LymeNet Flash: hair loss and lyme

This is topic hair loss and lyme in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by docdave130 on :

anybody losing hair from lyme disease.i do not have a family history of baldness on my mother's side except my uncle.
can lyme cause baldness or am i just pulling my hair out from this darn disease?

Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :

I don't know when it happened, but I have noticed that I no longer have hair on my arms and legs.

And I can see my scalp now. I use to have a lot of hair on my head.

I talked to my LLMD about it and he said this happens with chronic illnesses.

I have also noticed that somedays, my hair is more gray than salt and pepper and other days it seems to be getting it's color back.

I started turning gray in my 30's. This is not a family trait so I think it is related.

I also started having symptoms in my 30's.

When I was searching for answers as to what was causing my symptoms, the lose of hair on the arms,etc was mentioned under lyme disease along with the low body temps.

I have since, not been able to find that sight. I thought it was very good. I recall taking the list to primary I had at the time and she ignored it.

Posted by tykee (Member # 2285) on :

Hi,
I brought the lack of hair under arms and on legs to the local ducks about two years before going on antibiotics and being diagnosed with Lyme. I think the oral antibiotics made the problem worse, but IV therapy helped.

Tykee

Posted by rosesisland2000 (Member # 2001) on :

There has been a lot of past discussions on this subject and I'd just suggest a search.

Some of this was discussed in General as well as in Medical, so I'd search both.

My LLMD said NOT to worry about it and that worrying can only make it worse. I've had two different bouts with it at two seperate times...it always went away.

Rosemary

Posted by Curley911 (Member # 2205) on :

Roses, Sounds like we have the same LLMD :-)

My hair thinned significantly over the years as my lyme progressed. When I got treatment it has thickened to where I can grow it out again.

Zinc is a componet for this. I don't bother with it anymore but I used to before ABX.

I tell my husband he has a nice shaped head (which he does) so don't worry. He looks like a handsome, mature man. He still worries so he uses Nioxin shampoo and conditioner and their product for hair growth. It simply cleans the hair follicle out and clears the way for greener pastures. You can buy it at any reputable salon.

Posted by Lymelighter (Member # 5310) on :

Doc, must be all that calcified tartar? Just kidding. If you do a search you'll find many posts on the subject. It seems to be a Lyme symptom. Strange, I was OK until I started Plaquenil. When I stopped the Plaq, the hair loss stopped.

Posted by dharmacleaning (Member # 2114) on :

Oh yes, I remember that. I lost fistfuls of hair which I only noticed when I cleared the drain in the tub/shower. I'm sure it was the antibiotics. But it did go away, and I haven't had any other problems - and it grew back. love dharma

Posted by frenchbraid (Member # 4225) on :

Hair loss is very common when Lyme has invaded the thyroid.

frenchbraid

------------------
Stay positive. Smile. People care.

Posted by liz28 on :

I got bitten right on the thyroid, and can vouch for this symptom. Yes, Lyme can cause huge handfuls of hair to fall out all day long. I can always tell when a relapse is coming, because my hair starts falling out 24 hours beforehand. Don't worry, it'll grow back right away, and your hairdresser will say, Where is all this hair coming from?!?

This is one of many symptoms that Lyme shares with syphillis. If you research that disease, you may find a more scientific explanation for why this happens.

Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :

All, I repeat, all the vitamins and minerals work together.

If you do a search, biotin, a B vitamin, is recommended for hair loss.

It is indeed related to the thyroid.

When Mg levels are low, calcium tries to go into the cells.

TNF alpha, the inflammatory cytokine, that Scott thinks should be blocked,

"Thus, one mechanism of action of TNF-alpha, SMase, and ceramide on thyroid FRTL-5 cells is to inhibit calcium entry."

PMID: 10092616

If calcium gets INTO your thyroid cells, kiss them goodbye.

Posted by Lazer'sMom (Member # 4704) on :

Hi docdave,

My son has been alarmed by the amount of hair loss he has exprienced since beginning IV therapy in January. I have no baldness on my side of the family so I doubt it is a genetic thing.

His LLMD believes that more than likely it is a side effect of the meds since it only began falling out after starting treatment.

There are some products that were recommended to us to help restore hair growth. They can be purchased at Walmart in the salon but are quite expensive. The brand is "Nioxin".

My son had begun using these products about a month and a half ago, but his hair was thinning so badly, two weeks ago he decided to shave his head! I guess we'll have to wait and see if this stuff works once his hair grows back.

BTW, my son is only 20 (kinda young for male pattern baldness).

Take care and good luck to you!

andrea

Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :

Rogain is an acid. So are the B vitamins.

Posted by mvilas (Member # 3854) on :

My hair falls out in handfuls. I clog all the drains. This never occured prior to the Lyme. It stopped falling out in handfuls after several months of treatment & started again after I got pregnant and stopped taking my abx. I've been back on treatment for about a month now, with no change....still loosing hundreds of hairs per day. My thyroid is normal. Before I knew I had Lyme I started a large hair loss vitamin regimen & it did NOTHING for me, the only thing that halted it was the abx treatment.

Michelle

Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :

Pregnancy...the baby needs Mg from you to make ATP. It takes a LOT of energy (ATP) to develop a fetus. Mg is stored in our brains (which develop first), heart and liver as well as in our bones.

You, once again, become Mg deficient. This leads to the N/V of pregnancy.

B6 is needed to make serotonin. Mg is needed for serotonin UPTAKE. Without enough Mg being taken up, the body produces more and more and more (in the intestines). This causes the N/V esp. in the first trimester. This also happens in chemotherapy...the levels of B6 and Mg drop.

Zofran is now dx'd to block serotonin from being overproduced for expectant moms. It cost a chunk of money!

Years ago, the drug of choice was Bendectin...it was an antihistamine (so is Mg) with B6! It was pulled off the market, for who knows why because it was never proven to be harmful and many moms (including moi)found it very helpful for morning sickness.

P.S. You have to realize, the thyroid contains a LOT of cells. Bb is not in each and every one.

[This message has been edited by Marnie (edited 03 May 2004).]