Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Classical Anne in NC mountains on August 11, 2014 at 4:15pm

So sorry you're having to deal with asthma now!  But congrats on the eyebrows.  I'm having the same with Rogaine.  My MD recently told me that I had asthma, but truthfully I have almost no symptoms.  Would not have thought it to be connected to FFA, but checked the official list of autoimmune disorders to be sure.  http://www.aarda.org/autoimmune-information/list-of-diseases/

Asthma is not amongst them.  But then neither was FFA, only Alopecia Areata.  Perhaps your MD has some thoughts for you about the relationship, if any?  Hope you can 'outgrow' the need for the rescue inhaler quite so often!

Permalink Reply by cubbieblue on August 13, 2014 at 2:47pm

Hi Kathy,

I agree with you that the link may be inflammatory. Thinking back, I did notice an increase in allergy symptoms in the years leading up to my FFA diagnosis, so much so that I visited an allergist for the first time in my life.  I remember telling the doctors that it felt like my sinuses were tingling, burning or irritated, the same words I have used to describe my scalp irritation. I periodically used an inhaler given to me by the allergist, but he did not diagnose asthma and said my lung function seemed fine.

Cubbie Blue

P.S. Hi Classical Anne

Permalink Reply by Debs on August 14, 2014 at 4:02am

I have been seeing a medical herbalist in the UK, Riki Davies in Surbiton, I stopped all meds in February. She runs cooking courses on anti inflammatory foods and fully understands our medical situation. I have a tincture I take 3x a day before food. She listens to what is happening in your life and adjusts the herbs used to suit you. I am having a lot of stress at work currently which does not help my FFA, she is helping me with work related stress as well as my autoimmunity. It is worth seeking help from qualified complementary healers especially as our Drs often are reductionist and are unable to see the bigger picture with our health. I know that acupuncture can work very well with asthma, might be worth looking into.

Permalink Reply by Linda from Cincy on August 15, 2014 at 6:58am

Hi Kathy,

I'm fairly newly diagnosed and agree this condition is inflammatory and auto-immune but want to know just what is it that is setting off this reaction?    Antiandrogens have helped some women with FFA so (at least for them) there is a hormonal connection.  Has anyone on this site had good results by taking any type of DHT blocker/inhibitor - either oral or topical?

Thanks!

Permalink Reply by Linda from Cincy on August 17, 2014 at 8:18pm

Kathy,

I was researching estrogen dominance/progesterone deficiency and found several articles that mentioned increased incidences of asthma and allergies as a result of estrogen-dominance.    Women on Hormone Replacement Therapy are more prone to severe asthma (particularly those who took estrogen-only therapy before they realized how harmful that was).

I'm now wondering about how estrogen dominance might play into what we all are experiencing.  Progesterone apparently fights inflammation in the body. . . is connected to thyroid function and inhibits the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).  DHT (among other things) destroys hair follicles.

Progesterone starts diminishing in our late 30's and we have very little of it after menopause.  Even though estrogen is also diminished it's not nearly as reduced as our progesterone levels.   Plus, unfortunately, we're inundated with "xenoestrogens" in our environment which only increases the imbalance.

Permalink Reply by Root Beer on October 22, 2014 at 4:58pm

This thread is interesting to me ... as I was diagnosed with asthma right around the time that my hair loss was so rapid that I had to turn to wearing hair. Interesting how so many of us have a pattern here.