Scalp and hair problems possibly from discoid lupus

I am reporting back after my Dr's appointment yesterday. This Dr is new to me and he is an older man and very, very nice. Apparently he just returned, having retired last year. I also felt that he is thorough. He listened to everything I had to say and he ordered a lot of blood tests. He said the Clobetesol is Prednisone so I don't want to try that. He felt that it is possible my problems could be caused by yeast but he didn't feel it would be allergies. However, I am still following up with that. Some of the blood tests are for the Discoid Lupus and also the Sjogrens syndrome. Perhaps the results will give some clues. At least maybe I will have more of a positive answer to that diagnosis. I wonder if we can change, because I don't feel that I have the swollen glands anymore which is something that goes along with Sjogrens Syndrome. Kaiser does not have a scalp specialist. I asked the dermatologist about patch testing and she asked me if I had a rash. I told her, no, just my scalp problem. I haven't had a reply since then but apparently she can do patch testing and it takes 3 appointments. I am hoping the blood tests will tell us something. I did also research Clobetesol and it's uses and side effects. There is no mention of it causing hair loss and in fact it is often used to help regrow hair! So that is very weird, however although my scalp is still just as uncomfortable and just as itchy, my husband thinks the bald area is looking a bit smaller. I hope it is not his imagination. Thank you everyone, I will keep you updated.

My mother-in-Law did suffer with Sjogrens starting in her early 50's and always had symptoms. She passed away from lung cancer 19 years ago at age 72 (a chain smoker since age 18). I was wondering if now there is a new treatment which is helping your swollen glands? Do you still have dry mouth and eyes?
I am glad you are still pushing for a patch test, even if negative you have one more cause you can rule out. I only had exterior physical symptoms as a rash that would come and go on my hands with ACD. The symptoms that caused me unbelievable pain and misery were internal, my internal skin was inflamed. In fact when I went to an allergist for patch testing and looked at my chart he described me as having a "pleasant appearance, free of visible rash". At least he did the testing based on my description of my internal symptoms as other doctors looked at me and thought I was just fine. They couldn't feel what I was feeling. My point is even with the same disease ACD can be manifested in different ways.
I assume Alopecia has been ruled out.

Isn't Alopecia a general term?. They sometimes refer to my problem by that name also Dyspecia. I'm not sure about the spelling. It just seems that there is something causing this as my scalp is very pink in certain areas, like it is inflamed. Other areas are not pink but still itchy. I am looking at hair products also. They have taken a blood test for thyroid also, although the Dr felt it would be all over hair loss and not in patches. I don't have the result yet.

I forgot to say that yes I do have dry, itchy eyes and some dry mouth. I also have an itchy nose and ears!

I looked up dyspecia and couldn't find anything. I did find a similar word, dyspepsia- but that's indigestion. Sorry about your other Sjogrens symptoms. My mother-in -law couldn't or wouldn't quit smoking. She went to a renown Sjogrens specialist at Scripts in La Jolla, CA who after the initial interview told her he would not attempt to treat her if she didn't quit smoking, as that aggravates the dry mouth and eyes. She was furious, but always often had 3 smokes going at once- one old one not quite stubbed out smoldering in the ashtray, one actively smoking and then lighting a new one off of the active on. She had no intention of quitting. She was shocked she got lung cancer at age 72. Even with chemo and radiation, from diagnosis to death only took 4 months.

Smoking is such a terrible 'disease'. My older daughter is still smoking. She has given it up several times, once for 2 years and more recently a year. Then she had some traumatic things happen in her life and she is back on it. I am so disappointed and also afraid for her because she is now turned 50. I didn't smoke after I was 25, so not for too many years. Thank goodness I managed to quit. My brother never quit and he was literally killed by cigarettes. he collapsed in his home, we think from a stroke and he was smoking at the time. While he was unconscious, the house burnt down and his wife came home to only half a house and her husband gone with it. That should be a warning to anyone who smokes. The autopsy showed that he was alive and was killed by the smoke. Tragic.

I have quit alcohol and sugar in the last few years hoping to improve my health; it took will power. Yet now never think about it. Yet they say quitting smoking is the hardest addiction to quit. Clearing the only reason it is not a prescriptive drug is because of the tobacco lobby groups. I have heard those who do quit miss it and want it for the rest of their life. Do you still ever get the urge to smoke?

No I don't and even having someone near me smoking makes me cough. I wanted to smoke for a year or 2 after giving it up but it wasn't too bad. Some people seem to be more addicted. I quit cold turkey too.

I'M 82 and in the last 4 months have developed a itchy scalp and nothing my Dermatologist has used has worked. Am frustrated. Welcome suggestions.

Itchy scalp is a common complaint of those of us with eczema. You are 82 and as seniors we often develop allergies we didn't have when we were younger. That happened to me. Google The Five Day Extended Patch Test, yes it takes 5 days. It tests for one common type of eczema, Allergic Contact Dermatitis, ACD. . A dermatologist or allergist can give you this test if they have been specially licensed to do so. If your derm can't do it get a referral or search for one on your own. I had the True Test Kit, but there are several others. You need to educate yourself and study this test. It is expensive, over $1,500 but Medicare pays for it.
I had to give up all shampoo and could only use a bar soap, Grandma's Lye Soap is safe for me .I love it and would use it even if I didn't have eczema. I used it for years before it was approved by Mayo Clinic as part of their Skin Safe program. It's a great soap for the whole body because it only contains 2 ingredients and both are moisturizing. I buy it on Amazon. Today I have found a few shampoos that don't contain my allergens and make scalp itch. The VMV Clark Wash Shampoo, available from VMV or Amazon on line is probably the safest for anyone. I can also use their conditioner. The VMV Clark Wash does a fine job with soft water but getting a lather in hard water is not going to happen, but your hair will still be clean enough. You will never get the same degree of degreasing without the chemicals or natural ingredients allowed in popular brand shampoos. Some use Free and Clear Shampoo, but that makes me itch. To begin with until testing try washing your hair with Grandma's Bar Lye Soap, made the old fashioned way, simply lard and lye and during the soap making process the lye is transformed into glycerin. I used that for 6 months and it knocked out the itch.
Please share what shampoos your dermatologist has recommended. I would be curious to see what the active and inactive ingredients are.
Keep asking this site questions, we are real people which have been forced to educate ourselves about eczema, an auto immune disease. Often doctors only want to treat it an not prevent it. Steroids only treat it, do not prevent it and have side effects I have had great success from blogging sites learning from others and now all 3 types of my eczema are in remission.