is hair loss due to lack of T3?

i am wondering what the main reason for my hair loss is, during this horrid time of trying to get well again... my t4 is not working at all... does this mean i am not getting a conversion to t3? is this why i feel so ill and have major hair thinning?

[Marz]

healthunlocked.com/search/h...

Sorry to read about your hair. Have always thought it was due to low Ferritin and Folate. Have posted a link above where others on this forum have discussed this problem before - hopefully you will find something helpful there ......

[knackersyard]

It's possible, but guessing just leads to false hope & prolonged misery.

Request all your test results from your GP & post them up here.

Give a clear description of your history.

So you're now on Levothyroxine? How long for & what dose?

Have you hade bloods done since you were on it?

If you did the Bluehorizons Thyroid +TWELVE test, that would give you a clearer picture as to how your Levo is working, as it tests for Reverse T3 as well as fT3. This could get to the bottom of the issue quickly & save you years of grief.

It also tests your Amaemia panel, which is another possibility in itself.

[bluebug]

Hair loss can be caused by you not being correctly medicated for your thyroid condition. It can be caused by insufficient iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. It can be caused by levo or any other medication you take as even pain killers can cause hair loss.

The first step is to eliminate the common causes so you need to get your latest test results with ranges for FT4, FT3, TSH, vitamin B12, ferritin, folate and vitamin D, then post them in a new thread.

Then if the results are not optimal you will be advised on what to do to get them there.

[radd]

martine,

Hair loss can be associated with high or low T3 but also low iron.

Ferritin is a storage hormone and your hair follicles actually store ferritin. When your body is short, it will steal from the stored supply leaving the follicles short. Insufficient ferritin will not only affect the life cycle of your hair but also change its texture.

Optimal iron levels will also help your thyroid hormone replacement to work better.

If this hasn't been checked recently, ask your GP to test Vit B12, folate, ferritin, Vit D and post results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) for members to comment.

[LAHs in reply to radd]

Wow, that is fascinating, I never knew that. I am going to increase my iron intake again. My hair was falling out the two times I "obeyed" my doc and reduced my dose of Levo to raise my TSH. After I realized she didn't know what she was talking about I switched docs, switched to NDT, bumped my dose up to where it worked and Voila, (amongst many other things) my hair stopped falling out.

[Hidden in reply to LAHs]

hi LAHS .. r u in the uk? i want to try ndt too.. i know i will have a battle ahead, i have been tested for vits n minerals and t3, waitin for results, but am trying to get some money for private bloods... so unfair, .. what i dont understand about docs is, they know we have a thyroid problem but wont test further than the tsh and t4... its like trying to fix a broken car without lifting the bonnet!

[LAHs in reply to Hidden]

Hi Martine, I am actually in the US. The biggest hurdle (UK or US) is to get a prescription for NDT. After you have the 'script there are many places on the Internet from which you can buy NDT - I would recommend going right back to source, i.e. the manufacturer. This way you bypass the Chemist or Pharmacy who may not want to sell it - for whatever stupid reason. There is a list of doctors in the UK who will prescribe NDT, I do not have it at my fingertips but it is listed frequently by the administrators, perhaps if you browse through some other postings, it pops up frequently. If I see it again I will send it to you - it's a lady's name, I'll look around for it.

[radd in reply to LAHs]

You can email [e-mail] for a list of sympathetic endos/doctors that members have had positive experiences with.

.

Getting NDT with a prescription

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

[Hidden in reply to radd]

hi radd.. i did, but didnt get a reply, i know she is busy... i will try again thanx

[LAHs in reply to Hidden]

Hi Martine, glad you got the info, keep trying - that's part of the problem, you have to be very persistent.

[Eddie83]

I had major hair loss from hypothyroidism. And I know my FT3 was in the gutter. But since I had celiac that caused deep nutritional deficits, I can't positively conclude that low FT3 was the sole culprit. I did use an iron supplement for a while to raise ferritin, after getting off gluten.

Is your doc unwilling to give you a full thyroid panel (TSH/FT3/FT4/rT3/TPO/TG)? All I can say about T4 is, I was never able to feel well on it. Raising my dose would take me from mild hypothyroidism, to hyperthyroidism where I felt like I was jumping out of my skin. Adding in T3 made everything WAY better.

[Hidden in reply to Eddie83]

hi eddie83... my docs r bloody useless... i had to beg ,cry and bargain, to get just the t3, so no, i have to pay private for all the most important tests... i want a 24 hr spit test for adrenals, as i know adrenal fatigue may cause my t4 to maybe struggle to convert to t3... my doc says mayb i have adifferent illness coz my bloods are now in range, but 12 mnths ago they were off the scale, so hypo it was unreal... the doc cant accept that the levothyroxine just isnt working... so starts blaming chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia... told her straight , nothing has changed, my symptoms are same but more severe, as i am basically being left untreated, because my t4 aint working... i am so ill... have started to take diff supplements, and trying not to stress... and am waiting to see a different endo as my last one was shite!

[Eddie83 in reply to Hidden]

So is it the case that you still have not been able to add T3 to your regimen?

[Hidden in reply to Eddie83]

i am waiting for some results to come back, from my doc, she tested for t3 and t4 and a bunch of other stuff but no ft3 or ft4 ... i am trying to get some money together so i can get a more in depth test from blue horizon.. .its so unfair.... i wont hesitate to use t3 when i know i need it,.... not if, but when... its a no brainer t4 aint doing the job.... just starting to take lots of supplements now, trying not to stress, and eating properly... its hard going isnt it? i just want my hair to stop falling out... its more than just vanity... but if i havent got the t3 in my cells, i suppose my hair wont stop falling? i feel like my body is shutting down... i keep waking up feeling like i am not in my body... wondering if i am breathing.... bloody weird i tell you... i wake up feeling so still... so unalive, but not in pain... just like a slab ...

[radd in reply to Hidden]

martine,

Your symptoms are similar to my own previous and the descriptions of many others. I added T3 to my T4 just over a year ago and saw big improvements straight away.

Most doctors aren't allowed to test T3 down to cost and the false belief if is not important. Members use private labs - link below.

Eating well and keeping iron and nutrients optimal will help thyroid hormones to work.

Another member mentioned Blue Horizon is testing TSH, T4 & T3 for about £49.00 atm. T3 is the important measurement as is not only the hormone you are proposing to add, but the measure that gives some indication of the way your thyroid hormones are working.

.

Private labs

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...