My son has Trich

[dawncade]

One day when my son was only 5 years old I noticed his eyes looked "funny"...upon closer inspection I realized all his long, beautiful eyelashes were gone!  I was shocked and immediately worried about trich (I had seen a program on it before).  I asked him what happened.  He told me he pulled them out because he didn't like everyone commenting on how pretty they were.  I breathed a sigh of relief and thought "Whew!  It isn't trich, he just didn't want to be "pretty".

Fast forward about 6 months and I hear a scream come from my daughter's bedroom.  She comes running out and tells me to go look at Adam (my son) who was in her room on the computer.  I look and he has a silver dollar sized bald spot on the crown of his head!  I gasped, walked out and up into my bedroom and CRIED!  I knew it then...I knew that he had trich. 

He was and is such a HAPPY and chilled out kid.  He has never seemed stressed out before.  OCD, tics, and depression runs in our family though.  So in Adam's case I think it is genetic.

  He is 7 now...almost 8.  We have tried keeping his hair very short so he can't pull it, hoping we could break the habit before it got "bad".  It hasn't worked.  So he pulls on the crown and his eyelashes.  We have never punished him for it or tried to make a big deal of it, but we do encourage him to try and stop.  It has been hard trying to explain to people (friends and family) when they ask "what happened to his hair?!!"  My brother saw him for the first time before I could explain and my brother called him "Baldy McBalderson"...pissed me off so bad!  Adam went off and cried.  My heart broke for him and I'm so worried about how kids will treat him as he gets older.

Sorry for the long post.  I just thought all of you who are going through this could understand and maybe even offer some good advice.  Has anyone had any luck with meds?

Thanks,

Sheryl

[allthatjazz251]

I am so sorry to hear that. I don't know how meds would work. I think I've heard of some going on anti-depressants, but I wouldn't recommend them for a child so young. Maybe talking with an MFT might help? 

I know teasing makes it worse, and you can just do your best to comfort him and not make him feel more stressed out. Mine is triggered by anxiety  and emotional stress. 

I pray things get better for him. He sounds like such a sweet boy.

[JilliansMommy08]

I was just reading a post from another Trich group I am in.  She was talking about her herbalist doctor putting her on Inositol.  It is natural.  I'm not one to jump at trying meds for this condition (I've had it 11 years - The only thing that's ever worked for me is hypnosis - which I need to start doing again)  Here is some info (from http://www.vitaminstuff.com/) I found on it:

 

Inositol

Like Choline, Inositol may be helpful in lowering an individual's cholesterol levels. However, Inositol has been found to be helpful in other areas as well, including the promotion of healthy hair, the prevention of eczema, and as an aid in the redistribution of body fat.

Should you take supplemental doses of inositol? According to some sources, taking supplemental inositol can increase the effectiveness of both choline and Vitamin E.

Inositol is part of the vitamin B complex. It promotes healthy brain development and function, and works closely with choline to move fats out of the heart and liver.

Inositol and choline combine to produce lecithin, a type of lipid that is needed to form healthy membranes for every living cell in the body. Lecithin helps keep the brain, heart, and liver healthy, and aids in the absorption of thiamin (vitamin B1) and vitamin A.

Inositol is also vital for hair growth, and, as a component of lecithin, helps to prevent high cholesterol and the hardening of the arteries caused by cholesterol buildup. It has also been said to have a calming effect on the nervous system, and is being studied as a possible treatment for depression, panic attacks, and even Alzheimer's disease.

How does the body produce its own supply of inositol? Bacteria in the intestines convert the phytic acid found in plant fibers into inositol, so the body is able to manufacture its own supply of this substance. Inositol is also found in a variety of foods containing myo-inositol, such as cantaloupe, citrus fruits (other than lemons), nuts, oats, rice, beans, chickpeas, liver, pork, veal, whole grains, lecithin granules, and wheat germ.

Although the consumption of large amounts of caffeine may cause a shortage of inositol in the body, deficiencies of choline are rare. Nevertheless, heavy coffee drinkers should probably consider taking supplemental inositol.

Some symptoms of inositol deficiency are arteriosclerosis, constipation, hair loss, high cholesterol, irritability, mood swings, and skin eruptions.

Inositol is available both as a separate supplement containing myo-inositol and choline, and as a component of lecithin supplements.

Inositol supplements do not seem to pose a risk for toxicity. There is no Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for inositol, but most people get about 1,000 milligrams a day from their food and doses as high as 50 grams have no reported side effects.

 

I would definitely ask your pediatrician about it.