vaccination and alopecia areata

Anyone had the vaccine, or is going to get vaccinated? Or maybe someone who had covid with Alopecia?

As Alopecia is an alteration in the immune system, maybe a more active immune response against a specific protein. That is what I hear from my dermatologist. I am afraid the vaccine might trigger a dangerous response. Please start the discussion

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Permalink Reply by ling tong on June 3, 2021 at 9:27pm

My 17 year old who is on Xeljanz got her first dose of Pfizer vaccine today. Her dermatologist recommended stopping Xeljanz for a week after the shot. Is someone here who took their shot stopped taking Xeljanz too for a week? If so, did you experience any hair loss? Appreciate your help.

Permalink Reply by wfz on June 27, 2021 at 4:43am

Had my first vaccination yesterday with Pfizer. I need a second dose in about a month. I only have a slightly sore arm, that is it.

Permalink Reply by outforawalk on June 27, 2021 at 6:38pm

I already had alopecia universalis so I did not think twice when I got the Covid vaccine.

Permalink Reply by Mike R on August 13, 2021 at 7:52pm

Anyone planning to get the booster shot AKA, shot #3?  I believe I will do so.  I'm on the Pfizer trial currently for Ritlecitinib.

Permalink Reply by mastros on August 24, 2021 at 12:58pm

Hello,

I had my first dose in mid June. It was pfizer. I experienced polyneuropathy that affected my sensory nerves in my back, right leg, neck and left arm.

I experienced intense pain and extensive numbness. It has been now 10 weeks since the first dose. The first 5 weeks were really difficult. Moreover, I had slight and temporal effect on the motor nerve of one finger of mine. 

i have been taking Gabapentin, vitamin D, B6, B12, B1.

My symptoms are slowly improving and now they appear after I put my body to some mid intensity physical stress e.g. lifting something heavy. I have not received the second dose yet since the recommendation from the doctors of mine is first of all to be symptom free.

In terms of alopecia and blood work all has been good. I have continued Xeljanz.

Permalink Reply by Xristo on September 21, 2021 at 12:04am

Everyone has to assess their own health situation. Just stating my opinions and always seeking for answers. I lead a healthy lifestyle and have changed my diet four years ago in an attempt to "try something different." Could just be the cycle that Alopecia runs but since 2017 I've seen growth on my scalp, nearly the entire head but not as thick as it once was and some growth on eyebrows/eyelashes and throughout the body. Luckily, I've always had a clean slate of health, aside from some sporting injuries. I don't get the flu, no allergies, no fevers, and etc. I drink a lot of water, keep clean eating habits, no GMO's, no processed foods, and no plastic. I don't know for sure if this is the contributing factor for my hair growth and its maintenance but things are working. Never been one for aspirin, cough syrup or any of that stuff. If I don't feel well I drink tea, suck on lemons, and eat lots of fruits along with walnuts/almonds. 

As for COVID, I had it last winter. Light symptoms. Sore throat, slight fatigue, and loss of smell for four days. Can say I was lucky. I believe in health/fitness/nutrition and I credit that for my fast recovery from a bad concussion as well. Nothing wrong with taking a vaccine but for me, I don't think I'd like to take the risk of a foreign substance that could possibly trigger any more of my Alopecia (16 years.) According to the CDC, most deaths from COVID are aged 60 & up. The chances of getting hospitalized with COVID are between 1-5%. There's also the fear of unvaccinated people spreading the virus but that's on both sides. I think you have to assess your health condition and whether you live in or near a COVID hotbed before making decisions. Cases are at a minimal where I am. I would like to see more information/trials on the vaccine with alopecia. At the moment, I am a no for the vaccine. Most doctors will tell you to get the vaccine. Fine if you do and fine if you don't. No one should pressure anyone into anything. Eat right, exercise, smile, laugh, and be a good person. 

Permalink Reply by MD on September 21, 2021 at 9:07pm

Re: Xristo's reply.

Your lifestyle is very good! I know from experience it is not easy to eat and live that way (thought it does get easier). I am testing gluten free diet, 10 months now, what helps me is that if I am gluten sensitive - I don't want to cause a reaction, so I'm a bit stuck with it now. (in order to get tested one has to eat gluten again to see if there's a reaction!) Anyway, we all should aim to to match your description because it is the "cure" to many of life's illnesses (especially age related). "Prevention is the best cure"

Although you mention that everyone needs to make their own choice, your post does sound more to encourage against vaccination than for it.  One tricky part is that you've already had covid, so it's like me (vaccinated) saying "I had practically no vaccine side effects and no additional hair loss". We are both biased now =)  (compared to those that haven't had covid and haven't had the vaccine...)

"The chances of getting hospitalized with COVID are between 1-5%"  that is a huge number compared to serious vaccine side effects. The rate of serious side effects is something like 1 in 50,000-100,000 for the mRNA vaccine, depending on age group (younger group have higher risk of heart issues).

So if someone were to gamble with those odds, it's pretty obvious which to go with. For someone that is really really fit and healthy, the hospitalization rate would be a lot less, but for the average 40 something it's around the 1 in 1000-3000. Which, if gambling money, is still really good odds (but then, the vaccine is even better, statistically...)

However some people should be careful with the vaccine. I have heard of some stories where those with multiple health or heart issues likely had a serious serious adverse event from the vaccine, so their choice is harder... (likely best option to do everything possible to avoid catching covid!)

For my story, I wanted to share that luckily I don't notice any further hair loss, and it's now 3 weeks after the 2nd dose of Pfizer. 

I also want to share that I found garlic slices on the bald spots are actually working for me!  I hope to make another post about that soon. It works, but is really tedious to do and to do enough but not too much, in order to avoid getting a blister! Takes awhile to see results, 2-3 months (although a tiny bit after 1 month already). All my other spots are still bald so it seems very obvious that it's the garlic! 

cheers!

Permalink Reply by MD on September 23, 2021 at 5:13pm

I should be clearer about the "However some people should be careful with the vaccine." that is a really tough call because I'm talking about people that have serious health issues (organ transplant as one example) where Covid would probably be fatal also. Yet it's hard to hide from Covid so it's a gamble... (statistically they are probably better of with the vaccine, but rational numbers are hard to convince our emotional side...)

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