Arimidex and hair loss???

Pray · 09-08-2011, 06:11 PM

I started Arimidex 3 weeks ago and the front top of my head is losing more than a little bit of hair. It's very thin. Arimidex site says nothing about hair loss. Can anything else from past treatments cause a second time hair loss?

PinkGirl · 09-09-2011, 06:35 AM

Hi Pray
Yes, Arimidex can cause hair loss. It's because you have a lower
amount of estrogen in your system while you're taking an AI. It's
sort of like when you see older women who have thinning hair ... it's
because their estrogen levels are very low. I'm a bit surprised that
you would notice it in only 3 weeks.

Pray · 09-09-2011, 11:01 PM

Hi pinkGirl, It has actually been about 4 and a half weeks. (I don't know if that makes any more of a difference?) Do you know if my hair will come back?

By the by you have a great photo alum!!!

Cam · 09-10-2011, 08:08 AM

Hi, I've been on Arimidex for a few months now and have not noticed any hair loss except my eyebrows seem thinner, but my eyebrows were never really thick. My hair, however, was always thick. It is growing back thick and curly, it seems not fast enough for me, I'd say its about an inch and a half, but looks shorter because of the curls. I was speaking to the onc nurse who told me your hair grows, then for some reason, seems like it's at a standstill, then you notice it's grown more. She also showed me my nails which still have a red boarder just below the white of my nail, which she said was the chemo still coming out of my body. So I attribute my eyebrow loss to the chemo. I actually lost my eyebrows and eyelashes a couple of weeks after my chemo ended. I have 4 more Herceptins to go and am anxious to see if my stomach goes down. She also said most patients complained about that but that it does go down. I hope so!!! I also noticed I cry more now at the drop of a hat and she said that is not unusal. Now that treatment is coming to an "almost" end its the time we, the patients, have more time to think about what has happened to us. So I hope your hair loss is just another temporary side effect from the chemo. I know the Arimidex, for me, is making me feel like an old lady. I exercise one day and have to rest the next. I wake up and get out of bed like I'm 80!!! Motrin helps but shoot, why is it that things that help us have to make us feel worse about ourselves????!!!
Well, good luck. Give your hair some time to grow back. One day we will be able to look back at this and know we did what we had to do to make our lives, percentage wise, more cancer free. So that's a good thing.

PinkGirl · 09-10-2011, 08:23 AM

I don't know if your hair will come back. I have already finished
5 years of Arimidex and have stopped taking it. I haven't noticed
my hair getting any thicker but now I'm 5 years older and maybe it
was going to thin anyway. Talk to your onc. about it. It still seems
quite soon for that to be happening and be noticeable.

Jean · 09-10-2011, 02:46 PM

Pinkgirl: Thank you for the updated information on stopping AI and not seeing hair growth. I have been on the AI for 6 yrs. and my onc. wants me to continue.
I have noticed my once thick hair is not baby thin.
This happened to my Mother but she was in her 80's.
I was hoping that once I stopped AI I might experience some thickness improvement. But that is just wishful thinking. Hey - at least I have hair!

Hugs,
Jean

Pray · 09-11-2011, 12:14 AM

Thank you for all of your responses! With the chemo I had I lost all of my hair. When it started to grow back it was white and then it turned curly. I have had one haircut 5 weeks ago of about 1 and half inches. The back of my hair has grown back like wild fire! The top is just getting thinner. Also the top front is coming back Brown believe it or not! I think I will call my onc. Monday. Thanks again.