Taking MTX for R/A. Experiencing hair loss. On 4 pills once a week. Is hair growing back to replace the loss? Will I lose all my hair?

[BURBER]

[Hidden]

Hi Burber,

I'm sorry to hear you are having this problem. I took Methotrexate for several years, tablets and injections. The highest dose tablets I took was 10, but side effects made me change to injections which at it's highest dose was 25mls. I never lost a single hair, but this does vary from person to person. However, I think it is unlikely that you will lose all of your hair and maybe the loss will settle down after a while. I don't know if you are male or female, or how old you are, but obviously that will also affect any hair loss.

[nomoreheels]

Welcome BURBER & don't panic. Hair loss can be a side effect of MTX, but be assured the hair follicles aren't being damaged & your hair will regrow. I used to be on 6 tablets taken weekly & since I changed to injections & the hair loss is far less. You don't mention how many & what dose folic acid you're taking. I've found since my Rheumy upped my folic acid to 5mg daily except MTX day the less side effects I've had.

It is perturbing if you've never experienced hair thinning before but I found since both keeping my hair a little shorter & a good cut no one notices only me with a little more hair i my brush than before I took MTX.

[allanah]

i did lose hair but it stopped after about 6 weeks and grew back no problems!! my hairdresser told me to get Shine hair shampoo and conditioner which is used with patients recovering from cancer and it made it thicker and grow longer!! it s on the internet and is quite expensive though but lasted a while xx Good luck with the mtx and hope it really helps you xx

[kizzy12 in reply to allanah]

hi, can you tell us what brand the shampoo is as when i goole it there are lots of different ones ..many thanks x

[allanah in reply to kizzy12]

Jeez just gone upstairs and its called Fast!! where i got Shine from I dont know unless the conditioner is called fast and the shampoo is shine lol!!! , fortified amino acid scalp treatment. made by Nisim. 12 oz bottle and i got the shampoo and conditioner xx

[allanah in reply to allanah]

just been on Amazon which i used, not advertising by the way and it is called FAST shampoo, by NISIM xx hope that helps xxPurple writing on white bottle x

[allanah in reply to allanah]

and of course i can only say it helped me, and if nothing else made my hair feel wonderful and soft!! but the hairloss stopped on its own anyway for me.. Good luck with it all xx

[kizzy12 in reply to allanah]

thankyou..i will give it a try. and my mum is recovering from cancer so will get her some too...got to try anything..thankyou x

[binlid]

hi i had slight hair loss for about 6 months didnt come out in clumps just strands but over time make it remarkably thin this did stop at abuot 12 months hope thi was from the methoroxate still on it but fine now

[Angela123]

Hi Burber. Try not to panic, but everyone is different. My experience is that I was on 15mgs (6 tablets) weekly for 14 weeks last year and lost a lot of hair volume. I didn't help it by using lots of hair-growth type shampoos and serums thinking it would help but with hindsight I think it did the opposite. I stopped MTX on my rheumy's advice and tried sulphasalazine which didn't agree with me so I had a 6 month break from all meds during which my hair regrew thicker than it was before. When my symptoms returned I agreed to try MTX again because it worked well for me. My hair thinned again but not as bad and now 3 months later it's slowed down a lot and I can feel it growing again underneath and see it growing back at my hairline. The only thing I did differently was use a volumising shampoo and conditioner and avoided colouring my hair for 3 months but have just had it done this weekend and it's fine. As I say, everyone is different but rest assured that whatever happens, it WILL grow back. Angela x

[Barrister]

I'm on 5 tablets a week at the moment, 5 mg folic acid on six days a week and my hair is falling out too. This has been happening since I started taking MTX in March. Clemmie

[Hidden]

Just want to ask if you take folic acid, and if so, how many. I wonder if that would help? My hair is still OK, but I have MTX once a week, and folic acid on 5 days.

[BURBER]

Thank you all so much. I know I would rather hair loss than the pain that goes with R/A. The MTX is like a miracle compared to the stuff I saw my Mother taking before this came out. Unfortunately, for her the damage to her joints was done by the time MTX came on the market for R/A. I really think it helps to have a support team like all of you.

I appreciate the suggestions. I am taking 4 pills 2.5 MG once a week and 1 MG folic acid daily. I find the variation in the dosage of folic acid interesting. And, yes, I have been about to panic. There are days I can feel the hair falling . Already thinking about a wig. I am going to order some Fast. Thanks.

[nomoreheels in reply to BURBER]

Just a quick question. Are you in the UK? I only ask as it's usually the norm to be prescribed 5mg folic acid & you take 1mg & know the ACR advocate a lower dose.

[Mybigpain08]

I never lost any hair so I hope yours gets better

[Hidden]

I lost a lot of hair on mtx unfortunately. I was on 15mg once a week and 5mg folic acid 6 days a week(not mtx day). After stopping mtx it took about 6 weeks to stop shedding and was back to almost normal by April. All the fancy shampoos/conditioners and haircuts made no difference to mine as it fell out at the roots rather than snapping. Best of luck but as others have noted the hairloss appears to be individual and slows down or stops for many. x

[Hidden]

Hi

I've been on MXT for years and have never had hair loss(25MG/12.5MG) but recently had started to lose hair when washing.Spoke to my hair dresser who explained that hair grows in cycles and mine is probably just a normal cycle of loss and growth.

x

[Hidden]

I am not on mtx and my hair is falling out but it is also going wavy since I got rd