Hydroxyurea and Hair Loss: What Users Say

• Avi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 7, 2017

For Sickle Cell Anemia "I am 44. I used to take hydroxyurea for many years. I stopped being hospitalized as often as I used to. But my nails were brittle, my belly had bad pain inside, my hair was coming out, and last, my teeth in my mouth were falling out. I went to the dentist, they said it's the chemo in the drug. So I stopped taking it. But my teeth are also so bad now, and yet I have no dental. I am grateful for not being in the hospital like I used to, but my teeth are all messed up."

• HCW...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 23, 2020

For Sickle Cell Anemia "I am a 69-year-old woman with sickle beta+ thalassemia, was having multiple episodes of pneumonia yearly, and my doctor thought adding hydroxyurea would lessen them as they are sometimes indistinguishable from chest pain syndrome. Plus, my pneumonias were asymptomatic. I started taking it in 2005, and in the beginning, I had hair loss, but over time, that adjusted, although my hair growth is slow. I have had far less frequent crises and have not had one since 2016. Before that, I had just 2 minor crises. I have far less joint pain now, and with taking glutamine (since 2018) with hydroxyurea, I am relatively pain-free except for my back and stomach. But I plan to continue taking these meds until there is a cure for sickle. If you take it, you MUST follow your doctor's advice and see him regularly for blood tests, etc. It is not a med to take with a cavalier attitude as it is to help prevent serious sickle cell complications, and for me, it does just that. I am grateful to have it."

• gre...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 15, 2023

For Thrombocythemia "Worked well to control platelet count. Caused muscle soreness, hair loss, joint pain, increased depression, exhaustion, and possibly 'chemo brain.'"