Can low iron make a woman's hair line recede? - Thyroid UK

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Can low iron make a woman's hair line recede?

Karen154 profile image
20 Replies

Hi, please can any one advise.

Iron 13.01. range 10.00 to 33

Serum transfer abnormal at 2.17 range 2.50 to 2.80

Ferritin 109 range is 10 to 291

My testosterone is normal at 1.2 range 0.05 to 2.60.

Hair line has been receding for two years along with loss of brows and lashes. The lashes grow back. It starts with a burning temperature in my hands and the the hair loss follows.

Is anyone with low iron experiencing the same thing.

Thanks

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Karen154 profile image
Karen154
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20 Replies
posthinking01 profile image
posthinking01

How are you taking the iron - the burning sounds like you might have a build up of iron in the body/liver. Palms and soles of feet are iron related.

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to posthinking01

Hi, yes I'm taking liquid iron supplement. Burn in hands but not in feet. Also recently burning in muscles.

Thanks

posthinking01 profile image
posthinking01 in reply to Karen154

If I suddenly develop symptoms - I think what have I touched (skin issues) what have I eaten - what supplement have I taken. Stop the iron and see if you improve then we will go from there. Iron is so dangerous.

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to posthinking01

Hi, ya iron can be dangerous. But my iron is on the low side of normal. The GP prescribed it as mybironbhad dropped to out of range. My diet hasn't changed and the hair loss and temperature in hands started long before the iron was prescribed. My scalp hair loss has stabilized since taking the supplement but the hair line is continuing to recede. Wondered if this was a symptom of low iron.

lynnlouc profile image
lynnlouc

Don’t know much about iron but low iodine won’t help. Lugols iodine is the best the 15 one. You can test your iodine levels easily doing a patch test.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to lynnlouc

The iodine patch test is thoroughly discredited and is not a basis on which to make decisions.

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to helvella

Hi. There is no available test for iodine under the Nhs so can treatment be best administered. I've heard it can be quite dangerous to take. Thanks

lynnlouc profile image
lynnlouc in reply to Karen154

THere are few tests available on the NHS for thyroid - they are severely rationed now.

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to helvella

Hi helvella, I'd be grateful if you can give more information on the iodine patch and why it has been discredited. I did have a goitre and I'm probably deficient.

Thanks

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Karen154

This is a quote from a page by a strong advocate of iodine. I don't agree with everything he says, but regarding the patch test, I do consider him basically right:

To answer the second question, the skin iodine patch test is not a reliable method to assess whole body sufficiency for iodine. Many factors play a role in the disappearance of the yellow color of iodine from the surface of the skin. For example, if iodine is reduced to iodide by the skin, the yellow color of iodine will disappear because iodide is white. In order to regenerate iodine on the skin, one needs to apply an oxidant such as hydrogen peroxide, complicating the test further. The evaporation of iodine from the skin increases with increased ambient temperatures and decreased atmospheric pressure. For example, the yellow color of iodine will disappear much faster in Denver, Colorado at 5,000 feet above sea level than in Los Angeles, California at sea level, irrespective of the amount of bioavailable iodine.

optimox.com/iodine-study-20

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to helvella

That's some quote to type. Lol

I'm willing to try anything. It will probably be after Xmas before I get the blood test. But if it is low I would be worried about dosage around T4 medicine.

When my iron dropped the hair was falling out to the touch and it dose appear thinner on the crown. Brows ate terrible. Since taking iron hair had stabilized and brows are slightly recovering. But temperature in hands comes back and the hair all's out. Other then thyroid I was wondering if another deficiency would do this.

At present it's receding but the rest of the scalp is stable and my testimony is well in normal Range.

Thanks

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to lynnlouc

Hi, iodine doesn't seem to be discussed much in the UK and Nhs won't test for it. So I would be a bit frightened to take it because I don't know much about it. Have you had low iodine and if so what were your symptoms.

Thanks

lynnlouc profile image
lynnlouc in reply to Karen154

This is from thyroid . org.

All of the symptoms of iodine deficiency are related to its effect on the thyroid:

GOITER – Without adequate iodine, the thyroid progressively enlarges (develops a goiter) as it tries to keep up with demand for thyroid hormone production. Worldwide, iodine deficiency is the most common cause of thyroid enlargement and goiter (see Goiter brochure). Within a goiter, nodules can develop. Patients with a large goiter may experience symptoms of choking, especially when lying down, and difficulty swallowing and breathing. (ever heard of Derbyshire Neck? - lack of iodine in this area causes people to develop this).

HYPOTHYROIDISM – As the body’s iodine levels fall, hypothyroidism may develop, since iodine is essential for making thyroid hormone. While this is uncommon in the United States, iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide (see Hypothyroidism brochure).

If your body does not get enough iodine, your thyroid is unable to produce thyroid hormone and the result is shrinking hair follicles. This leads to thinning hair, bald patches, and eventually irreversible massive hair loss.

All I know is that iodine helps my hair - loss of hair is related to thyroid because if there is insufficient T3 being produced for your body to keep going, (and the NHS now don't test T3 so how would you know unless you have a private blood test) your body will be more interested in keeping your core organs going rather than your hair!

The NHS are hardly likely to test for it - their understanding of thyroid function is limited and the treatment they provide rationed. You need good levels of selenium to assist conversion of T4 (the inactive hormone) to T3 but you won't get a test for that either - T3 is needed by every cell in your body. As the NHS have decided in their wisdom not to test T3 either you will never know if T4 is ever converted - they think this is some magic that happens that they don't need to be bothered with.

As far as I can see only health unlocked have discredited the iodine patch test. Lots of other hypothyroid women are successfully using it as one part of a way of improve their health and wellbeing. There are loads of ways of finding out whether it works from other hypothyroid women (as we mostly are women of course!).

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to lynnlouc

Hi lynnlouc, thank you for the detailed reply. I don't really were to start as I have a thyroid condition.

So I'll start short and sweet. Are you currently taking t4 and is iodine ok to take with this medicine. I've heard it isn't and iodine would destroy the thyroid. However I had thyroid surgery due to goiture so im guessing I was deficient.

Also it seems to be a routine test with thyroid in the U.S so it definitely must have an effect.

Just scary when you don't know about dosage as wouldn't want to do more damage.

Thanks

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Karen154

Hashimoto's can result in goitre - the original series reported by Hashimoto himself all had goitres. More recently, both goitrous and atrophic autoimmune disease tend to be called Hashimoto's. But it doesn't appear that presence or absence of a goitre is the result of iodine levels. Other factors are involved.

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to helvella

Hi, i tested negative for hash's but I am trying gluten free. It isn't stopping the temperature or hair loss but it may be slowing the hair loss down. I don't know as it's stopped before but then started again.

I had a large goitre with nodules which I was told was beign but recently medically records show it was being cancerous so God knows what I had as the Nhs can't get basic information right.

It was definitely a tumour tho and not just a goitre and as my iron has been borderline for years it's more then likely been deficiency.

Thanks

lynnlouc profile image
lynnlouc in reply to Karen154

If you are fearful you need to gather more knowledge - do more research to make yourself well.

There are plenty of groups on Facebook - people who use it and have experience of it. Check out some of these, even some thyroid related - for example Thyroid Care. There are also forums e.g., Thyroid Patient Advocacy where you can get advice from very experienced thyroid patients who are further ahead in their knowledge of how to be as well as you can be.

If you have Hashimoto's it is complicated to manage but my doctor won't even test me for it even though I have it - he says it is irrelevant - yet it is the auto-immune version of this disease. Knowledge is power and as any thyroid patient in the UK has to learn - you won't get that knowledge from a visit to a GP. There are also very few endo's that actually specialise in thyroid so no point in going that route unless you have strength, tenacity and have built up your knowledge so you can have a realistic discussion rather than being dismissed as some kind of complete nutter....

I do take T4 but this is not the only thing I take - I do take iodine but other things too. After a busy period of 6 weeks when I couldn't replenish the iodine - it's not just any iodine so only available from a few places - my hair reduced significantly - I found it everywhere - on my computer - in my mouth - eek - everywhere! Improved now that I am taking it every day. I can only report on my personal experience of course - we are all different - it's a very individual journey which takes time an effort to research.

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to lynnlouc

Thank you for your detailed replies. I think this why thyroid is so difficult to treat as it's different for everyone. Do you buy iodine without a prescription and how many hours away from T4 do you take it?

I tried a multi vitamin with a daily dose of iodine in and my lashes cane out but it could have due to something else. Whenever the temperature comes back hair falls out in some form.

Thanks

lynnlouc profile image
lynnlouc in reply to Karen154

There is something going on then..suggest Facebook - Thyroid Care administered by Roderick Lane - he does Skype consultations or one of the iodine groups perhaps? I found the TPA forum really helpful too - lots of experienced people and help available ...

Karen154 profile image
Karen154 in reply to lynnlouc

Thanks for your guidance and help x

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