I have suffered hair loss from anti-depressants. I've lost about 1/3 of it and it still falls out every day. Still, probably not as bad as yours.

If it gets bad enough I will get a wig. I worked with a girl who had chemo for breast cancer and you would never know she wore a wig. I guess it depends on the style of wig.

I've tried shen min vitamins but they are expensive and didn't really help that much.

Have you tried rogaine for women?

Yes, i'm currently on rogaine for women but I don't know how well it works since I just started using it. It takes about four months to see any results, I will let you know in about 4 months if my hair is back. Thanks for your reply
hopeful

i am currently on prednisone and plaquenil for sle and have been expreiencing hair loss for about 4 - 5 weeks. I believe it is the pred that is causing it. Hope that once I am off of it, the hair loss will stop, as well as the other side effects.

i am on both prednisone and plaquenil and have been experincing hair loss for the last 4 - 5 weeks. I believe it is cause by prednisone. Hopefully, once I am off of it, the hair loss and other side effects will subside.

I have been to three different Rhuematologists who all tell me the same thing.
They don't know what to do for me. They tried plaquenil (I may have misspelled this) and some other stomache wrenching stuff that nearly killed me. Seriously. I have been stuck with prednisone for nearly three years now. My hair has almost all fallen out and I STILL break out.

I am about to launch into more and more investigations as to how to get rid of this mess once and for all through home based rmedies and diets. I don't know if they will work, or not. I don't want to pay someone for their books, either, as I've been THAT route as well, finding I've spent money on something that just tells me to go out and spend a lot MORE money on products i can't afford at whole food stores.

If anyone has come up with something that worked for THEM, I would apprciate some help and if I can be of some FREE help to someone in the future, I WILL GLADLY DO SO!!!!! I wouldn't say this, if I didn't mean it. I know what this suffering is like, having been rushed t the emergency room seven or eight different times.

I truely BELIEVE, THAT DOCTORS KNOW HOW TO CURE LUPUS, BUT BECAUSE THEY WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND PHARMACUTICAL COMPANIES, THEY DON'T WANT TO HELP FOLKS LIKE US. if i am wrong, it's on MY head and hands, but I have not yet found a "doctor", who knows anything about my troubles, or even seems to care.

I have begun to see "doctors" like this: IF THEY BARK LIKE A DOG AND QUACK LIKE A DUCK AND ARE WEARING A STETHESCOPE AROUND THEIR NECK AND HAVE ON A LONG WHITE COAT AND WON'T LISTEN TO ANYTHING ONE HAS TO SAY, YOU TRUELY ARE TALKING TO A "DOCTOR".

SINCERELY,

Scrat

Hello,

My hairdresser who is on prednisone and has experienced hair loss told me that since she's started talking Kelp vitamins every day, her hair loss has stopped and new growth is coming in. She told me this after she noticed I too was loosing mine. That was a couple of months ago and I found that it has helped me. Her hair is full and healthy looking again.

Warm wishes,

DC

I am a 54 year old with lupus of, I'm sure, decades-long standing.
My disclosure thread is here:
http://ehealthforum.com/health/unofficiall y-diagnosed-lupus-t154267.html

What we all tend to have in common is this great variability of symptoms and severity of the symptoms,

and we seem to all harbor some disbelief that the "official, regular" treatments are at times, not so safe or good as they might be.

I've survived so far without the aid of doctors. I had the luxury of being able to quit working when fatigue and rash and general malaise became too much trouble to allow me to work (keep work appointments reliably).

Meditation, absolute avoidance of stress and worry, have been my greatest help.
Recently, my symptoms grew worse, particularly blood pressure: spiking dangerously high.
I'm lean, have kept my hair (lucky me) and I'll never go on prednisone.
That's just me. Every patient has to decide how to play his or her cards.
Since the condition (I don't care to term it a "disease" is so mysterious and variable,
what works for one will not help another. Hence, doctors throw their hands in the air.

My remission of late may be a fluke. My respite seems to owe, however, to a simple prescription medication never offered to for lupus-relief by MDs, so far as I know.

I'd like a doctor to tell me/us what that medication may be. My blood pressure is now normal. My face is practically clear. I'm sleeping better too. All is not perfect, of course,
but for DC above, I feel for and agree with your frustration: perhaps sea kelp or anything,
is just as liable to give some relief, as costly or downright destructive treatments vended by mercenary, or hapless/impotent MDs.

I'll tell about "my" chosen drug in a week or two, after I've more fully learned whether its present positive effects are lasting, and its side effects, tolerable. At least it won't harm me, this ten-cents-per dose old-school medication. And oh, how it knocks down high blood pressure, in my experience. I was 200 over 115 last week. No more of that, please.

Cheers,
Reid

I'm newly diagnosed with lupus and I've had problems with hair loss for a few years now. In the last year it has thinned out so bad until I hate to wash it, because when it's wet look out. I don't even take my meds, I'm afraid of all of the side effects so I live with the pain. I generally don't feel well, and no one understands. Everyone says I look good. My hands and feet have been swollen for 5 months now. I'm a nurse and the long hours are killing me. I pray for relief soon.

I was diagnosed with lupus in 1990. After a few years of being on the edge of life, I had over a decade of relative good health. Recently this has changed and I am experiencing hair loss and general malaise again. My doctors, who were very good when my life was in danger, are not so concerned about my hair loss as they say it is not life-threatening. I think this is a short-sighted attitude because the stress of the hair loss (and it is very stressful) can make the lupus worse and, as we all know, this can be very unpredictable. Why don't doctors take preventative measures instead of waiting for things to get really bad before reacting?

I attribute my decade or so of relative good health to a huge change of lifestyle which included a massive reduction of stress (by giving up my job) and going to the gym to work out the stress that was left. I also had a cleansing detox and then closely watched what I put into my body and I was also taking some nutritional supplements which were very expensive but I believe they made a difference.

Unfortunately, my life has changed again. Due to the global economic situation I have been forced to return to work; have less time to exercise; can't afford my supplements and have lapsed back into some of my old eating habits (due to my timetable and affordability - quick, cheap ready-made snacks instead of proper food). Why is it that what's bad for you is cheap and what's good for you is expensive, even though it seems simpler food should be cheaper to produce (less sugar, less salt, etc.).

I identify with all the posts here. I hope everyone finds a solution to their particular situation.

I'm 16 and I was diagnosed with Lupus last year, this time. I was losing hair and I had bald spots all over my head. Obviously it's hard being a teenager and seeing you lose your hair. I compare myself to every other girl with long, beautiful hair and it makes me mad the most when they complain just to get compliments. End of 2008, my hair loss was really bad.. I had a huge bald spot on the very front of my hair, so that night I went to a black hair store in the mall and got a "real hair" wig for $150. It was really hard going into school the next day, not knowing what people were going to say. Yeah, people did notice, but if it made me feel good, then it doesn't matter. I also just told people it was extensions, a lot beleived me, some people thought it was a weave, I let them think whatever. In February this year, I got a new $800 wig. I love it, and it's beautiful, but I really do miss my hair. In January I got my first real boyfriend and he was amazing. I felt like I HAD to tell him because I trusted him, so I did. He didn't care and still doesn't even though we're not going out anymore. He thinks I'm still beautiful. So go for it. Wigs are worth it.