Hair and nail loss

[Captain-morgan]

Hi guys. Fairly new to this site. Can anyone tell me what I need to take to stop my hair falling out and my nails falling off. I've just started t3 25mg for last two days and take levothyroxine 100mg. Thanks in advance.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Captain-morgan Hair falling out could be low ferritin, as well as a symptom of hypo.

Nails 'falling off' is usually caused by trauma or a fungal infection and I think brittle or peeling nails cam be caused by iron deficiency but not quite sure. Do you have any vitamin and mineral test results? They all need to be optimal for thyroid hormone to work anyway do it's a god idea to test and see if there are any deficiencies .

Did you go straight on to 25mcg T3 or build up slowly?

[Captain-morgan in reply to SeasideSusie]

HI. I don't have any fungus been tested twice for it both times negative. I take 12.5 mg of t3 twice a day. I started t3 two days ago. How do I get tested for the vitamin tests. My gp is above useless. Thank you for your reply

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Captain-morgan]

Captain-morgan I'm trying to understand nails falling off. Are they discoloured, yellowish, thick and hard to cut? Which nails?

To get vitamin and mineral tests you can get them done privately if your GP won't do them. Blue Horizon do one that includes all the important vits and mins, plus TSH, FT4, FT3, both types of thyroid antibodies, everything you need to know to help with dosing of thyroid meds and will show any deficiencies in vits and mins to help with supplementing bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/T...

You really need to be careful with T3. The advice is to go low and slow, ie start with a low dose of 6.25mcg and increase gradually. Some members have made themselves quite unwell by starting on a high dose and increasing quickly. And it's not possible to know what you actually need without full thyroid function tests ie FT4 and FT3.

If you get the BH test done, make a new thread and post the results with reference ranges then members can identify any deficiencies you may have and suggest supplements to help, also advise on dosing thyroid meds.

[Captain-morgan in reply to SeasideSusie]

Lol seaside susie. My finger nails are white half way down and then lift. My nail bed is OK. I'm going to get these tests done and repost. I will half the t3 for a few weeks and gradually increase Thank you so much for your help.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Captain-morgan]

Oh, finger nails! I automatically thought toe nails! Probably because I have had fungal nail infection, that's why I wondered if there was any cream/yellow colour. So now I've not come across that but is this any help nailpro.com/nail-clinic-ony... it does mention thyroid disease as a cause.

Good move on the T3 in my opinion, better to take it slow and not risk problems

[Captain-morgan in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for your time. You was diagnosed when I was 1 year old. Your knowledge is appreciated...

[Captain-morgan in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi. The only testing I get is serum tsh level 0.18 and forced them to do t3 0.15. It is a complete battle with the gp

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Captain-morgan]

Do you have the reference ranges for those? How did you manage to get FT3 done but no FT4?

[Captain-morgan in reply to SeasideSusie]

The ft4 was slightly over range. The printer was broken but I did have it done.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Captain-morgan]

Sounds like you may not be converting if your t4 was over range and t3 v low. If the t3 helps you may eventually want to reduce your levo and see if you feel better on t3 alone.

I found my hair came back like billy-o when I added t3 to my levo. I hope you find the same.

[Captain-morgan in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Thank you. The gp seems to think my t3 was in normal range. Shame my body doesn't. Thank you for your reply

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Captain-morgan]

Do you have the range? That result sounds very low but actually without the range I'm just making that assumption.

[Captain-morgan in reply to puncturedbicycle]

I don't. I'm going to get it done again so I will ask for a print off. 0.15 t3 that's all it said because I nagged him to do the test (t3). When I get it is will post it . You guys are so knowledgeable....my list of systoms are pool of fluid on the bottom of my right leg. Weight gain. Nail and chair problems. It goes on. You guys I feel can help me more than the cold shoulder I get from gp. Thank you again

[Captain-morgan in reply to Captain-morgan]

Hair that should be.

[Captain-morgan in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Serum tsh level 0.18 miu/L 0.20- 4.00miu/L then it says ideal t4 replacement therapy indicated by tsh 0.2-2.0 miu/L. Any idea what that means.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Captain-morgan]

Oh yes Captain-morgan That means you are 'normal' because your TSH is (almost) in range - yes, you are very slightly under range but just by a smidgen, I'm surprised they didn't say you are over medicated as a lot of them say that as soon as you go under range. Anyway, because they are guided only by the almighty god TSH you can't be anything other than normal.

Of course you're not normal because you have these symptoms and your FT3 appears to be very low (guessing here because no range). But they don't understand this because they don't know enough so your doctor just follows the guidelines because he doesn't know what else to do.

TSH is really irrelevant. It's the FT4 and FT3 that are important, the FT3 more so. T4 is the storage hormone and it has to be converted to T3 which is the active hormone and that's the one that does all the work.

The aim of a treated hypo patient is for the TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it is necessary for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their ranges. You are obviously being let down big time by your doctor.

Once you have those Blue Horizon test results and have posted them, members will comment and do their best to help you.

In the meantime, read and learn, you are going to need to fight your corner, you may need to ask for a referral to an endo if you don't already see one. Start by going to ThyroidUK's main website and work your way through it, go through the purple menu on the left starting at About The Thyroid thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/

Keep asking questions and members will help.

[Captain-morgan in reply to SeasideSusie]

I definitely need to educate myself on thyroid I just went with what the gp said. (Not anymore) . Thank you once again.

[Captain-morgan]

Thank you