I had my doctor’s appt on June 23. I brought with me all the pertinent messageboard notes from this ‘project’ to emphasize the magnitude of this problem! (and so he didn’t think I was making it up or trying to be smarter than he was). I printed clinic studies by the American Dermatology Association, too.
My doctor was anxious to read about it so he sat down and read it right then! He wanted to keep the reports, too! Which was a sign he cared to learn about it.
He’s a caring Internist and never puts down your questions or makes little of what’s bothering you.
He pulled out my blood work and praised the results! It was a thyroid test and CBC.
He asked me about stress and anxiety and I had to tell him December was hell and my hair fell out almost 2 months to the day in February. (lost 2nd job in 4 months). I went into a panic and then sort of couldn’t get in gear to do something about it!! (except worry about ’scenarios’of being a street person)
I did start part time work and my hair is growing back all over especially in the top and back of my head. It’s furry feeling when I touch it! My scalp is still Very sensitive and a little better but not ‘normal’ feeling. (still numb-ish on top and tingaly when I brush it).
I have to keep my hands away from it and quit tryin to check if the little hairs coming in are growning longer.
My doctor gave me an antidepressent to try and a list of foods to eat and vitamins to take. He wants to see if I can get over this in 6 months. But I’m counting in the last 4 months because that’s when the shedding started so I only have two more months left.
I feel okay doing it this way but pray it doesn’t go into the other T.E. (chronic). If it happened once why wouldn’t it happen again?
I wish you all everything good and am so glad to have found Woman’s Hair Loss Project on the web. I read here often and get inspired by some of you posts.
G’nite and take care,

Eldorado

I stopped taking the propecia because I didn’t really feel like it was helping me, I felt the same about Rogaine. Also I was just so darn oily and and greasy. My skin was breaking out and I just looked a mess. I stuck with the aldactone 200mg and ortho tricyclen for about 8 years now. There was a point that I discontinued the use of aldactone, at the time I was only taking 100mg and felt like I didn’t know one way or the other if it was working and decided to cease taking it. A short time after stopping the med I just started shedding hair like crazy and it scarred me back on, this time I upped my dosage to 200mg.

I do think the medications work better together because they are all sort putting in their own thing toward fighting our hair loss. Also I believe aldactone (spiro) can tend to bring havoc to a the menstrual cycle, but by adding pill it stabilizes the cycle.

The problem as you have mentioned, is that by taking it all together you really don’t know what is working. It would probably be more ideal to add one thing at at time, though I didn’t take that approach myself.

I found that early on when I was taking aldactone that I would get very lightheaded and felt horrible when I stood up too fast from a chair. I was told to increase my sodium intake because the extra loss of sodium from taking the diuretic medication Aldactone (spiro) could cause that effect. I used to carry packets of ketchup (that is a heavy sodium condiment) and eat one when I got that feeling. Either that or a pickle. It seemed to instantly bring me back to life. Having been on it for so long I think my body just adjusted to it, now I no longer experience those moments of dizziness. I do however have the sensitive boobs big time whenever it gets close to my period. I definitely attribute that to the pill, but its no big deal really. They gynocologist solution is to switch me to another pill… no thank you, not interested in pill hopping and messing with my hormones a little more.

Definitely monitor yourself and how you feel, try taking in a little extra sodium when you feel blah. If you still have trouble you should definitely consult with your doctor again so he can readjust your dosage perhaps. Most importantly listen to your body, don’t take something you “know” in your heart is not feeling right. We know our bodies best.

Thank you so much for your kind words about the site. I definitely want to bring out the unspoken feelings of hair loss because it is what tends to isolate us. Feeling we are the only one suffering. Or in my case when I was 21, thinking I was the only 21 year old going through this.

We are having a chat online tonight in the network at 6:30pm - 7:30pm PST, would love for you to join us!

All The Best,
~Y