Hi, I'm reposting this from Ask an Expert as it was inconclusive and I'm hoping someone here has suffered similarly.
I was diagnosed with Follicular Non Hodgkin Lymphoma in July 2017. I was stage 3A with no symptoms or lumps, just a 17cm bulky mass in my abdomen beginning to compromise organs. I had 6 rounds of RCHOP, then 15 x Radiotherapy sessions and am currently 3/4 of the way through 2 years of Rituximab Immunotherapy which commenced May 2018. I am in complete remission. I am 57 post menopausal.
At least a year before diagnosis, I suffered excess hair shedding, every time I has a shower, more than normal would come out when I combed it afterwards and I ended up with a very fine hair although you could not see my scalp. I now attribute this to the cancer.
I lost my hair completely with chemo. When it grew back during 2018, it was very thick. I started on Alendronic Acid to increase bone density in the Spring of 2019. Around the same time I started to experience the hair shedding again to the point where it is extremely thin again.
I have been to see my GP and he has given me a holding diagnosis of Androgenetic Alopecia which is essentially female hair loss resulting in the closing up of the hair follicles and is part of ageing. I'm not convinced of this because if my hair follicles had closed up, my post chemo hair wouldn't have grown back so stongly.
My GP has ceased Alendronic Acid to rule that out as a cause, but it has made no difference.
I have been tested for Thyroid, Zinc, Magnesium and Iron which are all normal.
I'm therefore convinced that as the current hair shedding mirrors that of pre-diagnosis that my cancer is growing again internally. I have been thoroughly examined by my Haematologist and he can't find any masses yet or enlarged Lymph Nodes and my routine pre treatment bloods are normal.
Could it be the Rituximab or something else?
I am becoming very anxious that at this rate I will be bald again.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Tina
