Hi everyone,
I have lupus and I’m going through the menopause. In March I found out I have a pulmonary embolism and a possible heart murmur. I have been on blood thinners for 4 months now. I’m loosing a lot of hair on my head but it’s growing longer on my body, eye brows and eye lashes. Is this the blood thinner or the menopause? Does anyone take a blood thinner that doesn’t have these effects? Please let me know.
Thanks! X
I don't know but I have a family member with lupus who may have had a serious reaction to fenofibrate (not sure re spelling). It manages triglycerides. It includes nausea and loss of muscle.
I would get bloodwork and assume anything is possible until you know for sure.
I will say the hair thing can be consistent with menopause based on my experience, but I don't have your medical issues.
Could also be Due to lupus, so you have 3 choices. Sorry, no help at all! Did they test you for Antiphospholipid Syndrome when you had your PE?
Lipids were fine. And so was my inflammation. Not sure how the pe happened at all.
Antiphospholipid Syndrome is another autoimmune disease which can occur in patients with lupus. It has specific blood tests, not those for testing lipids, it doesn’t change your lipids but your immune system attacks phospholipids. It causes your blood to clot more easily than it should. So that is why I was asking to check that they have tested you for it, because you have lulus and your blood has clotted to give you a pe.
I was told many years ago that I had vascular lupus as opposed to antiphos. But I’m sure new bloods will tell if new things are going on.
Only if they order the correct tests
Very true
I have been on warfarin since 2011, I have not lost my hair with them, but have done so when having a flair of lupus, I also know my hormones effect my symptoms, so could be down to the menopause effecting your lupus. x
Being seriously ill can cause hair loss a few months later too - and a PE is serious.
My anticoagulant doesn't result in hair loss or strange growth as far as I can tell, I currently look like the wild woman of Borneo as I haven't summoned up the enthusiam to get it cut (our hairdressers have been open for 2 months so no excuse!). Are you on other medication?
Thanks. Yes I’m on pred, Mycophenolate, carbamazepine and the dalteparin
Then you may be able to blame the strange hair growth on the pred, for some people it doesn't help head hair either though I don't have a problem. Carbamazipine has been implicated in cases of hair loss and it is a listed effect of mycophenolate. So the least likely is the anticoag!
Just checking - have you had your thyroid panel run since the hair loss and rest of extra growth? I have lost all my hair several times before - as a kid and after babies. It turned out I had autoimmune hypothyroidism - which can also cause lots of extra body/ facial hair believe. Worth looking into if it hasn’t already been thoroughly tested for antibodies, free T3 and 4 as well as TSH.
Thanks. I haven’t had any blood tests since the pandemic started in March here in the UK but am due some. I shall ask for the extra tests.
What have you been taking to help in the way of vits and minerals ?
I take Vit D spray, magnesium spray, Vit C 1000mg, Zinc 30mg and B12 injections. I think the zinc helps.
A guy I know who is going through hair loss was told biotin, zinc and selenium. Have your vits been helping? Are you still on dalteparin? I’m worried that at my review I’ll be told to continue or switch to warfarin which also doesn’t have a good track record with hair.
Good to know about the warfarin. What is the other thinner you mentioned? I think I’ll do the zinc. It seems to be on the Internet too.
I’m hoping that if I have to remain in blood thinners that I can change to another group that will not have these side effects. They may only allow that further down the line though only.
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