Prednisolone and hair loss

[Helliwelli12]

Hi all I've not posted on here for a while but I'm now down to 5 mg of prednisolone a day. I wanted to know if hair loss is caused by the prednisolone. Lately I've been loosing alot.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

A lot of people complain about hair loss at various stages of their PMR/GCA/pred journey. PMR/GCA can cause it, pred can cause it but that tends to be at higher doses and as you reduce it would improve. But you are at the stage where your adrenal function has to start up again to top up the reducing dose of pred - and that too can be associated with hair loss when it is a bit on the low side.

[Helliwelli12 in reply to PMRpro]

To be honest I'm not sure if it's the adrenals. I am being treated for suspected GCA.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Helliwelli12]

At 5mg, it could well be adrenal related as described by PMRpro. If it were down to GCA and/or Pred then it would have probably occurred earlier.

..and as you were only diagnosed late 2023 you have got to 5mg very quickly… that may not have helped either.

How are you in yourself? If still stressed it could be that.

[Helliwelli12 in reply to DorsetLady]

Hi in myself I am alot better thank you The hair loss has been going on for a couple of months if not a little longer. I am no longer in my stressful job which has helped enormously.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Helliwelli12]

Good the hear about job, sure that’s helping,

Hair loss is caused by many things -and often discussed on here -plenty of related posts and FAQs.

It will improve ..

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[SnazzyD]

I lost loads 5 months in with GCA then my second biggest shedding was during adrenal insufficiency. When I felt better my hair got better.

[agingfeminist]

I've had three bouts of hairloss during my 5-year PMR journey. I don't know what caused it . wear colorful scarves all the time...it still hasn't grown back over the whole scalp.

Lots of vacuuming (of floors!)when it is really bad!

[Fiellma]

Hi I lost probably 2/3rds of very thick long hair very quickly whilst on 20mg. It is growing back but it’s not straight anymore - I always wanted curly hair but not like this! May be worth mentioning to GP just in case you have low iron levels too.

[Helliwelli12 in reply to Fiellma]

I'm lucky my hair was very thick to begin with so still OK at the moment

[Viveka]

There are lots of posts on this, but having read lots of them, the overwhelming message is that it comes back. Mine did. For a while when it first grew back it was much nicer than usual, but now it is back to normal.

[sidra1968]

Yes, my once very long and thick hair is no longer, it started around the year mark of high doses, but I feel better so don't let it bother me too much. I wore it up often anyway, so I just try to do that and people don't notice and I have a clip-in hairpiece if we go out somewhere decent. It did change texture and is impossible to come out though, which has been more annoying than the hair loss, really. You are not alone..

[Pangolin43]

Hello Helliwelli12,

I was diagnosed with alopecia areata a few months before PMR was diagnosed (I'm not suggesting that you have it). You wouldn't know to look at me as I'm lucky enough to have long hair which can hide the patches above my ears and my hairline. Taking pred could have made it worse but I'll never know. However I don't seem to be shedding my hair much at all as I have slowly reduced my pred. Alopecia areata is also an autoimmune disease I now have two!

I've added a link if you want to know more.

bad.org.uk/pils/alopecia-ar...

[Mumdadlove]

I have been on pred for just over 18 months now, I started loosing my hair last June so 6 months in, I had very very thick hair that always kept its style, always had loads of comments on it, I would say I’ve lost half of it but not bald patches just a lot thinner, the new hair is growing frizzy and the strange thing is that the underneath of my old hair has also gone frizzy, I’m in Spain at the moment and due to the heat I am just wearing it up as it doesn’t curl it just goes frizzy, I take biotin, folic acid and collagen, I feel it has helped also Plantur 49 shampoo, the sad thing is I’m growing hair everywhere else, even on my arms, good luck, I hope it’s only a temporary thing for you

[Jbobby in reply to Mumdadlove]

My experience entirely, ( except for the last bit - havnt yet got hair on arms etc). Mine fell out after around 6 months of Pred. starting re-growing after about 12 months. Used to be thick and wavy. But always quite fine. Now grown back in a complete frizz ball!😳. Am interested to hear about another potential bout of loss as I get lower on Pred. Am currently on 8.5mg and - yikes - holding my hair on!

[Mumdadlove in reply to Jbobby]

It’s horrible isn’t it, I look in the mirror and it just isn’t me any more, people do a double take as I have big round face and gained about two stone, plus the haystack hair, I’m on 15mg at the moment, can’t seem to get down lower, I’m on holiday at the moment but am determined to do something about it when I get home, really hope your hair stays on🤞

[Jbobby in reply to Mumdadlove]

Thank you! And all best to you too, and all other sufferers.

[sidra1968 in reply to Mumdadlove]

Exactly my experience..

[sidra1968 in reply to Mumdadlove]

Wow, sounds very similar to my experience

[Satya70]

I've definitely experienced hair loss. I've tried various shampoos and conditioners but the thing that's helped the most is something called Hsn-p-1000. ..and a short haircut.