I am new to this site but was wondering if anyone could give me some advice.
When I was 17 Years old I started collapsing on a regular basis. At first I wasn't out for very long but as the months went on I started taking longer to come out of them, sometimes being out cold for 10-15 minutes at a time. I was going to the doctor practically weekly where they were taking blood tests that they said were 'normal'.
It was well over a year of this going on when one evening, my mum watched a documentary about 'goitre's' and we realised my neck was quite swollen so we asked the doctor if this could be causing me to collapse. They tested my thyroid and realised this was the case and when I was 19 I was sent to Liverpool to have radioactive iodine.
Unfortunately this destroyed my thyroid completely and I went onto 250mg Levothyroxine. After blood tests this was reduced to 175mg which I was on for about 10 years. I have had regular routine blood tests throughout the years but about a year ago the doctor called me out of the blue and advised me to reduce my pills again to 150mg which is what I am currently on.
Throughout the last 16 years of this treatment my hair has been falling out but more recently it looks noticeably worst because it has become so thin and wispy. It has become much drier recently, particularly at the ends. My skin is also quite dry too but I don't have any skin problems and I believe I am aging quicker than my friends. I wash my hair once a week because when I wash it its so dry and also I lose clumps of hair in the shower. I am 5"4, a healthy 9 stone. I eat 2,500 calories a day. I go to the gym 3 times a week. I walk regularly and I eat a very healthy diet which includes 5-9 portions of fruit and veg a day. I have tried everything from coconut oil to sulphate free shampoos. Nothing helps. I have been trying for a baby for the last year unsuccessfully and I am sure that although all my tests have come back positively that there is a problem. I recently read that levothyroxine can cause hair loss. Could this be the problem, Perhaps I should switch to a different medication? I then thought maybe kelp would help as surely an iodine rich diet is better than taking pills. I am at a loss as to what to do and the doctors are unhelpful they just say that all my tests are fine but why then is my hair falling out more and more rapidly. Please help...
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Victoriak2010
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What you should do first, is get copies of your blood test results from your doctor's surgery. If you live in the UK, it is your legal right to have a copy. Never, ever just trust your doctor when he says your blood tests are 'normal'. That is just his opinion and he could be very wrong, because doctors know nothing about thyroid. You need to know exactly what was tested and exactly what the results were. You could be under-medicated, have a conversion problem, an absorption problem, and other things that your doctor will have little understanding of. You need to know.
Once you get the results, post them on here, with the ranges, and we will be better able to help.
Whatever you do, do not go taking kelp or any other form of iodine, apart from what is in your food. If you think you might be deficient, get tested and find a doctor who knows something about it. Most don't. Taking any form of supplementation could rapidly lead to excess iodine - especially given that you are getting about 100 mcg iodine from your levo - and that could cause you a lot of problems.
On the other hand, you could have other deficiencies such as vit d, vit B12, folate and ferritin, so get your doctor to test those.
When you go for tests, make sure your appointment is early in the morning, fast over-night and leave 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the blood draw.
How do you take your levo? On an empty stomach, with a large glass of water, one hour before eating or drinking anything other than water, and at least two hours before any other supplements or medication? Do you take any other medication or supplements?
So for all the questions, but it's so important to know all the details if we're to help you.
Thank you so much for responding I really appreciate it. I have a doctor app on the 9th Oct. That's the earliest I could get. I will ask for my blood test results from last time and I will get new results and up load them as soon as I have that information.
I usually take my Levo in the morning at about 7am. It's after my first cup of tea but I take it with water but only a few glugs. I then have breakfast at about 7:45.
I've had tests for vit B12, folate and ferritin and dr says tests were 'normal'. Will let you know what tge actual results were as soon as I can.
Oh dear. You won't be completely absorbing your levo with that routine. The cafeine in the tea will block the absorption, and then the food not long after... You really should leave an hour between your levo and your tea.
Hi you could have a look at the work of Dr David Brownstein. He is an American doctor and has a website and lots of videos on YouTube. You might find some info there that will resonate with you. Good luck x
Do as grey goose advise could be all sorts .Meds in me only work for 6 weeks tops .Get your results asap post on here.Great bunch excellent advice .If you don't convert or divest in wont work .Iodine is great and very safe impo.The tea will block it if your doing that it s the tannin it blocks vits and minerals .Thyroid impo is a whole system none of it works alone .Good luck .You need to look at digestion and absorption that's what worked for me I've got a problem with bowel flora and that was my key loving thoughts .Please listen to these guys .
Thanks very much for all the advice so far. Over the weekend I have started having my levo first thing with a full glass of water. I don't have a cup of tea until an hour later with my breakfast. During the week I intend to have my first cup of tea when I get to work and I can bring my breakfast to work too. I will be pretty hungry by then but I really hope that these little changes will make a difference.
I will post my blood test results in a few weeks and in the meantime I am looking into Dr David Brownstein as well as the site Improve Thyroid Treatment {ITT} on FB to get more info.
Thank you all so much for taking the time out to respond. I am so very grateful. 😊 Xx
GreyGoose advice is excellent. My hair loss was caused by low ferritin even though Dr said it was normal. After advice on here I requested copies of all my blood tests and I was right at the bottom of the range for all of them. My hair loss slowed down when I got ferritin up to at least 50 and then I got new growth at about 70. If you decide to start taking iron supplements you need to be off it for 5 days before a blood test and you need to take it 3 hrs away from Levo as it interferes with absorption.
Take iron with Vit C as this improves absorption of iron and makes it easier on the gut. It takes a while to get ferritin levels up and then sometime after for symptoms to improve so be patient.
Sorry for responding late. I have taken a supplement with 150 micrograms of Iodine 3 times a day. It seemed to help. I just ran out of the supplement. Hope this helps.
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