Hair loss after TT and is getting worse despite of improved symptoms

[Maramonro]

Hello, I had TT in January and had been struggling to get on a right dose ever since. I lost half of my hair and the texture is completely different. I know that is due to hypothyroidism or as a side effect of Tyrosint, but the problem is now I feel better but still loosing hair. Do you have any advice on how to get my hair back? Thank you all!

[StitchFairy]

Are you now stable on the right dose of levo? Hair loss tends to be the result of wrong thyroid hormone levels, and it can take many months to sort itself out. It's all to do with the follicles dying off and regrowth being dependent on having sufficient thyroid hormones as well as good vitamin levels. If your FT3 level is low, you might see regrowth but the texture is often courser. Post your thyroid and vitamin test details so that people can make suggestions.

[Maramonro in reply to StitchFairy]

Thank you for your response. I am not sure if I am stable yet, as I increased my dose almost two months ago and still don’t know if that is my right dose. My latest result were in normal range but not sure if that is my normal yet. I feel ok though, most of the time so I don’t know. It is definitely thyroid related, but not sure if it is side effects to the medication or I am still under medicated. I don’t know what my vitamins and minerals are. Ferritin was ok last time I checked.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How much Levothyroxine are you currently taking

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if conversion is poor or under treated

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water . This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

If you add most recent blood tests results and ranges members can advise on next steps

Come back with new post once you get fully tested

[Maramonro in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for your response. I am currently taking 150 Tyrosint and have been on it for two months. I feel ok most of the time, but still not sure if it is my right dose. According to my new Endo my latest results were on verge of hyper-whatever that means, but t3 and T4 normal- he didn’t give me any numbers, but I will request. The problem is that he tested me 5 hours after I took Tyrosint- claiming that it doesn’t matter If I do the test after the pill:/so I am not sure if it was accurate to begin with, especially since I was taking vitamin b supplements with biotin at the time-and he claimed too that doesn’t matter as it wasn’t a large dose( just 1500% of daily amount I really don’t know what to think about the doctor or my results

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Maramonro]

Recommend redoing tests In about another months but as advised here.....early morning and fasting and last dose Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test

Make sure to stop taking biotin a week before any blood tests

Getting folate, ferritin, B12 and vitamin D tested too

20% Patients with no thyroid can not regain full health on just Levothyroxine

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

New NHS England Liothyronine guidelines July 2019 clearly state on page 13 that TSH should be between 0.4-1.5 when treated with just Levothyroxine

Note that it says test should be in morning BEFORE taking Levo thyroxine

Also to test vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin

sps.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploa...

[RedApple Administrator]

Maramonro, "a side effect of Tyrosint"

Tyrosint is a thyroid hormone replacement. You take it to replace the hormone that your missing thyroid would have previously produced. I'm not at all convinced that hair loss can be a side effect of the actual thyroid medication. Much more likely to be the result of inappropriate thyroid hormone levels e.g. too much or too little T4 and/or T3. Very recent thyroid test results (i.e. TSH, FT4 and FT3) would help members to see what might be going on.

[Maramonro]

Thanks for your response. Yes, I assume it is due to under medication since I was hypo most of the time until now-hopefully, but I also read that Levo could cause temporary hair loss as a side effect. It’s even in the pamphlet for Tyrosint I have received.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Maramonro]

Yes I know it's in the patient leaflet, it's in our UK levo leaflets too. But it doesn't make sense to me. If, when your own thyroid produced T4, you didn't have hair loss, why would you have hair loss simply because you're taking the replacement T4? Not everything pharma companies claim is true

Tirosint is probably the 'purest' form of levo because it isn't a tablet full of lots of excipients, which could theoretically be blamed for unwanted 'side effects'. So I'd still put money on the hair problems being due to inappropriate thyroid hormone levels, not the medication. It is very distressing, I know. I and many others have been there

[Maramonro in reply to RedApple]

Yes, I agree. I also think it’s because of insufficient replacement, but I am worried as I feel fine now but my hair is still not recovering. Maybe it takes some time, I don’t know. It’s so frustrating. Thank you for your support!