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Hair Loss from Tigecycline, Amikacin and Linezolid.
I stopped taking IV therapy after 4 weeks due to many adverse reactions. I was on tigecycline, Amikacin and Linezolid. About 10 weeks after being completely off these meds I’m experiencing EXTREME hair loss and breakage. Has anyone else experienced this and if so suggestions on alleviating it. Many thanks..
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@farfalina That was quite a powerful combination of drugs you were taking - I'm not surprised by the side effects, but the timing seems curious. I know how stressful it is to see hair leaving in clumps in your brush, had it happen years ago with a different illness. After a while, and after treatment for my issue, if I looked closely at my scalp I could see tiny new hairs sprouting, Have you noticed that yet?
Have you brought up the hair loss with your doctors? And, if I may ask, what have they offered in place of the antibiotics?
I plan on asking my doctor to run blood tests to see if that discloses a reason for the hair loss. I’m pretty sure it’s a delayed result from those IV drugs because I read that can happen, although rare. I took them as an intensive 6 week start to try and get rid of mycobacterium Abscessus but I had to stop therapy at 4 weeks due to extreme adverse reactions. They had wanted me to then try Aricayce, Nuzyra and a leprosy drug but I declined those meds. So we are on a watch and see approach. I just had a 6 month follow up CT scan and everything is about the same, no better, no worse.
That Amikacin is horrible after 6weeks, started having ringing in my ears, eyes went down hill, hair started falling out and my finger nails became ugly, so the ID doctor took me off the therapy. So consequently, I refuse to do the big three that was 2 1/2 years ago. now I’m with a new ID doctor and she’s following me and reduce the drug amount. I don’t take all three at the same time One a day, 1st azithromycin then the next day ethambutol and the 3rd day one rifampin. This all makes me have no appetite and I don’t sleep. They prescribed megestrol for my appetite. I am only 88 pounds. I also take mirtazapine at night for insomnia and to help stimulate my appetite. Been on megestrol since July 31 and mirtazapine for a month and I still have to force feed what food I get in me. I wish this were an easier road for us to go down. I don’t know what to do, hope time and patience will heal. Hope you recover soon.🙏
@bonniejones14 yes, the treatments offered are grueling. I will keep you in my prayers for improvement. My hope for all of us with this nasty bug is a better treatment option and better outcome. Please take care.