PDA

View Full Version : Lost fifty hairs at once!?! Should I stop my medication?



Leslieslsa
March 9th, 2014, 12:02 PM
So last night I washed my hair for the first time in a week. I didn't comb it because it was wet and just put it in my night cap and went to sleep. (It was half dry by then) then I woke up this morning and took off my sleep cap and my hair was dry pretty much so I finger combed it and lost a big pile of hair! I had to know just how much so I counted them as I threw them away and came up with fifty! Isn't that a lot for one session of finger combing? I am on a high dose a of Lithium amongst other things and I thought before when I was on it that it was causing hair loss so I stopped it. I don't care about the bad part of stopping Lithium, as long as I am not losing hair! Does this sound like a cause for concern? What would you do?

ooglipoo
March 9th, 2014, 12:06 PM
Don't stop your medicine! 50 hairs after freshly washed but uncombed hair doesn't sound like a lot to me... You slept on it, too, so that was hours and hours and hours and hours of potential sheds, caught up in your sleep cap.

Kherome
March 9th, 2014, 12:07 PM
NO! NEVER STOP YOUR MEDICATION! You need to see a doctor before you even consider such a thing. Besides you said you hadn't washed in a week. 50 sounds normal or even low for that situation. I've lost over 100 after waiting a week for a wash. It's not cause for panic and it surely isn't cause to quit taking the medication your doctor has you on.

Siiri
March 9th, 2014, 12:10 PM
Don't stop taking your medication!

People loose around 100 hairs per day, 700 in a week. Hairs don't fall out of your head evenly during the whole week, because they get trapped in your existing hair. Once you wash your hair, a lot of those loose hair fall out, but some are still left trapped loosely in your hair - once you comb your hair after shower (or the next morning as you did), they come out. This happens to me too, it's perfectly normal. Those hairs that came out were just 50 of the 700 hairs you loose in a week.

walterSCAN
March 9th, 2014, 12:17 PM
Don't stop your medicine! 50 hairs after freshly washed but uncombed hair doesn't sound like a lot to me... You slept on it, too, so that was hours and hours and hours and hours of potential sheds, caught up in your sleep cap.


NO! NEVER STOP YOUR MEDICATION! You need to see a doctor before you even consider such a thing. Besides you said you hadn't washed in a week. 50 sounds normal or even low for that situation. I've lost over 100 after waiting a week for a wash. It's not cause for panic and it surely isn't cause to quit taking the medication your doctor has you on.


Don't stop taking your medication!

People loose around 100 hairs per day, 700 in a week. Hairs don't fall out of your head evenly during the whole week, because they get trapped in your existing hair. Once you wash your hair, a lot of those loose hair fall out, but some are still left trapped loosely in your hair - once you comb your hair after shower (or the next morning as you did), they come out. This happens to me too, it's perfectly normal. Those hairs that came out were just 50 of the 700 hairs you loose in a week.

Agree 1000% with the above! 50 hairs after washing with no combing and containing your hair (so the sheds can't quietly escape without your noticing) actually sounds like kind of a light shed to me. I wash weekly and easily get 3-4X that much between pre-wash detangling, washing, conditioning, and post-wash detangling. Also, you should never stop or change the way you take medications without talking to your doctor. Please don't do that, especially since you recognize that there will be negative side effects. Even if this were a massive, unnatural shed (which I really don't think it is), your mental and physical wellbeing is more important than your hair.

...one of these days I'm going to photograph one of my normal shed hair balls next to a baseball for comparison... should make a lot of people feel better about their own shedding! ;)

lapushka
March 9th, 2014, 12:26 PM
Agreeing with all the posters above. OP, you have been posting, what to me seems like, panic-y posts in the last few days and weeks. All about things you should be stopping doing or doing differently. Now this is about your meds. No, never stop your medication, especially not with your issues (which you have posted about before). NO!

Just listen to us, please... 50 hairs is not a lot, especially after waiting that long to wash.

I can't even believe you're asking an online forum whether or not you should stop your meds! Just for a few hairs, at that.

LauraLongLocks
March 9th, 2014, 12:29 PM
Agreeing with all the posters above. OP, you have been posting, what to me seems like, panic-y posts in the last few days and weeks. All about things you should be stopping doing or doing differently. Now this is about your meds. No, never stop your medication, especially not with your issues (which you have posted about before). NO!

Just listen to us, please... 50 hairs is not a lot, especially after waiting that long to wash.

I can't even believe you're asking an online forum whether or not you should stop your meds! Just for a few hairs, at that.

^^This! Not too long ago, I recall seeing a post that you might go to jail, and it had something to do with you being off your meds for a while and doing something you regret. Do not go off your meds!

Leslieslsa
March 9th, 2014, 12:31 PM
I just don't trust it! That is not normal for me and I told the doctor that it better not happen this time and it did. Every website I check the list of common side effects of this drug and they all say hair loss. This also happened when I was on Depakote. It is STILL shedding even after all that hair fell out! Not having this. I will see him in a few days and tell him it's not happening. Not to mention it causes a lot of other side effects I am not fond of and I never trusted it from the beginning. And geez I never knew I came off as such a mental case. I will have to work on that. Although I am indeed a mental case.

Leslieslsa
March 9th, 2014, 12:33 PM
^^This! Not too long ago, I recall seeing a post that you might go to jail, and it had something to do with you being off your meds for a while and doing something you regret. Do not go off your meds!

Actually sadly enough I was taking my meds.

Leslieslsa
March 9th, 2014, 12:46 PM
If anyone could tell me how to close my account, that would be helpful. I do not wish to embarrass myself any further. I am too mentally ill and I am embarrassing myself. So how do I delete it?

lapushka
March 9th, 2014, 12:49 PM
If anyone could tell me how to close my account, that would be helpful. I do not wish to embarrass myself any further. I am too mentally ill and I am embarrassing myself. So how do I delete it?

Sounds to me you need to stop and think for a moment... Going back to the doctor, and not closing your account might be your best bet right now. Don't shut off all communication with a forum you feel/felt great in. If anything, if I can push you to go see your doctor, then it's a good thing, right? Sounds to me like your meds aren't completely balanced out - yet. So go back! Right now!

Madora
March 9th, 2014, 12:49 PM
Per Dr. George Michael, acknowledged world authority on long hair:

"...fifty to eighty hairs a day is the normal range of hair loss". ("George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair" (1981 Doubleday).

Also, if you don't comb/brush your hair every day, the shed hairs are trapped in your hair until you do brush or comb it (finger combing does not count). So, perhaps there is a possibility that you thought you were experiencing more hair loss because you had not brushed/combed previously. Just a thought.

Leslieslsa
March 9th, 2014, 01:46 PM
Yeah, sorry I seem so frantic over certain issues sometimes. It's just that this is my third head of long hair and I am BOUND AND DETERMINED to grow it and keep it this time. So anything that seemingly makes that difficult, makes me uneasy. I just got out of the psych unit for the 43 rd time yesterday and I am 25. My hair is sometimes the only thing that I can look in the mirror and like about myself. I have wanted it super long my whole life. It is just important to me and yes, I am an over thinker and post about petty stuff, but I just want to be sure of everything so I don't mess up.

sarahthegemini
March 9th, 2014, 01:50 PM
I would echo what others have said and say 50 hairs after a week of no washing is not a big deal, try not to panic :)


If anyone could tell me how to close my account, that would be helpful. I do not wish to embarrass myself any further. I am too mentally ill and I am embarrassing myself. So how do I delete it?

Also, you're not embarrassing yourself :flowers:

spidermom
March 9th, 2014, 01:51 PM
Focus on your health and well-being, and your hair will follow along.

bunzfan
March 9th, 2014, 01:55 PM
Focus on your health and well-being, and your hair will follow along.

I agree don't be so hard on yourself, I would definitely check that your on the right medication for you :flowers:

red-again
March 9th, 2014, 02:13 PM
Sweetheart you need to give yourself a big hug seeing as none of us are close enough to give you one. Don't go off your meds. Hopefully you can find some peace and relax as stress won't be doing any bit of you any good.
And , yes, stay on this forum. You do have good support here. Good times and bad xx

Henna Girl
March 9th, 2014, 02:20 PM
If anyone could tell me how to close my account, that would be helpful. I do not wish to embarrass myself any further. I am too mentally ill and I am embarrassing myself. So how do I delete it?

Don't close your account. This community is great! I think losing 50 hairs in a week is no big deal. Go back to your doctor before stopping any medicine. We are all here to support you, and don't worry about embarrassing yourself.

Firefox7275
March 9th, 2014, 02:30 PM
You are not a 'mental case', you have a disorder of mental health as do many others here on LHC. I am on my fifth diagnosis. People care they are not thinking badly of you.

LauraLongLocks
March 9th, 2014, 02:43 PM
You are not a 'mental case', you have a disorder of mental health as do many others here on LHC. I am on my fifth diagnosis. People care they are not thinking badly of you.

Sorry if I remembered your trouble with the law incorrectly. Firefox is right. No one is thinking badly of you. Please stay, as we all want to help.

ErinLeigh
March 9th, 2014, 02:46 PM
Never stop Lithium suddenly. Talk to dr about any concerns and they can keep an eye in things and decide.
It could be just that you haven't washed hair in a week, it could be you were due for a shed anyway, it could be anything.

Are you having any other side effects beside this one shed? Get a notebook and write everything down and take it to dr and continue to do so each month to help him make decisions on what he thinks is best.

Whatever you do, never just decide to stop a med on your own unless the reaction is severe. If that happens go stright to the hospital. Anything like hair fall csn wait until next dr appt. move it up sooner if its that bad but you cannot make a guess over one event.

Try to relax. Sometimes your mind will make up Reasons to think a med is wrong when its just simply an adjustment stage. Nothing is more important than your mental health.

ErinLeigh
March 9th, 2014, 02:57 PM
I just don't trust it! That is not normal for me and I told the doctor that it better not happen this time and it did. Every website I check the list of common side effects of this drug and they all say hair loss. This also happened when I was on Depakote. It is STILL shedding even after all that hair fell out! Not having this. I will see him in a few days and tell him it's not happening. Not to mention it causes a lot of other side effects I am not fond of and I never trusted it from the beginning. And geez I never knew I came off as such a mental case. I will have to work on that. Although I am indeed a mental case.

You do not come off as a mental case. People are just concerned. It is so hard trying to find the right medication I do understand. You went into this telling yourself you wouldn't like the lithium so you are mind screwing yourself right now. It happens. My son with thru 10 different medications and had horrible side effects so trust me I get it.

Do you trust your dr? Do you feel he has your best interests? What is your relationship?
Why were you taken off lest med? Was it the Depokate? There are many other medications to try but you have initial adjustment with any of them. This is just how it is. The more you experiment the more of the initial first side effects you will have.

Make a list if what you like and do not like about the lithium. Address those calmly and see what dr thinks about whether you should continue 90days first or if he will allow you to try another.

How long have you been on these types of meds? How long have you stayed with any one of them?
Are you on a combo? Too many things play in for anyone but a dr to know. Your gut and instinct is also important but you have to separate the panic with the actual effects which is so hard to do.

My heart goes out to you. You will be ok until you see dr to discuss. Even if you lost 50 hairs a day until them it would not be above average for general population. Take a deep breath and focus on everything. Not just the hair. You gotta find out if this is the med for you in other ways. I wish you the best in finding the right combination. I know its scary when you feel a dr will not listen. I know its scary to put trust in someone who does not know what your body is feeling. My son took many I felt were not right. I really do understand. Keep communication lines open with dr and try to come across as willing to work with him but also let him know you need him to hear you also. Together you will find what you need.

ooglipoo
March 9th, 2014, 03:49 PM
Depakote was icky for me, too. :grouphug:

There are lots of people here who understand. Have you seen the Mental Health Support Thread? (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=50&page=145&highlight=mental+health+support+thread).

jeanniet
March 9th, 2014, 03:53 PM
Please don't upset yourself over this. If your hair is thick, losing 50 hairs after a week of not washing is nothing. Seriously, I would have double that or more. Don't compare yourself to someone who has i or ii thickness who loses 5 or 10 hairs. If your hair is thick, you have more hair total, and you're going to shed more.

And don't go off your medication. Talk to your doctor about your concerns, but stay on your meds. Your wellbeing is most important, and you won't be able to take good care of yourself or your hair if you're not stable.

pixldust
March 10th, 2014, 04:18 AM
Please, go and see your doctor if you're not happy with your meds. Explain your concerns and make sure he listens and takes them on board. Stopping taking meds abruptly and without doctor's say-so isn't the best idea. I agree with the other posters about the hair you lost being in the normal range, particularly for someone with hair as thick as yours.

Stray_mind
March 10th, 2014, 06:34 AM
Don't worry,dear, as everyone on here said-losing 50 hairs is normal. You can lose up to hundred every day and still have normal amount of hair on your head. If you think you're shedding too much, you should follow your ponytail circumference and see if it gets smaller. If not-there's nothing to worry about.
You shouldn't get off your meds before talking to your doctor. Going off suddenly can cause huge stress on your body and hurt your overall health. Don't go off this forum if being here makes you happy. We all support you here. :grouphug:

spidermom
March 10th, 2014, 11:00 AM
P.S: don't count shed hairs. From the sound of it, it can only stress you out. Some days I shed many hairs, other days not so many. There never appears to be less hairs on my head.

truepeacenik
March 10th, 2014, 12:04 PM
This.^^^

I'm guessing some obsessive behaviour here, and you absolutely have to let that go with hair.
It does what it does.

No doctor is going to look at hair loss as a huge deal, given your history that you have shared.
But, you can calmly have a discussion about your concerns.
Feel free to direct your doctors to this site, to get an idea of what the longhair "normal" can be.

walterSCAN
March 11th, 2014, 07:12 AM
If anyone could tell me how to close my account, that would be helpful. I do not wish to embarrass myself any further. I am too mentally ill and I am embarrassing myself. So how do I delete it?

Agreeing with the others on this one, too-- please don't close your account! We don't want to see you go and aren't thinking badly of you. :flower: You just seem to be in turmoil and we don't want to see you make dangerous choices. While I haven't gone through your situation personally, I have watched/ helped my mom struggle through it over the last ~10-15 years. (She really is losing her hair right now on different meds-- you can see her scalp. :( I feel so sad for her, and she's not happy about it, but the med that's doing it helps her enough she's willing to keep taking it.) I know that it is a serious struggle to find meds that work properly and keep working the way they're supposed to, without awful side effects. :grouphug:

I really hope you'll talk to your doctor to get this figured out, since it's bothering you so much, but I really want to stress that it doesn't sound like anything approaching an abnormal shed. Unless you're noticing a measurable difference in thickness or seeing your scalp, I'd try not to stress over it and just see if you have any alternatives.