Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Terri on October 28, 2010 at 6:30pm

I tried this treatment and the pain and healing time was too much. I preferred the pains of the injections to that. I figured I didnt have any success with growth because the scarring was too much for the growth to come thru.

Permalink Reply by Susan P aka DGADBS on October 29, 2010 at 9:26am

I was getting the injections to start with then I lost too much hair for that to work anymore so I took the treatments. First the Dr. was only putting it on half my scalp, then I told her "I'm already going crazy with this why not do both sides" pain is pain. I also have scarring on the back of my neck. I wish I would have been informed about all the risks, I wasn't told that it could cause cancer!

Permalink Reply by Pam Glover on November 5, 2010 at 5:28pm

Is this a cream that you put on?? I tried that for a very short time. My face also broke out so I quit using it, never did have any hair growth but maybe didnt use it long enough. That stuff was torture!! Id rather be bald lol My scalp bothered me if I put anything on my head for probably 6 months after.

I was totally bald when I tried it and am still totally bald, which is just fine with me. When I want hair I put a wig on.

I have AU also. Yay, low maintenance!! hehehe

Pam

Permalink Reply by Crystal on November 13, 2010 at 1:06pm

I tried the dpcp and i had to stop it. I had headaches 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.

Permalink Reply by Amy on January 10, 2011 at 8:37pm

I did this treatment for 6 months. Contact me if you have any questions!

Permalink Reply by Susan P aka DGADBS on January 11, 2011 at 7:38am

Hi Amy, How well did you handle the treatments and did you have regrowth? For me it was like my head had been burned, I would sleep with a towel over my pillow because the blisters would break and weep and the itch would drive me crazy. I would get the treatment every two weeks then spend the weekend cooped up because it looked so horrible and I couldn't stand anything touching my scalp.

Permalink Reply by Amy on April 26, 2011 at 2:58pm

Hey Susan! Sorry I didn't see your reply until now.

It's funny you mention the towel over the pillow because I did the same thing! Sometimes I went through 4 or 5 towels a night. I had my treatments once a week for 6 months and it was pure hell. I had them done on Fridays so that I had the weekend to recuperate. I too spent the weekend locked up in the house, not wanting my head to touch anything, let alone a wig! I'm surprised my husband could look at me. There were even a few Mondays that my head still hurt so bad that I didn't go to work, or I'd come home from time to time with my wig stuck to my head because it was still weeping.

After 6 months, I stopped the treatments mainly because my hubby and I were going on our honeymoon and I didn't want to have to deal with the pain while we were in Cuba. The hair started to grow back while I was in Cuba, but I really don't know if it was from the treatments of because I was stress free for a week. Once we came home, I decided not to continue the treatments. Over the summer break (I'm a teacher), I had about 90% re-growth and was starting to think about growing my hair out. Then school started again, and by October my hair started falling out again. I'm pretty convinced that my hair loss is 100% stress related. Every summer it start to grow back, and every fall it falls out again. So, I'm not even thinking about trying the treatments again.

Permalink Reply by Susan P aka DGADBS on April 28, 2011 at 7:40am

Hey Amy seems like we both reacted the same way, pure Hell. You don't realize how much your scalp moves with every expression you make until your head is tight and on fire. I sometimes would go for a drive just to get my mind focused on something else. I too feel that my AU was brought on by stress, divorce. I would never get the treatments again even if I am bald forever.

Permalink Reply by Amy on June 8, 2011 at 11:16pm

I agree with you Susan! You couldn't pay me enough to go through that again!

Permalink Reply by Tam on June 8, 2011 at 9:58pm

Hi Amy,
I am in Quebec and I was just put on DPCP. This medication has seriously brought me to hell and back but I am like you and think this medication is tough, so am I!
My reactions have also been horrific: major pain, blisters, dryness etc... whoa bad news. I am taking prednisone, did you? I also take a lot of Advil and benedryl to get to bed...
So far through all the redness and blisters I still see some white fluff growing. It is VERY fine and hard to see but it is there. Did you have this?

Permalink Reply by Amy on June 8, 2011 at 11:14pm

Salut Tam!
Sorry to hear that you're not having fun with the DCPC treatments. I really don't miss them! I was on prednisone for a few months, but that was about a year before I started DCPC. I got really sick while on the prednisone, so I decided not to take any while doing the DCPC.

I did have fluff start to grow and was so excited to see it! It was so fine that my dermatologist had to use a magnifying glass to see it. I stopped the treatment shortly after the fuzz started to come in, mostly because I was just sick of dealing with the itching and stuff. Hair did continue to grow and I have about 70% regrowth, but not enough to go wig free :(

During April and May I was on medical leave from work and noticed my hair starting to grow back in a few bald spots. I've been back at work now for a week and it's starting to fall out again. Maybe I'm allergic to my job!

Permalink Reply by Tam on June 9, 2011 at 8:56am

Hi Amy,

Amazing to hear you had at least 70% regrowth and full regrowth at one point. Will you consider going back on treatment or never again? Did your hair regrow everywhere else too (i.e. eyelashes, brows etc)? How long were you on treatment? I take it the phase is I get the peach fuzz and then that falls out?

My AU occurred during a very stressful period of my life: i was in "crisis mode". I strongly believe that although I will be dealing with alopecia for a while to come, that I can "tame it" by keeping my stress levels down to practically zero. I think once I get stressed out again, the hair will fall and remind me to keep calm. Maybe that is with you too? Maybe your alopecia is in action with stress. When I truly calmed down and started to do new things like not care as much about the small stuff, yoga, realizing life is a marathon not a sprint, that is when I started to notice my fuzz.

I keep hearing of people even with AU, even though only so few, will have possibly full regrowth. Everyone is so different. I believe in the DPCP and I think just keeping positive through all the nasty side effects (like no sleep because of the blisters popping and then reforming over and over and over), this all has to be for the good.

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