Hair loss is really upsetting me! Any info pls? :'(

[BiancaS]

I've lost half of my hair and it's not stopping! The Endo and GP are doing nothing! I've read that Levothyroxine and other synthetic thyroid meds are linked to hair loss too! Now I am afraid to take recommended dose, because when I wasn't on any meds, my hair wasn't falling out as bad as now!

Is NDT or T3 better??

The Endo won't test T3, I have high antibodies, which were tested last October, my GP did not retest, but I had requested it, to see if there are changes. I still have fatigue, brain fog, high cholesterol, my blood pressure has gone down a bit, but was high for so long. I have depression, my life is a mess, I can't seem to focus on anything, to get it back together again. Please help!

My blood results:

Thyroid function test-(KG6140)-Normal-No Action

Serum free T4 level 11.6 pmol/L <9.00-19.00 pmol/L

Serum TSH level 3.61 mu/L <0.35-4.94 mu/L

Serum testosterone 0.8 nmol/L <0.40-2.00 nmol/L

Serum ferritin 36 ug/L <16.00-204.00 ug/L

Serum folate 12.1 ug/L <3.10-20.50 ug/L

Plasma glucose level 5.4 mmol/L <3.50-11.10 mmol/L

Serum vit D 66 nmol/L

Serum vit B12 332 ng/L <187.00-883.00 ng/L

Serum lipids

Serum cholesterol 6.9 mmol/L <5.20 mmol/L

Serum triglycerides 1.47 mmol/L <1.70 mmol/L

Serum HDL 1.1 mmol/L <1.20 mmol/L

Serum LDL 5.1 mmol/L

Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio 6.3 ratio

Liver func. test

Serum albumin 41 g/L <35.00-50.00 g/L

Serum bilirubin level 12 umol/L <3.00-21.00 umol/L

Serum alkaline phosphatase 48 iu/L <40.00-150.00 iu/L

Serum ALT level 24 iu/L <55.00 iu/L

Serum gamma GT level 21 iu/L <9.00-36.00 iu/L

Urea and electrolytes

Serum Sodium 143 mmol/L <136.00-145.00 mmol/L

Serum potassium 4.6 mmol/L <3.50-5.10 mmol/L

Serum creatinine 72 umol/L <50.00-98.00 umol/L

Serum urea level 3.9 mmol/L <2.50-6.70 mmol/L

GFR calculated abbreviated MDRD-(KG140)-Abnormal no action

CKD Stage 2: eGFR 60-89 mL/min/1.73m2 Mildly reduced kidney function.

Bone profile

Serum albumin 42 g/L <35.00-50.00 g/L

Serum calcium 2.31 mmol/L <2.15-2.61 mmol/L

Corrected serum calcium level 2.23 mmol/L <2.15-2.61 mmol/L

Serum alkaline phosphatase 48 iu/L <40.00-150.00 iu/L

Serum inorganic phosphate 1.27 mmol/L <0.74-1.52 mmol/L

O/E-blood pressure reading 131/85 mmHg

[HarryE]

Your ferritin is the most likely cause. It needs to be above 70. My hair stopped falling out when I got mine up to 80. Yout Vit D & B12 need to be higher too - your B12 a lot higher. If you are on thryoid meds you aren't on enough, your TSH should be around 1, so your T4 is also low in range. You need free T3 measured really to see what is happening but the NHS don't seem to believe in it!

I self medicate on NDT & am back to my normal self, but I got no support from the doctors at all.

[BiancaS in reply to HarryE]

Hi Harry, thanks for the advice. I'm on it! I was Vit D deficient, then on a very high dose, had another blood test, Endo thinks it's sufficient, put me on 1 capsule 1000IU a day! I will need to buy T3, need to find a supplier.

Then it's the case of what quantity of each?

Levothyroxine has been researched, and proven to cause hair loss. Now I'm worried, so I cut my dose in half.

I'm trying to heal my body, so I can be medication free. In the meantime I would prefer to take a natural thyroid hormone.

Will my hair ever grow back?? Will my brain ever function properly again, with no brain fog?? Will I ever be myself again?? I was gym goer and fit, now I'm more couch potato and hating it!

[HarryE in reply to BiancaS]

To be honest, I don't think you will ever be able to manage without thyroid hormone - if your body isn't making it you need to replace it. NDT is more 'natural' & I don't really think of it as a medication - it's just replacing what I should make myself.

But yes, on the right medication & the right dose, you can feel totally well, I do

[BiancaS in reply to HarryE]

Ok, thanks harry.

[Clutter in reply to BiancaS]

Bianca, You won't feel better until your thyroid levels and vits/minerals are optimal. Brain fog is a typical undermedication symptom. If, when you were on the correct Levothyroxine dose you still had brain fog, you may benefit from the addition of T3 to Levothyroxine or NDT which contains T4+T3.

You may reduce your Hashi flare and antibodies by your diet changes but you won't be able to reverse damage to the the thyroid gland and will need hormone replacement for life.

I had considerable hair loss when thyroid hormones were low AND when they were too high. It's a fine line to get it right whichever type of replacement you are taking and as HarryE mentioned low ferritin/iron also cause hair loss.

If you intend selfmedicating you will need periodic FT3 tests to ensure you don't overmedicate. Private tests are available from Blue Horizon and Genova via thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[BiancaS in reply to Clutter]

Thanks Jackie. I've seen a nutritionist too, who told me that if the body is well and healed, that the hormones in the body will function normal again. I spoke to someone who was hyperthyroid, who healed himself, so there is hope.

but in the meantime I need that T3 test, and NDT.

I will also stock up on vitamins.

I've read so much about Levothyroxine causing hair loss, that I don't want to make it worse by taking more. I take 50mg now, but was on 100mg.

[Clutter in reply to BiancaS]

Bianca, I really think you should increase your Levothyroxine to 100mcg while you decide whether to order NDT or T3.

Hyperthyroidism often has spontaneous remission but the same isn't true of a Hashi damaged thyroid.

[BiancaS in reply to Clutter]

OK thanks, just worried about the hair loss. i just had a reply from someone, previously on Levo, lost much hair, now on NDT, hair losshas stopped, brain fog too.

[Hannorah in reply to BiancaS]

what is NDT?

[humanbean in reply to Hannorah]

NDT = Natural Dessicated Thyroid. It is the medication that was used to treat people with hypothyroidism before levothyroxine was invented. It was used successfully for about 70-80 years before levothyroxine started being used regularly. Many people who have tried it in modern times prefer NDT to levo.

NDT is usually prepared from the thyroid of pigs, although cows may be used in some preparations I believe. It contains all the hormones that a human thyroid would produce, not just one like levo does. It is virtually impossible to get prescribed in the UK, although some very rare, determined, and lucky people do.

Most people who take NDT instead of levo buy their supplies online. Some people have private prescriptions, many people don't.

[debjs]

My hair fell out in big handfuls when taking levothyroxine. It has recovered on NDT (though I have a number of problems still) but it took about a year to recover fully.

[BiancaS in reply to debjs]

Thanks Deb. Can you tell me if you had the T3 test done and where you bought your NDT pls. Are you on NDT only now? Some people recommend

Levo plus T3, what do you think? Thyroxine is synthetic and a lot of people can't convert it, so it does not metabolize in the body. I think my brain fog hair loss and fatigue is also caused by that.

[debjs in reply to BiancaS]

Sorry I do not know anything about Hashimoto's but am sure many others have experience of that. I have had TT and was very unwell on both synthetic T4 and T3 and my hair fell out on both. My T3 was not tested until I started seeing my current endo. I am fortunate in that my GP prescribes my NDT but it has been a long and slow journey which is not yet complete as I am still suffering many symptoms but my hair definitely improved and my eyebrows are also growing back now.

[Hannorah in reply to debjs]

thank you for this. My hair is also coming out in handfuls.. :(. I will have to try this NDT

[BiancaS]

I have forgotten to add that I have high antibodies 414, which are attacking my thyroid, that means I have Hashimoto's isn't it?

[Marz in reply to BiancaS]

Yes - you have Hashimotos. I was diagnosed some 9 years ago and my anti-bodies are over 600 .... To the right of this page there is a heading Topics - scroll down and there are over a 1000 posts about Hashimotos

When your Ferritin is around 80/90 your hair will improve. Also you need to improve your B12....VitD seems to be involved in everything within the body....

[BiancaS in reply to Marz]

Thank you Marz. My antibodies are 414. My skin is very dry too, I seem to have aged rapidly the last couple of years!

I will read all the info i can get.

Which medication are you on and how much?

See the GP's think, that my vits are normal, as on my results they just say, normal no action. Sometimes I wonder why they became GP's?!!

[Marz in reply to BiancaS]

It is possibly because they are taught to look at the ranges - not WHERE the result is in the range. Reading your profile I so think that some of your symptoms are linked to the VERY low B12. What supplements are you taking and how much ?

I started on T4 - then a T4/T3 combo now T3 only with a tray full of supplements

Am also gluten free.....

[Ansteynomad]

I too can report hair growth on NDT, whereas it never recovered over 18 months on synthetic thyroxine even though ferritin etc were optimal.

The brain fog is a lot better too.

[BiancaS in reply to Ansteynomad]

Thanks Ansteynomad. That's good to hear. I have Hashis, I suppose I can only but try, but I'm not prepared to lose the rest of my hair on synthetic crap!

Where do you buy yours?

I don't understand anyway, why the doctors prescribe a 1 hormone only medication, which is T4, if the thyroid produces 4 hormones, and needs all to function properly!???

[greygoose in reply to BiancaS]

Because that's what they were taught to do in med school, and it's a very rare doctor that questions that! And they learn it in med school because that's what big pharma wants them to learn. Big Pharma doesn't want to make us better, it just wants to keep us alive so that we can take lots of their expensive drugs to 'treat' the symptoms of low thyroid. Follow the money, and that explains everything!

There is a reason why Levo affects hair - can't remember all the technical names, but to counter-act the effect, try taking Evening Primrose Oil and Borage Oil. It's a good short-term solution while you're making up your mind what to do next.

NDT may contain 'natural' pig's thyroid, but it also contains unnatural fillers the same as synthetic hormone pills. It also contains T4 which still needs to be converted, so if you're a bad converter, it might not suit you. And it might not suit you because you have Hashi's, for various reasons. It's possible that you might be better off on synthetic, but if you can't convert, you need T3. And the only way you're going to know which type of replacement suits you, is to try it. I tried just about everything, and nothing suited me except T3 only. I'm also Hashi's.

As to coming off your thyroid hormone replacement (T4, T3, NDT, whatever), the problem with having antibodies is that it destroys part of your gland - even all of it if you're not treated early enough. You may be able to reduce your antibodies - by going gluten-free, or having a suppressed TSH (but it will always have to remain suppressed) - but your gland cannot regenerate itself enough to provide you with enough hormone to allow you to live well. Yours has already been damaged enough for you to need to take thyroid hormone replacement. So, you will always need to take a certain amount. Until they find a cure for Hashi's and get working on thyroid gland replacement surgery, anyway!

[faith63 in reply to BiancaS]

I use the synthetic crap and my hair is good. ndt made me very ill.

[faith63]

i agree with greygoose.

[vgam]

Have you noticed an improvement with your hair?

[Aggieski]

I have read all this whole thread and found it very helpful...I have been having brain fog and dizziness for 7 months and no one knows what is wrong with me...I also have lost lots of hair and my thyroid test come back "normal"..I suffer with pain in my neck and again "everything is fine".I do feel that what I am going through has to do with my thyroid..And the info here is helpful.

[mourneadventurer]

Hello BiancaS,

Unexplained hairloss is a sign of poor mitochondrial functioning. Perhaps check enzyme D102 genetic polymorphism with Regenerus laboratories.

I'm currently unblocking hair from my shower drain. Also going to do a liver detox to remove some build up toxins.