I have been directed here by some lovely people over on the pernicious anaemia forum.
In September I was diagnosed with a b12 deficiency and was giving two weeks of shots. I felt better for a while, then I went downhill again, but something else started happening too, my eyebrows started falling out, my left eyebrow was first and I put it down to the fact I always lie on that side when I sleep.
Then my hair started feeling thinner and thinner, within weeks I have half the volume of the hair I used to have and now my right eyebrow is shedding hairs like crazy.
I printed out the hypothyroid symptom list and ticked over half the boxes. I went back to my doctors last night, armed with my check list and the doctor didn't even look at it, she said my hair loss was down to the 'normal hair cycle' and asked if I was stressed, I explained I wasn't stressed until my hair started to fall out and she just shrugged and said that the NHS do not cover hair loss, so she can't do anything.
I told her I know something is wrong with me and she reluctantly has put in for a full thyroid check, despite the fact she kept showing me the last few blood tests said it was completely normal. I went for the blood test this morning.
I am worried that the blood test will come out as 'normal' again and I am just going to be left feeling terrible and with no hair to boot.
I have tried attaching my last blood results on this post but it keeps coming up with 'whoops, there was a problem uploading your image' but I can say my serum TSH level is 2.
If anyone can offer any advice, I would be very grateful.
Natalie
Written by
Bellini34
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Welcome to the dark side! Do you only have TSH results or any others you can type in? Do you have the range of your TSH result? (the bit in brackets). Even if your TSH is 'in range' it doesn't mean it's optimal, and you may have antibodies floating about as well, you need to be tested for those.
Hair loss like that, so rapidly, isn't 'normal'. Otherwise it would happen to everyone! D I am staggered at the porkies doctors keep telling patients to shut them up.
Your results may well come back 'normal' but when they do come back, make sure you get copies (it's the law that you are entitled to them) and post them here.
Apart from thyroid checks, you may also have B12, folate, ferritin and/or Vit D deficiencies which will also have knock-on effects. You may need to insist to get those tested too, or else may need to contemplate going private (finger prick assays you can send off in the post).
Am sure someone else will be along to discuss further. Hope that helps!
Its so upsetting, every day I notice a new thin patch. I am 34 and thought I would have to deal with the grey hairs soon but at this rate I won't have any hair at all!
TSH 2 is a sign your thyroid is beginning to struggle but NHS won't usually make a diagnosis until TSH is over range which is usually between 4.2 and 6.0. Ask for a printout of your thyroid results and ranges and post them in a new question for advice.
Hairloss is commonly caused by low ferritin/iron and low zinc as well as hypothyroidism so it may be worth asking your GP to test those too.
I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.
Thank you, the website won't let me upload them! I have them printed out and I will ask for the blood test results I had done today to be printed too, when they come through.
Ask your GP to test the others. It is unlikely GP will be able to test FT3 and TgAb. You can order private tests if your GP won't order them.
Ferritin 36 is sub optimal. Optimal is >100 through to half way in range. You can buy iron without prescription. Take each iron tablet with 500mg-1,000mg vitamin C to aid absorption and minimise constipation.
I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.
Thank you, I had another blood test this morning and will post the results when I get them. I started taking iron yesterday, thanks for the tip with the vitamin C.
At the moment I take 4 sprays of oral b12 first thing. 1 iron tablet.
Then, 2 vitamin C with 1 zinc and 2 biotin at lunch and 2 calcium tabs before bed. I'm surprised people can't hear me rattling.
So glad you have found your way over here Have you decided to do the Home Testing with Blue Horizon - link on your last thread on the PAS forum. Happy to post again if you need it.
Are you on 3-monthly injections for your B12 ? - maybe you need more
Hi Bellini34, I really feel for you. I had the same symptoms for two years - I went from thick luxurious hair to thin straggly straight hair in a matter of months. I was scared to brush it as it brought even more hair out of my head. My pubic hair fell out, I lost the thickness of my eyebrows and the outer segment completely. I was already on thyroxine treatment for underactive thyroid but the blood tests kept coming back as ok for replacement dose that I was on. I started to get chest pain, muscle weakness and experiencing "funny turns". I knew this wasn t normal. My periods stopped completely.
Thyroid Uk seem a good source of support and there's lots of research articles on line, if you can digest this information. You may face an uphill struggle to get a diagnosis and if it is your thyroid, my experience is that often things get quite advanced before the medics listen as so many visible symptoms can be put down to age related conditions such as arthritis and decreasing hormones, etc. Often the GP s themselves aren t experts, they are generalists under great strain to justify the costs of any tests they order. Hopefully a full blood test will help to identify the cause, but do some research into your symptoms and finding others who seem to have similar symptoms always gave me the strength to keep going when I was being told every is "normal" when you feel it very clearly isn't !
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Do you only have TSH results or any others you can type in? Do you have the range of your TSH result? (the bit in brackets). Even if your TSH is 'in range' it doesn't mean it's optimal, and you may have antibodies floating about as well, you need to be tested for those.
HIDDEN MOLD CAN CAUSE MANY SYMPTOMS
Desperate thyroid issues
Getting tested and dumb doctors
TSH, T4 and T3 results - are they okay? Hair loss worse.
