Hello I was introduced to this site by a friend. I just got diagnosed with hypothyroidism and I am having massive hair loss. In the shower the hair clogs the drains and i am scaared i go totally bald. Does hair grow back with natural desiccated thyroid or do i have to get a wig? Any success stories of hair growing back to original state? I am on levothyroxine 25mg daily. Doctor told me the hair never will grow back. Anyone have their full hair grow back?
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ricksmartini
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Your doctor said What ! ! If the hair loss is because of hypothyroidism then yes you'll get your back once your properly medicated and your vitamins are good - vitamin b12, vitamin d folate and ferritin - these are all key to you body utilising your thyroid medication properly.
I've been hypo for 30 years but a bit under medicated until recently. So I've always had a bout more coming out than people without thyroid problems but I've never gone bald or even patchy. But now I'm better medicated the hair loss has virtually stopped. Flipping Doctors !
I really hope she finds a good endocrinologist... it took me forever to find a doctor that cared about why I wasn't getting better, rather than just looking at the bloodwork and raising my med dosage...
First of all, I am sorry that you are discovering your thyroid issue after it's caused these issues . You're taking 25mg? Or mcg? 25mg is a lot! Your levels must have been off the charts? I have hair loss but it's not nearly the same as yours. I can't really help you with that but I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism eleven years ago so maybe I can help with something else . I hope you start to feel better soon. Make sure you are seeing an endocrinologist and not your primary, or OB for your thyroid. I made that mistake for many many years.
Hi, unfortunately your doctor is an idiot. Hair can grow back. I would suggest that you get a copy of your blood test results and put them on here so that people can advise you as it sound like you're not optimally medicated at present. Have you just started medication? I imagine you mean 25 mcg as opposed to mg which is a low dose. Make sure you get your b12 and vitamin d checked as well as these can also cause you trouble
i know he is i was really scared to hear that my hair will never grow back! i also have anxiety will ndt affect my anxiety?
Should make it better but put up you blood test results because a lot of people are ok on levothyroxine if medicated correctly and for you it would be better because it's not as expensive. Also, vitamin absorption trouble can cause similar symptoms and were prone to b12 and vitamin d deficiency.
change your Dr, he is not only completely incorrect but he has caused you unnecessary anxiety, he cannot possibly make that statement as fact trust us he is wrong!
Sadly, despite being optimally medicated on Thyroid S and with all my 'ducks in a row', mine is still patchy and thin.
Have you tried taking good vitamin B complex?
They usually contain biotin, good for hair & nails.
But you need to stop taking it 4-5 days before any blood tests as can falsely affect results
Hi Ricksmartini, you probably mean 25 mcg which is a very small dose,most people need 100 mcg at least.
What other symptoms do you have?
I would change my doctor straight away! Yes it should grow back,mine went really thin after I had my thyroid removed, I lost more than half my hair,not patches but just overall thinning.It depends how thick you hair was to start with, mine was very fine so it was more noticable.
It has improved,but I don't think it will get back to where it was.I use a lot of things to thicken it,I use caffeine tonic after washing it,use mousse and dry shampoo.I also have highlights every 3 months which thickens the roots. So it looks o.k. most of the time.
Don't despair! I would ask for a referral to an endochrinologist as the doctor seems to know nothing about the thyroid!
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are a huge part of why hypothyroidism is so rampant. It's like, "Which came first? The hypothyroidism or the nutritional deficiencies!"
For millions of people, it is the nutritional deficiencies that cause most of the problems. Conventional doctors are not in the business of restoring nutrition. It's easier for them say, "Here, take this." And "this" is usually Levothyroxine prescribed for hypothyroidism. Some never even do labs at all and still hand you the Levo.
Why do they not ever check iodine levels? It is understood that before discovering "Hashimoto's" or "Grave's Disease," the most common reason for hypothyroidism was iodine deficiency.
It is probably still the case today. Just because iodine deficiency might be hidden behind another diagnosis... it is still iodine deficiency.
This all means that we have to do our own homework. We have to make sure we're getting the right treatment. Being here is step one. It means you are aware you need to learn more than what your "inside-the-box" doctor never looks beyond.
Your low dose basically says as much. Your doctor may be merely placating you. For him to say your hair loss will never recover is cruel and insensitive. Perhaps he said that and then guilt-ridden, he decided to go ahead and give you a pittance of Levo. It happens.
I would see a nutritionist.
You could be low in iodine and that would severely limit thyroid function. Your iron levels could be low and that alone can cause major hair loss. It could be B12 and other B vitamins. Do you have any other symptoms? Listing all your symptoms and your lab results can help tell the tale.
For me, my massive hair loss was due mostly to low ferritin levels. My iron and iron stores (ferritin) were at rock bottom.
I have no thyroid (a result of Grave's Disease) and my thyroid hormones were also neglected. I could not convert T4 into T3. No doctor figured any of that out. I did it on my own after extensive research. My hair came back after getting the right thyroid hormone for me and working on all deficiencies. However, remarkable growth was apparent after getting my iron levels significantly closer to optimal. Together, the changes made changed everything.
viviscal.com/blog/iron-defi...
You asked about Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) products.
Natural Desiccated Thyroid hormone is the best product for restoring thyroid hormone levels (also in conjunction with continuing to address nutritional deficiencies) with the least amount of disruption in the body (it's a natural product, not synthetic and gives you a boost with T3). Adding T3 helps the body gain enough of a break to promote recovery. Otherwise you're waiting eons for T4 to get converted and work for you. That won't happen if you are nutritionally deficient. It means you just get sicker before you can get better (that is, if you can convert enough T4). This is why NDT worked so well for the masses for over a hundred years -- long before Levo was created in a laboratory. The problem with Levo is that since it contains only T4, it must be converted by nutrients before it can be useful. And it takes weeks to begin to have an effect, whereas with NDT the T3 it has helps you immediately while the T4 is being stored for later conversion (if you can convert it!).
Thyroxine, dependent on nutrients in order to be useful, does not work for those who are nutritionally deficient (which describes most who become hypothyroid). These days our diets are so bogged down with the toxins manufacturers put in foods (many are thryoid-killing toxins like bromine) that our thyroids are limping along as never before in history. Levo (T4) does not address the needs of those who are hypothyroid due to those nutritional deficiencies. Some are only "temporarily" hypo. Once their nutritional and hormonal needs are up to par, all function of the the thyroid is restored. This mostly doesn't happen because doctors use Levo as the "go to" thyroid hormone of choice. Many are iodine deficient. Doctors rarely check this most obvious reason for hypothyroidism. They are too busy trying to convince us that iodine deficiency is rare in western civilization. They are brainwashed to think that way. It simply is not true. Iodine deficiency is rampant!
Our lifestyle and environmental toxins should dictate that NDT be the first thyroid hormone of choice to make sure we all get enough T3 to immediately assist with dysfunction and stop the degradation of our body.
If one is grossly deficient in any nutrient, chances are there is overwhelming deficiency in most all nutrients. Iodine is usually the worst deficiency. Without iodine, the thyroid cannot produce the thyroid hormones we need. Doctors insist we have no iodine deficiencies in western civilization. The hypothyroid epidemic defies that claim. The paltry amount of iodine recommended by our respective governments is preposterous. It sets up for thyroid failure.
Together, with the gross misunderstanding (or is it?) of how the endocrine system functions, people are being robbed of a long and healthy life by those who are sworn to heal.
yurielkaim.com/iodine-and-h...
Hope this helps!
Healing hugs!
I do prefer to try natural remedies before going onto medicated pills
thank you for the information i really learnt alot from your responce thank you xx
Hi bluepetals2,
Am curious to know how your diagnosis of lyme was made.... via your GP or? I understand the nhs does not or very rarely does such tests. I have been losing my hair at a rapid rate for quite a while now.... chunks of it in the shower after washing it.... I am hypo, have been for a very long time but the large amount of hair loss has only been happening for about a year of so... must be under medicated... Can't rely on GP for help ... and am concerned an endo will make it worse at it appears to be the case often from members of the forum. did not know lyme disease can cause serious hairloss. So hat treatment are you getting, and is there really no hope for your hair to regrow?
Sorry for butting in in your conversation with Ricksmartini.
I can understand your worry regarding abundant hair loss....plus the recent diagnosis for hypothyroidism.
Unfortunately I am not able to reassure you regarding the possibility of hair growing back in time. For the past year I have noticed my fair falling at a huge rate... big chunks in shower after washing it and everywhere... Have been on Levothyroxiine (100 mcg and 75 mcg on alternate days ) since 1980. Although there have been periods during which I have lost rather a lot of hair it's never been to the present extent. When I mentioned this to GP a few years ago she ignored it.. as for my present GP.. not much better but mentioned referring me to an endo...
Do hope someone who has experienced such a hair loss and recovered from it will be able to contact you.... and me.
Best wishes.
Knock Knock!! I'm contacting you!
We have to remember that we cannot expect thyroid hormone to to be a pill that will take care of all the neglect suffered during the time we were hypothyroid before being diagnosed. Sometimes that equates to decades!
Much the same for those who have basically been on the same dose of Levothyroxine for decades. What a shame. The body changes and has more hormonal needs. Doctors can be very neglectful.
Depending on the severity of hypothyroidism (which doctors don't pay attention to), we end up with many nutritional issues due to a lack of adequate stomach acid. That lack of nutrition causes a myriad of problems in the body.
We lack many things when we don't have enough thyroid hormone to go around and into every cell of the body. So it stands to reason there will be dysfunction throughout until that enough active thyroid hormone does the job we need it to do. With low stomach acid we fail to convert T4 (Levo) into the active hormone (T3) due to nutrients that are lacking for that conversion to take place.
We don't need hair to live. It is not vital to our lives. So it is one of the first things to be sacrificed in the line of "who-gets-some-T3-hormone." Nails are at the front of the line too, among other things. You get the picture. But with nutritional supplements you can reverse the trend and get your health and your hair back. But you also need to make sure you are getting enough active thyroid hormone (T3). You really should see an Endo who will do a full line of thyroid function tests. G.P.s mostly just look at TSH which is a huge error.
Your Endo should also check Serum Iron, Serum Ferritin and Transferrin Saturation.
If you want to get an idea whether or not iron supplementation might be of help to you, try one of the hair growth supplements that's rich in Iron, Zinc, Biotin, Niacin, Vitamin C and Omega-3s. Adding a B-complex and Selenium would round it out enough for you to get an idea if the lack of nutrients is the problem.
The lack of nutrients may very well be the issue as Levo cannot convert to the active thyroid hormone without them. Perhaps you could talk it over with the Endo. They know it makes sense. You have to demand it.
The article below, I had posted earlier but wanted to make sure you could see it.
viviscal.com/blog/iron-defi...
The lack of active thyroid hormone (T3) is the main issue. But usually that too can be corrected by supplementing with the vitamins and minerals that are vital to T4 thyroid hormone (Levo) conversion.
I should know. Yes, it happened to me! It can be corrected.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for this comprehensive reply. It all makes sense of course. Will be contacting you later as need to go out shortly.
Thank you so much for reply. The lack of support is concerning... Do hope you're improving.
Poor you... so sorry you have had so many problems. Do hope you will start feeling better soon. It is so difficult when one has multiple and complex health problems... and ageing does not help.
SlowDragonAdministrator
My hair is much thicker now than before diagnosis. I have Hashimotos
Going gluten free and improving vitamins - in my case vitamin D, magnesium, b12 & b complex probably gave greatest improvement, but zinc was perhaps also be important
Beware of iodine especially with Hashimoto's- it can make it much worse. Only ever consider iodide under specialist advice
If "beware" means "be wary" as to be careful with using iodine, then I agree. But if "beware" means "don't use iodine if you have Hashimoto's..." then I disagree. There is more information about this that everyone should have knowledge of and investigate.
It is commonly stated that up to 95% of those with hypothyroidism have Hashimoto's. Others say it's only 90%.
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
We get the idea of Hashimoto's prevalence. The point is that it means we all should be interested in case studies and findings about iodine use with Hashimoto's. What is the truth?
We're all learning as things change constantly as new and effective treatments are discovered safe to use. I love researching everything in order to give myself a chance at the very best treatment protocols. When it seems fitting, I share my research with all of you.
Iodine is needed in the entire body. It's not the enemy.
So if iodine can be useful to those with Hashimoto's (auto-immune thyroiditis), then how did the use of iodine for auto-immune hypothyroidism get such a villainous reputation? Was it warranted?
The truth is that iodine is bad for Hashimoto's when it is used without first administering a selenium protocol to be used in conjunction with iodine. Iodine without selenium is harmful... iodine with selenium is not.
"... The latter four all recommend selenium alongside the iodine. The addition of this mineral changes the picture altogether. But, first, let’s look at why some doctors suggest you avoid iodine if you are inclined towards hypothyroidism/autoimmunity. The idea goes that increased iodine leads to increased levels of Thyroid Peroxidase. This enzyme is already the target of the attack, so increased levels result in a further attack.
"This theory makes sense but, as well as ignoring the role of selenium, it’s not actually what happens. When you provide iodine in large doses, the level of TPO actually decreases (Xu et al, 2010; Muller et al, 2011; Man et al, 2006). As is so often the case, the 1970s textbooks are wrong; in other words, iodine does not trigger flare-ups of Hashimoto’s through this mechanism and those that tell you this is the case need to go back to school and look at the evidence.
"
However, it is true that providing more iodine without additional selenium DOES reliably induce autoimmunity if the individual is genetically predisposed to it. How so? Chen et al (2007) demonstrated that, in the presence of selenium deficiency, iodine increased the levels of circulating lymphocytes, types of white blood cell that can enhance an immune attack (including autoimmune attacks). However, the scientists found that providing extra selenium (as well as the iodine) totally reversed this trend, and allowed the subjects to consume iodine at high levels without altering these immune parameters at all from controls. All the benefits of iodine, none of the problems."
blueprintfitness.co.uk/is-i...
There is so much more to this! It is impressive. The findings of others who have found iodine to be harmful to the thyroid and increase antibody action, did not know that selenium is the neutralizer for iodine use as it protects the thyroid from its otherwise harmful effects. Amazing!
"The Iodine in Hashimoto’s Controversy
Iodine supplementation in Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroiditis patients is controversial, and many patients read on the internet that Iodine should never be given to a Hashimoto’s patient, because it may worsen the inflammation and cause thyroid storm.."
jeffreydachmd.com/2014/01/s...
Selenium supplementation is followed by a protocol of iodine for reducing antibodies. The resulting case studies are remarkable and should be investigated to end the controversy of the use of both selenium and iodine for treatment of Hashimoto's.
It is truly worth your time to do so in order to clear the air on what iodine actually can do for those with auto-immune hypothyroidism. Iodine must be used in the appropriate way that is not harmful to Hashimoto's.
A teaser for you to read the entire article and other articles that support the selenium & iodine protocol, and using suppressive doses of thyroid hormone comprise an excellent plan of action to reduce antibodies.
How to Reduce Antibody Levels in Hashimoto’s
The three most useful interventions for reducing antibody levels in the Hashimoto’s patient are:
1) Selenium supplementation as discussed above.
2) TSH suppression with thyroid medication.(2,3,17,18) Conventional endocrinologists use Synthroid (levothyroxine) with a treatment goal of TSH in the lower half of the normal range. In our treatment protocol, we use natural dessicated thyroid (NDT), also called Nature-Throid), and our goal is to suppress the TSH below the normal range.
The use of suppressive doses of thyroid medication has been reported in the medical literature as extremely beneficial in reducing antibody levels. (2,3,17,18) We have found this true in clinical practice as well.
(Source: JefferyDachMD.com)
(See Dr. Dach's complete articles, including selenium supplementation guidelines at links below):
jeffreydachmd.com/hashimoto...
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