Hair loss - Zinc & Selenium advice (please!)

[Brunetteandred]

Hi y'all,

I have been to my GP and asked about zinc and selenium and she consulted her BNF (meds book) and scratched her head. She has prescribed me:

Zinc Monohydrate Effervescent Tablets 125mg 3 times a day

Selenium Oral Solution vials 2mls once a day

The selenium script will last me five days.

Can anyone please advise what their GP gave them as she was at a complete loss and even asked if I could research it myself to see if I could get a better deal elsewhere?!

I'm also going to contact the clinical specialist at the hospital where I had my surgery and see what he says. :sigh:

 

[lesleyweb]

Hi, Yes it is a problem getting the selenium, apparantly it is really expensive and they are not obliged to give it to you. However be persistent i was and i did end up getting it. Mine is in a box of 10 vials and i take twice daily 5mls of the solution, it is called selanase 500 micrograms/10ml (vial(s)) i get three boxes a month, hope that helps. As for the zinc i did get the same as you, but i have stopped taking it as when a good friend of mine who is a well respected healt shop person told me there was as much sodium in them as eating 20 bags of crisp a day 'yuk'. Not good for my blood pressure!! And as from last monday i have come of my medication for blood pressure so am now medication free, except for vitamins. Im well pleased!!
Lesleyx

 

[shelbell]

Yup, I was given Selenase and Zincasol. They were both listed in my discharge papers as possible requirements which helped.

In honesty though, I only got the prescription once. They were both vile, and my hair only thinned for a few months. It's absolutely fine now, and as I had a lot in the first place it wasn't missed!

 

[hopelesscase]

i got what shel got and stopped taking them about a month ago. funnily enough when i went to the hairdressers last week he commented that it was now back to normal.
I always remember as a child being told that medicine wasnt supposed to taste nice and thats what makes you better. With all medication and suppliments over the years i havent liked i have told myself it tastes like this to make you better lol.

 

[Caroline101061]

I did some research online and have been taking silica tablets - I started before the op and carried on 8 weeks post op when I was able to take pills again. Thus far my hair is all intact and if its going to start falling out, it should be any time now. Its also good for skin and nails too. You can get them from any decent healthfood shop or Boots do a version but they are not as strong as the ones from the Health Food Shop.

 

[margaretmc]

Hi Red
I heard nails skin and hair tablets from Holland and Barretts are good . And as Caroline said I think your better off starting them before the surgery . I hope it stops soon for you hun . Take care .
Margaret xx

 

[tink75]

Hi all - I am pre op and am wondering if your surgen automatically recommends these tablets or do you just go and buy them yourself? I really am in the dark about all the vitamins etc you need to take and where to ge them from. Is it the doctor or do you supply your own? How do you now the best ones to buy? I'm sorry about all the questions but I just really want to be prepared. Thanks.

 

[Caroline101061]

I was given a list of recommended vitamins pre op and now Im post op, I have quarterly blood tests to ensure everything is in order.

I take:
Sanatogen A-Z Gold x 1 a day - recommended by the hospital
Ferruous sulphate 200mg (iron) x 3 a day - recommended by hospital
Ad CalD x 2 a day (chewy calcium tablet) - prescribed by GP via hospital
Silica 2500mg x 1 a day - my idea
I have quarterly b12 shots via my GP - advised by the hospital

Pre op, I was advised to take the Sanatogen and that was it. The rest all kick in post op as thats when your natural vitamin levels start to fall.

 

[tink75]

Thamks Caroline - this is really REALLY helpful and I can now start to collect the things I need - I'm so excited - I can't think of anything else!!!!!

 

[gaelic girl]

I was at my GP last week to get my 1st lot of post op meds, because it said may be required she wouldn't give me them at this point. I have fine hair anyway so its a bit of a worry might get the silica tabs you mention Caroline x

 

[Caroline101061]

apparently if your hair is going to drop out then its around 5 months so as Im 4 and a half months post op, I will keep you posted on what happens! Right now all is as it should be about from grey ones where there never used to be grey ones but thats age!

 

[ladybird_gal]

I'm 3 and half months post op and my hair is beginning to fall out. I haven't taken anything yet, thought I'd wait and see. I've not had it coloured or anything as yet in case it makes it worse. It looks ok at the moment. x x

 

[Karlos]

I've just been prescribed these by the hospital. I've got boxes of these little glass phials of orrible stuff

 

[Brunetteandred]

I have lost roughly 40% of the thickness. Fortunately I had very thick hair. I'll give these vials a go.

 

[Silversurfer]

Red - Try a Bassets chewy multivitimin once a day, i'm reliably informed they are the thing to have

If that dont work then the bald look is apparently coming back in fashion

 

[Brunetteandred]

PMSL @SS

 

[Bonita]

I'm only three months post op and reckon I've lost about 50% of my hair so far, its coming out in handfulls everyday but as my lovely daughter in law pointed out it is coming out all over and not in patches (that was nice of her...lol).

I'm told that brown rice is rich in Selium if thats any help along with brazil nuts, bread, fish, meat and eggs.

Be careful though because taking too much Selenium can be just as harmful if not more so than not getting enough and can cause selenosis, a condition that in its mildest form can also lead to loss of hair, skin and nails.

 

[thinkbethin]

I'm a bander and so far have'nt suffered any hair loss. I hope you get it sorted and get loads of help from the peeps on itxx

 

[waynetta]

Hi Red, yeap my hairs falling out too. It only started at about 5mths post op and really worries me at times. I have been told that it is your body thinking its being starved so it concentrates on more importent things like maintaining vital organ function, rather than hair growth. Once the body realises that it is not being starved (Dont know when this finally happens) it will resume as normal with hair growth and such like. Worse comes to worse chuck we can go wig hunting together! lol xxxx

 

[kell]

Im 8 weeks post op and at my 6 weeks check at the hosp was told not to take any vitamins yet! After blood tests because of nausea I recieved a letter saying I had low levels of selenium and to go buy some from the supermarket! lol, which I did. 30 tablets for £2.89 I think? and yes they are vile and the smell/taste of them repeats on me all day..lol x