Abemaciclib and hair loss

Hi FE1

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  While I wasn't put on  Abemaciclib I noticed that you haven't had any replies yet so I thought I'd reply to you.  Hopefully someone will be along soon with an answer for you.

Best of luck with it.

Best wishes

Daisy53

Hi, I have been on abemaciclib for a month now, the first two weeks I had stomach cramps and some diarrhoea, but seem to be settling down now.

sleep not brilliant either.I lost all my hair while I was on Chemotherapy but it has grown back now, and no sign of it falling out. Good luck.

I don’t know about hair loss and I’m still on chemo at the moment but I do know how excited my consultant was that I would be able to have this treatment in the NHS when I finished and she really rates it and had been prescribing it in her private practice for a while. I don’t know if that’s any reassurance…,

Hi FE1

Slightly different circumstances to you. I cold capped and kept about 50-60% of my hair. I finished chemo in July 2021 and didn’t start taking  Abemaciclib until January this year after surgery and rads, 

That said my hair is still growing really well nearly 8 months in x

Hi, I’m 5 months in and the hair on my head is growing with no signs of shedding so far. However my eyebrows and eyelashes that had come back a bit post chemo have thinned out again which is disappointing. 

Hi Samo - just to say that I was told by the cancer hair care charity that it’s not unusual to feel like brows and lashes come and go - they have a shorter life cycle and there’s less of them than other hair so if they all start growing together they’ll shed together but eventually they’ll end up being random again and less noticeable if that makes sense…

Thanks so much for this, I hadn’t considered this, but might explain things. Fingers crossed for the brows!

Hi FE1. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 BC in Mar 2022. I am about to start on Abemaciclib next week. My oncologist keeps emphasising the issue of diarrhea as a major side effect. Was this a major issue with you and if so, how long did this last for?

How would you describe the major side effects that you have experienced over the last 5. Whilst I know that each of us will react differently to the drug, to date I have only found the published lists of possible side effects but no details from someone who is taking the actual drug. Any information would be appreciate. Thank you. PMMcD

Hi. I started on abemaclib in October last year. I am not sure how much your oncologist has explained I collect my tablets every 28 days from the chemo unit . Initially I had 2 weekly blood tests and now I've moved to monthly. I still have bad stomach day's some weeks worse than others and I do take immodium weekly at the moment but have been assured this will calm down. One bit of advice is to drink plenty even if you are fine as it can cause problems with constipation (which I have also had)  On a positive note it is manageable and you do get used to knowing when it's starting. I am currently on session 5 of 26 tablet sessions. The chemo nurses general go through your blood results and sometimes check how you are feeling in general. 

I hope I've not scared you about them. Let me know how you are if you can. Best wishes

 Xx

I too was diagnosed in 2021 with BC ; full mastectomy, lumpy node removal(twice) & radiotherapy.  Now on Abemaciclib and Letrozole since Sept 2022. My hair is nowhere as thick as it was, eyelashes come and go and eyebrows are sparse but always a way to work with it!! I was a hairdresser so it was a major shock to lose all my hair. I now embrace it all, absolutely no point in dwelling on what is lost, for the moment!! It hopefully will come back after treatment, fingers crossed my love