Hair Loss

[rustyspokes]

Hi, I've been taking 100mg Levo daily for a couple of months now, and am finally feeling lots better. My energy levels & 'get up &go' have returned to near normal. However, my hair is falling out at an alarming rate! Any idea if this will settle down? Will boosting ferritin and/or folate help? Thanks

[Poshpenny]

What were your last blood test results for ferritin? There is definitely a link between low ferritin and hair loss

[Clutter]

Rustyspokes, It says on the Levothyroixine PIL that hairloss may be experienced in the early months of taking it. It should improve once you have been on an optimal dose for a while. Low ferritin and zinc can also cause hairloss. Biotin and evening primrose may help but it may take up to a year to notice much improvement.

[puncturedbicycle]

Yes, I agree w Clutter. Mine fell out for ages, even after being on a good dose of levo which brought all my thyroid levels up to optimum. The good news is that, when I was on enough levo for long enough, it also began to grow in like billy-o, meaning I had a lot of new growth of different lengths which looked messy but made me feel more hopeful about maybe not ending up bald. Adding t3 seemed to help a bit both with slowing loss and increasing growth.

I tried taking t3 only this summer and couldn't tolerate a high enough dose, so my tsh went right up to 4, and within a month or two my hair thinned noticeably.

[jezebel69]

Yep was the same for me - any change of dosage seems to affect mine too. It took at least 3 months to stop shedding after the last increase from 100 mcg to 125 mcg Levo.

[r0dg3r]

I find that mine falls out if for some reason my dose becomes unbalanced usually when I am taking to much I find I actually feel better taking 175mg rather then the fifty or two hundred but the tablets don't halve that easily so I take it on alternate days

[Tweetypie28]

It's so upsetting when your hair falls out, I feel for you. I found mine fell out each time I needed a raise in meds and when I did raise my Levo it stopped falling out. However I reached a dose where my levels were all good but I started to have some loss again. My ferritin levels were quite low so this could have been the cause but I then switched to Armour and I have to say the hair loss is a lot less, although I still get some but I believe I need a small raise in meds right now and my iron levels need to be higher. Hope you find your answer x

[Enfrance in reply to Tweetypie28]

Please tell me how your hair loss is now with Armour?

[Tweetypie28 in reply to Enfrance]

Hi there, at the moment I am in a very good place. My hair loss is minimal. I am experiencing some and my hair is still a bit brittle and tangly BUT I can live with this. I've been on Armour for 5 months and I 100% reccommend this! I will never go back to anything else.

I am peri menopausal too now and my hair change could simply be hormonal changes as it falls out more and becomes far more knotted just before my period. Hope this helps x

[Enfrance in reply to Tweetypie28]

Thank you do much for your feedback. You have really helped put my nerves at bay. I am counting down the days until I can make the change!!!

[gabkad]

It seems that a too low dose of thyroid results in a low metabolism and hair falls out. But increasing metabolism by being on a good dose of thyroid speeds things up and the cycle of hair growth and hair loss speeds up so hair loss can also happen when dose is increased. That's what I've concluded from all the ups and downs and whatnots.

.........provided that hemoglobin and ferritin are excellent that is...... if hemoglobin is low, the oxygen delivery is inadequate and any cells in the body that need good oxygen delivery suffer. That includes the cells that line the inside of the gut.

Probably that's also why skin suffers when hypo and low hemoglobin.

Garhhhhh, it's so complicated.

[marmaris]

I am having this problem and I am convinced it was because they lowered my T4 from 100mcgs down to 50mcgs, felt it and knew it was not right, and messing with the T3 dosage. I thought it was because I had gone blonde and took a long procedure at hairdressers to get the red out. Anyway when I recently saw my Endo he said my ferritin is not high enough 88 (15-300) he also pointed out the silly reference ranges. He said it needs to be at least 100 or over I have read it should be higher than that. Started Iron tablets he has given me, no constipation as I take them with Vit C. I have upped my T4 to 100mcgs (original dosage), he told me 75mcgs but after 20 years with this illness I listen to my body. Hair still falling out, but I am trying to be positive. It's such a fine tuning this illness.

[Enfrance in reply to marmaris]

Please advise of your current ferritin level and hair loss? Your message was the first I ever heard of a Dr aiming for 100. This sounds great!!

[marmaris in reply to Enfrance]

Last checked was 176 and has improved hair loss. Just taking one tablet now for loading dose in case the level drops. Also on NDT now so need good Ferritin.

[Enfrance in reply to marmaris]

Wow, congrats!!! And obviously, your liver is totally fine. Can you please share what iron supplements you are using? Also, by chance do you have any before/after pictures??