Meh - methotrexate (low dose chemo) and hair

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Much to my overwhelming delight [/SARCASM], I've been informed that, as I'm not longer in remission from rheumatoid arthritis and it's essential that I start an ongoing course of methotrexate in significantly higher doses than the last time I had it.

Anyhow, it's a chemotherapy drug - far lower doses than in cancer treatment - and I expect a repeat of all the symptoms I had last time (puking up, exhaustion, susceptibility to infection..) and hair loss.


It's only 'minor hair loss' apparently. The giant clumps falling out didnt seem minor to me at the time and the far higher dose will, I presume, make it more noticeable.


So I've decided that I'm going to just go for it and get a bunch of ridiculous wigs. I've had blonde, red, green, turquoise, blue, purple and black hair in my time, so it will be more me to keep that rather than going for a nondescript mousey bob.

But I've got absolutely no experience of buying, caring for or wearing the things and, as (I hope) I'll still have a fair amount of natural(ish) hair underneath (I grew it, the hairdresser dyed it, I mean), I wondered if anybody has any recommendations or advice?

It's minimal budget, I'm not trying to make it look real, but I still want to look as though I've made a conscious effort with my appearance.
I go for a rockabilly/psychobilly/punk look daily, so I want to stay with that. After all, if I suddenly went all conventional, I'd scare the kids at work.


(If it also meant waving goodbye to facial hair, I'd be happy, but I bet those beggars on my chin stay put even if everything else disappears).

On a positive note, the boyfriend hasn't run for the hills at the prospect; reckons he'll come wig shopping with me for a giant ginger Afro to show solidarity, as he lost his hair when he was about 22.

Thanks!

System

I'm not sure what dose my mum is on, as she take it fir arthritis but as far as i know she hasn't had too much hair loss though its thinned somewhat

I have wigs for other reasons a a good wig comb is recommended, also try and get human hair or at least stylable ones as they don;t look quite as fake

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

xXMessedUpXx wrote: »

I'm not sure what dose my mum is on, as she take it fir arthritis but as far as i know she hasn't had too much hair loss though its thinned somewhat

I have wigs for other reasons a a good wig comb is recommended, also try and get human hair or at least stylable ones as they don;t look quite as fake

I wondered if you'd pop up, MU - cosplay?

Youve already said something I haven't heard of in getting a wig comb. That's how little I know!

System

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I wondered if you'd pop up, MU - cosplay?

Youve already said something I haven't heard of in getting a wig comb. That's how little I know!

Nah not cosplay i just like the feel of having longer hair

But yeah, a wig comb is god, normal combs dont tend to get through them as well

Samantha99

I too have RA and am on mtx. I have noticed hair thinning, but not loss as such. You've been very unlucky. Do you take folic acid as well? I take a tab daily except on my mtx day. It definitely helps with side effects including hair thinning.

Bluebell68

have also been on it
for MS
didn't feel great but helped
hope you find wig you are after
xxx

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Samantha99 wrote: »

I too have RA and am on mtx. I have noticed hair thinning, but not loss as such. You've been very unlucky. Do you take folic acid as well? I take a tab daily except on my mtx day. It definitely helps with side effects including hair thinning.

I did take folic acid (along with antiemetics, proton pump inhibitors, steroids, painkillers, supplements...) and I injected the MTX as that apparently meant I wouldn't experience many side effects. I only had 10mg sc, but this time, they want to start with 20mg and increase it quite rapidly _pale_.


I always seem to get ridiculous levels of side effects - I chucked up on hydroxychloroquine, I chuck up after a day of antiinflammatories, couldn't take sulfazaline because I'm allergic to sulfa drugs, same with penicillamine, went stupid on low dose amitryptyline, blow up like a balloon on oral prednisone...I'm an awkward patient. :cool:

MTX did help, but at the very least, I've got to go back on it at a higher dose for six months before they consider anything else - by which time, I think I'm going to be looking somewhat threadbare.