I have been on hydroxychloroquine for approx 5 weeks now and my scalp has become extremely itchy and flaky. Checked with the pharmacist and it can be a side effect of taking the medication.
My question is A. Will this go away as my body adjust to the medication
And B. Will a special shampoo help at all
I just bought off the shelf a. Dandruff shampoo with 3 percent salicylic acid supposed to
Soothes the itch and moisturize
thanks
Not-on-Hydroxy-but-I-have-dry-scalp-and normal-hair. I-use-“Specifique”sensitive-scalp-shampoo/conditioner -by-Kerastase-which is-excellent but-it-is-pricey-but-lasts-me-a-long-time. I-also-bought-some-MooGoo-scalp-cream. I-haven’t-had-dandruff-though.It-doesn’t-seem-to-flake-off-just-be-very-dry. Hope-your-scalp-is-improving-soon.
shall check it out, thankyou
I generally get dry scalp before I was on medication. I used to only wash my hair around every 5-6 days. Since I started on hydroxy I find that I have to wash every 4 days maybe as if it is left longer it feel like it gets very dry and itchy.
I switch using head and shoulders for itchy scalp with a shampoo bar full of cocoa or coconut oil or shea or something soothing like that each time. Faith in Nature are quite good with their shampoo bars and they last a long time.
I have also used a scalp hydrator from Superdrug, but similar things are available from boots too.
superdrug.com/skin/face-ski...
I put this on my scalp with damp hair before blow drying on low heat.
Hope you find something that helps!
Also I noticed that most of the side effects I got while starting on hydroxy calmed down after a couple of weeks. So if there is anything that sticks around, mention it to your rheumy and nurses, in case they have any advice.
thanks for the advice, shall try ….I have to wash my hair every second day as it’s become so greasy…
if dry and flaky but greasy I would look at moisturising your scalp as much as you can. The healthier you can get your scalp, the less your hair will need washing.
It’s probably producing more oils later in the day because the scalp is dry to try and make up for it.
If you also have a period of time where you aren’t going out much and can handle not washing for a few more days than usual, I would.
You could also slather on some coconut oil before you wash it. Leave it on overnight or at least a couple of hours if you can before washing off. It will give a deep moisturise too.
hadn’t thought of the coconut oil overnight, so thanks, I. Think that is a great idea, because I agree, I think the oily problem is because it’s over compensating for how dry my scalp is…thanks again
Two years on MTX has made my scalp scabby so GP got dermatologist to freeze it off. It remains a minor problem. Imperative to keep sun or strong light from scalp it seems.
It sounds like you have the same as me but mine started 38 years ago - seborrhoeic dermatitis (medical name for cradle cap). I am not a doctor obviously.
I had never suffered from dandruff but one summer (1985) I noticed dandruff. When I looked in the mirror and parted my freshly washed (blow dried) hair my scalp was white. When I scratched it, it was like a snowstorm. I tried every anti-dandruff product I could find but nothing worked so I finally went to GP and he prescribed Polytar Liquid which was miraculous! He said it was part of my allergies as I had developed asthma, hay fever and eczema over the previous few years.
Polytar Liquid was taken off the market for a few years and the pharmacist recommended Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo. Polytar came back on the market as Polytar Scalp Shampoo so I switched back. Unbelievably it was taken off the market again some time ago and I had to go back to T/Gel. I've checked on google and Polytar Scalp Shampoo is available again (I'm still on T/Gel at the moment). They are both Coal Tar products but Polytar is very runny and T/Gel is very gloopy. You can buy both over the counter or get them on prescription.
boots.com/polytar-scalp-sha...
boots.com/neutrogena-t-gel-...
Other pharmacists are available.
Just remembered, my hair went greasy very quickly. I had to switch to washing it in the morning so it would last 2 days without going greasy during the second afternoon when I was at work.
Sorry my reply is so long. Hope you get sorted soon - very depressing when even your hair turns against you.
thankyou for your response, exactly what I have been going thru, though I first noticed mine when I was diagnosed with PMR and they put me on prednisone, my scalp was white and itchy and I couldn’t believe it when I scratched my head….plus by next day it would look so greasy, then I got off of the prednisone and it cleared up,but now I’m on another stronger drug for RA…I shall check out what you suggested, again, many thanks
Just to add, my RA was officially diagnosed in July 2019 following a massive flare which started end May/early June 2019 - until then I had no idea I had it, there were probably a few signs which I put down to getting older/giving up work and not getting enough exercise etc. I'm 68 now. I'm on MTX 12.5 mg metoject injections down from 25 or 20 mg - can't remember, Hydroxychloroquine 1 x 200mg tablet (down from 2) and 6 folic acid tablets (hair loss) per week. Had 2 injections in my bum - 1 on first hospital visit and another a short time later (they worked for 1 day & 3 days respectively) plus guided injections in 3 knuckles which whilst not pleasant worked really well. Never had prednisolone thankfully. Hope you get sorted soon. Best wishes.
we are close in age, I’m 69, diagnosed with RA only about three months ago, however my GP wanted me that the PMR would most likely develop into RA..lovely, I thought, just what I need after finally getting off of prednisone.
At any rate I really hope the hydroxychloroquine works for me and I don’t have to go to the MTX. You sound like you have been thru a great deal with this disease and I Wish you well in the future. Thankyou for your kind advice
I had to google PMR, sounds awful and now you have RA which isn't nice is it? I hope you improve soon. Now you are on hydroxychloroquine have you been advised to have yearly eye tests? You should definitely go (says she whose eye test is about one month overdue). They do an Amsler Test which is basically an A5 sheet of white paper with a black grid on it like graph paper - my optician kindly gave me a copy of it. It's got a large dot in the middle which you focus on and you are supposed to be able to see the whole grid. Sorry if you already know this.
Yes I was really ill for 6 months and I didn't think I would ever recover, I'm not as good as I was pre RA but after reading what some people on here are going through I think I've been quite lucky. Thank you for your kind wishes.
it’s so true, you read what others are going thru and suddenly you feel grateful.PMR is very nasty, I had never been at a point in my life where I wanted to end it, couldn’t live in that much pain and I’m a fighter, hoever once they got me on the right medication and amount it started to improve, still took me over two years. this RA scares me, as I know my body is not doing well, but I don’t know to what degree my bones are deteriorating and I try not to read too much on the subject, because sometimes what we fear we create. I was aware of the eye exams, but I thankyou for sharing. As long as I am healthy enough I try not to think about how my life has changed and plan to keep doing as many fun things as I can; today I’m going for a round of golf. Take care and again, thankyou for sharing, so many people in this site have been so helpful.
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