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06-02-2009, 07:41 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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thinning hair
I have always had very thick hair, however now it has thinned somewhat and I have an almost bald spot on the upper back area of my head.
I have been on Arimidex and Lupron for 3 1/2 years. Has anyone on either of these meds experienced hair loss, or does anyone have any other info?
Thanks!
__________________
Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
NED and no meds.......
14 YEARS NED!
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06-02-2009, 09:00 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Oregon
Posts: 110
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Hi Rhonda
Are you on Zometa now? My hair thinned a lot after the first Zometa and hair thinning/loss occurs in 12% of Zometa users.
The hair on my head has thickened in the last couple months but I am hard pressed to find a hair on my formerly gorilla like legs. Go figure-and those chin hairs are in exactly the same place they used to be-ugh
__________________
Henny
Dx 3/07 IDC and DCIS Her2+ ER- PR-
Stage IIb 1/15 nodes
A/C, Taxol, Herceptin
Bilateral mastectomies with recon
Zometa 2/yr for 3 yrs- finished 8/2011
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06-02-2009, 09:27 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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Hey Henny,
I am on Zometa, but only once a year, will probably go to every six months when the study is released.
My leg and underarm hair is less, and I have the same chin hairs too! Thankfully I only have 4 or 5.
Thanks for the info. I had not considered Zometa.
__________________
Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
NED and no meds.......
14YEARS NED!
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06-03-2009, 03:50 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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Arimidex is also associated with hair loss (because menopause and waning estrogen is really the culprit but Arimidex enhances this effect in susceptible women). I was concerned with the potential side effect when getting the ooph to take it (almost 4 years now) because female balding runs in my mother's family (mom and 2 sisters have it). I have been fine so far (and take Zometa twice a year too).
I also did not know about Zometa.
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
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06-03-2009, 09:27 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 3,154
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Sassy,
I had very thick hair prior...I am on Femara and I no longer have thick hair. As Becky said, the loss of the estrogen is a major contributor to the hair thinning.
I now use a hair thickener...and still my hair is not what it once was. The thick strands and luster is gone.
But hey, I have got hair! lol
Best Wishes,
jean
__________________
Stage 1, Grade 1, 3/30/05
Lumpectomy 4/15/05 - 6MM IDC
Node Neg. (Sentinel node)
ER+ 90% / PR-, Her2+++ by FISH
Ki-67 40%
Arimidex 5/05
Radiation 32 trt, 5/30/05
Oncotype DX test 4/17/06, 31% high risk
TOPO 11 neg. 4/06
Stopped Arimidex 5/06
TCH 5/06, 6 treatments
Herceptin 5/06 - for 1 yr.
9/06 Completed chemo
Started Femara Sept. 2006
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06-03-2009, 10:17 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Walnut Creek, CA
Posts: 438
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I think my thin hair is due to the Aromasin. What hair thickener do you use, Jean?
Karen
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06-04-2009, 11:09 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Louisville KY
Naples FL
Posts: 665
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I have been on Arimidex for 2 and 1/2 years and as
time goes by the thinner the hair gets. With no
estrogen the hair is going to my chin. Just another
side effect.
patb
__________________
patb
Diagnosed June, 06, Stage I, Grade3, ER+PR- Her2positive, No Nodes. A/C X 4. Radiation 33 with boost, Herceptin every two weeks until Nov.
07, Arimedex for 5 years. Mugas and Echo and chest xRay. Bone scan of whole Body, and Back of Brain and spine MRI.
CT scan of Lungs every six months
due to two small places. December
2009, bone scan due to bone pain.
Follow up test in 2010.
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06-04-2009, 11:44 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: DFW area (TX)
Posts: 431
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Oye. Ruth's hair is very thin and she is currently on Tamoxifen. Is it possible this is an ongoing result of the TCH more than any particular ER+ drug?
__________________
Terri, spouse of Ruth, Dallas/Ft. Worth area
Ruth dx 05/01/07 (age 50) Filipino
multifocal, several tumors .5 -2.5 cm, large area
Breast MRI showed 2 enlarged nodes, not palpable
100%ER+, 95%PR+, HER2+++
6x pre-surgery TCH chemo finished 9/15/7 Dramatic tumor shrinkage
1 year Herceptin till 6/08
MRM 10/11/07, SNB: 0/4 nodes + Path: tumors reduced to only a few "scattered cells"
now 50% ER+, PR- ???
Rads finished 1/16/08
Added Tamoxifen,
Finished Herceptin 05/08
NOW is the time to appreciate life to the fullest.
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06-04-2009, 07:25 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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Terri
I believe that even in Ruth's case, it is lack of estrogen. Did Ruth experience Chemopause and are her periods back and normal? Tamoxifen can also block estrogen from getting to other estrogen receptors that need estrogen.
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
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06-05-2009, 06:42 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: DFW area (TX)
Posts: 431
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Tamoxifen and hair thinning
Ruth did experience chemopause and her periods are not back, but her ER markers at last check were still high enough that Dr. O. did not want to give her the AI.
What you say makes sense Becky. I suppose if it can pull estrogen away from the breasts it certainly could pull it from other places. I don't understand this drug; Tamoxifen can give extra estrogen to the uterus (bad) and bones (good) , if I understand correctly?
The hair thinning drives her nuts. She had gorgeous perfect hair before dx. If this ends up being the worst of it we'll be lucky tho.
TRS
P.S. What haircut do those of you with severe thinning use?
__________________
Terri, spouse of Ruth, Dallas/Ft. Worth area
Ruth dx 05/01/07 (age 50) Filipino
multifocal, several tumors .5 -2.5 cm, large area
Breast MRI showed 2 enlarged nodes, not palpable
100%ER+, 95%PR+, HER2+++
6x pre-surgery TCH chemo finished 9/15/7 Dramatic tumor shrinkage
1 year Herceptin till 6/08
MRM 10/11/07, SNB: 0/4 nodes + Path: tumors reduced to only a few "scattered cells"
now 50% ER+, PR- ???
Rads finished 1/16/08
Added Tamoxifen,
Finished Herceptin 05/08
NOW is the time to appreciate life to the fullest.
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