Curious.... Is it ok to dye your hair while on prednisone. Am taking 18 mg at this time. Have been diagnosed with PMR for 10 months. My scalp seems to have some keratoses? (little growths) on it. Thanks....Linda
Hi Linda! I've been on pred since March and I've continued to dye my hair in this time without any problem at all!
Andrea xx
I was prepared to stop dYing my hair when it was so dry, beittle and falling out...but then it got better?! Only difference was the tapering of the prednisone from 10 to 8m...?
Hi linda, I've dyed my hair every colour under the sun since I was 18, I'm now 54, had pmr for 2 years and still dye my hair and up till the last appointment it was bleached blonde. Now I'm a soft blonde and currently on 7mgs of preds. Regards, tina
No problems colouring my hair, even when on very high doses of Pred.
Most of my hair fell out thru this mess. I am wearing wigs. I keep examining to see if I see any growth. Diognosed in May, this year. Started at 20 mg. just made another reduction to 10. Have dealt with horrid hip bursitis/pain ALL SUMMER. just a month ago finally almost pain free, walking with no cane! Starting slowly with my walking routine! I hope no flare. My Rheumy is bound I reduce 2.5 every 3 weeks, now! SCARED! She wouldn't even LOOK at dead slow methods. I am in USA also!
Judy, I've looked up so many sites re PMR simply to familiarise myself with it all and I've seen on loads of American pmr sites that the correct way to treat pmr is NOT the way your so called rheumatologist is advocating. No wonder you are scared. 2.5 is way above the recommended 10% especially now you have reached the 10mg mark and as for reducing every 3 weeks, that's not really giving each dose long enough to really work.
is there not a primary care dr you can see? A different rheumatologist? In England unless you are atypical then you don't have to be treated by a rheumatologist anyway. Please stay strong. Regards, tina
Judy, the rheumy you have got does not seem to know much about PMR. I wonder how many other people they are making these mad suggestions to. Can you ignore them?
Time to find another rheumy who will work with you. If you continue to reduce at 2.5mg every 3 weeks you will be back to square 1 very soon. How about reminding her who is paying her bill?
On another thread about hair someone said their hair stopped "taking" colour for several months, it just didn't go into the hair. If your hair is in poor condition the chemicals could be another insult to it and may damage the keratin so it becomes even more fragile. If it seems OK though there is no reason why not .
Not a problem for me - I'm a natural white blonde now...
Hi again, and thanks for so many kind suggestions. The Rheumy I had found after my PCP diognosed, SAYS she treats all her patients this way. I believe my PCP would be much more agreeable to the slow reduction, and I am going to adjust my dosage tomorrow,mind make an appt with PC Dr. He was so concerned and did much research before diognose. He even called me at home to check on me! The Rheumy has been condescending and sharp, like I was ignorant, if I suggested anything I read. I also, have done a lot of searching and reading. I was so happy to find this forum, and know I am NOT ALONE, OR FREAKY. as has been stated so many people think all is fine, as I put on MY HAPPY FACE (very fat and round right now, I might add) Will send updates. Thanks again, so much, Judy
Hi Tina, I am sure you will read post Eileen. Do you by any chance recall any PMR sites in US or what you used for the search option? Thanks
Sorry Judy that you are suffering so much! You must find a doctor who will work with you on the prednisone. Tapering so fast is a disaster! Best wishes on finding a new doctor.
Funny how the prednisone can cause "side effects" that come and go!
when my hair was dry, brittle and thinning I purchased every conditioner I could find, but my hair was like "Barbie" hair, impervious to anything.
wonder how long my hair will stay healthy!
She may treat all her patients with PMR that way - I bet a lot of them go away and find someone else so, of course, she may think it works. Or that it leaves her to concentrate on patients who are "really ill with RA". Or I could be very cynical and wonder whether patients who are in with a chance of being treated with the vastly expensive biological drugs provide her with a better income than someone who just wants a bit of cheap as chips pred.
I was slapped down on another forum recently by someone who is a retired GP who basically suggested what is on the forums is not as reliable as her opinions since SHE "is a GP and the others aren't" (she hadn't actually expresed any). Apparently our own experiences are of no value. I really did think that this attitude of "don't worry your little head, Dr knows best so you're not to question me" was fading. Not all that is on the internet is reliable - that is fair enough but what I write about is either from charity sites which are allied with top rheumatology experts, the same medical documentation they could use if they could be bothered and the personal experiences of hundreds of patients who have visited the forums in the last 6 years (and more, because I have read every post since this forum began).
The Mayo clinic, Harvard education and Johns Hopkins have excellent resources - and if I remember rightly they don't suggest such a precipitate reduction plan. UK texts certainly don't.
Eileen, you are SO right about Rheumy PREFERRING 'patients worse than PMR'. I am happy you folks who commented just gave me the little push I needed to leave her. I have printed some Clinical info on slow reduction, and had the ones from here, and will take to my GP. HE very receptive, and searches. I feel in beginning, he wasn't aware of best course of treatment. I have been with him since he was a 'newbie', LOL, my hubby and I like to tease him, that we raised him to be a HUMAN DR., and he IS! I am pretty sure he will trust my judgement, when I talk to him. It was my pain management Dr that had suggested a Rheumy , after I was into the PMR about 3 mos. in reality, Rheumy has done nada, but confirm DX and renew script! thanks for this time, judy
So am I, Eileen. In and out of the hairdresser's in 30 minutes......cut and dried...literally!
My very slow "Dead slow and nearly stop" reduction plan is being used in a clinical study in the north of England which is looking at how slow reduction and exercise (in the form of walking, nothing more exciting!) can help in the management of PMR. There have never been any such studies about the best way to use pred to avoid flares and get patients to the lowest possible doses which really does seem a bit daft to me. Of course, there is no money in it for Big Pharma and the funding has to come from somewhere.
If you reduce pred too fast, in too big steps, you induce either steroid withdrawal pain or a flare - the knee jerk answer to both is to go back to the previous dose, which is probably higher than you really need. Do it slowly and you will get to the same end without so much return of pain and stiffness. Because steroid withdrawal usually mimics the return of the illness - how can you tell unless you try to minimise the steroid withdrawal discomfort as much as possible? From what we're seen on the forums it does seem to help.
Usually takes a bit longer for me unfortunately - she is determined to blow dry so it looks like she envisages when I leave! I've told her repeatedly it isn't worth it as by the time i'm home on a damp or windy day it will be doing its own thing... But just thinking about the time taken to have your hair coloured makes me feel weak at the knees.
yes i have had this problem. but as i have reduced, i no longer get these little critters
i never put it down to pred though just kept srtatching them off