Spirontactone with a thyroid condition.

[Karen154]

Hi, anyone with a thyroid condition taking spirontactone. I started taking it at 50mg a for one month and hair fell out just as bad so tried 75mg for a few days and scalp hair loss was better but i did notice it seemed to trigger thyroid systems again. Scorching hot hands again within a few days, difficulty sleeping and a tightness across my hair line. Brows and lashes are shedding again.

I stopped taking it so I could have my period so I was wondering hormones are in this drug.

Has anyone else had a similar experience and maybe adjusted their thyroid medication while taking spirontactone. If so did it help.

Theres no point in asking my GP or consultants as it mean waiting over a month amd they are clueless anyway.

Thanks for reading.

[Sally56]

Hi Karen,

Can I ask why you are taking spirontactone? I take something similarly named for Aldosteronism?

[Karen154 in reply to Sally56]

Hi, was prescribed for hair loss. Why was your drug prescribed.

[Sally56 in reply to Karen154]

Hi Karen,

I take it for Primary Aldosteronism Hyperplasia, a disease of the Adrenal glands. I make too much Aldosterone. It gives me very high Blood Pressure and my sodium/potassium can become unbalanced and I am hopsitalised regularly for it. But it looks like yours is for hair loss, so not the same reasons. I also don't have a thyroid so have difficulty balancing hormones in general. Good luck, hopefully you can get some help from here, there are some very knowledgeable people on the forum.

[Petalrugbaba]

Hi Karen. Do you mean Spironolactone? If so this drug balances hormones and therefore does affect them. It has an anti androgen effect and therefore is sometimes prescribed for female pattern hair loss.

My endo prescribed it to me and I am hypothyroid and also taking NDT. I am post menopausal so do not have the same issues as you. I find that Spironolactone does mean I have to drink water much more frequently so I do not become dehydrated. If I dehydrate I feel really poorly. It is a diuretic drug and also potassium sparing so you need to get your potassium levels checked regularly and avoid eating food high in potassium too much (such as bananas and avocados).

These drugs should not affect each other. If you are having a bad reaction then I suggest you get advice from an endocrinologist before adjusting thyroid medication. Normally when you first take Spironolactone hair loss will occur ( it’s called “ the dreaded shed”) but after a while it should stop.

I hope you are able to get the medical advice you need soon. Xx

[annnsandell in reply to Petalrugbaba]

Did either of you have your males hormones checked before taking Spironolactone? Someone suggested it for me, seeing an Endo. this week. Don't think I want any more hair loss. I have high testosterone and no thyroid.

[Petalrugbaba in reply to annnsandell]

My my testosterone was in the low normal range but that does not mean that androgens are low. My Sex Hormone Binding Globulin was very low and therefore even tho testosterone was low it was free testosterone so was converting to DHT on my scalp and thus hairloss. Hypothyroidism can lower SHBG .

It is a complicated process and very distressing 😢

I am trying to lose weight ( although within the healthy BMI range). Androgens are reduced if you can get weight down. Ofcourse this is extra hard to do when you are hypothyroid. My thyroid readings are fine now I am on NDT. But hairloss continues.

[Karen154 in reply to Petalrugbaba]

Hi, my testerone is also low normal and sex binding hormone mid range normal but i think this can change with thyroid hormone. Had a private free testerone done which was high normal but nhs won't acknowledge it.

[Petalrugbaba in reply to Karen154]

My sympathy. I agree NHS not interested. Probably as it is not life threatening to lose your hair and they have to channel all their limited funds to other diseases.

The only thing to do is to find a private consultant who specialises in hormones.

Your high free testosterone can be the problem with your hair if your scalp is sensitive to DHT. I do not know how old you are but perhaps you have PCOS. You really do need a specialist in hormones.

For younger people who still have periods I believe that the Pill can help to stop hairloss. Good luck xx

[Karen154 in reply to Petalrugbaba]

Hi, im 47. Sex hormones are normal and not dominate in one. No PCO and haven't inherited it.

But dermotologist thinks its femake pattern baldness although it only happens when thyroid and iron out range. Also effect brows and lashes so clearly isn't.

But lets blame it on the normal hormones because we know what their all like with logic. Support you with words but the stab you in the back in writing. Their all the same.

[Petalrugbaba in reply to Karen154]

Karen. I am the same. I think that if you have a thyroid problem then any tendency ( no matter how small) to post menopausal female pattern baldness takes a bigger hit. Why not try Spironolactone and/or Minoxidil or at least chat to your dermatologist about it? My endo tells me that he has had good results with his thyroid patients being treated with Spiro for FPL hairloss .

Perhaps look at changing your thyroid medication to NDT? It might help. Everyone is different and we just have to try different treatments to see if we can improve our condition. 😊

[Karen154 in reply to Petalrugbaba]

Hi, i really don't think I have it as it fell out when my iron levels dropped. But my brows and lashed fall out in clumps. Do you get the temperature in your hands.

Thanks

[Petalrugbaba in reply to Karen154]

No Karen but my eyebrows are thinning and lashes too 😢. We are all different.

[annnsandell in reply to Petalrugbaba]

All fascinating stuff and very complicated not surprising that doctors struggle.

[Karen154 in reply to Petalrugbaba]

Hi, i have a history of high temperature in my hands and loss of brows and lashes due to thyroid. I read the estrogen blocks the thyroid hormone but progesterone releases it. So guessing there is progesterone in this.

Endocrinologist won't accept problems are thyroid related. In the last 5 yrs none of them have.

[Petalrugbaba in reply to Karen154]

Yes I believe you are right about oestrogen. Also oestrogen dominance causes hairloss. It’s a mine field. Most endos are not knowledgeable about hormones. I use progesterone cream ( sparingly).Doesn’t stop the hairloss tho 😢. Mind you I am 67 so am slowly accepting that hairloss is going to carry on no matter what I do. Although many of my friends of my age have thick hair !

I believe that if you use minoxidil with Spiro it is very effective. I have started using minoxidil on the back of my head. Can’t use it on the crown or at the front of my head as it gives me migraines and puffy eyes 😱.

It’s a battle that continues for me 😊.

Good luck with your journey xx

[asidist in reply to Petalrugbaba]

Hi Petalrugbaba, apologies if i missed this somewhere in the thread, but do you feel the spiro is helping your hairloss? And did you have any other symptoms or changes in your body along with hair loss that you think may have been indicative of a sex hormone issue (esp anything that seemed to differentiate it from a thyroid/iron/other issue), if you don’t mind my asking? thx!

[Petalrugbaba in reply to asidist]

Hi Asidist. It’s very hard to know which symptoms are due to ageing ( reducing levels of all 3 main hormones), which are thyroid and which fphl. A dermatologist told me that I had fphl. I had no other symptoms. I am sure the thyroid problem and stress triggered it. I can only tolerate 25 mg Spiro now and it is such a low dose it only makes a very small difference to hair-loss. I notice that if I stop the Spiro the hairloss is greater.

[asidist in reply to Petalrugbaba]

ah, makes sense that that would be near impossible to tell. thanks for the reply. i too was diagnosed with fphl/androgenic alopecia by one dermatologist but before that, chronic telogen effluvium (and not fphl) based on a scalp biopsy by a diff derm. neither asked any questions about my thyroid (beyond looking at my tsh and t4 numbers). i think hair loss is very difficult for the typical dermatologist to diagnose accurately as well.

[Karen154 in reply to asidist]

Was your thyroid normal. X

[asidist in reply to Karen154]

hi karen, my tsh and t4 were within the “normal” range. however, i since have had my t3 tested, and it was barely in range. i currently take levo only.

how are your levels and do you take any exogenous T3?

because no one in my crazy-large extended family on either side (besides the rare couple who have endocrine issues) have notably thinning hair as far as i know, i’m guessing my hair loss is also more likely due to thyroid issues vs fphl. (though i know fphl can vary in appearance, i also don’t have the classic fphl christmas tree pattern - my issue is hairline, just above my temples, and my crown.) i’m hoping that improving my t3 levels (one way or another!) will resolve or improve my thinning hair and that i'm able to get there in the next few months. there is a small chance i still may want to get pregnant so HRT (or spiro) are not on the table for me at the moment.

[Karen154 in reply to asidist]

Hi, i also have problems with my hair line. My hair is thin on top and patchy. I did take t3 not sure if it made me worse but it helped with eyebrows. The source dried up and currently taking T4 only. Over all felt better and although my tsh is low normal the hand temperature flared up again with spironolactone and hair loss always follows the temperature. I get a tingle and itch and then it falls out.

My dermotologist beleives it's thyroid but he's wrote female pattern baldness and unwilling to change the diagnoses so he isn't doing me any favours writing the wrong thing.

I also have low normal cortisol and iron. If I skip the iron supplement for a day my hair falls out. It's a nightmare and basically treating myself.

Forgot to day the nhs eoukdnt test my t3 or t4 while the tsh was in normal ramge.

[Petalrugbaba in reply to Karen154]

Karen. It seems like you have signs of peripheral neuropathy. Do you supplement with vitamin B12 ? Low B12 can cause the symptoms you have with your hands. Low B12 is a very common problem for hypothyroid souls. There are some other causes too like diabetes. If you haven’t had you vitamin levels checked I would challenge my GP to do this and if he is not responding ask for referral to a consultant.

[Karen154 in reply to asidist]

My concern is that spirontactone is trigger over active thyroid syptoms. I wanted to know if other people had experienced the same.

[asidist in reply to Karen154]

i hope you are able to figure it out, karen, and wish i had something helpful to offer in that regard.

fwiw, re the increased shedding: like petalrugbaba, i too have heard that sprio can cause increased shedding initially - i would guess as it transitions hair from telogen to anagen.

[Karen154 in reply to asidist]

Ya, i get a hot temperature in my hands and the hair falls put. Its eyebrows at the moment. I think its hard to diagnose as it seems to fall into a lot of different conditions.

Do you ever have hot hands.

[asidist in reply to Karen154]

ugh i’m sure that’s distressing. i don’t get that but i’m not on spiro either. i hope it goes away and the spiro is helpful for you

[vocalEK]

If this is the medication you are talking about, then yes, Menstrual Disorders is listed under the side effects. rxlist.com/consumer_spirono...

Also, you say it was prescribed for hair loss? Hair loss is listed as one of its side effects. Perhaps the doctor thought you meant Hirsutism?

[Karen154 in reply to vocalEK]

I asked him to try it because if it female pattern baldness then should balance it and promote growth. I do loose more hair whwn I take it. X

[Petalrugbaba in reply to Karen154]

Karen. It may be the well known initial “ dreaded shed” . Perhaps give it a few months before deciding. The treatment for fphl with Spiro is a dose of 100 - 200 mg a day. I wish that I had tried it years ago when I first started noticing hairloss.

You could try HRT as that is another way to stop hairloss. I’m too old for that otherwise I would go that route. Xx