Hair loss and MS?
I’m wondering if anyone has ever heard of hair loss being a symptom of Multiple Sclerosis. I was diagnosed early this year with MS and I’ve been losing massive amounts of hair for no apparent reason, and have been on many MS websites and my MS support groups and no one seems to know anything about this.
I am no longer on any medication, such as injections (I haven’t been on injections for months, now). I am treating my MS naturally, though diet, excersise, vitamins and natural supplements.
I understand that some people may "disagree" with my choice for going natural, but people need to understand that injecting or injesting a bunch of medications is not for everyone and respect MY decision. I WILL NOT be on any medication for my MS, nor will I ever decide to go back. Every MS case is different for each individual person, and I respect that some people choose to go the injection route, and I expect the same in return for me not choosing that path. To each his own =)
MS is an autoimmune disease which causes lesions on the nerve cells of the Central Nervous System. It does not affect the Peripheral Nervous System, nor does it cause any outward changes on the body, not counting the need for canes, wheelchairs, etc.
However, being recently diagnosed with MS, you probably are feeling a great deal of stress, and probably had enormous stress and anxiety when you were diagnosed. And stress *can* cause hair loss.
The most common type of stress-induced hair loss is telogen effluvium. In this condition, severe stress — such as due to illness, injury or surgery — causes large numbers of hairs to stop their growing phase and shift into a resting phase. Two to three months later, the resting hairs suddenly start falling out. In such cases, your hair eventually grows back within six to nine months. This sounds like what may be happening to you, as you are now several months past your diagnosis.
Intense stress can also trigger a type of hair loss called alopecia areata. In this condition, white blood cells attack the hair follicle, which stops hair growth. Within weeks, the affected hair falls out. With alopecia areata, hair loss usually starts as a small round patch but may eventually spread to the whole scalp — and sometimes to body hair as well. Your hair may grow back, but treatment may be necessary. This doesn’t sound like what’s going on with you, but I included it for completeness.
I would give it time. If you don’t start regrowing hair (and in the absence of any other symptoms), see your doctor, as this may be an indication of something else.
Good Luck!
It might be the medication that you are on. I was on a medication called Nortryptaline I think another name for it is Pamalore, (if I spelled that right) and it causes hair loss.
Wow no way would I stop the injection medication and go natural. I have a cousin that lost her daughter – in – law because she would not listen and take her medications for the MS. I was diagnosed over 13 years now, on injections for over 9 years. I have had no major relapses in like over 9 years. I also work a full time job. Nope, would not go the natural path at all. I tried that natural path, it got me a good six weeks of being blind in one eye. Plus the nastey drunken walk.
You cannnot mess around with this diesease. Eventually you will be back on some type of injection.
Good luck to you.
Hi mariking06,
rather than go into a long message here about all of this i will be glad to talk with you and answer any questions you have and help if I can just email me at poohinmissouri@yahoo.com I also own a totally free chat room where people with all kinds of diseases come to talk and help each other and we would love to have you come join us, my wife has had MS for 16 years now and been through tons of different medications, problems, hair loss, and all of that, I have seen ms do all sorts of things, go into remission and now it has her in the hospital for the last 3 months worse than she has ever been since she got this disease, sometimes it helps to talk directly to people instead of trying to find answers out on the net, so come and talk with me and the others, we look forward to hearing from you, just email me and i will get the link to you right away
Wow! I thought I was the only one! When I was diagnosed in 1995 I had long beautiful hair. And I began to lose it. Stress? Absolutely, I was in shock. But as the years have passed I still lose my hair, even when I’m not stressed. Thankfully it grows back, never to the same thickness, never to its former glory, LOL. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not a big deal…it’s an enormous loss for anyone to lose their hair. As a coach I don’t give advice (the answer is inside of you). Take a deep breath and ask yourself what you need right now to feel better. (it can’t be a miraculous hair regrowth!) And take loving care of yourself.
Warmly,
Dee
The statement by CJ \"It does not affect the Peripheral Nervous System, nor does it cause any outward changes on the body, not counting the need for canes, wheelchairs, etc.\" is sheer baloney. MS DOES affect PNS and causes striking outward changes on the body. Withouit going into too much details, one of my legs is severely affected by weekness and other MS symptoms and is completely bold, while the other is much more normal and really hairy. The left side of my stomach is week and lost hair, while the right side is more normal and quite hairy. Every good neurologist knows that.
I am sooooo glad I finally found this website. I, too, have an extreme amount of hair loss for no apparent reason. I am glad to hear that the hair seems to grow back. My hair has changed so much over the past few months. I, finally, have a decent style that I like, however, my hair is not nearly as thick as it once was. I am still worried about going bald. So much so that I find myself going to look at and pick out wigs. I don’t know what all lies ahead for me. I was diagnosed as “possible” MS. I have like 2 or 3 things from each test showing positive and leasions on my brain. As I have never really had symptoms until the end of last year, I am being monitored to see what pattern, if any, is going to develop. As of now, I am not on any medications. I do see a lot of negative things starting to happen and I am very scared. I have constant tingling/burning of my legs and feet, feet feel numb, have trouble concentraing and some memory losses and not retaining information as I normally can do. I have restroom issues as well. Any posts and comments will be appreciated.
I am sooooo glad I finally found this website. I, too, have an extreme amount of hair loss for no apparent reason. I am glad to hear that the hair seems to grow back. My hair has changed so much over the past few months. I, finally, have a decent style that I like, however, my hair is not nearly as thick as it once was. I am still worried about going bald. So much so that I find myself going to look at and pick out wigs. I don\’t know what all lies ahead for me. I was diagnosed as \"possible\" MS. I have like 2 or 3 things from each test showing positive and leasions on my brain. As I have never really had symptoms until the end of last year, I am being monitored to see what pattern, if any, is going to develop. As of now, I am not on any medications. I do see a lot of negative things starting to happen and I am very scared. I have constant tingling/burning of my legs and feet, feet feel numb, have trouble concentraing and some memory losses and not retaining information as I normally can do. I have restroom issues as well. Any posts and comments will be appreciated.