I've not posted in a long time

bdee
bdee Member Posts: 304
in Colorectal Cancer #1
but I have a question to ask. I have been on 5fu, Avastin and CPT-11 since June 2010. I lost all my hair (everywhere) after the second treatment. Last month my hair started growing back (I even have eyelashes again). Is this normal? Should I be worried that my onc has cut back my dosage without tell me?

Thanks,
Debbie in Arkansas

Comments

  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #2
    Hi Deb
    You can alway ask the
    Hi Deb

    You can alway ask the onc what dosage he has prescribed you. I've heard that hair can begin to grow back after treatment stops and can take up to six months.

    My hair has thinned but not fallen out - although I know of several people who lost their hair between 2-4 treatments....my hair is just as stubborn as I am.

    I think you're ok - there's probably no real timetable for how grows or falls out - and I'm sure the onc would tell you if he lowered the dosage for you.

    But, for peace of mind just ask him and fill him in and get his take on it - I think you're good here.

    Go Razorbacks?

    -Craig
  • bdee
    bdee Member Posts: 304
    #3
    Sundanceh said:

    Hi Deb
    You can alway ask the
    Hi Deb

    You can alway ask the onc what dosage he has prescribed you. I've heard that hair can begin to grow back after treatment stops and can take up to six months.

    My hair has thinned but not fallen out - although I know of several people who lost their hair between 2-4 treatments....my hair is just as stubborn as I am.

    I think you're ok - there's probably no real timetable for how grows or falls out - and I'm sure the onc would tell you if he lowered the dosage for you.

    But, for peace of mind just ask him and fill him in and get his take on it - I think you're good here.

    Go Razorbacks?

    -Craig

    Thanks, Craig.
    I think the Razorbacks are already gone, they didn't do all that great this year and lost their first game in the SEC.

    My chemo is Tuesday and I am definitely asking my doctor about my hair. There are a few others in my chemo suite who take the same dosages as I do and they didn't lose their hair either, I'm the only one. But I sure didn't expect it to grow back while I was still taking the treatments. I started on oxy, 5fu and Avastin and my hair fell out after the second treatment then, too, but didn't start growing back until I had been off oxy for about a month. I guess because my CEA has steadily been going up, I'm just freaking out over nothing with my hair. It is really my CEA I need to worry about.

    Debbie in Arkansas
  • johnnybegood
    johnnybegood Member Posts: 1,117 Member
    #4
    bdee said:

    Thanks, Craig.
    I think the Razorbacks are already gone, they didn't do all that great this year and lost their first game in the SEC.

    My chemo is Tuesday and I am definitely asking my doctor about my hair. There are a few others in my chemo suite who take the same dosages as I do and they didn't lose their hair either, I'm the only one. But I sure didn't expect it to grow back while I was still taking the treatments. I started on oxy, 5fu and Avastin and my hair fell out after the second treatment then, too, but didn't start growing back until I had been off oxy for about a month. I guess because my CEA has steadily been going up, I'm just freaking out over nothing with my hair. It is really my CEA I need to worry about.

    Debbie in Arkansas

    hey bdee
    good to hear from you.dont know if you remember me but i remember you.i was dx in sept2008 and now i have just been dx stage 4 with mets to liver and lung.how have you been?i see you are on chemo.this is just devistating to me to see all the people i remember from when i was first dx and then for some of them to be back on here with a recurrence.best of luck to you....Godbless....johnnybegood
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #5
    He Debbie!
    Good to see you posting again, although I'm sorry it's because you are back on the old chemo! I'm back on it too, so I guess we all are in good company :)

    Since you are on the three chemos, it's probably a combination of all three that has contributed to the hair loss... although, I'm putting my money on the CPT-11 that is the real culprit :D I'm on the CPT-11 (aka Irinotecan) and lost all the hair on my head in the first 3 weeks of my first treatment ;) No thinning, no waiting for a couple of treatments.... by the third week I was bald! BUT, only the hair on my head. I still have my eyelashes, eyebrows, arm hair, etc. Hmmm... now that I'm looking, I have to admit my arm hair is very, very fine, so maybe some of that has gone too.

    Anywho.... somewhere around here in a topic, I made an observation the other day.... although I'm bald, my eyelashes are much much longer than they have ever been. And my eyebrows, I knew I was overdue for a waxing, but thinking that I might lose them with the chemo, I have put that off.... well, now I have these two huge caterpillars above my eyes. I'm thinking I have to get off my bum today and go get my eyebrows done before they seriously do turn into a uni-brow :D

    Soooo... your question asking whether it's normal that your hair is starting to grow, while still on chemo... I think when it comes to chemo and what happens, it's all normal. Even the abnormal is normal! So don't worry... and enjoy the regrowth of hair if it's decided to come back :)

    Meanwhile.... do keep us posted on what your onc says.... and what the plan is about your CEA rising. That is always enough to throw any of us into a tizzy.

    Cheryl
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #6
    He Debbie!
    Good to see you posting again, although I'm sorry it's because you are back on the old chemo! I'm back on it too, so I guess we all are in good company :)

    Since you are on the three chemos, it's probably a combination of all three that has contributed to the hair loss... although, I'm putting my money on the CPT-11 that is the real culprit :D I'm on the CPT-11 (aka Irinotecan) and lost all the hair on my head in the first 3 weeks of my first treatment ;) No thinning, no waiting for a couple of treatments.... by the third week I was bald! BUT, only the hair on my head. I still have my eyelashes, eyebrows, arm hair, etc. Hmmm... now that I'm looking, I have to admit my arm hair is very, very fine, so maybe some of that has gone too.

    Anywho.... somewhere around here in a topic, I made an observation the other day.... although I'm bald, my eyelashes are much much longer than they have ever been. And my eyebrows, I knew I was overdue for a waxing, but thinking that I might lose them with the chemo, I have put that off.... well, now I have these two huge caterpillars above my eyes. I'm thinking I have to get off my bum today and go get my eyebrows done before they seriously do turn into a uni-brow :D

    Soooo... your question asking whether it's normal that your hair is starting to grow, while still on chemo... I think when it comes to chemo and what happens, it's all normal. Even the abnormal is normal! So don't worry... and enjoy the regrowth of hair if it's decided to come back :)

    Meanwhile.... do keep us posted on what your onc says.... and what the plan is about your CEA rising. That is always enough to throw any of us into a tizzy.

    Cheryl
  • AnneCan
    AnneCan Member Posts: 3,673 Member
    #7
    Debbie
    I have been on folfiri + avastin + lost most of my hair. It started to grow back while still on treatment. I asked my onc about it + she said that happens + it may come + go (it has).

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