Community Forum

I am currently taking Asacol for my Colitis.  I have taken Asacol since February of this year and I've noticed that my hair is falling out.  I'm worried that I may end up bald.  Has anyone had this problem with Asacol?  If anyone has had this problem please share your experience with me.

 Reply posted for Elaine50.

My daughter is on Asacol , was on prednisone too. She started to lose her hair. The dr said to give her extra zinc. and she hasnt had a problem since. It took a few weeks for it to stop falling out, hope this helps.

 Reply posted for marzipan.

Whoops, keyboard error!!! I meant Budesonide

 Reply posted for Elaine50.

My hair's falling out too. I take pentasa and busesonide. I blame the pentasa (9 x 500mg tablets a day for 8 months now ) : Really unhappy.

 Reply posted for Ashley22.

I was on Azathioprine for five weeks, that was two months ago, and I now have 1/2 the hair I had all my life.  I swear by the time I'm 55, I will be bald.  When I wash my hair, I take, literally, one handful of hair out.  On another point, it's nice having thin hair now and not all that heavy stuff hanging. 

 Reply posted for Elaine50.

Im not on Asacol but when I started to have stomach problems (about a month before I was diagnosed with UC) I was diagnosed with Alopecia which is hair loss. I don't know if its tied to having UC. But I had/have (hair is growing back now slowly) a big bald spot in the back of my head But the last layer of hair so thank god it was not noticeable unless I put my hair up in a pony tail. What helps me with that is steroid injections to the bald spot. You can ask your doctors if that is ok. It helps the hair grow back. I also have a topical steroid cream that I put on it everynight, anddd im also on prednisone so that is kinda helping it too and I am on Lialda. My dermatologist gives the injections. Hope this helps ...

 Reply posted for Elaine50.

I have taken Asacol within the past 5 years along with other medications such as steroids, low-dose chemotherapy (Methotrexate Injections), and high-dose biological therapy (Remicade Infusion). Beginning 10-months ago, I started to loose my hair (alopecia) and lots of it. I was taken off Asacol and steroids about 4 years ago and began both Methotrexate and Remicade after that. I have always had thick long hair but it is until recent that it has started coming out and I am unsure why. My hair sheds with bulks of long hair when it is combed or washed. My disposition is positive about my illness but for a woman like myself, who is very much into being beautiful, I am sometimes saddened by my hair loss because I can't identify the specific cause. I spoke with my team of doctors as wells as the oncology nurses where I go for treatment about the hair loss and I am told that every patient responds differently to medications. My dermatologist explained that because my hair is so thick, it has taken a while for me to see the actual affects that these varieties of medications have had on my hair until now. But again, no specific answer for the hair loss. It could be any one or a combination of the medications that I take. However, to help prevent further hair loss and restore growth, my stylist, who specializes in natural hair care, orders hair vitamins for me which are safe and my doctor also prescribes pre-natal pills (prescription only)although I am not pregnant, because they are multi-vitamins effective in stimulating hair growth as well as provide the extra nutrients. You may want to speak with your health care professional to see if there is a treatment option for hair loss that is right for you, since we all are finding it difficult to get a precise consensus on what medication(s) is causing the alopecia.

 Reply posted for jen8585.

Today my Dr. switched me to Lialda ( 2 a day)  We both agreeded to try this for three weeks to see if it makes a difference.  I was taking 9 asacol a day , the Dr. reduced it to 6, but I didn't see any difference in hair loss.  Aside from the hair loss I have no other side effects.   I plan to get a wig that looks similar to my own hair  Befor this I had IBS for years.  I was given anti-anxiety medicine three years ago and it helped  a lot.  I do relaxation execerise every day and that seems to help when I feel bloated.  Befor this year I had never even heard of colitis. Thanks for responding

 Reply posted for Elaine50.

I'm also on Asacol (recently switched to Lialda), but I'm on a ton of other meds as well, including Remicade, and prednisone, so I really don't know what to attribute my hair loss to.  However, I have also had quite a bit of hair loss. My doctor says it's probably due to the steroids, but I've been tapering off of those and haven't seen any relief, so again, I'm not sure.  I haven't heard anyone state they've gone completely bald, but I'm terrified of that too!  I've actually bought head wraps and scarves to try and hide my hairloss and just in case it gets to the point of baldness. It's hard when you take these medications and your body starts reacting in strange ways, with weight gain, moon face, hair loss, it just makes me feel so unattractive and undesireable.  I feel like the ugly monster when I go out in public, like everyone sees these deformities, but can't tell I'm sick... It's bad enough we have to live with the disease, but do we have to show it on the outside too?....

 Reply posted for Elaine50.

i dont know if it is the asacol or the other five meds im on but i have had a lot of hair fall out in the last month. i was told it was probley because of the steriod i was on but i have been off of it for almost 3 weeks and the hair seems to be coming out more now then before.