Pentasa and Hair Loss: What Users Say

• col...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 14, 2016

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I was recently diagnosed with Crohn's, having painful cramps, bloody stool, and diarrhea. My 2nd day being on Pentasa, I ate Taco Bell (which most people with Crohn's will tell you almost kills you, haha!) I had absolutely no cramps or diarrhea!!! I'm on week 2, taking 500 mg 4 times a day, and I'm still feeling great! No cramps whatsoever! The only symptoms I've noticed were slight chest tightness the first couple of days, slight weight loss, increased appetite, and a little bit of my hair falling out. I started taking folic acid to help with the hair loss."

• Anonymous
• December 26, 2011

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I'm a 25-year-old female. I was diagnosed with Crohn's in August 2011. I had a bowel resection at the end of September due to the severity of my illness. I've been taking Pentasa for about 3 months now and feel good, but my hair has been falling out like crazy. I read a normal person loses 50-100 strands a day, I'm losing probably triple that. It's really depressing. I'm switching to another medicine to see if that helps with the hair loss. Other than that, I haven't had any side effects. Good luck!"

• Anonymous
• September 29, 2011

For Ulcerative Colitis, Active "I took Pentasa for ulcerative colitis after Asacol started failing. Asacol had worked for me for seven years, but when P&G started having manufacturers make it in Europe, it no longer worked. The Pentasa worked for my ulcerative colitis at a 3-gram per day dosage. The side effects are much worse for Pentasa. I experienced nausea, mild headaches, and severe hair loss."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 22, 2020

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I'm a 51-year-old male from Scotland and was diagnosed with Crohn's at 30. I take 1 sachet of Pentasa in the morning, and it has been keeping everything at bay. I can have a pint or two and can eat what I like with no effects. I can suffer cramps in my back passage through the night, which lasts about 15-30 minutes every 2 to 3 months. Also, losing my hair and on blood pressure tablets. This is side effects of Pentasa."

• Psy...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 15, 2015

For Inflammatory Bowel Disease "This is the first drug I was prescribed after hospitalization and initial diagnosis. It made it possible to get off steroids and back to work. Hair loss was extensive, until I increased water intake and saw a renal dietitian. Even though I am allergic to sulfa drugs, this has been the least risky of the medications prescribed for my condition. My hair has grown back in, and with lifestyle changes I am much better. Long term, this is the only regimen that works for me."

• sew...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2014

For Crohn's Disease "I had surgery removing 6' of my small intestines. In Dec. 2013, I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I have been taking Pentasa for about 3 months, since Jan. 2014. It has really helped me, but I am losing handfuls of hair every day. I am also having dizzy spells. The hardest side effect to deal with is, every time I have a bowel movement, I have terrible itching inside my rectum. Otherwise, I haven't noticed any other side effects yet."

• San...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 4, 2021

For Inflammatory Bowel Disease "Pro: It kind of worked a bit. My bloodwork improved, and the mildest part of the inflammation went away. Cons: It didn't work enough. The area of more severe inflammation hasn't budged, unfortunately, and I'm still having bad stomach cramps every day. I tried upping my dose from 2 grams to 4 grams, and that actually made my symptoms worse, so I went back down. I'm also losing a lot of hair, but it's not really noticeable to anyone else, and I will say that that's the only side effect I've had from this medication on a 1-2 grams dosage, which I think is pretty good. If your doctor tells you to take this medication, definitely take it! I wish it had worked for me. It does work for a lot of people. I would be happy to take this medication every day for the rest of my life if it only worked!"

• Ran...
• November 13, 2015

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I've been on Pentasa for 3 years. I've had very bad acne and lost a lot of hair."