Alopecia World
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alopecia areata episodes possibly triggered by other illness?
I am writing this post to see if anyone has had a similar experience to me. I am going to put myself out there in the effort to find out if there any possible creedence to an observation I made with myself and some readings I skimmed through here and there related to this particular topic. I would appreciate an open mind when reading this as the information I am presenting relates to another health concern of mine that people may find difficult to handle.
I have HSV II. This is the virus comminly known as herpes. I would appreciate if people could refrain from making snide remarks or jokes related to this. My boyfriend (who I am still with and have been with for 2 years) is an aymptomatic carrier and this is how I contracted the virus. I have always been monogamous with him and he has been so with me.I have no question to his loyalty to me.I only state this because it makes me feel more comfortable presenting my health status to whoever reads this post.I do not wish me or the person I love to be attacked with rude or cruel remarks.
The reason I mention my dx of HSVII is because I noticed my first alopecia spots (two on the crown of my head which later converged into a sort of lovely figure eight shape :() after a period of intense emotional pain and stress. For weeks my beloved dog was very ill and I was visiting him nightly at the hospital where he was exhibiting signs of anorexia and vomiting blood. Anyone who has ever loved anything can relate to this pain. Additionally, I was experiencing a high volume of stress at work and problems in my relationship with my boyfriend. I was eating poorly and crying myself to sleep. This was in August of 2008.
I have since made great changes in my life and experience more peace then intense stress these days. My dog also healed and his illness is being managed after much trial and error. This in and of itself was monumental as I would rather lose all my hair then have my precious dog die an early death.
I did not have another alopecia"episode" until recently when I failed to take my medication when I was having an HSVII outbreak. I failed to take my medicine because during 2008 I rarely had outbreaks and they were very mild. In fact I only filled my Rx once the whole year so basically in 2008 I used less then 30 pills to address my HSVII. I made an error in judgement however and had a more intense episode. While it was nothing compared to my first it was still enough to make me feel more ill than I had in a long time.
I started my medication about three days into the outbreak. I normally start the instant I know and never see a symptom.This medication is an antiviral. The next day I noted another alopecia spot.This time on the side of my head. I am not sure if this was a coincidence. I do not think it was the medication. I have been on this medication since 2006 and it never had this effect. The medication works suppsoedly by interrupting the HSVII enzymes to keep them from reproducing and returning the virus to its dormant state.
What I am wondering is could my delayed use of medication possibly have caused my immune system to sort of "jump start"itself causing my white blood cells to go haywire again? Could my bodies effort to fight the HSV have caused my white blood cells to go so awry that they began randomly attacking my hair follicles again?
I had read articles re: episodes of alopecia areata as being thought to being perhaps "woken up" by a virus being present in the system.
I believe this might be the case with me.
I would say not with everyone, but perhaps with me and maybe others.
I would like feedback from anyone who perhaps is taking any kind of antiviral, or who perhaps has an illness that "flares up"who has perhaps noted that they have had episodes of alopecia at times they are experiencing "episodes" of their other illness.
Again please refrain from making negative or moralistic comments regarding my dx. Many of us are sexually active and thus vulnerable to my very diagnosis.Thank you for your anticipated remarks and comments.
Sincerely,
Dolly D
I have HSV II. This is the virus comminly known as herpes. I would appreciate if people could refrain from making snide remarks or jokes related to this. My boyfriend (who I am still with and have been with for 2 years) is an aymptomatic carrier and this is how I contracted the virus. I have always been monogamous with him and he has been so with me.I have no question to his loyalty to me.I only state this because it makes me feel more comfortable presenting my health status to whoever reads this post.I do not wish me or the person I love to be attacked with rude or cruel remarks.
The reason I mention my dx of HSVII is because I noticed my first alopecia spots (two on the crown of my head which later converged into a sort of lovely figure eight shape :() after a period of intense emotional pain and stress. For weeks my beloved dog was very ill and I was visiting him nightly at the hospital where he was exhibiting signs of anorexia and vomiting blood. Anyone who has ever loved anything can relate to this pain. Additionally, I was experiencing a high volume of stress at work and problems in my relationship with my boyfriend. I was eating poorly and crying myself to sleep. This was in August of 2008.
I have since made great changes in my life and experience more peace then intense stress these days. My dog also healed and his illness is being managed after much trial and error. This in and of itself was monumental as I would rather lose all my hair then have my precious dog die an early death.
I did not have another alopecia"episode" until recently when I failed to take my medication when I was having an HSVII outbreak. I failed to take my medicine because during 2008 I rarely had outbreaks and they were very mild. In fact I only filled my Rx once the whole year so basically in 2008 I used less then 30 pills to address my HSVII. I made an error in judgement however and had a more intense episode. While it was nothing compared to my first it was still enough to make me feel more ill than I had in a long time.
I started my medication about three days into the outbreak. I normally start the instant I know and never see a symptom.This medication is an antiviral. The next day I noted another alopecia spot.This time on the side of my head. I am not sure if this was a coincidence. I do not think it was the medication. I have been on this medication since 2006 and it never had this effect. The medication works suppsoedly by interrupting the HSVII enzymes to keep them from reproducing and returning the virus to its dormant state.
What I am wondering is could my delayed use of medication possibly have caused my immune system to sort of "jump start"itself causing my white blood cells to go haywire again? Could my bodies effort to fight the HSV have caused my white blood cells to go so awry that they began randomly attacking my hair follicles again?
I had read articles re: episodes of alopecia areata as being thought to being perhaps "woken up" by a virus being present in the system.
I believe this might be the case with me.
I would say not with everyone, but perhaps with me and maybe others.
I would like feedback from anyone who perhaps is taking any kind of antiviral, or who perhaps has an illness that "flares up"who has perhaps noted that they have had episodes of alopecia at times they are experiencing "episodes" of their other illness.
Again please refrain from making negative or moralistic comments regarding my dx. Many of us are sexually active and thus vulnerable to my very diagnosis.Thank you for your anticipated remarks and comments.
Sincerely,
Dolly D
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by dollydreadful on
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Thank you for your response - I had to get used to the site to locate it. I would also like to metion that like many persons with alopecia I have a family history ( mother, sister and maternal grandmother who all had thyroid disease). My mother reported one episode of alopecia to me but it resolved itself. She never had a repeat episode. In a way I hope the HSV is not a trigger. This may sound strange but becasue the HSV itself has such negative connotations within society I feel like I brought this on myself. I knwo its not true but at times I feel very isolated having the two conditions together. I know in my logical mind it is not healthy to think that way - its not productive or true an illness is an illness. Thank you for your response.
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Permalink Reply by Eileen Simpson on
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Have then been checked for Celiac Disease?
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Permalink Reply by Ali T on
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I am really interested in what you are saying above. I have had AA for about 3 years and it has now developed into AU which I have had for past 18 months. I feel really strongly that alopecia is a symptom of many conditions (of which auto immune diseases are aplenty) - by that I mean that when whatever else that is wrong is righted (either by medication or diet or some other means that we are not privy to) then the hair grows back. I am not a doctor but I have spent a long time reading everything I can about alopecia etc and also auto immune diseases - which is the really vague diagnosis that my doctors have given me - not that they have tested any blood or anything - I didnt know they could test for AA or anything until I came to this website! Things are very different in England and my dr said that at the moment I am a medical mystery and that in 50 years time they will know exactly how to treat me lol. I really think that this is why they cannot really treat alopecia properly, because it is a by-product of another illness and not one in its own right..
Anyway I just wanted to say thanks for putting this out there - you are very brave to do so, and I think you might well be on the right track - certainly what you are saying makes me believe that there is not one "cure" that will work for all of us.
Hope you get lots of positive results to this - a medical answer has to be just around the corner - hopefully.
Thanks again
Ali T
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Thank you and exactly. I have no data except my own personal observtions and ponderings. I try to review what shcolarly journal articles I runa cross as well. I agree with the idea of multiple eitiolgies - it is certainly possible.
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Permalink Reply by Lori D. on
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I've had various forms of Alopecia for 36 years. When I was 7 1/2 or 8 I had chicken pox. When I was 8 1/2, I had some severe stress in my life..apparently it was too much for me to handle. Anyway, I lost my hair within 3 weeks. For some years I remained with AU. For whatever reason in my early 20's, it changed to AT. I did develop a condition similar to yours...caused by the same virus..(warts), around the same time period. I had just one outbreak in my life. I don't know if there's any connection. To this day, I wish I'd kept better records of the progress of the alopecia. Anyway, I've since kept all hair everywhere (except my legs), and I have very little on my arms. I've worn a wig all these years. My hair does grow, but in a very strange pattern, mostly around the sides of my head, most recently on the very top. I am unable to identify anything that's led to the growth of my facial, body and scalp hair. The more I read on this site, the more varying stories there seem to be.
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Hello and thank you for your response. One clarification. I think the condition you developed is actually due to the HPV not HSV virus. However this lends creedence to the idea posed by Ali T perhaps viral illness can be a trigger, maybe not all viruses and maybe not all people. As the NAA commented the virus was disproven. Perhaps persons with a certain diathisis and certain viruses. I mention HSV as I am glad you mentioned HPV because many people keep these dx's hidden and it is well known that infections exist in large numbers within the general population.
You did also have chicken pox which is a cousin to the HSV I have my mother also has shingles which is a cousin as well.
You were very brave posting this.
You know what I find interesting and its probably totally crazy - but my onset was roughly a year after my intial HSV infection and your onset seems to be year after your chicken pox exposure. However I did also have chicken pox as a child so I guess that discredits that idea :) -
Again thank you your post also worked to make me feel far less isolated.
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Sorry, Yes, my error. Mine was caused by HPV...(I wasn't very awake when I posted),which by the way, has gone from my system. I was tested a little over a year ago, my gyn. thought it a good idea..and I don't know why, but it's gone. She said sometimes over years it does that. I wonder if it has to do with my overactive immune system..? I'm not sure, but it was 20 years ago that I had my one and only outbreak. From what I've read from the posts from the two support groups to which I belong, many people have more than one auto immune disease to deal with. Several people have had similar viruses. I soooo wish we could pinpoint this better! I'm adjusted to the fact that I will probably never have a full head of hair again but I wish we could figure this out..
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I am also glad that your doing much better. I also think that people who have nothing better to do then to make fun of people are awful, sad and unhappy with themselves. In answer to your question, from what I have read some people connect stress to Alopecia. I have Celiac Disease since birth as we are born with it. I wasn't DX until 03 and I have 50 years old Wow time goes fast :( . Anyway I had a bought with AA when I was so sick from CD, they put me on a liver doner list and said I had like a year to live if I didn't do what the doctors told me to do. First I had no idea what it was nor did I not want to change to feel better and yes Live. Ok so it would seem then that Alopecia seems to attack the body when it is stressed out. Makes sense to me, but I'm not a doctor.
Wondering if you have ever tried lysine in hight doses can help. Also a tea called Pau d'Arco Tea? Here is their link they have the best tea available http://www.princetea.com. I use it sometimes and I know it helps boost the immune system. In fact I am wondering if when I stopped drinking it that this probelm started. Never know.
Hugs
Take care
Eileen
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Thank you Eileen - L- Lysine? my friend used it for her HSV however i don't since I have slightly elevated cholesterol at the moment - (well i did last checkup have since started excercise and eating better- need to improve a bit love cheese :) ) and the L-Lysine islinked with elevating cholesterol
i will take a look at the tea
my hsv i think flared up because it has int he past - due to me eating high quantities of hot foods- i ate falafal with a little hot sauce and like a jar of salsa eeeekk - there is anecdotal evidence that foods with high argine content flare up hsv i believe this - for me I can eat chocoalate occasionally or hot things too - too much causes concern i also had some go trouble from bad sushi at the time
i hate taking meds but valtrex works great if i take as soon as i have a feeling an episode is coming on
i can always tell
ijust got bold this last time because it had been so long
i am happy though - when i first got sick it was terrible then i had an attack everu month like clockwork by last year i only filled one rx for the valtrex and i am really happy
now i know if i get a hint of a feeling i need the meds
im also avoiding spicey food :( sigh I love mexican food :)
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Thank you for the friend add. I know that Valtrex is very expensive but I didn't know you could use only when you feel an attack coming on. Do you have any information about Lysine and cholesterol? The tea is a good thing I think it works well for strengthen the immune system.
Keep in touch.
Eileen
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I will look for the article Eileen and emailit to you I saw it inline in a few places and my doctor told me as well 0 i gt the valtrex with my insurance so its cheap $20 - yes you can eithr take valtrex daily if you have frequent or very aggressive outbreaks or as needed - i spoke with my primary and he agrees if it works for that wat i should take it that way- also the advertisements make it sound like valtex will help you to not transmit the virus - that is not true - they just want to sell pills - im very conservative with my medication i will definitely check that tea out
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no no furhter evudence I can say however that I address my outbreaks very quickly these days and so far no further spots but it could be coincidental
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