I had a problem, now my hair goes so fast I get it cut once a month, my Doctor told me to take Biotin, it took a year of taking it, but no more hair loss. The health food store charged a lot, but Walmart has it cheap. Ask your Doctor, it could help you.

Are you taking Prednisone? I know that, for myself, during those times when I've had to take rather heavy doses of steroids, I have a tendency to lose hair for a few months afterward. If I can just stay off the pred, then my hair will grow back, but I do have to cut it more often to even out the edges.

Just a thought.
Hugs, Sue

I have the same problem when I am taking steroids. My Pulmonologist told me that the Prednisone causes the hair to fall out. Like Sue, when I get off the steroids, my hair grows and I have to get a trim for the ragged edges.
HUGZ,
Jean

Thanks for all of your replies. I am only on Spireva....does it contain prednisone? So much to learn about this disease. The only other med I use is ProAir for rescue inhaler. I know it is albuterol but could it contain prednisone? I suppose it does not matter as I must use these and I will have to put up with the hairloss.

Spriva does not contain Prednisone. It is Tiotropium. I don't see hair loss among the possible side effects.

What side effects can this medication cause?
Tiotropium may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

dry mouth

constipation

stomach pain

vomiting

indigestion

muscle pain

nosebleed

runny nose

sneezing

painful white patches in mouth


Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately:

hives

skin rash

itching

difficulty breathing or swallowing

swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs

hoarseness

chest pain

sore throat, fever, chills, and other signs of infection

headaches or other signs of a sinus infection

painful or difficult urination

fast heart beat

eye pain

blurred vision

seeing halos around lights or seeing colored images

red eyes


Tiotropium may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while using this medication.

Thanks Tom for the good information. Here is another question for you more experienced copd'ers. Do any of you have tingling and numbness in your hands and feet. Sometimes the tingling in my feet awakens me in the night. I also have redness on the palms of my hands and the pads of my big toes. I have read this is o2 deprivation. Any advice?

Ouch... me too but mine also has some multiple nasty charley horses that go with it. My Dr. said some meds or low vitamin/ mineral levels can cause this but there is a thought that its either also due to over breathing ( blowing off too much Co2) or peripheral limbs being deprived of O2 during the day and when we lie down and they get "better" O2 the nerves and muscles wake up with a fury.
Thanks for bringing this up. Isn't it interesting how we COPD's see so many strange but common (to us) problems that the researchers haven't addressed yet? Lots more to this disease than just affect on lungs and breathing.

I have problems with a rash right now mostly over all of my body.
I feel it more then see it.
I have problem with my eye it had a de-tachment the last big time I was on Prednison. They don't say for sure...but everyone thought so (doctors)

My nails on my fingers grow more when I am on prednison? Yes maybe my hair needs cutting more? never thought ? hmmm

ye im losing my hair also i had respirotory failure 6 months ago and is still losing my hair

I've been on O2 and steroids for years and have lost so much hair, I now wear wigs out of the house. Such vanity, huh? I lost mine mostly on the top of my head. Sorry, but hairloss is a side effect of many of our medications. My dermatologist recommended 3,000 mg of Biotin daily to see if that helps although he said it could take months to see a difference. He said I could take 5,000 if that is all I could find and it wouldn't hurt me. I am 71 so age may also be a factor to my hair loss . Paula Young has a catalog of wigs and sometimes they are on sale for $29. The Whisperlites are especially nice because they are light and aren't overloaded with hair, and look natural. Many wigs have too much hair for my age and look like a wig. My photo is a wig.

I'm on spiriva and advair and I've noticed hair loss on top of my head as well. It doesn't seem to affect the sides.

Ellengc, I really like your wig. Thanks for the great advice!
Hugs, Sue

shoot! reading this...you guys are scaring me! i'm ready to stop all meds! hehe

Hi there Glenda Sue. I don't know whether 02 deprivation has anything to do with hair loss, but during my last stay in the ICU I received steriods (cortizone) IV's continuously day in and day out for 5 days. Thats a heck of a lot!! My hair turned snow white, stick straight and thinned out to the point I could see my scalp. Jeepers, I was afraid to brush my hair or shampoo too vigorously. :-o

Well it seems that it's taken 2+ yrs for the steriods to work out of my system because my hair has started to thicken, get it's wave back and it's growing faster than ever before. It's still snow white, though! :-))

Not only that, but the steriods caused me to swell up like a Michelin Man and made my face look like a pepperoni pizza it was that red & blotchy. On top of gaining weight from quitting smoking, the steriods exacerbated problem! I'm soooo relieved to see that Spiriva Respimat doesn't contain steriods. I simply refuse to take them ever again!!

As for Charlie Horses: ouch, they're painful enough to make me howl in tears. My pulmo told me it was due to poor circulation caused by smoking and lack of adequate physical exercise. He also explained that 02 & deep breathing exercises go hand-in-hand to maintain good 02 levels and improving blood circulation to all internal organs. Works for me because I have very few cramping episodes these days.

I read a very interesting tip about the correct way to deal with severe cramps: it's best to let your muscles relax on their own with just a gentle massage to ease pain. This method helps to reduce the risk of tearing the muscle and/or tendons often caused by applying hard pressure to the cramp, stomping around and stretching. I've tried this trick, but it sure doesn't stop my howing! LOL.
See ya later. Keep well.
Huff.

I thought it was just me getting older but it started noticing it with the use of my inhalers.