Hypotirode, massive hair loss itchy scalps ,heavy menstruation

[Lispuhiza]

Hi everyone,on 18 April i was diagnosed with high TSH 4.13,doctor prescribed me levothyroxine( letrox) 25.0 mg for 8 weeks,after taking levo 8 weeks my TSH was 3.56 my menstrual cycle changed a bit i had heavy menstruation on first 3 days,my hair started to fall,then i stooped taking levo for a month,because my doctor was abroad for a month,finally i changed the doctor and he said that immediately i have to start taking levo again i higher doze 50.0 mg,after 2 weeks he did a echo of my tiroid,(tiroid chronic) and analyse of TSH (1.24) but he says to continue with same doze of levo 50.0 mg,my hair are falling out,heavy menstruation,i don't know what to do,please if someone can help me!!

[Heloise]

Try and find out if he will add some T3 to your levo. You need a much higher dose than 50 mcg. eventually. I'm pretty certain you will feel better if you stop all gluten. Gluten is contained in wheat, barley and rye. If your wheat is also modified (GMO) it is a problem. Even the itching can be an immune response and if you have Hashimoto's you really need to pursue this.

Also try to get more blood tests so you can see your status since deficiencies usually accompany autoimmune conditions. Take all the B vitamins in the meantime unless you are going to be tested first. There can be so many symptoms with low thyroid but yours are typical.

[Lispuhiza in reply to Heloise]

Thanks for your response,My scalps started iching and falling out right after strating my levo,i've never had this problem before and i don't know if they are reversible,sure i started taking B vitamins and biotin,but not any result ☹

[greygoose]

Heavy menstruation and hair loss are hypo symptoms. You are just at the beginning of your journey and, frankly, you haven't got off to a very good start! Firstly, your doctor puts you on too low a dose, and leaves you on it for too long, then you go off it for a month! Then you restart at a better dose but your doctor tests too soon, and only tests the TSH! None of that is good.

The right protocol is to start at 50 mcg and retest after six weeks and increase the dose by 25 mcg. And repeat this process until all your symptoms are gone, your TSH is around 1 and your thyroid hormones - T4 and T3 - and towards the top of their ranges. But, just testing the TSH is not good enough. Tell your doctor you want your FT4 and FT3 tested, too. The most important number is the FT3.

Hair-loss is a hypo symptom but can also be caused by other things. Levo can cause it when you first start taking it, but it should only be temporary. A frequent cause of hair-loss is low nutrients. So, you need to ask your doctor to test your vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin. These all need to be optimal - not just in range - for our bodies to be able to use thyroid hormone.

Take your levo on an empty stomach, with a large glass of water, and wait at least an hour before eating or drinking anything other than water. Are you taking any other medication or supplements?

When you go for your next test, make sure your appointment is early morning - before 9 am - and fast over-night. Leave a gap of 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the blood test. And, always, always get a print-out of your results. If you live in the UK, it is your legal right to have a copy.

[Lispuhiza in reply to greygoose]

Thanks for your response greygoose,my ferritin is 20.2,i'm having supplements like tiroid formula they conatin Selen +jod+vitamin e + l-tirozine also b vitamins and biotin,but too soon for any result,i'm soo scared about my hair fall,levo is doing this,but i don't know if they are reversible,it seems like i'm getting bald too much hair after having wash,you say it's normal,i find it very helpful thanks a lot,but i've heard from someone else that if levo causes hair loss is irreversible 😓 really really disappointed,i need little hope and some advice maybe get better!

[shaws Administrator]

I shall give you a list of clinical symptoms and they are quite a number. You will probably tick off more than a couple.

When we are first diagnosed, we should be given 50mcg of T4 (levothyroxine) with an increase of 25mcg every six weeks after a blood test until our TSH is 1 or lower.

Most doctors wrongly believe that once the TSH is 'somewhere' in the range - even the top i.e. around 4 or 5 is fine - no it isn't.

We are having to educate our medical professionals as they seem to have had severe lack of training with regard to hormones. Thyroid Hormones are necessary for life and our body cannot function without optimum dose i.e. TSH 1 or lower with FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the ranges. The latter two are rarely tested.

Mensruation problems are rife with hypo and our heart and brain in particular need the most T3 (T4 should convert to T3 (T3 is the active hormone and T4 inactive).

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Ask for the following - GP or lab may not do all but you can get a private test which will do so.

All tests have to always be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test. Most take theirs early a.m. and others prefer a bedtime dose - in either case the stomach has to be completely empty and dose should be taken with one full glass of water and wait and hour before eating. If taking a bedtime dose, miss this and take after test and night dose on the same day.

You need TSH, T4, T3 Free T4 Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. Antibodies confirm whether or not you have an Autoimmune Thyroid Disease as they attack the thyroid gland until you're hypo but treatment is the same.

GP should also test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Hair loss is distressing but it sometimes happens so make sure all vitamins/minerals are optimal too.

Always get a print-out of your blood test results with the ranges for your own records and post if you have a query.

[Lispuhiza in reply to shaws]

Thank you for your response,when i was first diagnosed TSH was 4.13, t4=14.9 /anti TPO AT-7.2 / anti TG AT<1.0 ,started taking levo 25 for 8 weeks,after that my hair started to fall and being very itchy like something is vibrating inside head skin,heavy menstruation like never before,my menstrual cycle before levo was every 4 weeks,but never at same date never never,now my cycle changed to every 3 weeks,strange, on every 11th,but I'm worried because I'm bleeding(menstruating) so much really heavy. Should i stop levo? Doctor says it's life therapi,i'm 34 years old,hoping for better results,hoping my hair grow back again hope hope..

[shaws Administrator in reply to Lispuhiza]

Too low a dose doesn't help us much. The starting dose is 50mcg with a blood test every six weeks - following advice above. Hopefully you hair will begin to grow again as you reach an optimum dose but it has to be a gradual 25mcg every six weeks.

I have found that few doctors or endocrinologists actually understand what hypothyroidism entails. Tick off the symptoms you have and make an appointment to see your doctor and state that you have been directed that 50mcg is a starting dose and you have to have it increased to an optimal level so that your menstural cycle can get back to normal and symptoms are relieved. Most find that when levo is at an optimal level - around 100mcg to 200mcg of levo that they feel better. Always go by your symptoms and not the blood tests. It is the doctors who pay more attention to where the TSH is than the patients symptoms. Tick off your symptoms and give to GP although I am sure he will not know one of them.

I am sure as your dose is increased it will help your hair and also you have to make sure all vitamins/minerals are optimum too. Doctor should check Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate - everything has to be optimal to work in unison.

[Lispuhiza]

Thank you for your respose,i really appreciate every single word,bur where i live here doctors are not good as much as you think,on Thursday i made an appointment,thank you again but do you think from lab results i'm hipo? Maybe i shouldn't start with levo?? My t tsh was 4.13 and t4 14.9, ANTIBODIES 7,very suspicious,i think doctors are looking to make more and more patients only for business,levo isn't responding well at my,i'm disappointed my tsh now is 1.24 and lab did it at 12 o'clock after i had my levo in the morning nobody told my that i have to do it in the morning,bagging you for any help,i feel horrible and disappointed at same to my doctor,and others,they are all same,thank youuu..any advice!