Cyclosporine - Hair growth
 

Hi

I've been on a course of cyclosporine for 1 yr and 6 months, and I wanted to ask about the effects of hair growth that you've been seeing.

For me the hair growth is uncontrollable, and being a girl, it's given me a beard and moustache literally in 5-6 days. I've to keep shaving. The all-over hair growth has also given me severe, excruiciating pus-filled acne that leaves scars that look like red burn marks all over my cheeks. I've also gone for waxing, but I can't wax myself every 5 days. My hairline has literally moved forward by one inch. Everyday a new pimple pops up, filled with pus. It is painful and humiliating.

I've never had acne in my life, and this aggressive hair growth actually has psychological effects on me. I'm just wondering if anyone has seen reduced hair growth once they've gone off the cyclosporine?

Thanks in advance.

solitarymusic,

I'm sorry that you're suffering from such a strong side effect.

I assume that you're taking cyclosporine for a very good reason and need to be on an immunosuppressant. Did you have a bone marrow or organ transplant? Have you and your doctor discussed how long you'll likely need to take it? Lots of patients, including my wife when she was being treated, are happy to get off cyclosporine as soon as they can, but tapering it has to be done carefully.

Excessive hair growth, called hypertrichosis or hirsutism, is a known side effect of cyclosporine. The good news is that it lasts only as long as you're taking the drug. Once you're able to get off cyclosporine, the hair growth problem should disappear.

Many doctors concentrate on saving your life or preserving your health without giving a thought to your comfort, looks, or self-esteem. Your health comes first, of course, but we know that all of those things matter. It's worth telling your health professionals how important this issue is to you. The acne may need medical attention.

You could ask your doctor about the possibility of taking a different immunosuppressant. For example, this article is about patients with hirsutism benefiting from a switch from cyclosporine to tacrolimus. That article may be out of date, but your doctor may know what the latest research shows.

Hi solitarymusic,

Have you been having the excessive hair growth the entire 1.5 years, or has it become worse recently?

If it is a new event, have you increased your cyclosporine dosage recently?

If not, have you had your trough levels checked recently to ensure that the concentration of cyclosporine in your blood isn't elevated? Is your creatinine level stable?

I had excessive hair growth in the beginning when I was on a very high dosage of cyclosporine, but it wasn't as bad as you are describing. What is your current cyclosporine dosage?

I was on high doses of cyclosporine for 2 years and had crazy hair growth. Luck I am blonde so it didn't show all that much, but I knew it was there. As I tapered off, the hair fell out.