to tame it somewhat and once I stopped taking preds, it came back with avengeance. Subsequently, my iron levels were checked which identified extremely low levels. Since taking prescribed iron tablets and now back on the pred, its calmed down again.

In a nutshell, a blood screening (vit d, thyroid, iron etc.) may or may not assist in pinpointing the culprit.

[Ellenkay55]

I have been on both Azathioprine and Prednisolone for 17 years and have only experienced very mild hair loss.

[Lou-876]

I have discoid Lupus & developed scarring alopecia they gave me hydroxychloroquine to treat it as well as steroid injections !

So it’s definitely to help prevent the hair loss than to cause it .. hope this helps 🙂

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK]

Hi Tracey789 ,

If you haven't seen it already, you may find our article about hair loss in lupus helpful - lupusuk.org.uk/coping-with-...