Have been on Pred for 6 months for GCA now down to 12mgs .. have noticed bald patches! Also, a mole changed within 4 weeks of being on this med .. saw gp who has referred me as said it looks like a Basel Cell Carcinoma .. Googled this and yes, 9 per cent of us get Mole change within 4 weeks! .. Worred of course as have had since Jan
Haa anyone else suffered with mole change please? Does all these hair fall out? Feeling quite low .. obviously because of the above .. haven’t seen Rheumatologist Feb 4 July next appointment ... gp a waste of time ... even sat crying in front of gp as so depressed she just ignored me ..
Written by
777s
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
You've made me think... I have a mole on my face that looks different than it did 6 months ago. I will have it checked, thank you!
I'm sorry you are experiencing these changes... I can only imagine how frustrating and depressing it is! I have not had any hair loss (yet) but have gained weight and I am showing signs of moon face and turkey neck!
It sounds trite, but try not to let it get to you! It takes all I have everyday not to just sit here and feel sorry for myself. It's a huge effort. Know that we are here for for you, allow yourself to feel the self pity but don't wallow in it! Pick yourself up by your bootstraps and move forward. With or without hair you are beautiful!
Thank you .. didn’t think the GCA could do that .. it was was diagnosed within 6 weeks so not really too ull with it ... just seem to be having so many side effects ... hoping they will subside when get to below 10mgs
Noticeable hair loss after 6 months may not be the pred but could just as well be the GCA itself - serious systemic illness can affect hair growth and it is common to experience hair loss but it often doesn't become noticeable for some months.
I have to agree about your GP. As far as I know moles are not precursors of BCC. Here are details about BCC:
I hope she has referred you to dermatology urgently. If she hasn't, she should as any change in a mole must be taken seriously. If she won't - see another GP in the practice.
If you ring the hospital they may be able to bring your rheumy appointment forward, especially if you can accept a cancellation at the last minute.
The hair will come back, by most accounts, including mine. How has the mole changed? The skin thinning due to Pred could reveal things under the skin that have been there all along but hidden under thicker epidermis.
Good you have a doctor looking at it. Basal cell cancers are very common in my most long lived and healthiest members of my family. Like high cholesterol. Go figure.
Thank you for tour reply .. have a wig appointment next week .. The mole change is to a existing mole which jve had for 40 years! .. yes, hopefully found earlier enough ..
I was just about to buy a wig when I noticed there was much less hair on the bathroom floor. At first I thought that it was just because there was so much less to fall out. Then I looked closely and, voila, a new crop was beginning to grow. I now have a new head of hair. Shorter than in years because of different lengths that need accommodation. But loving the renewed fullness. Have faith.
Re the mole. Good luck.
Hello 777s
No wonder you’re feeling low, yes Pred can affect your hair & honestly it feels like the final insult after all you’ve been through, if you do your hair, put on your lipstick you can face the world.
Don’t despair, it will grow back!
I’m glad your GP has referred you to get your skin looked at, I’ve had new patches that turn red like a burn & they are Squamous Cell Carcinomas so they’ve been treated successfully with Chemotherapy Cream.
Is there another GP in the practice you can go to see next time, the fact you were sitting there crying & she ignored it is tantamount to neglect! You may well need an antidepressant to help you through these rough times & the least she could have done is asked you to return in a week to discuss how you are feeling.
Remember we are here to support you but l’m so cross your GP let you go when you were so obviously upset.
There are many hair thickening shampoos & conditioners but l think they may only be of psychological value in so far as you think you’re doing something.
You can consider a hair/nail supplement & l had Biotin/Vitamin B6 - discuss with you Pharmacist as they can check for contra indications. I did this but am now on a Phillip Kingsley Supplement. Your hairdresser may be able to help as sometimes a good short cut can make the hair appear thicker. There are also the fibres you can add to your hair to help disguise the balding patches. I know a guy who uses them with great success!
Take Care 💐
Mrs N 💅🏼
I had a BCC removed from my nose 2 months before GCA/PMR diagnosed. 18months later have just had SCC removed, again on my nose! Is the more aggressve type. They did not start as a mole. Only spread within themselves and don't spread to other parts of the body. I had one week antibiotics as on steroids. Still got infected 2weeks after I finished that course, not where it was removed but above where the skin was taken from so just finished another 2 weeks of antibiotics. The problems of having no immune system due to 23mg of Pred. Hopr you get seen very soon.
Hair loss yes, and I’m off to check my moles once I finish writing. Have both PMR and GCA, started on 50mg pred last June, now tapering using the DSNS method and down to 6mg. My hair started falling out slowly, then more noticeable just the last few months, and I was devastated as I had thick long luxurious hair prior. It has become so thin that I have had a few extension pieces put in all around, to thicken it, as it was incredibly “see through”, and also have it cut in shoulder length bob. I haven’t had short hair since I was 13 when Twiggy’s imp hair style was all the rage and I’m now 63, and I also feel the cold around the neck. I just couldn’t cut it any shorter. I also take Biotin but have only done so for about 4 weeks, and I use a shampoo and conditioner called Nioxin. My hairdresser lost her hair after anaesthetic and this was the only thing that restored it and now she has beautiful thick straight hair. Mine is growing again, but it’s coming through fuzzy and wiry, so I have no idea what I’ll end up with. The new hair is only about an inch long underneath what’s leaft of my own straight hair. 🙄
Hang in there with the Biotin l believe it helps but I’m on the Philip Kingsley Range now including Supplements, lotions, potions, shampoo & conditioner but l lost all my hair because of Chemo & they believe the Pred & Methotrexate aren’t doing me any favours! 💁🏻♀️
I’ve had/got some lovely ones but have a favourite I always go back to. Even My Oncologist didn’t know it was a wig & he sees them day in day out! 💁🏻♀️
Oh - ignored you - yes I've been there. Before I was diagnosed with PMR I was in my GPs surgery - actually crying because I couldn't use my arms - never in 30 years had I cried in her surgery and she still said it was fibromyalgia getting worse!!! It took my husband going down to ask her did she realise how immobile I had become to get her attention!!! So I do feel your anguish. Very best of luck with the mole side of things!!
I had a BCC removed some time in the early 2000’s. Then a year into PMR/GCA on prednisone, it came back! Removed in May 2017 but oh so slow in healing. A year later, the scar is still pink! Patience is a virtue!
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
GCA and hair loss
Hair Loss 
Hair loss
Methotrexate Hair Loss
Flare and hair loss
