Substantial hair loss after the covid treatment.

goingMonky

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Currently I'm experiencing a substantial hair loss. It's all diffuse hair loss. If I move my hand through hair, I get couple of them in my palm. After sitting in front of computer whole day, I notice a dozen of hair strands around me. I shampoo once a week and use Ketoconazole shampoo every other time.

I was hospitalized in April for 2 weeks for the covid treatment. During this time among other things they gave me following meds,
1. Prednisolone 125 mg injections everyday: It's an anti inflammatory steroid (like cortisol)
2. Some blood thinning injection everyday.
3. predinsolone tablets for 10 days after coming home
4. Aspirin tablets for 10 days after coming home.

Currently things are in lock down so can't visit a dermatologist. Also another thing to mention that I was in high stress for a couple of months for a different reason. Do anti inflammatories cause hair loss?
 

whatintheworld

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What were your covid symptoms?

I also tested positive last week but have not had to be hospitalized and am recovering at home. I may have had slightly increased shedding but I don't know if these are related.
 

goingMonky

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What were your covid symptoms?

I also tested positive last week but have not had to be hospitalized and am recovering at home. I may have had slightly increased shedding but I don't know if these are related.
I used to get mild fever in the middle of the night which wasn't a big deal. But after a 5 days, my body starting vomiting food and even water. I got severely dehydrated after two days so had to get hospitalized. Later on, I also suffered from breathlessness.

As far as know, everyone suffers random symptoms from covid. Some get diarrhea, some catch cold. It's all random. Out of all people no one expected I'd suffer so much considering I'm only 30 year old who lifts weight, eats healthy and lives actively healthy. Severeness depends upon your viral load.

I don't think it'll affect the shedding so soon in your case. I think it could be because you changed your daily routine.
 

whatintheworld

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I used to get mild fever in the middle of the night which wasn't a big deal. But after a 5 days, my body starting vomiting food and even water. I got severely dehydrated after two days so had to get hospitalized. Later on, I also suffered from breathlessness.

As far as know, everyone suffers random symptoms from covid. Some get diarrhea, some catch cold. It's all random. Out of all people no one expected I'd suffer so much considering I'm only 30 year old who lifts weight, eats healthy and lives actively healthy. Severeness depends upon your viral load.

I don't think it'll affect the shedding so soon in your case. I think it could be because you changed your daily routine.

Wow I am sorry to hear that, are you recovering well? That sounds like quite the nightmare.

I am almost 30 as well yet my symptoms were mostly mild, the longest are sort of lingering congestion/cough, but no fever or intestinal issues.
 

whatintheworld

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Such an experience can definitely cause a telogen effluvium and cause increased shedding. It can also trigger male pattern baldness more aggressively, but it is hard to predict how much the effect will be obviously.
 

goingMonky

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Wow I am sorry to hear that, are you recovering well? That sounds like quite the nightmare.
Yeah I recovered fine. Thanks for asking. I'm back to full normality.
Such an experience can definitely cause a telogen effluvium and cause increased shedding. It can also trigger male pattern baldness more aggressively, but it is hard to predict how much the effect will be obviously.
Anything I can do to help? I can jump on finasteride if it can help telogen effluvium. Thinking of starting taking ashwagandha and magnesium as they are known for lowering the cortisol and I already have them.
 

whatintheworld

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Yeah I recovered fine. Thanks for asking. I'm back to full normality.

Anything I can do to help? I can jump on finasteride if it can help telogen effluvium. Thinking of starting taking ashwagandha and magnesium as they are known for lowering the cortisol and I already have them.

Usually for telogen effluvium it will take a few hair cycles for the hair to grow back on its own. I don't think there are any supplements that can help too much, I would recommend just watching your stress and getting plenty of vitamin D.
 

goingMonky

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An update, since I last posted, the hair fall has increased by at least twice or thrice. Today while shampooing, I must have lost a thousand hair strands (I'm not joking) the comb was saturated. I'm shedding like a chemo patient. I probably have a month before going full bald. I'm doing something very wrong. I'm getting enough sleep and watching my stress.

If I trim my hair too thin or shave and start doing some dermarolling, would that help?
 

goingMonky

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how is your situation now?

there seems to be a few reports of this happening to people after recovering from Covid
Went to see a dermatologist 20 days ago. This guy was actually tricologiest.

I was already using 2% ketoconazole shampoo once a week before to control itchy/inflamed scalp. He asked me to use it daily.
Finasteride, probiotic, antifungal lotion and some hair growth serum, R89 (homeopathy :rolleyes:), saw palmetto were prescribed. He said we'll start with minoxidil once the inflammation comes down.

I assumed my hair fall was from telogen effluvium and finasteride had no effect on it. I forgot to ask him about it.

In the second visit, he suggested few sessions of mesotherapy with electric microneedling. One session has been done. He has also suggested one session of PRP in the end.

In the second visit he prescribed me lactium and pregabalin. I think these were for depression/anxiety.

Might be ashwagandha causing it

I was off the ashwagandha for more than a year. Just started taking from last 20 days. 5 grams per day. I don't think ashwagandha can cause hair fall. It helps to balance out the hormones so maybe it can actually stop hair fall by reducing bad hormones.

My aunt in recovery from covid also complained of hair loss.

Most people I know who had covid are suffering from hair fall too (Men and women).
 

Oknow

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Went to see a dermatologist 20 days ago. This guy was actually tricologiest.

I was already using 2% ketoconazole shampoo once a week before to control itchy/inflamed scalp. He asked me to use it daily.
Finasteride, probiotic, antifungal lotion and some hair growth serum, R89 (homeopathy :rolleyes:), saw palmetto were prescribed. He said we'll start with minoxidil once the inflammation comes down.

I assumed my hair fall was from telogen effluvium and finasteride had no effect on it. I forgot to ask him about it.

In the second visit, he suggested few sessions of mesotherapy with electric microneedling. One session has been done. He has also suggested one session of PRP in the end.

In the second visit he prescribed me lactium and pregabalin. I think these were for depression/anxiety.



I was off the ashwagandha for more than a year. Just started taking from last 20 days. 5 grams per day. I don't think ashwagandha can cause hair fall. It helps to balance out the hormones so maybe it can actually stop hair fall by reducing bad hormones.



Most people I know who had covid are suffering from hair fall too (Men and women).
Are you vaccinated
 

JaneyElizabeth

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Saw Palmetto might theoretically crowd out finasteride and it probably has sides of its own when used for hair loss or prostate improvement. Be careful using two types of meds in more or less the same class.
 

goingMonky

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Saw Palmetto might theoretically crowd out finasteride and it probably has sides of its own when used for hair loss or prostate improvement. Be careful using two types of meds in more or less the same class.
You are right. I observed the same thing when I googled about saw palmetto. I'll ask doctor in the next visit.
 

goingMonky

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Update on me: It's been month and half since the hair fall has stopped completely. It stopped like a toy car hitting a concrete wall. Not a single hair loss while shampooing. Mesotherapy did work it seems. I have had 2 of mesotherapy sessions. My regimen could have helped. I can't even remember the last time I had this little hairfall.
 

Oknow

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Update on me: It's been month and half since the hair fall has stopped completely. It stopped like a toy car hitting a concrete wall. Not a single hair loss while shampooing. Mesotherapy did work it seems. I have had 2 of mesotherapy sessions. My regimen could have helped. I can't even remember the last time I had this little hairfall.

great news

what is Mesotherapy
 

goingMonky

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great news

what is Mesotherapy
It's like glorified dermarolling. The dermatologist uses electric needling to pierce upper skin and then puts some topical solution (usually some vitamin serum). Cost me around 30$ per session. I still have 2 more sessions to go. Now I'm thinking should I even continue it or not.

Only 3 months ago, I was shedding like a wet dog. The difference is drastic. And I'm not saying it's all down to meso.
 
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