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Has anyone had their hair start growing back while on gemzar & carboplatin? My hair is growing in and I'm wondering if it is temporary or what? Literature I've read said carbo hair loss. Anyone with experience while on gemzar & carboplatin, please let me know. Thanks,
ML
Cancer Chemotherapy Surgery Menopause Falls Carboplatin Avastin Mental health Xanax
I took Gemzar without the carboplatin. The Doctor said I probably wouldn't lose my hair . I didn't lose it all just thining while on treatment, but now three months after treatment it's falling out MUCH more, but I'm growing hair on my FACE, How bizarre!
Conventional chemotherapy kills both cancer cells and healthy normal cells (mainly rapidly-dividing cells whether they are out-of-control cancerous ones or healthy ones that naturally grow quickly, like hair follicles). That's why chemo causes hair loss. Oncologists try to minimize damage to normal cells and to enhance the cell-killing effect on cancer cells. Too often, this delicate balance is not achieved.
Hi Violetsrblue,
I had a different set of drugs with Carbo twice and had the dark hairy face plus long dark hair on my knuckles for a few months after treatment the first time but not the second. The difference was that I didn't take oral steroids the second time, only the IV ones with infusions. I've heard from others and concluded from my own experience that those extra hairs were from the steroids. Maybe this is what you are experiencing. If it is, the good news is that those hairs do eventually go away.
Yes, I'm on Gemzar-Carbo and my hair has been slowly growing back in since January. It is only about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. Hair growth is normally about 6 inches a year, so if I wasn't on chemo, it would be close to 2 1/2 inches long by now. So even though it IS growing, the rate is extremely slow. It makes wearing the wigs a little tricky as it is prickly and presses down into my scalp when I put the stockinette and wig on. Hair is growing not only on my head, but everywhere else, too. It was quite a surprise.
Thanks for the replies. Lucy P-I am having the same experience-the hair on my head is growing back slowly and thankfully not much hair anywhere else. It does make the wig thing more difficult-I almost went out today without one but alas toooo chicken. I will have to eventually as I live in the south and it is getting pretty hot here.
Thanks again for the replies.
I am on just gemzar and am not losing hair. The same thing happened with Ixempra.
A tip for wigs. Though I have enough hair now not to wear a wig. When I do, I use a styling gel to slick my hair, not matter the length, back. It also helps keep the wig in place a bit better.
Thanks so much for the hair gel tip. My hair is not long enough to go without a wig but it gets itchy under the stocking cap and wig. I think the hair gel may help alot. I am going to try it.
ml
I am on just Gemzar and my hair is
growing back with a vengeance! Hope it doesn't fall out after 3 months but so be it.
Thank you for the hair gel tip for wigs :)
I'm taking gemzar/carbo for my first reocurrence or what the NY doc said "residual" cancer. Whatever... Well I started in the middle of June 2009. I originally was 2 weeks on and 1 week off. That didn't go to good. My platelet counts were so low that I ended up doing it all with 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. I had a total of 4 rounds. No side effects. Some tiredness but nothing outrageous. No hair loss. This is the important part. I have lived this trauma way too long. I finally started growing hair and did a "just an extra" precaution avastin/xeloda. Hair slowed to almost a complete stop. Had 2 months of nothing and then now this. I have been wearing a wig for 20 months now.
Well did the 4 rounds then scans. Sept 28, 2009 scan shows all well. What was there in May is now gone. NY doc recommended continuing gemzar/carbo until end of the year. He also told me to get rid of the wig because I wasn't going to need it. I stressed all along that I couldnot emotionally deal with hair loss again.
Well, had my first g/c for cycle 5. The week before I started to notice some hair strands in my hands and brush. Then 1 week after that started the first g/c for cycle 5. Now....hair is thinning. I'm scared to death that my hair will all fall out again. I get absoulutely no answers from the doc on how much to expect. Nurse practioner said "we don't ususally see hair loss with gemzar/carboplatin". Well folks....its happening and I am devastasted.
My dose is suppose to be low. Does anyone have any input on how much hair loss? Is it going to be like TAC all over again. If I do just gemzar is there hair loss? If I do just carboplatin is there hair loss?
At this point the only thing I care about is my mental health and my self esteem is totally in the toilet right now. I just got a prescription for another wig but if it takes me the same 16 months I have had to grow what little/short hair I have now I will end up wearing a wig for what.....4 years????? This is not living. Between the hairloss, forced early menopause and the sex absolutely sucking......I'm not feeling like a human being.
Help!!
Thanks.
I have been on gemzar/carboplatin every 21 days since Jan 09 (started out the carbo/gemzar week 1 then gemzar week 2 then off 1 week but it was to hard on my body, low counts etc) before this I was on abraxane/avastin for 3 mos (did not work). My hair has grown back to the point that I no longer wear a wig-the hair is thin but I keep it short and feel comfortable enough to go without a wig-my hair does fall out the week after the chemo but I still have "enough" I hope this will happen for you. You are very young and I know this is a lot to go through. I had double mastectomy/reconstruction/hysterectomy adjuvent chemo (lost all hair) then within 10 mos mets throughout my spine. The gemzar/carbo has greatly improved my quality of life and I pray this will work for you also. I started on an anti depressant and it has helped. I don't know if you would consider one but it has helped me. I always hated the wig thing and never was comfortable with hats/scarves. I did find one wig that was very comfortable-it was a rachel welch specifically for chemo patients and it was as light as a feather and the inside was very comfortable-of course I bought 4 wigs before I found this one. I don't know your situation but if I can help at all, please be in touch.
Prayers,
mlm
Thanks MLM. I appreciate the info and support. Not sure what is going to happen. Docs switched my schedule after my scans. I now go every other week for gemzar/carbo. Went for blood work yesterday and my platelets were 73. I keep track of my counts and reviewed them...hasn't been this low after only 1 treatment. Think that I am not rebounding as well after each cycle.
The hair loss is greatly effecting me. I know that to some it may seem so trivial and I realize that life should be more. I just feel that after 20 months of hell I need a break. It always seemed that people were telling me "the light is at the end of the tunnel" treatment is almost over. Bullshit. It seems to never stop.
I'm 43 and single. I've had to deal with this and a relationship that fell apart during all this mess. Forced menopause hasn't been easy. Seems each time I start to make some progress and make a turn around the corner I get hit down again.
My wig is great. I live near NYC so I bought it at a place called Bitz n Pieces. I can highly recommend them. I did pay $1000 for it but in my area that wasn't much more than I would have spent here. The quality is high end, light, real looking. For almost all of chemo there were some people I work with that had no idea I was wearing a wig. I was lucky, I never got that sick look that chemo sometimes causes. Finished chemo, surgery and radiation and some people had just found out what was going on. Actually helped me to feel better during the process.
Problem now is anyone with a brain knows that I shouldnt still be wearing a wig. I like my privacy. Like all of us...we want normal and happy. The whole process ia roller coast. The male docs don't understand the idea of "being a girl". We've had our breasts sliced off and then have to deal with hair loss, no eyelashes, no eyebrows. To them its no big deal. Well how about cutting off their penises and telling them for the next 2 years you won't have one. Bet they would figure out what to do to make things more human.
Did you end up loosing all your hair with the gemzar/carbo or just significant thinning? Does it seem to "grow" or slow down on the loose between treatments?
Trying to figure out what to expect so I can figure out if I should just shave my head again and not deal with the hair in my hands or all over my pillow. I just truly figured that since I had 4 cycles (actually 8 IV's) that if this was going to happen it would have happened. When it didn't and I went that long I thought wow...things are going my way. That's my mistake...thinking anything will go my way.
I tried a few antidepressants over the last 20 months. Didn't really work for me. They all caused me to gain weight which on top of the menopause weight gain caused different issues to deal with. I had been doing decent and I use that word cautiously the last few months. I got over the upset of the residual lets do chemo again crap. since it seemed to be working that improved my disposition. The good scans Sept 28th put me over to doing well/seeing that light at the end of the tunnel. Then 2 weeks later...hair starts falling out and its back to square one again.
Bottom line is I just want to be a girl again. Never was a "girly girl" but now I just want to be a girl and feel good about myself again. I have a public job and what used to be great self esteem, charge ahead is now pretty curl up in a corner and hide.
So guess I'll just not touch my head. Seems like anytime I do hair comes out. My head is itchy since I'm trying not to wash it too often. Doesn't help the situation.
Thanks again, appreciate the info from all on what to expect.
My hair grows and falls out-it is just thin but I have enough to keep my hair really short and go out in public. I think you should wait and see and not shave your head. You will know when and IF thin is to thin for the hair. All I can say is I know it is a roller coaster and just hang in there. Let me know if I can lend any more support.
mlm
Mentally and most other ways you are me! 3rd recurrance gemzar and carbo no hair loss - somethinning and gray- wasn't before. It felt icky but I still had some. Sorry for anyone who goes through this on all levels.
Little thinning didn't fall out this time. Number 3
yep you are me I take 1mg xanax everynight to chase away the demons long enough to get a few hours sleep. Will soon be celebrating my 10 yr anniversary and 5 sexless years. Good man otherwise but I think I am a freak. There is still a pretty face in the mirror, other than that I do not know the person in the mirror. Trying to be cool just finished round 3 chemo radiation so much for the masecotomy - round 2. I think however I am going to snap soon. I am alive but I lost my girly life forever.
Hi soccermom
Definately understand the "lost girly life". Doesn't help alot though. Woke up this am and found a lot of loose hair on my pillow and pj top. Ended up spending 3 hours sitting in bed because I just couldn't get out of bed. Went to Ulta today (a beauty store) and spent big bucks to buy anything that will help me feel like a girl.
Its still hard to gage from the posts just how much hair will now fall out. Seems like some on the combo loose none and then others very thin to almost none. Is the hair loss from the combo? Would there be hair loss on just gemzar? On just carbo? Wish I could get answers so I could figure out what to do next.
How long were you on gemzar/carbo and how often?
Platelet count was low this week. Lower than it usually was after just one week of g/c. Bloody nose off and on today and I can tell the platelets are low since my eyes are bloodshot.
Trying to take this one day at a time. Xanax helps some nights when its just too hard to sleep. Melatonin also helps. 3 mg. Doc at Sloan said it was ok and that now there are some studies that say it might help slow down cell growth.
Thanks to all ladies posting. If you want honest answers ask someone who has been down the road....or the oncology nurse. The docs do nothing but lie. Hey...they are making big bucks off us. Treatment looks like its $10000=15000 a week. And who says they are looking for a cure???? a cure and a hell of alot of people would be out of business.
Got a satin pillowcase over the weekend. Seems to have helped. At least not waking up with so much hair on me and none on the pillow. Maybe the friction from the cotton pillow case was making a bad situation worse. Not really sure. Still do get how come it took so long for the hair to start falling out. I'm hoping the thinning will die down. My cousin the hairdresser says if the follicles are compromised my hair will fall out regardless of what I do to it. So guess tomorrow I'll brave a shampoo!!! We'll what happens next. Got to make some decisions before Wed when I go for my next treatment. Thinking of doing just the carbo and avastin this week. My head is still reeling from this latest upset. Not sure how much more I can handle right now. Not saying I won't go back to gemzar/carbo but I need some more answers from the doc on what to expect now since this latest upset.
Good wishes to alll.
Hi MLM-
Do you by chance remember which Racquel Welch wig you bought? Shopping for another wig. Bought one off of HSN-Toni Bratton or something llike that. Trying to make a decision soon. The HSN wig actually has a 30 day return policy. Just wanted something a little different to get over the hump. The hair thinning seeems to have subsided a bit. Not sure what to expect and when.
Love how your hair looks in your pic. It the style I've been aiming for the last year. Hoping mine is long enough soon.
Hope all is well.
Raquel Welch Signature Collection $250 for mine-it is shorter than my pic-it is called "counterpoint" Very comfortable. Let me know what you find
mlm
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