Thanks for the welcome

[Guest guest]

Tana, Honey, I'm afraid that hair loss is fairly common among Lupus patients. I had so much hair

before Lupus that if I let it grow out it gave me headaches from the weight of it. Now, I keep it short

and well shaped to disguise the fact that it is very thin on top. Most people don't see it, but I am

very much aware of it's getting thinner and finer. Plaquenil hasn't had any effect on my hair, but

before I started taking it I was losing hair by the brushful. Now, just a few drop each day, which is

closer to normal.

I use Head and Shoulders shampoo every three days, and alternate it with a pine tar shampoo. It

seems to help with sun lesions on my scalp, and the pain and itching of them. I also use them as

a shower soap when my skin lesions get really bad. Those shampoos seem to soothe the skin and

take away the pain and itch of the lesions. If you have having any sun exposure without hats and

sunscreens, this can contribute to hair loss as well.

Did you have your thyroid tested while going through testing for the Lupus dx? Lupus often effects

the thyroid process, and if you are in a flare, your thyroid needs can change dramatically. Low

thyroid levels are known for causing hair loss, confused thinking, weight gain, etc. Might want to

check it out.

Let me know how you do, hon. Hugs, MM aka: Mike, one of the moderators

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

Thank you for all of your welcoming e-mails. My name is Tana and I've

had lupus for what I believe is a long time. But I've only had a

diagnosis for a couple of years. It's been very frustrating as I'm

sure you all know. I've got three kids - ages 21, 16, and 14, a great

husband and a black lab who is my partner in pain with cancer. I'm a

technical writer and fortunately get to work from home most of the

time.

I usually don't talk to anyone but family about having lupus, but I

think it would be great to hear from some of you who know what it's

like. I've been trying to take better care of myself and I think it's

helping.

I have one question that seems kind of dumb, but I've been losing a

lot of hair in the last six months or so. Fortunately I had thick

hair to start off with. It's bad enough to feel lousy, but if it

keeps up, I'll start to look awful too. I'm currently on plaquenil

and medication for heart problems (Tambocor), so who knows if it's a

side effect or from lupus. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Tana