Im a 19 yr old male and ive been experiencing diffuse shedding since july of 2017. I was initially told by the derma that i had Telogen Effluvium caused by stress and that i should wait for a couple of months and see if it has slowed down. Last december 2017 i went to a hair loss expert and she ran tests. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. My TSH was 10.9. She prescribed levothyroxine (euthyrox) 25mcg and to come back in february for more tests. My hair falls like 150 strands everyime i take a shower.
After doing more research i found out that my medicine can actually stop the hair loss or make it worse. Has anybody had any success in treating hair loss related to hypothyroidism? Can i go completely bald because of this? Do you think it would be wise to start taking minoxidil? Or should i wait till my thyroid labs are balanced?
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pauloingaran
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Hi, I am a 30 yr old female and have Hyperthyroidism so maybe not so accurate but my hair was falling out in handfuls I actually thought that I would go bald. It was very distressing everyday!!! But that stopped after about a month, either once I got used to the meds or when my dose was stabilised. Hang in there, Im sure it won't be forever!! Good Luck, I hope your symptoms subside!!
I wouldn't start minoxidil. It's a temporary solution and if you developed a reaction to it and stopped it your hair will shed again.
Best to target the root cause. Telogen Effluvium can be a reaction to stress but also due to low ferritin and other nutrients deficiencies, and in your case, it may be a combination of hypothyroidism and vitamins and mineral deficiencies.
25 mcg of Levo is a very low starting dose. You may need more T4 which will help if your body converts it well and efficiently into T3. Once your T3 levels are optimal and all deficiencies have been corrected, your hair will stop falling and hopefully you will have a full recovery.
yeah my blood tests came back just 2 weeks ago. my ferritin was super high ( above normal range) , tsh was at 10.9 (t3 and t4 normal) , eosinophils were also slightly high.
Are those T4 and T3 levels after treatment or before? How long have you been on 25 mcg Levo, if more than 6-8 weeks, perhaps you may benefit from a slight increase in the dose?
Ferritin, as you have indicated, is indeed high and I am assuming that you are not taking any iron supplements. For someone your age it's a bit surprising but along with slightly high eosinophil and low RBC, this warrants further investigation for a parasitic infection and/or allergic disorder.
You are not rude at all and it is your right to ask. I have hypothyroidism and I now self-medicate on NDT. It all started with a diffuse hair loss like yours and diagnosed as Telogen Effluvium
Shedding stopped completely when my T3 levels reached 5.5 (top of the range 6.8) and all my vitamins and mineral became optimal. My hair has now fully recovered. Although I tested negative on all gluten tests, I decided to give it up completely and this has helped in the absorption and the increase of all the minerals levels
Started straight on NDT and never took Synthroid. Many people do very well on T4 alone. It is all trial and error. I opted to start with Armour Thyroid and it was prescribed by a functional doctor. I continued on NDT when I started self-medication.
I hope so, too, and this is why I am sharing my experience. There are still some unknown in your case such as eliminating any auto-immunity by checking your thyroid antibodies, also your vitamin D and B12 levels, zinc and magnesium, if possible (all can cause hair loss if they are not optimal)
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