just an update: hi. things are no better for me... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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just an update

Jump1 profile image
29 Replies

hi. things are no better for me. i stopped taking the trial of t3. only took it for 3 nonths. my hair loss was worse with it. hair loss still happening everywhere. hair so fine so weak so slow growing. i look sick. someone said to me the other day i looked so much healthier 3 years ago. my father saw a photo of me 3 years ago and didnt recognise me. thats how bad it is. i loose clumps and clumps. it is the most depressing feeling ever. so other than the hair loss. i feel cold alot..atarted taking iron tabs again last few days was actually warm today

but mayb today was a warm day. my entire body been feeling cold. not just hands or feet. the ridges on my nails all nails by the way thwre is a slight improvement. there were ridges on my big toes they are def fading. swellig of my body.ankles legs arms stomach. it all happens. fluid retention socks leave marks. gets worse with exercise of any sort. bad in morning

drooping right eyelid goes bqck to normal in evening droops most time but can be days when its normal. someone commented on that too. how my eyes looked so good one day. thy simply looked normal the way they should be as far as i ak concerned. stomach pain from hpylori pretty much gone. occasionally get a pang of not ate all day. had pain in kidney area that comes and goes alot but ive done 2 urine tests and theyve come back clear. so god knows what that pain was. urine smells strong sometime.ls. my sex drive is gone. be lucky if feel anything in a month. periods are light 2 days at a push 3. light so.light compared to what wear. togue swells with tweth marks. has crack in the middle. im tired rhoygh not as tired as i was. had cortisol tested low in morning. recent tsh 2.77 ft4 14.4 waiting on antibodies

b12 sound. no diabetes. endo said thyroid not cause od hairloss

somethin is causing it. and i know it is fixable but no one is interested. my hear rate restong can be 50 but it varies alot it cpuld rise from 50 to.80 or 90 dr asked if i.was strugglin to breathe. i dont. i had ecg mahinr on ke last year as was over 100 it didnt show up anything. even watching tv. my nails are pale. not really pink i have the terry bands red at top.of them.

i am depressed aboht my hair so badly annoyed by it

ive reduced stress alot. but occasionally it comes back. im sick of this tho. fighting and getting nowhere learning nothing amd hoping i.am going to get better.

thought qould update you all anyway..i doubt any of you are interested but in case someone is. my last hope is tHt they hpylori is taking a log time to recover from and it is it that jas destryoed my hair. though by now i would.have thought improvement would have arrived as its been over a year since i got treated for it now.

i do no one thing for sure. because of this i.am going to be forever on my own. i.am interested in no one and i jave no self esteem. i wear hats 24 7. thanks world for giving me these cards. loving the lqck if all luck given to me.

dry peelig cracked lips are gone.. gone about 6 months now i.think

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Jump1
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29 Replies
Karen154 profile image
Karen154

Hi Jump1, sorry to hear your still having problems. Don't know if this is of any help. I'm similar to yourself. Light periods, low iron and recently diagnosed with androgen alopecia. All hormones, thyroid are normal other then iron. Low cortisol of morning.

I found vitamin E , C and collagen supplements taken for over 3 months helped. Tried cortisol supplement for 2 two months think this may have helped with lashes. T3 also made my scalp hair fall worse.

Anyway currently trying bio identical progesterone cream. Think this has reduced the hair fall from my scalp but also lowered Levo due to temperature in my hands so I can't be sure.

Need to stop using the cream now for 7 days. So I guess I'll see how heavy the hair fall is.

Like yourself it doesn't grow back.

I emailed the holforfmed medical group in the U.S.A and got some good info. Basically said, female,thyroid and cortisol hormones all need to be treated together as they all work together. May be worth your while checking their website.

Good luck. Hope you find an answer to it.

Karen154 profile image
Karen154

I know this isn't the answer but have you thought of trying counselling to help you come to terms with it. I've requested support from my GP.

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Karen154

there is no chwnce i would go to a gp for counselling

they cannot fig out what the problem is wit me and tell me my immune system isnt in my stomach. no way i would allow them to give me antidepressants or counselling. thats not the problem or solution. there is something medicaly physically wrong wit me

not my mind or well being

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to Jump1

Hair loss or any long term condition is very bad to go through. A lot people struggle to cope with long term conditions which can lead to stress and depression.

If it's not for you then it may be helpful for others.

Also counselling does not have to be through a GP or anti depressants. Just sounded like you were feeling low.

Jazzw profile image
Jazzw

What are your iron levels like now? Has your doctor run a full iron profile? I see from previous posts your ferritin levels are often quite low.

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Jazzw

just got it tested waiting on results meant to be okay

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp

Hair loss can be attributed to many things. I will be posting some info to get you thinking about possibilities. For me personally methylated B9 helped with hair regrowth in addition to thyroid medication. I actuallly had to take quite a lot of B9 to see the change.

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

my b vitamins are aupposed to be good

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp

Hair loss can be caused by many things. That's because when your body is dealing with constant stress, it goes into survival mode. Growing hair on your head is the last thing on the list when your body is trying to survive, because it takes a lot of energy to grow hair.

Begin by taking inventory of what's going on for you right now that could be causing hair loss. I call them "hormone dealbreakers" and they can come in the form of low nutrient status, particularly iron, zinc, not enough protein, B vitamins, etc., chronic infections, insulin resistance and androgen excess, too low-carb diet, hormonal birth control - starting or stopping, antidepressants, toxin overload, food sensitivities, illness, thyroid disease, a traumatic event like childbirth, etc.

What's coming up for you when you read this list? Make a timeline on paper ‪beginning at 3-6‬ months before your hair began to fall out. This will help you to identify what was going on in your life at that time.

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

stress stress and a flu infection and h pylori are what all happened before my hair started falling out nearly 3 years ago now. i was never near a dr before that. taking no.medication

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp in reply to Jump1

Sounds like one of your problems may be with your adrenals (as well as your thyroid).

For adrenal support try taking large amounts of B5 and Vitamin C along with a good B complex vitamin. Make sure that the B complex vitamins are the methylated kind. For example, do not take folic acid (synthetic form of B9) as the body doesn't really use it very well. Instead take the natural form of folate called methylfolate (listed as 5-MTHF, L-methyfolate, LMF, 5-methyltetrahydofolate or 6s-5-MTHF). Same goes for B12 (take methylcobalamin). B2 as riboflavin 5' phosphate, B3/ Niacin as Niacinamide , B6 as pyridoxal 5' phosphate, B5 as calcium pantothenate.

You say your B vitamins are fine but I see no numbers. I would go by a trial run of some good B vitamins to see if they make any difference. (If you haven't been taking these forms of B vitamins).

Note that taking thyroid medicine can be taxing to your adrenals if they are also compromised (which you say they are/ low cortisol in the morning) and you are not supporting them. Also, low cortisol can effect your digestion.

I would advise you to get a book or two on the adrenals to learn much more than what I can tell you here. There may also be some websites but I can't thing of one right now.

Adrenal Fatigue by James L. Wilson.

The Cortisol Connection by Shawn Talbott

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp

Did you know that hair loss is frequently a sign of insulin resistance? Studies confirmed that male pattern baldness both in women and men is highly correlated with sugar imbalance.If you want your hair back you would need to first restore insulin sensitivity of your cells which means reverse diabetes or prediabetes.

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

no problems with that been tested several times last week the most recent time. all came back good

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp

The thyroid gland relies on iodine to make the hormones necessary for the growth of healthy hair, teeth and bones. When we are deficient in this nutrient, the health of our hair can suffer, leading to hair weakness or total hair loss.

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

not had iodine tested ever so dont know. nhs dont test it. nor did the privates i went to see. what else is symptom of it. drink a pint a milk a day. so not sure it would be it.

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp

The presence in the stomach of a common bacteria, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), can impair the body’s ability to produce the proper amount of HCl (stomach acid).

And Hair loss can be a symptom of low stomach acid so you can try Betain HCL and Pepsin to see if it helps. There are websites that explain how to determine how much to take. Low HCL would also cause many other symptoms and a body that is deficient in many vitamins and minerals

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

my vitamins and minerals have been good but i will def try those to make it better thanks. like i said i still sometimes get a pain in the upper left abdomen

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp

Test HA1C to determine if you are prediabetic/ insulin resistant.

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

endo just tested it last week. came back clear

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp in reply to Jump1

What was the range and what were your results?

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

i am waitinf on the letter to arrive out in post wth details. will let you know as soon as i receive. was told it was ok

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp

Personally I am also doing hair mineral testing to help identify mineral imbalances and toxic metals. It is more difficult to get minerals in balance than vitamins so for this you would need to go to someone experienced in HTMA (hair testing mineral analysis). I found out what minerals are lacking, how and what to supplement and what types of foods I should be eating.

This may be helpful for you in determining where the problem may be.

Hope I have not overwhelmed you.

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

i did that test already. it showed i had high levels of calcium in my.hair. no i appreciate really you taking the time.

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp in reply to Jump1

What did they tell you to do after the HTMA test showed you had high levels of calcium? What was your calcium to magnesium, Calcium to Phosphorous, and calcium to Potassium ratios?

Was there anything else irregular in the hair test? Any other ratios that were off (ie. zinc to copper, sodium to potassium, etc)?

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

i did it through medi checks if you look at previous posts all details there. i saw a private gp he tested copper thought it might b low when looked at hair results. it came back fine no problem with copper

Jump1 profile image
Jump1 in reply to Annkapp

Minerals result low high

Calcium 4844 200 2800

Magnesium160 60 160

Phosphorus 160 100 200

Sodium225 50 1000

Potassium275 50 300

Iron 17.3 5.0 30.0

Copper14 10 100

Zinc209 160 240

Chronium0.26 0.10 1.50

Manganese0/60 0.20 2.00

Selenium0.56 0.40 2.00

Cobalt0.03 0.01 0.20

Toxic metals result reference interval

Aluminum 9<50

Arsenic0.1<1.0

Cadmium0.03<0.10

Lead0.36<2.00

Mercury 0,29 <1.00

Nickel1.28<1.40

Hair element ratio sPercentile 2.5th 97.5th

Calcium/Magnesium 30: 1 3.6:1 36.3:1

Calcium/Phosphorous30.3:1 1.8:1 21.3: 1

Sodium/Potassium0.8: 1 0.4:1 3.4:1

Zinc/Copper14.9: 1 2.1:1 18.:1

Zinc/Lead581:1> 104: 1

Zinc/Cadium6967: 1> 1989:1

Selenium/cadium18.7:1> 5.8: 1

Selenium / Mercury1.9: 1> 0.5: 1

do you know how to read these i didnt.

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp in reply to Jump1

Not sure how to read the med checks report (the ranges and ratios are different).

So I am assuming that no one interpreted these results for you.

I did mine through Trace Elements Inc. (and also did one through ARL (analytical Research Labs) a few years back. These two companies are very reputable. ARL provides a booklet (about 30 pages) with interpretation of test results and explanations of what the ratios mean as well as recommendations. I also saw a Naturalpath (sp?) who help me with the actual supplements to take. I did not really like how this person operated so did not go with all the recommendations which is why a few years later I am doing HTMA again with another practitioner.

My Trace Elements report was interpreted by a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who provided me with a (15 page) report with explanations and recommendations.

This practitioner is a much better fit for me. Wanting me to balance things more naturally/ gently and not so aggressively alike the first.

From my understanding they are the two top companies for HTMA because of the way they handle hair samples before testing. Many places wash the hair samples after you send them in which washes out many of the minerals from the hair sample.

With all the issues you are having I would expect more to be off. Either they washed most of the minerals out of the hair sample before testing or your problem lies elsewhere (hormonal?).

Annkapp profile image
Annkapp in reply to Jump1

Just saw a post online with some results like yours and responses. I will post for you. I also noticed your calcium to phosphorus ration is off.

Can high calcium cause hair loss? Will it grow back?

sadhair78

Marylebone, P5

Hair analysis with high calcium 4844 range 200 -2800 magnesium 160 range 60-160 selenium 0.56 range 0.40 -2.00 zinc 2009 range 160 -240. What impact would it have on hair? Would it cause loss thinning fine hair everywhere and no growth?

Answers

By Board Certified Doctors and Qualified Medical Professionals

Proper Evaluation is Needed

Sounds like you have a more complex problems than only thinning hair. I recommend you seek out a good Integrative Medical physician (IMP) that also practices Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy. I'm confident such an IMP will identify the root of the issues you describe and address each of them.

I wish you rapid resolution.

Warmly,

Arbella Sarkis, MD

mygentlemed.com

High calcium

Anyone with high calcium needs a careful and detailed endocrinological exam. Without knowing all your story I can't say if high calcium is related to your hair loss or not. There are some endocrine disorders and disorders of calcium and phosphate balance that can give hair loss. But lots of disorders where there is no link. See a physician for guidance. You may require additional blood tests.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD

Jump1 profile image
Jump1

thanks. .y hormones have been tested. no issue there. mayb get them tested again. my calcium levels fron blood are fine.

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