Hair loss and MTX | Arthritis Information

It is happening. 10mg of MTX/ week and 1mg Folic acid daily. Any thoughts? I am not sure the MTX is working fully either. I wonder if I need more or just more time or an addition of something else...

MTX took a while to work for me; but WOW what a difference it does make.

I know it is coming out cause it is clogging up my tub drain.
But that's been happening for me for years...and years...and years. I was a cosmo student in high school and started coloring mine really blonde when I was about 16. Long, thick....bleached blonde, over processed hair. Trust me; I've got a certain amount of hair loss anyway.

I imagine many of us do but once we're on medication that claims to cause hairloss we really start to notice it.

Don't mean to make lite of your hairloss but it might not be as bad as you think. I hope not....I'm sure that is upsetting.
Hi Crunchy, I've definitely lost some hair with the metetrexate, especially around the bangs. If I make a pony tail, it's much thinner. I wouldn't say I'm balding and I'm not even sure anyone else really notices, but I do. I'm taking 4 folic acid daily and am only on 7.5 mg of mtx. It seems to help me handle the mtx better. I was told I could take up to 6 daily. You're the nurse. Do you think I got it right? Maybe it should be 1 per day. Im not really sure about the dosing on the folic acid vs MTX. I never really thought about it but I will try to find out. I forget the exact mechinism of the MTX but I know it has to do with folic acid in the body. If I cant find anything I will ask my doctor on the 16th.
I have horrible continuing hair loss .. it looks more like a rat in the drain after a shower.   I lost most my eye brows (those are easy though... we women can pencil them in).   I was told by my hair stylist to try Biotin 2500 capsules.   I have taken them daily for the past three years and I have been able to 1. grow out my hair (so it's easier with curly hair to just throw up or pony it) 2. the hair loss is down a lot, 3. I haven't lost any more of my eye brows.   I usually get though GNC it's about 25.00 for 120 capsules.

And I thought I was the only one! I have the "rat in the drain" amount
of hair loss everyday and I have to basically rake it off of my
bathroom floor after styling (gross, huh!) Thanks for the info about
the biotin - I will give it a try.   I'm on 15 mg of mtx a week - and I
am feeling so much better. My doc bumped me up from 7.5mg a
few weeks ago because I was still having so much pain.

My hair is long so its harder for other people to tell but I have
noticed thinning on the right side of my temple area.

It seems with as much pain and discomfort that I have that this
shouldn't be a big deal - but this really worries me.

DeeI will look into the Biotin too. I will ask my doctor about it. I have an appointment on the 25th. Thanks for the tip. Thanks Olive!!!!! For me, the hair loss is very little. The only other thing is that the texture of my hair has changed. It's more wavy and not as baby fine as before MTX. Plus I had my hair cut short in order to wash and wear it.

   Marisa
I had been taking biotin for several years before I started MTX and haven't lost any hair, but I have only been on MTX for six months.
I have only been on it for 6 weeks...
Anyway, I really feel for you. Let us know if the increased folic acid helps. I'm currently taking 2 mg of folic acid, plus a B complex and multi vitamin that have folic acid, so I don't htink I can take anymore.
Yes, Fly, it sounds like you are prob. maxed out on the Folate. It is funny that you mention the hair loss with the symptoms. I did go through a period of several years where it just shed constantly, but it had stopped for a while. I dont know, I thought about it though and I have been wearing ponytails alot more lately. Maybe that is why it all comes out in the shower. The loose hairs just stay tied in untill I get ready to wash it and then they all come out at once instead of gradually through out the day.
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